WOW Morn, her rofy steps in th' eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl, When Adam wak'd: fo cuftom'd; for his fleep Was aery-light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperate vapors bland, which th' only found Of leaves, and fuming rills, (Aurora's fan) Lightly difpers'd, and the shrill matin fong Of birds on every bough. So much the more His wonder was, to find unwaken'd Eve With treffes difcompos'd, and glowing cheek, As through unquiet reft: he, on his fide Leaning half-rais'd, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamor'd; and beheld Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep, Shot forth peculiar graces: then, with voice Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Her hand soft-touching, whisper'd thus: Awake My faireft, my efpous'd, my latest found, Heav'n's laft beft gift, my ever-new delight! Awake: the morning fhines, and the fresh field 20 Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove, What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, How nature paints her colors, how the bee Sits on the bloom extracting liquid fweet.
Such whisp'ring wak'd her, but with startled eye On Adam; whom embracing, thus she spake. O fole! in whom my thoughts find all repofe, My glory, my perfection! glad I fee
Thy face, and morn return'd; for I this night, 30 (Such night till this I never pass'd,) have dream'd, (If dream'd) not, as I oft am wont, of thee, Works of day pafs'd, or morrow's next defign: But, of offenfe, and trouble; which my mind Knew never till this irksome night. Methought 35 Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it faid, Why fleep'ft thou Eve? now is the pleasant time, The cool, the filent, fave where filence yields To the night-warbling bird, that now awake Tunes sweetest his love-labor'd fong; now reigns Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleasant light Shadowy fets off the face of things; in vain, If none regard: heav'n wakes with all his eyes; Whom to behold but Thee, nature's defire ? 45 In whose fight all things joy, with ravishment Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.
I rofe, as at thy call; but found thee not: To find thee I directed then my walk;
And on, methought, alone I pafs'd, thro' ways 50 That brought me on a sudden to the Tree of interdicted Knowledge: fair it seem'd, Much fairer, to my fancy, than by day: And as I wond'ring look'd, beside it stood One fhap'd, and wing'd, like one of those from Heav'n, By us oft feen: his dewy locks diftill'd Ambrofia; on that tree he also gaz'd:
And, O fair plant, faid he, with fruit furcharg'd! Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet ?
Nor God, nor man? Is knowledge fo defpis'd? 60 Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none fhall from me with-hold Longer thy offer'd good: why elfe fet here? This faid, he paus'd not, but with vent'rous arm He pluck'd, he tasted: me damp horror chill'd 65 At fuch bold words, vouch'd with a deed fo bold. But he thus, overjoy'd: O fruit divine! Sweet of thy felf, but much more sweet thus crop'd! Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit
For Gods, yet able to make Gods of men:
And why not Gods of men, fince good the more Communicated, more abundant grows,
The author not impair'd, but honor'd more? Here, happy creature, fair Angelic Eve! Partake thou alfo: happy though thou art, Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be: Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods Thy felf a Goddess; not to earth confin'd, But fometimes in the air, as we; fometimes Afcend to heav'n, by merit thine, and fee What life the Gods live there, and fuch live Thou.
So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Ev'n to my mouth, of that same fruit held part Which he had pluck'd: the pleasant favoury smell So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought, Could not but tafte! Forthwith up to the clouds With him I flew, and underneath beheld The earth outstretch'd immenfe, a profpect wide, And various: wond'ring at my flight, and change
To this high exaltation; fuddenly
My guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down, And fell asleep: but O, how glad I wak'd To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night Related, and thus Adam answer'd fad.
Beft image of my felf, and dearer half! The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep Affects me equally: nor can I like This uncooth dream, of evil sprung, I fear. Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none, Created pure. But know, that in the foul Are many leffer faculties, that serve Reason as chief: among these Fancy next Her office holds: of all external things, Which the five watchful fenfes reprefent, She forms imaginations, aery fhapes, Which Reason joining, or disjoining, frames All what we affirm, or what deny, and call Our knowledge, or opinion; then retires Into her private cell, when nature rests. Oft in her absence mimic Fancy wakes To imitate her; but, mis-joining shapes, Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams; Ill matching words, and deeds, long past, or late. Some fuch resemblances methinks I find
Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream; 115 But with addition strange! yet, be not fad: Evil into the mind of God, or man,
May come, and go, fo un-approv'd, and leave No fpot or blame behind; which gives me hope
That what in sleep thou didst abhor to dream, Waking thou never wilt confent to do.
Be not dif-hearten'd then, nor cloud thofe looks, That wont to be more chearful, and ferene, Than when fair morning first fmiles on the world: And let us to our fresh employments rife, 125 Among the groves, the fountains, and the flow'rs, That open now their choiceft bofom'd smells, Referv'd from night, and kept for thee in ftore. So chear'd he his fair spouse, and she was chear'd ; But filently a gentle tear let fall
139 From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair: Two other precious drops that ready stood,
Each in their crystal fluice, he e'er they fell Kifs'd, as the gracious figns of sweet remorse, And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended. 135 So all was clear'd, and to the field they hafte: But first, from under fhady arborous roof, Soon as they forth were come to open fight Of day-spring, and the fun, (who scarce up-ris'n, With wheels yet hov'ring o'er the ocean-brim, 140 Shot parallel to th' earth his dewy ray,
Difcov'ring in wide landscape all the east Of Paradife, and Eden's happy plains.) Lowly they bow'd, adoring, and began Their orifons, each morning duly paid In various ftyle; for neither various style, Nor holy rapture, wanted they, to praise Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd, or fung Unmeditated; fuch prompt eloquence
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