So they pray'd innocently, and to their Thoughts foon recover'd firm Peace and ufual Calmnefs; on they hafted to their Morning's rural Work, among fweet Dews and Flowers, or where any Rows of Fruit Trees reach'd too far their overgrown Boughs, and wanted Hands to check them from fruitlefs Embraces, or elfe they led the Vine to wed the Elm, who twining her marriageable Arms about him brings with her, her Dower, the rich Clufters of Grapes to adorn. his barren Leaves. CHA P. II. Raphael is fent to admonish Man of his Obedience, comes down to Paradife; his Appearance defcribed: Adam difcerns his Coming; goes to meet him, and brings him to his Bower; where Raphael performs his Meffage. T HE high King of Heaven with Pity beheld them thus employ'd, and call'd to him RAPHAEL, (a) the fociable Spirit, that condefcended to travel with TOBIAS, and aflifted him in his Marriage. RAPHAEL! faid he, thou heareft what a Stir SATAN (efcap'd from Hell to Earth through the darkfome Gulph) hath rais'd in PARADISE; how this Night he hath disturb'd the human Pair, and how he defigns in them at once to bring on the Ruin of all Mankind: Therefore, go, and Half this Day converse with (0) Raphael; Heb. i. e. The Remedy or Phyfick of God. The Name of an Arch-Angel, not mentioned in facred Scripture, only in Tob. Chap. 3. 17. 5. 4. 8. 9. 1. 5. 12. 15. with ADA M, as one Friend with another, in what Bower or Shade thou mayst find him, retir'd from the Heat of the Noon, to give fome Refpite to his Day Labour with Repaft or with Repofe; and bring on fuch Difcourfe as may advise him of the happy State he is in, Happiness in his Power, left to his own free Will; his Will, though free yet mutable: Thence take Occafion to warn him, to beware he fwerve not, by imagining himself too fecure: Withal, tell him his Danger, and from whom; what Enemy lately fallen himself from Heaven, is now contriving the Fall of others from a like State of Happinefs: Is this to be done by Violence? No; for that fhall be withftood; but by Deceit and Lies: Let him know this, left tranfgreffing wilfully he should pretend Surprizal, and that he was unadmonifh'd and unforewarn'd. So fpoke the eternal FATHER, and so fulfill'd all Juftice: Nor did the Angel make any Delay after he had receiv'd his Charge; but from among Thoufands of bright and holy Angels, where he ftood veil'd with his beautiful Wings, fpringing up lightly, he flew through the Midft of Heaven; the Choirs of the Angels parting on each Hand gave Way to his Speed, 'till he arriv'd at the Gate of Heaven, which open'd of its own Accord, turning on golden Hinges, as GOD the fovereign Architect had by divine Workmanship fram'd it. From hence no Star or Cloud interpofing to obftruct his Sight, he faw (not unlike to the other fhining Globes, though it appear'd to be very small) the Earth, and the Garden of GoD, with Cedars growing in it, above all Hills: As when by Night, through a Telefcope, imagin'd Lands and Regions are obferv'd in the Moon, or a Pilot from amidft the CYCLADES, (b) fees DELOS (c) or SAN 3 (b) Cyclades; Lat. Gr. i. e. Circles, 53 Ilands lying in: Cir MOS cle, round about Delos, in the Archipelago. MOS (d) firft appearing to be only a cloudy Spot. He speeds down thither direct in Flight, and through the Sky flies between the Stars: Now with fteady Wing upon the Polar Winds, (e) then with his Wings fans the yielding Air; 'till arriving where tow'ring Eagles could foar as high, to all the Fowls he feems a Phoenix, (f) gaz'd on by all as that Bird, when he flies to burn himfelf to Death in the Fire of the (c) Delos; Lat. from theGr. i. e. Manifeft or Appearing: Becaufe (as the Fable goes) it lay under Water or floated about, for a long Time, till Neptune at the Command of Jupiter, fixed it, that Latona might lie in of Apollo and Diana there. Rather from Daal, Heb. i. e. Fear: Because they were worshipped in this Ifland, and fome Remains of the magnificent Temple of Apollo, as Marble Pillars, are visible there. And for that Reafon it was esteemed fo facred, that the Inhabitants would not fuffer a Dog, or any fick Person to live in it, or any Dead to be buried therein; whom they fent to a neighbouring Island,called Rhene. But the true Reafon of this Name is this, becaufe it appears fooneft of any to the Sailors. The common Treasures of Greece were depofited in it, for that Reason. It was first called Ortygia, Gr. i. e. A Quail; because thefe Birds abounded in that Iland. The Island is fmall, not above five or fix Miles in Compafs; twice as long as broad, low, rocky, barren, now defolate, and called Zdeli: And esteemed the first and chief of the Cyclades because Apollo and Diana were chiefly adored, and had a famous Oracle in it. The Turks poffefs it, and the Venetians reduced it, A. D. 1674. (d) Samos, Lat. Gr. i. e. High: Because it is upon a high and lofty Ground; Another of thefe Ifles overagainst Ephefus about 90 Miles from Jerufalem. It is rendered famous for being the Birth-Place of the great Philofopher Pythagoras, about A. M. 3500. (e) Polar Winds, i. e. The Winds that blow from the North and South Poles. (f) Phanix; Lat. from the Gr. i. e. Red, Crimson coloured. A very rare Bird, of a Purple Colour, like an Eagle. They fay it breeds in Arabia, liveth 300, others lay 500, fome 660, and others 1469 Years; that it burns itself to Death in a Neft of fweet Spices, about Thebes in Egypt; out of these Ashes another springeth. It is an Emblem of the Refurrection of the Dead ; and the Fathers urged it for a Proof thereof, against the Heathens, who believed it real; but moft think it is a Fable. the Sun, as far as the EGYPTIAN THEBES. (g) At once he lights upon the Eaftern Cliff of PARADISE, and returns to the Shape he had, when God gave him the Charge, a winged Seraph: He wore fix Wings to fhade his divine Lineaments; the Pair that clad each broad Shoulder came mantling with regal Ornament over his Breast; the middle Pair girded his Waist like a Girdle of Stars, and cover'd round his Loins and Thighs with golden Feathers, and Colours that were dipp'd in Heaven; the third Pair fhadow'd his Feet with Sky-colour'd Feathers, of heavenly Beauty: He stood like him the Poets feign to be the Son of MAIA, (b) and shook his Plumes fo that heavenly Fragrance fill'd the wide Circuit. He was foon known to all the Bands of Angels, who were guarding under Watch, and they all rofe up as he paft, in Honour to his State and high Meffage; for upon fuch they guess'd him to be bound: He went by their glittering Tents, and now was come into PARADISE, through Groves of Myrrh, fweet Flowers, Caffia, (i) Spikenard, (k) and Balm, a Wildernefs of Sweets; for Nature wanton'd here as in her Youth, and play'd N 4 Virgin Virgin Fancies at Pleasure, pouring forth Sweets in great Abundance, wild above Rule and above Art, and full of every Thing that could bring Happiness. ADAM difcern'd him coming onward through the Foreft of Spices, as he fat at the Door of his cool Bower; while now the Meridian Sun fhot his hot Rays directly downward, to warm the inmoft Bowels of the Earth, (with more Warmth than was neceffary for MAN) and EVE within at the accuftom'd Hour prepar'd favoury Fruits for Dinner, of Tafte to pleafe a true Appetite, and not give a Difrelish to Draughts between, taken from the foft Stream, or prefs'd from Berries or Grapes; to whom ADAM call'd thus: EVE, haften hither, and behold what glorious Shape worthy thy Sight_ comes this Way, moving Eastward among thofe Trees, and feems another Morning rifen at Noon-Day; perhaps he brings to us fome great Meffage from Heaven, and will To-day vouchlafe to be our Gueft; but do thou go with Speed, and bring forth what thy Stores contain, and pour forth Abundance, fit to receive and honour our heavenly Stranger; we may well afford our Givers their own Gifts, and largely beftow what is largely bestow'd on us, where Nature multiplies her plentiful Growth, and by difburthening herfelt, grows the more fruitful, which may ferve for Inftruction to us not to ipare. To whom EVE replied; ADAM, whom GOD made from the Earth, and breath'd Life into! a finall Store will ferve, where Abundance in all Seafons hangs ripe for Uie on the Stalk, except what by frugal Keeping gains more Firmnefs and Matureness, making it more nourishing and confuming fuperfluous Moisture: But I will haften, and from every Tree and Plant, and juiciest Ground, will pluck fuch choice Fruit to entertain our Gueft the Angel, as, when |