Officiis illum ufque piis fanctoque timore Accedas, nutuque finas flectenda fupremo
varias quæcunque animantia terras. Et tibi quæ blandâ largitus munera dextrâ,
Lætus habe, dulcefque hortos pulcramque maritam. Conceptus longè humanos fublimia cœli
Confilia exfuperant. Tu ne fapere altius aude; Quæ tibi funt propiora, agita; nec inania finge Somnia; fintne orbes alii, qualefque coloni Indigenæ teneant, quo-ve ordine, gente, locoque. Sufficiat tibi me tantum explicuiffe lubenter Terrarum, & fuperi, quantum fas pandere, cœli. Cui fic dimotis undanti pectore Adamus Fluctibus: ô cœli virtus fapientior, alme Numinis interpres, penitùs mihi vota benignus Explefti, dubiâque errorum ambage folutum Demulfifti animum; curfu qui mollius ævum Ducere tranquillo, nec edacibus otia curis
Of other creatures, as him pleases beft, Where-ever plac'd, let him difpofe; joy thou In what he gives to thee, this paradife, And thy fair Eve: heav'n is for thee too high To know what paffes there; be lowly wife: Think only what concerns thee, and thy being; Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there Live, in what ftate, condition or degree: Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd,
Not of earth only, but of highest heav'n.
To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd. How fully haft thou fatisfy'd me, pure Intelligence of heav'n, angel! ferene! And freed from intricacies, taught to live The eafieft way; nor with perplexing thoughts To interrupt the fweet of life; from which God hath bid dwell far-off all anxious cares,
Dulcia perturbare, doces: quas fede remotâ Longè habitare Deus juffit, ni quærimus ipsi Sponte vagis animis ftudioque vocamus inani. Mens fed enim indomitis fine fine vagabitur alis Avia; dum monitis vitâ-ve edocta magiftrâ Præceptum falubre hoc difcat: fapientia prima eft Haud nimis attentè fubtilia quærere rerum Abditaque, & quorum affiduus minus indiget ufus; At legere & fcire interius, quæ pagina vitæ Præfcripta eft, quæ circa oculos verfatur & ora. Cetera fumus & aura, levifque infana cerebri Somnia; nos adeò utilium ignarofque rudefque Efficiunt penitus, vitæque ad munera tardos. Ergo ex præcipiti prudens demiffius ala Devolet; atque humili paulum propiora loquelâ Tractemus: fors & dulci fermone ferentur Ufibus apta meis, & non indigna relatu,
Si pateris, folitumque ultra dignare favorem.
And not moleft us; unless we ourselves Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions vain.
But apt the mind or fancy is to rove Un-check'd, and of her roving is no end: 'Till warn'd, or by experience taught, fhe learn, That not to know at large of things remote From ufe obfcure and fubtile; but to know That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wifdom: what is more, is fume, Or emptiness, or fond impertinence: And renders us, in things that most concern,, Un-practis'd, un-prepar'd, and ftill to feek. Therefore from this high pitch let us defcend A lower flight; and speak of things at hand Useful; whence haply mention may arise Of fomething not unfeasonable to ask, By fuffrance, and thy wonted favor deign'd. Teque
Teque adeò audivi lætus narrare, quod ævum Accidit ante meum; mihi nunc adverte viciffim, Dum recito, quod forte tuas non attigit aures. Necdum exacta dies: cernis, quêis te usque morari Artibus enitor; me tanta accendit ad ausa Refponfi fpes læta tui atque arrecta cupido. Dum tibi enim afsideo, videor mihi gaudia cœli Carpere; namque meas oblectans fuavius aures Vox tua permulfit, palmæ quàm poma palatum, Efuriem pariterque fitim relevantia, cœnæ Jam dulci exactis redeunte laboribus horâ: Illa brevi eximiis adeò fatiantque replentque Deliciis; tua divino perfufa lepore Ufque novâ alliciunt fenfus dulcedine dicta.
Cui fic refpondit cœli mitiffima virtus:
Nec labiis, hominum genitor, tibi gratia, linguæ Eloquium nec abeft; Deus & tibi dona profudit Uberius, vultûs variis mentifque beavit
Thee I have heard relating what was done E'er my remembrance: now hear me relate My ftory, which perhaps thou haft not heard: And day is yet not fpent: 'till then thou feeft How fubtly to detain thee I devise; Inviting thee to hear, while I relate: Fond! were it not in hope of thy reply, For, while I fit with thee, I feem in heav'n: And fweeter thy discourse is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree (pleasantest to thirst, And hunger both from labor) at the hour Offweet repaft: they fatiate, and foon fill, Tho' pleasant; but thy words with grace divine Imbu'd; bring to their sweetness no fatiety.
To whom thus Raphael anfwer'd heav'nly meek, Nor are thy lips ungraceful, fire of men! Nor tongue in-eloquent: for God on thee Abundantly his gifts hath alfo pour'd;
Dotibus, ipfe fuæ dignatus imagine formæ.
Mutefcis? loqueris? mutum pariterque loquentem Confequitur decor, & voces habitufque placentes
Componit, Te nos cœli domus omnis habemus Confervum in terris noftrum: quin pectore læto Scrutamur, quo res hominum moderamine torquet Omnipotens; tibi tibi nam, bene novimus, almus honorem Conceffit, fortemque parem largitus amoris. Perge igitur; tum forte aberam, tristesque fecutus Præruptasque vias, inferni ad limina regis Tentabam excurfus: denfis legionibus unà Quadratâque acie juffi exploravimus, hoftis Tentaret fi forte umbris exire, malas-ve Infidias fpeculator agens; ne talibus aufis Concitus ingentes Deus exarderet in iras, Obrueretque opera immani vix condita clade.
Nec tamen hi poffent quidquam fine numine fummi Moliri patris: ipfe ita nos exercet, ad alti
Inward and outward both, his image fair. Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace Attends thee; and each word each motion forms. Nor less think we in heav'n of thee on earth, Than of our fellow-fervant; and inquire Gladly into the ways of God with man: For God we fee hath honor'd thee, and fet On man his equal love. Say therefore on;
For I that day was abfent, as befel, Bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, Far on excurfion toward the gates of hell, Squar'd in full legion, (fuch command we had). To see that none thence iffu'd forth a spy, Or enemy, while God was in his work; Left he (incens'd at fuch eruption bold) Destruction with creation might have mix'd. Au-
Augustum decus imperii, nutumque fupremum
Affuetos fervare, & fancta faceffere juffa.
Vidimus objicibus validis ac vectibus æreis Firmatas tristes portas; & longius ante
Lumina quam attigimus, fonus inde acceffit ad aures, Non citharæ fonus argutæ lepida-ve choreæ, Lamenta, & pœnæ horribiles, rabidique ululatus. Ergo gradu celerante prius, quàm sabbata vesper Clauferat, æthereas læti remeavimus oras,
Namque ita mandatum eft. Verùm incipe; me neque furdum
Invenies; læta me audîbas aure locutum,
Teque loquente eadem veniet mihi corde voluptas. Finierat Virtus: cui noftri fanguinis auctor Reddidit: humanæ primordia pandere vitæ Non homini facile eft; quis enim fe noverat inter Nascendum? at blandi aggredior perculfus amore Colloquii. Attonitus, tanquam alti vincula fomni Jam vix exueram, vidi me mollius herbâ
Not that they durft without his leave attempt; But us he fends upon his high behefts For ftate, as fov'reign king; and to inure Our prompt obedience. Faft we found, faft shut The difmal gates, and barricado'd ftrong! But long e'er our approaching heard within Noife, other than the found of dance, or fong! Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage. Glad we return'd up to the coasts of light
E'er fabbath-ev`ning: fo we had in charge. But thy relation now! for I attend, Pleas'd with thy words,no less than thou with mine. So fpake the god-like pow'r, and thus our fire.
For man to tell how human life began Is hard; for who himself begining knew? Defire with thee ftill longer to converse Induc'd me.---As new wak'd from foundest sleep Soft on the flow`ry herb I found me
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