[league

Of Arabie the blest, with such delay
Well pleas'd they slack their course, and many a
Cheer'd with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles:
So entertain'd those odorous sweets the fiend
Who came their bane, though with them better
pleas'd

170

175

Than Asmodeus with the fishy fume,
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the spouse
Of Tobit's son, and with a vengeance sent
From Media post to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' ascent of that steep savage hill
Satan had journied on, pensive and slow;
But further way found none, so thick entwin'd,
As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth
Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd
All path of man or beast that past that way.
One gate there only was, and that look'd east
On th' other side: which when th' arch-felon saw,
Due entrance he disdain'd, and in contempt
At one slight bound high overleap'd all bound
Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf,
Whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey,
Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve
In hurdled cotes amid the field secure,

Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold:
Or as a thief bent to unhoard the cash
Of some rich burger, whose substantial doors,

188 wolf] 'Keen as the Evening wolf.'

Benlowe's Theophila, p. 44.

180

186

Cross-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no assault,
In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles:
So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold;
So since into his church lewd hirelings climb.
Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life,
The middle tree and highest there that grew,
Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life
Thereby regain'd, but sat devising death
To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought
Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd

190

195

For prospect, what well us'd had been the pledge Of immortality. So little knows

Any, but God alone, to value right

201

The good before him, but perverts best things
To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.
Beneath him with new wonder now he views, 205
To all delight of human sense expos'd,

210

In narrow room,nature's whole wealth, yea more,
A heaven on earth: for blissful paradise
Of God the garden was, by him in the east
Of Eden planted; Eden stretch'd her line
From Auran eastward to the royal tow'rs
Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings,
Or where the sons of Eden long before

190 Cross-barr'd] Cross-barr'd and double lockt.' Heywood's Hierarchie, p. 510, folio, (1635). 191 In at the window] v. Spenser's Fairy Queen, lib. i. c. 3. ver. 17.

'He was to weet a stout and sturdy thief,

Then he by cunning slights in at the window crept.'

Dwelt in Telassar. In this pleasant soil
His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd;
Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow
All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste
And all amid them stood the Tree of Life,
High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit
Of vegetable gold, and next to Life

;

215

220

Our death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by,
Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill.
Southward through Eden went a river large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill
Pass'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown
That mountain as his garden mould, high rais'd
Upon the rapid current, which, through veins
Of porous earth with kindly thirst up drawn,
Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill
Water'd the garden; thence united fell
Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood,
Which from his darksome passage now appears;
And now divided into four main streams

230

Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm
And country, whereof here needs no account; 235
But rather to tell how, if art could tell,
How from that saphire fount the crisped brooks,
Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold,

237 crisped brooks]

'Tremuloque alarum remige crispat

Fluctusque fluviosque maris.'

A. Ramsæi Poem. Sacr. ed. Lauder, i. p. 3.

238 orient pearl] See Sir D. Lindsay, ed. Chalmers, ii. 327. 'Lyke orient perlis.'

240

With mazy error under pendant shades
Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed
Flow'rs worthy of paradise, which not nice art
In beds and curious knots, but nature boon
Pour'd forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain,
Both where the morning sun first warmly smote
The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade 245
Imbrown'd the noontide bowers. Thus was this
A happy rural seat of various view:

[place Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and

balm,

Others whose fruit burnish'd with golden rind
Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste.
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd;
Or palmy hillock, or the flow'ry lap

Of some irriguous valley spread her store;
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose.

And Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, i. 5. the last of many doubled kisses, this orient pearl.'

250

255

'He kissed

Orient pearl was esteemed the most valuable. See Don Quixote (Shelton's Transl. vol. iv. p. 64.) She wept not tears, but seed pearl, or morning dew: and he thought higher, that they were like oriental pearls.'

244 smote] Val. Flacc. I. 496. 'Percussaque sole scuta.' Orl. Fur. c. viii. st. xx. 'Percote il sol ardente il vicin colle.' And Psalm (Old Transl.) cxxi. 6. The sun shall not smite thee by day.' Todd.

250 fables] Apples. Bentl. MS.

255 irriguous] Hor. Sat. ii. 4. 16. elutius horto.' Hume.

'Irriguo nihil est

Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant: mean while murmuring waters fall 260
Down the slope hills, dispers'd, or in a lake,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.
The birds their quire apply; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune 265
The trembling leaves, while universal Pan,
Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance,
Led on th' eternal spring. Not that fair field
Of Enna, where Proserpine gathering flowers,
Herself a fairer flower, by gloomy Dis

270

Was gather'd, which cost Cēres all that pain
To seek her through the world; nor that sweet grove
Of Daphne by Orontes and th' inspir'd
Castalian spring might with this paradise
Of Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle

262 fringed] See Carew's Poems, p. 204. 'Silver floods,

From your channels fring'd with flowers.' And p. 119.

'With various trees we fringe the waters' brink.' 264 apply] Spens. F. Q. iii. 1. 40.

'Sweet birds thereto applide

Their dainty layes' &c. Bowle.

275

269 Proserpine] With the same accent in F. Queen, 1. ii. 2. 'And sad Prosérpine's wrath.' Newton.

273 Daphne] See Wernsdorf. Poet. Minor. vol. vii. p. 1105. v. Capitolini vitam M. Antonini Philos. c. viii. p. 44, ed. Putman.