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To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade
Made vocal by my fong, and taught his praise.
Hail universal Lord, be bounteous still
To give us only good; and if the night
Have gather'd ought of evil or conceal'd,
Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.

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So pray'd they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recover'd soon and wonted calm. On to their morning's rural work they haste Among sweet dews and flow'rs; where any row Of fruit-trees over-woody reach'd too far Their pamper'd boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine To wed her elm; she spous'd about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dow'r th' adopted clusters, to adorn

His barren leaves. Them thus employ'd beheld

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With pity Heav'n's high king, and to him call'd 220

Raphael, the sociable Spirit, that deign'd

To travel with Tobias, and fecur'd

His marriage with the sev'ntimes-wedded maid.

Raphael, faid he, thou hear'st what stir on Earth Satan from Hell scap'd through the darksome gulf 225 Hath rais'd in Paradise, and how disturb'd

This night the human pair, how he designs
In them at once to ruin all mankind.
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend
Converse with Adam, in what bow'r or shade
Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retir'd,
To refpit his day-labor with repast,

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Or 235

Or with repose; and fuch difcourse bring on,
As may advise him of his happy state,
Happiness in his pow'r left free to will,
Left to his own free will, his will though free,
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware
He fwerve not too fecure: tell him withal
His danger, and from whom; what enemy,
Late fall'n himself from Heav'n, is plotting now 240
The fall of others from like state of bliss;
By violence? no, for that shall be withstood;
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,
Left wilfully tranfgreffing he pretend
Surprisal, unadmonish'd, unforewarn'd.

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So spake th' eternal Father, and fulfill'd All justice: nor delay'd the winged Saint After his charge receiv'd: but from among Thousand celestial Ardors, where he stood Veil'd with his gorgeous wings, up springing light 250 Flew through the midst of Heav'n; th' angelic quires,

On each hand parting, to his fpeed gave way
Through all th' empyreal road; till at the gate
Of Heav'n arriv'd, the gate self-open'd wide

On golden hinges turning, as by work

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Divine the sovran Architect had fram'd.

From hence no cloud, or, to obstruct his fight,

Star interpos'd, however small he fees,

Not unconform to other shining globes,

Earth and the gard'n of God, with cedars crown'd 260.

Above all hills. As when by night the glass

Of Galileo, less affur'd, obferves

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Imagin'd

Imagin'd lands and regions in the moon :
Or pilot, from amidst the Cyclades
Delos or Samos first appearing, kens
A cloudy spot. Down thither prone in flight

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He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky
Sails between worlds and worlds, with steddy wing
Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan

Winnows the buxom air; till within foar
Of tow'ring eagles, to' all the fowls he seems
A Phœnix, gaz'd by all, as that sole bird,
When to inshrine his reliques in the fun's
Bright temple, to Egyptian Thebes he flies.
At once on th' eastern cliff of Paradise
He lights, and to his proper shape returns
A Seraph wing'd; fix wings he wore, to shade
His lineaments divine; the pair that clad
Each shoulder broad, came mantling o'er his breast

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With regal ornament; the middle pair

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Girt like a starry zone his waste, and round
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold
And colors dipt in Heav'n; the third his feet
Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail,
Sky-tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's son he stood, 285
And shook his plumes, that heav'nly fragrance fill'd
The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the bands

Of Angels under watch; and to his state,
And to his message high in honor rife;

For on fome message high they guess'd him bound. 290
Their glittering tents he pass'd, and now is come
Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh,

And

And flow'ring odors, caffia, nard, and balm;
A wilderness of sweets; for Nature here

Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will
Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet,
Wild above rule or art; enormous bliss.

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Him through the spicy forest onward come
Adam difcern'd, as in the door he fat
Of his cool bow'r, while now the mounted fun

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Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm
Earth's inmost womb, more warmth than Adam needs;

And Eve within, due at her hour prepar'd

For dinner favory fruits, of taste to please

True appetite, and not difrelish thirst

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Of necta'rous draughts between, from milky stream, Berry or grape: to whom thus Adam call'd.

Haste hither Eve, and worth thy fight behold Eastward among those trees, what glorious shape Comes this way moving; seems another morn Ris'n on mid-noon; some great behest from Heaven To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour

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Abundance, fit to honor and receive

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Our heav'nly stranger: well we may afford
Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow
From large bestow'd, where Nature multiplies
Her fertil growth, and by disburd'ning grows
More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare.

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To whom thus Eve. Adam, earth's hallow'd mold,

Of God infpir'd, small store will ferve, where store,

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All

All feafons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;
Save what by frugal storing firmness gains
To nourish, and fuperfluous moift confumes:
But I will haste, and from each bough and brake,
Each plant and juciest gourd, will pluck such choice

To entertain our Angel guest, as he

Beholding shall confefs, that here on Earth
God hath dispens'd his bounties as in Heaven.

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So faying, with dispatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent What choice to choose for delicacy best, What order, fo contriv'd as not to mix

Tastes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring
Taste after taste upheld with kindliest change;
Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk
Whatever Earth all-bearing mother yields
In India East or West, or middle shore

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In Pontus or the Punic coaft, or where

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Alcinous reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coat
Rough or smooth rin'd, or bearded husk, or shell,
She gathers, tribute large, and on the board
Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the grape
She crushes, inoffenfive must, and meaths

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From many a berry', and from sweet kernels press'd

She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold
Wants her fit vessels pure, then strows the ground
With rofe and odors from the shrub unfum'd.

Mean while our primitive great fire, to meet His God-like guest, walks forth, without more train

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Accompanied than with his own complete

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Perfections;

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