And colours dipt in heav'n; the third his feet Shadow'd from either heel with feather'd mail, Sky tinctur'd grain. Like Maia's son he stood, And shook his plumes, that heavenly fragrance fill'd The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the bands Of angels under watch; and to his state And to his message high, in honour rise; For on some message high they guess'd him bound. Their glitt'ring tents he pass'd, and now is come Into the blissful field, through groves of myrrh, And flow'ring odours, cassia, nard, and balm; A wilderness of sweets; for Nature here Wanton'd as in her prime, and play'd at will Her virgin fancies, pouring forth more sweet, Wild above rule or art; enormous bliss. Him through the spicy forest onward come, Adam discern'd, as in the door he sat
Of his cool bow'r, while now the mounted sun Shot down direct his fervid rays to warm
Earth's inmost womb, more warmth than Adam needs; And Eve within, due at her hour, prepar'd For dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please True appetite, and not disrelish'd thirst
Of nect'rous draughts between, from milky stream, Berry or grape: to whom thus Adam call'd:
Haste hither, Eve, and worth thy sight behold Eastward among those trees, what glorious shape Comes this way moving; seems another morn Ris'n on mid-noon; some great behest from heav'n To us perhaps he brings, and will vouchsafe 'This day to be our guest. But go with speed, And what thy stores contain, bring forth, and pour Abundance, fit to honour and receive
Our heav'nly stranger: well we may afford Our givers their own gifts, and large bestow From large bestow'd, where nature multiplies Her fertile growth, and by disburd'ning grows More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare.
To whom thus Eve: Adam, earth's hallow'd mould Of God inspir'd, small store will serve, where store,
All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk; Save what by frugal storing firmness gains To nourish, and superfluous moist consumes: But I will haste, and from each bough and brake, Each plant and juiciest gourd, will pluck such choice To entertain our angel-guest, as he
Beholding shall confess, that here on earth God hath dispens'd his bounties as in heav'n. So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste She turns, on hospitable thought intent, What choice to chuse for delicacy best, What order, so contriv'd as not to mix Tastes, not well join'd, inelegant, but bring Taste after taste upheld with kindliest change; Bestirs her then, and from each tender staik Whatever Earth, all bearing mother, yields In India East or West, or middle shore, In Pontus or the Punic coast, or where Alcinous reign'd, fruit of all kinds, in coat Rough or smooth rin'd, or bearded husk, or shell, She gathers, tribute large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the grape She crushes, inoffensive must, and meaths From many a berry, and from sweet kernels press'd She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold Wants her fit vessels pure; then strews the ground With rose and odours from the shrub unfum'd.
Meanwhile our primitive great sire, to meet His godlike guest, walks forth, without more train Accompanied than with his own complete Perfections; in himself was all his state,
More solemn than the tedious pomp that waits On princes, when their rich retinue long Of horses led, and grooms besmear'd with gold Dazzles the crowd, and sets them all agape. Nearer his presence Adam, though not aw'd, Yet with submiss approach and reverence meek, As to a superior nature, bowing low,
Thus said: Native of heav'n, for other place
None can than heav'n such glorious shape contain; Since by descending from the thrones above, Those happy places thou hast deign'd awhile To want, and honour these, vouchsafe with us Two only, who yet by sov'reign gift possess This spacious ground, in yonder shady bower To rest, and what the garden choicest bears To sit and taste, till this meridian heat Be over, and the sun more cool decline.
Whom thus th' angelic Virtue answer'd mild: Adam, I therefore came; nor art thou such Created, or such place hast here to dwell As may not oft invite, though sp'rits of heav'n To visit thee: lead on then where thy bower O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise, I have at will. So to the sylvan lodge. They came, that like Pomona's arbour smil'd With flow'rets deck'd, and fragrant smells; but Eve Undeck'd, save with herself, more lovely fair Than wood-nymph, or the fairest goddess feign'd Of three that in mount Ida naked strove,
Stood to entertain her guest from heav'n; no veil She needed, virtue proof; no thought infirm Alter'd her cheek. On whom the angel Hail Bestow'd, the holy salutation us'd
Long after to bless'd Mary, second Eve.
Hail! Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful womb Shall fill the world more numerous with thy sons, Than with these various fruits the trees of God Have heap'd this table. Rais'd of grassy turf Their table was, and mossy seats had round; And on her ample square from side to side
All autumn pil'd, though spring and autumn here Danc'd hand in hand. Awhile discourse they hold, No fear lest dinner cool; when thus began Our author: Heav'nly stranger, please to taste These bounties, which our Nourisher, from whom All perfect good, unmeasur'd out, descends, To us for food and for delight hath caus'd
The earth to yield; unsavoury food perhaps To spiritual natures; only this I know, That one celestial Father gives to all.
To whom the angel: Therefore what he gives (Whose praise be ever sung) to man in part Spiritual, may of purest sp'rits be found No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure Intelligential substances require,
As doth your rational; and both contain
Within them every lower faculty
Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste, Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,
And corporeal to incorporeal turn.
For know, whatever was created, needs To be sustain'd and fed; of elements, The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea, Earth and the sea feed air, the air those fires Ethereal, and as lowest first the moon;
Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurg'd Vapours not yet into her substance turn'd. Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale From her moist continent to higher orbs. The sun, that light imparts to all, receives From all his alimental recompense
In humid exhalations, and at ev'n
Sups with the ocean. Though in heav'n the trees Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines
Yield nectar; though from off the boughs each morn We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground Cover'd with pearly grain: yét God hath here Varied his bounty so with new delights, As may compare with heaven; and to taste Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat, And to their viands fell: nor seemingly The angel, nor in mist, the common gloss Of Theologians; but with keen dispatch Of real hunger, and concoctive heat
To transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires Through spirits with ease; nor wonder, if by fire Of sooty coal th' empiric alchymist
Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold,
As from the mine. Meanwhile at table Eve Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups With pleasant liquors crown'd. O innocence Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,
Then had the sons of God excuse to have been Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy Was understood, the injur'd lover's hell.
Thus when with meats and drinks they had suffic'd, Not burden'd Nature, sudden mind arose
In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass
Giv'n him by this great conference, to know Of things above his world, and of their being Who dwell in heav'n, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms Divine effulgence, whose high pow'r so far Exceeded human: and his wary speech Thus to thempyreal minister he fram'd: Inhabitant with God, now know I well Thy favour in this honour done to man; Under whose lowly roof thou hast vouchsaf'd To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste, Food not of angels, yet accepted so
As that more willingly thou couldst not seem At heav'n's high feasts t'have fed; yet what compare? To whom the winged Hierarch reply'd:
O Adam, one Almighty is, from whom All things proceed, and up to him return, If not deprav'd from good; created all Such to perfection, one first matter ail Endu'd with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and in things that live, of life; But more refin'd, more spiritous, and pure, As nearer to him plac'd, or nearer tending, Each in their several active spheres assign'd, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportion'd to each kind. So from the root Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves
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