Cross-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no assault, 190 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, 195 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 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 25 To all delight of human sense expos'd In narrow room nature's whole wealth, yea more, A heav'n 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. Then he by cunning slights in at the window crept.' 210 Dwelt in Telassar. In this pleasant soil All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; Of vegetable gold, and next to Life 215 220 Our death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by, 230 How from that saphire fount the crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, 237 crisped brooks] Tremuloque alarum remige crispat A. Rumsai Poem. Sacr. ed. Lauder, i. P. 3. 233 orient pearl] See Sir D. Lindsay, ed. Chalmers, ii. 327. 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 24 Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs. 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. 2.5 And Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, i. 5. ' He kissed the last of many doubled kisses, this orient pearl." 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. Orl. Fur. c. viii. st. xx. ‹ Percote il And Psalm (Old Transl.) cxxi. 6. thee by day.' Todd. · Percussaque sole scuta. sol ardente il vicin colle. The sun shall not smite 250 fables] Apples. Bentl. MS. 255 irriguous] Hor. Sat. ii. 4. 16. ' elutius horto.' Hume. Irriguo nihil est Another side, umbrageous grots and caves 270 Was gather'd, which cost Ceres all that pain Castalian spring might with this paradise Of Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle 'With various trees we fringe the waters' brink.' apply] Spens. F. Q. iii. 1. 40. 'Sweet birds thereto applide Their dainty layes,' &c. Bowle. 275 239 Proserpine] With the same accent in F. Queen, 1. ii. And sad Proserpine's wrath.' Newton. 13 Daphne] See Wernsdorf. Poet. Minor. vol. vii. p. 1105. v. Capitolini vitam M. Antonini Philos. c. viii. p. 44, ed. Putman. Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham, Young Bacchus from his stepdame Rhea's eye; 230 281 Amara] See Bancroft's Epigrams (1639), 4to. p. 35 (200). Of the Æthiopian mountain Amara,' and Stradling's Divine Poems (1625), p. 27. 'The famous hill Amara to this clime Is but a muddie moore of dirt and slime.' 299 Hel See St. Paul, 1 Corinth. xi. 7. He is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. |