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(Sole, or responsive each to other's note,)

"Singing their great Creator! Oft in bands

"While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, 685 "With heavenly touch of instrumental sounds, "In full harmonic number joined their songs "Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven."

Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed

On to their blissful bower: it was a place

All things to Man's delightful use the roof,

Chosen by the sovereign Planter, when he framed

Of thickest covert, was inwoven shade,
Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew
Of firm and fragrant leaf: on either side
Acanthus,1 and each odorous bushy shrub,

Fenced up the verdant wall: each beauteous flower,
Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine,

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Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought Mosaic:2 under foot the violet,

Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay

Broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone
Of costliest emblem:3 other creature here,

Bird, beast, insect, or worm, dust enter none;
Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower,
More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,
Pan or Sylvanus never slept; nor Nymph
Nor Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess,
With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs,

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1 Acanthus, a prickly plant, with showy flowers; supposed to have suggested the ornamental Acanthus-leaf of ancient architecture.

2 Mosaic:-a kind of work in which small fragments of stone, of different colours, are placed on a common ground, in imitation of embroidery. It is called mosaic from the Ital. "mosaico," "musáico," indicating its elegance, as being connected with the muses not less than poetry or painting. 3 Of costliest emblem,—the word used in the Greek sense of "inlay," "insertion;" inlaid work being another term for mosaic.

4 Pan, the god of shepherds. Sylvanus, the god of woods. Nymph,a general name of a class of inferior goddesses who were supposed to frequent the mountains, forests, or waters; having different names assigned according to their place of residence. Faunus,-the god of husbandmen, commonly represented as in appearance partly a man, and partly a goat.

Espoused Eve decked first her nuptial bed;
And heavenly quires the hymenean sung,
What day the genial angel to our sire
Brought her, in naked beauty more adorned,
More lovely, than Pandora,1 whom the gods
Endowed with all their gifts;—and, O too like
In sad event,-when, to the unwiser son
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnared
Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged
On him who had stole Jove's authentic fire.

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Thus, at their shady lodge arrived, both stood,
Both turned, and under open sky adored

The God that made both sky, air, earth, and Heaven,
Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole: “Thou also madest the night,
"Maker Omnipotent, and thou the day,
"Which we, in our appointed work employed,
"Have finished, happy in our mutual help
“And mutual love,—the crown of all our bliss
"Ordained by thee, and this delicious place,
"For us too large, where thy abundance wants
“Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.
"But thou hast promised from us two a race
"To fill the earth, who shall with us extol
“Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,

And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep."
This said unanimous, and other rites

Observing none, but adoration pure

Which God likes best, into their inmost bower

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1 Pandora-The story is, that Prometheus stole fire from Heaven. Jupiter took vengeance by sending him Pandors (meaning all gits), so called because all the gods had contributed their gifts to make her more charming. She was drought by Mercury (Hermes); Prometheus distrusted the gift, and refised it; but his brother Epimetheus, the unwiser son of Japhet, received her. His idle curiosity induced him to open the box which she carried with her, from which a crowd of evils were let loose on the earth. Umriser-used in the classical manner for not so wise as he ought to have been."

2 Thou also madest.-This sudden introduction of a speech where it was not expected, has been much admired as a great beauty.

Handed they went; and, eased the putting off1

These troublesome disguises which we wear,
Straight side by side were laid; nor turned, I ween,

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Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Mysterious of connubial love refused:
Whatever hypocrites 2 austerely talk
Of purity, and place, and innocence,

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Defaming as impure what God declares

Pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all.

Our Maker bids increase: who bids abstain

But our destroyer, foe to God and Man?

Hail, wedded love! mysterious3 law, true source
Of human offspring; sole propriety

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In Paradise, of all things common else!

By thee adulterous lust was driven from men
Among the bestial herds to range: by thee,
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
Relations dear, and all the charities 4

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Of father, son, and brother, first were known.

Far be it, that I should write thee sin or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place;

Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets!

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Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.

Here Love his golden shafts employs," here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings;
Reigns here and revels: not in the bought smile

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1 And eased the putting off,-being exempt from the necessity of putting off, &c.

2 Hypocrites,-who, on pretence of greater purity and perfection, decry marriages. This doctrine Milton ascribes to the Devil, in allusion to 1 Tim. iv. 1-3.

3 Mysterious,-involving a mystery besides the plain precept. Compare Ephes. v. 32. Sole propriety...of all things,-the only exclusive right among all things common.

4 All the charities,-all the endearing ties of social relations in families and communities.

5 See Heb. xiii. 4.

6 Here Love his golden shafts employs,-Cupid, the miniature divinity, who was fabled to inspire love, was said to employ a sharp-pointed golden arrow for that purpose, and a leaden blunt one to expel it.

Otis loveless, oviess unendeared,
Casual Puito-orn court-amours,

Urreau's wait de sarved over sings
This dress quitted with disdain,

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"But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,

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"Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of harm,1

"This evening from the sun's decline arrived, "Who tells of some infernal spirit seen

"Hitherward bent, (who could have thought?) escaped "The bars of Hell, on errand bad, no doubt:

"Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring."

So saying, on he led his radiant files,

Dazzling the moon; these to the bower direct

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In search of whom they sought: him there they found, Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve,

Assaying, by his devilish art, to reach

The organs of her fancy, and with them forge
Illusions, as he lists, phantasms, and dreams;
Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint

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The animal spirits, that from pure blood arise,

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Like gentle breaths from rivers pure; thence raise,
At least, distempered, discontented thoughts,
Vain thoughts, vain aims, inordinate desires,

Blown up with high conceits engendering pride.
Him thus intent Ituuriel with his spear
Touched lightly; for no falsehood can endure
Touch of celestial temper, but returns
Of force to its own likeness: up he starts
Discovered and surprised. As, when a spark
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, izid
Fit for the tun, some magazine to store
Against a rumoured war, the smutty grain,
With sudden viaze a fused, infames the air;
So started up, it is own shape, sue fend.
Back stepped those two fair angels, arf amazed
So sudden to benoid the grisly King
Tet thus, unmoved with fear, accust minL SOUL :

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