pleafant, when firft he spreads his Eastern Beams upon this delightful Land, on the Herbs, Trees, and Fruits, and Flowers fhining with Dew; the fertile Earth becomes fragrant after foft Rains, and the coming on of the grateful and mild Evening is fweet; and then the filent Night with her folemn Bird, and this fair Moon, and these the Gems of Heaven, the Stars that are in her Train; but neither the Breath of the Morning, the pleasant Sun, the fertile Earth, the mild Evening, the silent Night, nor Moon, nor Stars, are sweet without thee. But wherefore do thefe fhine all Night long? And for whom is all this glorious Sight, when Sleep hath shut up all Eyes?

To whom our firft Ancestor reply'd: Accomplish'd Eve! Daughter of GoD and of MAN! these have their Course to finish round the Earth by Tomorrow Evening, and they fet and rife, adminiftring prepar'd Light, in Order from Land to Land, tho to Nations yet unpeopled; left total Darkness should regain its old Poffeffion, and extinguish Life and Nature in all Things; which thefe foft Fires not only enlighten, but also foment and warm, temper and nourish, with a kindly Heat of various Influence; or elfe in Part fhed down their Virtue upon all Kinds that grow upon the Earth, hereby made fitter to receive Perfection from the Sun's more powerful Ray. These then, tho' not seen in the Dead of Night, do yet not fhine in vain; nor let us think tho' there were no MEN, that Heaven would want Spectators, or GOD want Praise; for there are Millions of fpiritual Creatures, that unfeen walk the Earth, both when we are awake and when we fleep; all thefe with never-ceafing Praise behold his Works, both Day and Night: How often from the steep Hill that ecchoes, or from the Thickets, have we heard heavenly Voices in the Middle of the Night, finging alone, or anfwering one another's Song, finging their great Creator; often

have we heard them in Bands, while they keep Watch, or take their nightly Walk; when with heavenly Touch of Inftruments join'd in full Harmony, their Songs have divided the Night, and lifted our Thoughts up to Heaven.

TALKING in this Manner, and join'd Hand in Hand, they pafs'd on together to their happy Bower: It was a Place chofen by GOD himfelf, when he fram'd all Things to the delightful Ufe of MAN: The Roof was thick cover'd and fhaded with Laurel and Myrtle, and what grew up higher were Trees, whofe Leaves were fubftantial and fweet smelling; on either Side grew ACANTHUS, (d) and bushy Shrubs fenc'd up the green Wall; every beautiful Flower rais'd its full-blown Head in between, Iris of all Hues, and Rofes, and Jeffamin, looking like MOSAIC (e) Work; under Foot Violets, and Crocus, and Hyacinth, richly beautify'd the Ground, and colour'd it finer than any Stone of coftlieft Emblem could do: No other Creature durft enter here, neither Beast, Bird, Infect, or Worm, fuch Awe did they ftand in of MAN; PAN nor SYLVANUS (f) were never feign'd to have flept, nor Nymph nor Faun have haunted in a fhady Bower more facred and retired : Here in close Recefs EvE, after being efpous'd to ADAM, firft deck'd her nuptial Bed with Flowers and Garlands, and fweet-fmelling Herbs; and the heavenly Choir fung the Marriage Song, what Day the friendly

(d) Acanthus; Lat. Gr. i. e. A Prickle or Thorn: Because many Thorns grow about it. A Tree or a Shrub with a long and a large Leaf turning in.

(e) Mofaic; Fr. Ita. Lat. Gr. A T. of Archit. A curious Work of many little Stones of different Colours, inlaid or joined toge. ther upon a Bottom of Plaiiter

of Paris. upon Walls or Floors, reprefenting Flowers of divers Shapes, Chequer Work,

(f) Sylvanus; Lat. Gr. i. e. Woody: A God of the Woods and Groves among the old Heathens. Pan, Faunus and Silvanus are but the fame Deity; their Feafts were called Lupercalia.

friendly Angel brought her to him, adorn'd with naked Beauty more lovely than what is feign'd of PAN+ DORA, (g) whom the Gods were faid to have endow'd with all their Gifts, (and Oh too like in the fad Event!) when to the unwife Son of JAPHET, (b) being brought by HERMES, fhe enfnar'd Mankind with her fair Looks, to be aveng'd of him who had ftole Fire from Heaven to animate a MAN.

THUS being arriv'd at their fhady Lodge, both stood, and turn'd, and under the open Sky ador'd that God that made the Sky, and Air, and Earth, and Heaven, which they beheld; the Moon's refplendent Globe, and the Stars: Thou alfo, (they faid) Oh Omnipotent MAKER, madeft the Night and the Day, which we employ'd in our appointed Work have finish'd; in our mutual Help happy, and happy in our mutual Love, which is ordain'd by thee to be the Crown of all our Blifs; and happy in this delightful Place, too large for us, where thy Abundance wants more to partake of it, and Plenty falls uncropt to the Ground: But Thou haft promis'd, that from us two

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g) Pandora; Lat. Gr. i. e. All Gifts. The Wife of Epimetheus; Pallas gave her Wifdom; Venus, Beauty; Mercury, Eloquence: And fo every God and Goddess gave her fome Perfection. Jupiter fent her to Epimetheus with a Box, which he rafhly opened; and all Diseases, Evils and Mileries flew out of it, and infected Mankind. She is defcribed by Hefiod, L. 1. 60.

c. Eve is this Woman, and the Fall of Man is couched under the Fable, which the Heathens had by a long Tradition,

(b) Japhet; Heb. i. e. Perfaded. The Poets call him a pay and the Tatars call him

fhall

Japhis: He is faid to be the Son of Epimetheus, Lat. Gr. i. e. After Wit: Because he smarted for his Curiofity, in opening the Box. The Brother of Prometheus, Lat. Gr. i. e. Wit before Hand: Forecast and Wisdom. He was faid to have put Life and Soul into a Man, which he made of Clay ; to quicken which, he ftole Fire or Soul from Heaven. Jupiter, for his Prefumption, fent Pandora to plague the Earth. Thefe are Memorials of the Creation and Fall of Adam, from Gen. 2. 7. and oral Tradi tion, couch'd in Fables.

fhall proceed a Race to fill the Earth, who fhall with us extol thy infinite Goodnefs, both when we wake, and when as now we afk thy good Gift of Sleep.

THIS they faid unanimously; and obferving no other Ceremony, but pure Adoration, which GOD likes beft; they went with joined Hands into the inmoft Bower, and not needing to put off these troublefome Difguifes which we now wear, they immediately lay down Side by Side: Nor do I fuppofe that ADAM turn'd away from his fair Spoufe, nor Eve refus'd the mysterious Rites of connubial Love; whatever fome Hypocrites may talk aufterely of Purity, and Place, and Innocence, defaming that as an impure Thing, which GOD has declar'd pure, has commanded to fome, and leaves free to all: Our Maker bids us increase, and who bids us abftain? Who, but our Destroyer? The Foe both of GOD and MAN? Hail wedded Love! great Mystery! true Source of human Offfpring! fole Propriety in PARADISE! where all Things elfe are common; by thee it was that adulterous Luft was driven out from MEN to range among the Beasts, founded in Reafon, juft, loyal, and pure; by thee firft were known the dear Relations, and all the Endearments of Father, Brother, and Son: Far be it from me that I fhould call thee a Sin, or blameable, or think thee unbefitting the holiest Places; thou perpetual Fountain of domeftick Sweets! whofe Bed is undefil'd, and pronounc'd chafte, prefent or paft, as being fo to Saints, and Patriarchs: Here are Love's true Darts felt; here Love's Lamp is conftantly lighted; here Love reigns, plays and revels, not in the bought Smiles of Harlots, without Love, without Joy, without Endearment; meer cafual Fruition! not in the Amours of Courts, mix'd Dances, or wanton Masquerades, or midnight Balls, or Serenades, which the Lover fings in the cold Night to his proud Miftrefs, which deferves nothing from

her

her but Disdain. Inftead of fuch Mufick, these two were lull'd to Sleep by Nightingales, clafp'd in one another's Arms, and the flowry Roof fhed Rofes upon their naked Limbs, to repair which the Morning brought forth more. Bleft Pair! fleep on as yet, happiest if ye seek for no happier State, and limit your Knowledge, fo as to defire to know no more.

CHA P. IV.

Gabriel appoints two Angels to Adam's Bower; who find Satan at the Ear of Eve; they bring him to Gabriel; Satan's Behaviour thereon, and Flight out of Paradife.

D

ARKNESS and Night was now spread over the Garden of EDEN, and the Cherubim iffuing forth at the accuftom'd Hour to their Night Watches, stood arm'd in Readiness for their Duty; when GABRIEL to the Angel who was next him in Power spoke thus:

UZZIEL, (i) draw Half thefe off, and with ftricteft Watch coaft the South: With thefe other I fhall wheel the North: Our Circuit meets full Weft. They parted like Flame, Half wheeling to the RightHand toward the Spear, and Half to the Left-Hand toward the Shield. From these he call'd two fubtle and strong Spirits that stood near him, and gave them this Charge;

ITHURIEL, (k) and ZEPHON, (1) with winged

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(i) Uxxiel; Heb. i. e. The Strength of God; one of the fupFofed Guardians of Paradise.

(k) Ithuriel; Heb. i. e. The

Speed