60

5

Not unattended; for on her; as queen,
A pomp of winning graces waited fill,
And from about her shot darts of desire
Into all eyes, to with her still in fight.
And Raphael now to Adain's doubt propos'd,
Benevolent and facile, thus reply'd.

65
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 seasons, hours, or days, or inonths, or years :
This to attain, whether heav'n move, or earth,

70
Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest
from man or angel the great Architect
Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge
His secrets to be scann'd by thein who'ought
Rather admire; or if they lift to try

75
Conjecture, he his fabric of the heav'ns
Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move
His laughter at their quaint opinions wide
Hereafter, wlien they come to model heav'n,
And calculate the stars, how they will wield
The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive
To save appearances, how gird the sphere
With centric and eccentric scribbled o'er,
Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb:
Already by thy reasoning this I guess,
Who art to lead thy offspring, and fuppofest
That bodies bright and greater should not serve
The less not bright, nor hear'n such journeys run,"
Earth fitting Pill, when she alone receives
The benefit. Confider first, that great
Or bright infers not excellence: the earth
Though, in comparison of heav'n, fo small,
Nor glist'ring, may of solid good contain:
More plenty than the sun that barren shines,

- 3

Whose

85

M.

100

Whose virtue on itself works no effect,

95 But in the fruitful earth; there first receiv'd His beams, unaĉive else, their vigour find. Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries Officious, but to thee, carth's habitant. And for the heav'n's wide circuit, let it speak The Maker's high magnificence, who built So fpacious, and his line stretch'd 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 small partition, and the rest

105 Ordain'd for uses to his Lord best known. The swiftness of those circles attribute, Though numberless, to his omnipotence, That to corporeal substances could add

109 Speed almost spiritual: me thou think'st not flow, Who since the morning hour set out from heav'n, Where God refides, and ere mid-day arriv’d In Eden, distance inexpressible By rumbers that have name. But this I urge, Admitting motion in the heav'ns, to show 195 Invalid that which thee to doubt it mor'd; Not that I fo affirm, though so it seem To thee who hast thy dwelling here on earth. God, to remove his ways from human sense, Plac'd heav'n from earth so far, that earthly fight, If it presume, might err in things too high, 121 And no advantage gain. What if the sun Be centre to the world, and other stars By his attractive virtue and their own Incited, dance about him various rounds ? 125 Their wand'ring course now high, now low, then hid, Progressive, retrograde, or standing still, In fix thou seest ; and what if sev'nth to these, The planet earth, so ftedfast though she seem,

Infenfibly

Insensibly three different motions move?

130 Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe, Mov'd contrary with thwart obliquities; Or save the fun his labour, and that swift Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb supposid, Invisible else above all stars, the wheel

135 Of day and night; which reeds not thy belief, If earth induftrious of herself fetch day, Travelling ealt, and with her part averse From the sun's beam meet night, her other part Still luminous by his ray. What if that light 140 Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous air, To the terrestrial moon be as a star, Enlight’ning her by day, as she by night This earth ? reciprocal, if land be there, Fields and inhabitants: her spots thou feest 145 As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce Fruits in her foften d soil, for some to eat Allotted there, and other funs, perhaps, With their attendant moons, thou wilt defcry Communicating male and female light;

150 Which two great sexes animate the world, Stor'd in each orb perhaps with fome that live. For fuch valt room in nature unpoffess’d By living foul, desert and defolate, Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute

155 Each orb a glimpse of light, convey'd fo far Down to this habitable, which returns Light back to them, is obvious to difpute. But whether thus these things, or whether not; Whether the sun predominant in heav'n Rise on the earth, or earth rise on the sun; He from the east his flaming road begin, Or she from west her filent course advance With inoffensive pace, that spinning sleeps

On

160

On her foft axle, while she paces even,

165 And bears thee soft with the smooth air along, Solicit 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 170 In what he gives to thee, this Paradise, And thy fair Eve; heav'n is for thee too high To know what passes there; be lowly wise : Think only what concerns thee and thy being; Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there 175 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

180
Intelligence of heav'n, angel ferene,
And freed from intricacies, taught to live
The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts
To interrupt the sweet of life, from which
God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, 185
And not moleft us, unless we ourselves
Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain.
But apt the mind or fancy is to rove
Uncheck’d, 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

'rom use, obscure and subtle, 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,

195.
And renders us, in things that most concern,
Unpra&tis'd, unprepar'd, and still to seek.
Ther from this high pitch let us descend
A lower flight, and speak of things at hand,

Useful

20

Useful, whence haply mention may arise
Of something not unseasonable to ask,
By suff’rance, and thy wanted favour deign'd.

Thee I have heard relating what was done
Ere

my remembrance: now hear me relate.' My fory, which perhaps thou hast not heard; 2055 And day is yet not spent ; till then thou feest How subtly to detain thee I devise, Inviting thee to hear while I relate; Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply: For white I fit with thee; I seem in heav'n, 210 And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear Than fruits of palm-tree, pleasanteft to thirst And hunger both, from labour, at the hour Of sweet repast : they satiate, and soon fill, Though pleasant; but thy words, with grace divine Imbu'd, bring to their sweetness no satiety. 216

To whom thus Raphael answer'd heav'nly meek. Nor are thy lips ungraceful, fire of men, Nor tongue ineloqueat; for God on thee Abundantly his gifts hath also pour'd, . 2207 Inward and outward both, his image fair : Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms; Nor less think we in hear'a of thee on earth - , Than of our fellow-fervant, and enquire 225 Gladly into the ways of (jod with man:

we see hath honour'd thee, and set On man his equal love. Say therefore on ;.. For I that day was absent, as befel, Bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, 236 Far on excursion toward the gates of held; Squar'd in full legion, (such command we had,). To see that none thence issu'd forth a spy, Os enemy, while God was in his work;

Left

For God

MS