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heroic games

      The unarmed youth of Heaven, but nigh at hand

      Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears,

      Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.

      Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even

      On a sun-beam, swift as a shooting star

      In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired

      Impress the air, and shows the mariner

      From what point of his compass to beware

      Impetuous winds: He thus began in haste.

      “Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath given

      Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place

      No evil thing approach or enter in.

      This day at hight of noon came to my sphere

      A Spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know

      More of the Almighty’s works, and chiefly Man,

      God’s latest image: I described his way

      Bent all on speed, and marked his aery gait;

      But in the mount that lies from Eden north,

      Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks

      Alien from Heaven, with passions foul obscured:

      Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade

      Lost sight of him: One of the banished crew,

      I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise

      New troubles; him thy care must be to find.”

      To whom the winged warrior thus returned.

      “Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,

      Amid the sun’s bright circle where thou sitst,

      See far and wide: In at this gate none pass

      The vigilance here placed, but such as come

      Well known from Heaven; and since meridian hour

      No creature thence: If Spirit of other sort,

      So minded, have o’er-leaped these earthly bounds

      On purpose, hard thou knowest it to exclude

      Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.

      But if within the circuit of these walks,

      In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom

      Thou tellest, by morrow dawning I shall know.”

      So promised he; and Uriel to his charge

      Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised

      Bore him slope downward to the sun now fallen

      Beneath the Azores; whether the prime orb,

      Incredible how swift, had thither rolled

      Diurnal, or this less voluble earth,

      By shorter flight to the east, had left him there

      Arraying with reflected purple and gold

      The clouds that on his western throne attend.

      Now came still Evening on, and Twilight gray

      Had in her sober livery all things clad;

      Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,

      They to their grassy couch, these to their nests

      Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale;

      She all night long her amorous descant sung;

      Silence was pleased: Now glowed the firmament

      With living sapphires: Hesperus, that led

      The starry host, rode brightest, till the moon,

      Rising in clouded majesty, at length

      Apparent queen unveiled her peerless light,

      And o’er the dark her silver mantle threw.

      When Adam thus to Eve. “Fair Consort, the hour

      Of night, and all things now retired to rest,

      Mind us of like repose; since God hath set

      Labour and rest, as day and night, to men

      Successive; and the timely dew of sleep,

      Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines

      Our eye-lids: Other creatures all day long

      Rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest;

      Man hath his daily work of body or mind

      Appointed, which declares his dignity,

      And the regard of Heaven on all his ways;

      While other animals unactive range,

      And of their doings God takes no account.

      To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east

      With first approach of light, we must be risen,

      And at our pleasant labour, to reform

      Yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green,

      Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,

      That mock our scant manuring, and require

      More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth:

      Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,

      That lie bestrown, unsightly and unsmooth,

      Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;

      Meanwhile, as Nature wills, night bids us rest.”

      To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorned

      “My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst

      Unargued I obey: So God ordains;

      God is thy law, thou mine: To know no more

      Is woman’s happiest knowledge, and her praise.

      With thee conversing I forget all time;

      All seasons, and their change, all please alike.

      Sweet is the breath of Morn, her rising sweet,

      With charm of earliest birds: pleasant the sun,

      When first on this delightful land he spreads

      His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,

      Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth

      After soft showers; and sweet the coming on

      Of grateful Evening mild; then silent Night,

      With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,

      And these the gems of Heaven, her starry train:

      But neither breath of Morn, when she ascends

      With charm of earliest birds; nor rising sun

      On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flower,

      Glistering with dew; nor fragrance after showers;

      Nor grateful Evening mild; nor silent Night,

      With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,

      Or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet.

      But wherefore all night long shine these? for whom

      This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?”

      To whom our general ancestor replied.

      “Daughter

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