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We brush mellifluous dews, and find the ground
Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here 430
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

435

To transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires
Through spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire
Of sooty coal th' empiric alchemist

Can turn, or holds it possible to turn,
Metals of drossiest ore to perfect gold

As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve
Minister'd naked, and their flowing cups

440

With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence 445
Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,

Then had the sons of God excuse to have been
Enamor'd at that sight; but in those hearts
Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy
Was understood, the injur'd lover's hell.

450

Thus when with meats and drinks they had suf Nor burden'd nature, sudden mind arose [fic'd, 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 455 Who dwell in heav'n, whose excellence he saw Transcend his own so far, whose radiant forms, Divine effulgence, whose high power so far

Exceeded human, and his wary speech
Thus to th' empyreal minister he fram'd.
Inhabitant with God, now know I well
Thy favor, in this honor 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,

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As that more willingly thou couldst not seem
At Heav'n's high feasts to' have fed: yet what com
To whom the winged hierarch reply'd. [pare?
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 all,
Indued 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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More aëry, last the bright consummate flower
Spirits odórous breathes: flowers and their fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sublim'd,
To vital spirits aspire, to animal,

To intellectual; give both life and sense,
Fancy and understanding; whence the soul
Reason receives, and reason is her being,

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Discursive, or intuitive; discourse

Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours,
Differing but in degree, of kind the same.
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Wonder not then, what God for you saw good
If I refuse not, but convert, as you,

To proper substance: time may come, when

men

With angels may participate, and find
No inconvenient di'et, nor too light fare;
And from these corporal nutriments perhaps
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit,
Improv'd by tract of time, and wing'd ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice
Here or in heav'nly paradises dwell;
If ye be found obedient, and retain
Unalterably firm his love entire,

Whose progeny you are. Mean while enjoy
Your fill what happiness this happy state
Can comprehend, incapable of more.

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To whom the Patriarch of Mankind reply'd:

O favorable Spi'rit! propitious Guest!
Well hast thou taught the way that might direct
Our knowledge, and the scale of Nature set
From centre to circumference whereon

In contemplation of created things
By steps we may ascend to God.

But say,

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What meant that caution join'd, If ye be found Obedient? Can we want obedience then

To him, or possibly his love desert,

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Who form'd us from the dust, and plac'd us here

Full to the utmost measure of what bliss
Human desires can seek or apprehend?

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To whom the angel : Son of Heav'n and Earth, Attend; That thou art happy, owe to God; 520 That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand. This was that caution giv'n thee; be advis'd. God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee, but to persevere He left it in thy power; ordain'd thy will By nature free, not over-rul'd by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity : Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated; such with him Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how

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Can hearts, not free, be try'd whether they serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must
By destiny, and can no other chuse ?

Myself and all th' angelic host, that stand

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In sight of God enthron'd, our happy state
Hold, as you yours, while our obedience holds :
On other surety none; freely we serve,
Because we freely love, as in our will
To love or not; in this we stand or fall:
And some are fall'n, to disobedience fall'n,
And so from Heav'n to deepest Hell; O fall
From what high state of bliss into what woe!
To whom our great Progenitor. Thy words
Attentive, and with more delighted ear, 545
Divine Instructor, I have heard, that when

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Cherubic songs by night from neighb'ring hills
Aërial music send: nor knew I not
To be both will and deed created free;
Yet that we never shall forget to love
Our Maker, and obey him whose command
Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts
Assur'd me', and still assure: though what thou
tell'st

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Hath pass'd in Heav'n, some doubt within me move,
But more desire to hear, if thou consent,
The full relation, which must needs be strange,
Worthy of sacred Silence to be heard;

And we have yet large day, for scarce the Sun
Hath finish'd half his journey', and scarce begins
His other half in the great zone of Heav'n. 560
Thus Adam made request; and Raphaël

After short pause assenting, thus began.

High matter thou injoin'st me', O Prime of
Men,

Sad task and hard: for how shall I relate
To human sense th' invisible exploits
Of warring spirits? how without remorse
The ruin of so many glorious once

And perfect while they stood? how last unfold
The secrets of another world, perhaps

Not lawful to reveal? yet for thy good

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5.70

This is dispens'd; and what surmounts the reach
Of human sense, I shall delineate so,
By likening spiritual to corporal forms,
As may express them best; though what if Earth

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