Not unattended, for on her as Queen
A pomp of winning Graces waited still,
And from about her hot Darts of defire
Into all Eyes to with her fill in fight.
And Raphael now to Adam's doubt propos'd
Benevolent and facil thus reply'd.
To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav'n
Is as the Book of God before thee fet,
Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learn
His Seafons, Hours, or Days, or Months, or Years:
This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth, 70
Imports not, if thou reck'n right, the reft
From Man or Angel the great Architect
Did wifely to conceal, and not divulge
His fecrets to be scann'd by them who ought
Rather admire; or if they lift to try
Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heav'ns
Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move
His laughter at their quaint Opinions wide
Hereafter, when they come to model Heav'n
And calculate the Stars, how they will weild
The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive
To fave appearances, how gird the Sphear
With Centric and Eccentric fcribl'd o'er,
Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb:
Already by thy reafoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy off-fpring, and supposest That bodies bright and greater should not serve The less not bright, nor Heav'n such journies run, Earth fitting ftill, when he alone receives
The benefit: confider first, that Great
Or Bright infers not Excellence: the Earth
Though, in comparison of Heav'n, fo small,
Nor gliftering, may of folid good contain
More plenty than the Sun that barren fhines,
Whofe virtue on it felf works no effect,
But in the fruitful Earth; there first receiv'd
His beams, unactive elfe, their vigour find.
Yet not to Earth are thofe bright Luminaries
Officious, but to thee Earth's habitant.
And for the Heav'ns wide Circuit, let it fpeak 100
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
So fpacious, and his Line ftretcht out so far;
That Man may know he dwells not in his own;
An Edifice too large for him to fill,
Lodg'd in a fmall partition, and the rest
Ordain'd for ufes to his Lord best known.
The fwiftnefs of thofe Circles attribute,
Though numberlefs, to his Omnipotence,
That to corporeal fubftances could add
Speed almoft Spiritual; me thou thinkst not flow, 110 Who fince the Morning hour fet out from Heav'n Where God refides, and e'er mid-day arriv'd
In Eden, distance inexpreffible
By Numbers that have name.
Admitting Motion in the Heav'ns, to shew
Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov'd;
Not that I fo affirm, though so it seem
To thee who haft thy dwelling here on Earth.
God to remove his ways from human fenfe,
Plac'd Heav'n from Earth fo far, that earthly fight,
If it prefume, might err in things too high.
And no advantage gain. What if the Sun
Be Center to the World, and other Stars
By his attractive virtue and their own
Incited, dance about him various rounds?
Their wandring courfe now high, now low, then hid,
Progreffive, retrograde, or standing still,
In fix thou feeft, and what if fev'nth to these
The Planet Earth, fo ftedfaft though the feem,
Infenfibly three different Motions move?
Which elfe to feveral Sphears thou must afcribe,
Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities,
Or fave the Sun his labour, and that fwift
Nocturnal and Diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invifible elfe above all Stars, the Wheel
Of Day and Night; which needs not thy belief, If Earth induftrious of her felf fetch Day Travelling Eaft, and with her part averfe
From the Suns beam meet Night, her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light 140
Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous aire,
To the terreftial Moon be as a Star
Enlightning her by Day, as he by Night
This. Earth reciprocal, if Land be there,
Feilds and Inhabitants: Her fpots thou feeft
As Clouds, and Clouds may rain, and Rain produce Fruits in her foften'd Soil, for fome to eat
Alotted there; and other Suns perhaps
With their attendant Moons thou wilt defcry
Communicating Male and Female Light,
Which two great Sexes animate the World,
Stor❜d in each Orb perhaps with fome that live.
For fuch vaft room in Nature unpoffeft
By living Soul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet scarce to contribute
Each Orb a glimps of Light, convey'd so far
Down to this habitable, which returns
Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.
But whether thus thefe things, or whether not,
Whether the Sun predominant in Heav'n
Rife on the Earth, or Earth rife on the Sun,
He from the Eaft his flaming rode begin,
Or She from Weft her filent courfe advance
With inoffensive pace that spinning sleeps
On her foft Axle, while the paces Eev'n,
And bears thee foft with the smooth Air along,
Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him serve and fear;
Of other Creatures, as him pleases beft,
Where-ever plac'd, let him dispose: joy thou
In what he gives to thee, this Paradise
And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thee too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife:
Think only what concerns thee and thy being;
Dream not of other Worlds, what Creatures there
Live, in what ftate, condition or degree,
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd
Not of Earth only but of highest Heav'n.
To whom thus Adam clear'd of doubt, reply'd.
How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure
Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene,
And freed from intricacies, taught to live,
The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the fweet of Life, from which
God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,
And not moleft us, unless we our felves
Seek them with wandring thoughts, and notions vain.
But apt the Mind or Fancy is to rove
Uncheckt, and of her roving is no end;
Till warn'd, or by experience taught, she learn, 190
That not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure and futtle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime Wisdom, what is more, is fume,
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,
And renders us in things that most concern
Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and ftill to feek.
Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend
A lower flight, and fpeak of things at hand
Useful, whence haply mention may arise,
of something not unfeasonable to ask
By fufferance, and thy wonted favour deign'd.
Thee I have heard relating what was done
E'er my remembrance: now hear me relate
My Story, which perhaps thou haft not heard; 205
And Day is yet not spent, till then thou feeft
How futtly to detain thee I devise,
Inviting thee to hear while I relate,
Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:
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