For Gods, yet able to make Gods of Men:

70

And why not Gods of Men, fince good, the more
Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impair'd, but honor'd more?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve,
Partake thou also; happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'ft be, worthier canst not be:
Tafte this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thyself a Goddefs, not to earth confin'd,
But fometimes in the air, as we, fometimes
Afcend to Heav'n, by merit thine, and fee

What life the Gods live there, and fuch live thou,

So faying, he drew nigh, and to me held,

Ev'n to my mouth of that fame fruit held part Which he had pluck'd; the pleasant savory smell So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought,

Could not but tafte, Forthwith

Forthwith up to the clouds

With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immense, a profpect wide

75

80

85

And various: wond'ring at my flight and change
To this high exaltation; fuddenly

My guide was gone, and I, methought, funk down,
And fell asleep; but O how glad I wak’d
To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night
Related, and thus Adam answer'd fad.

Beft image of myself and dearer half,
The trouble of thy thoughts this night in fleep
Affects me equally; nor can I like
This uncouth dream, of evil fprung I fear;
Yet evil whence? in thee can harbour none,
Created pure. But know that in the foul
Are many leffer faculties, that ferve
Reason as chief; among these fancy next
Her office holds; of all external things,
Which the five watchful fenfes reprefent,
She forms imaginations, aery shapes,
Which reafon joining or disjoining, frames
All what we' affirm or what deny, and call

dream. Night for the vifions and dreams frequent in it. So Sil. Ital. III. 216.

Promiffa evolvit fomni, noctemque retractat. Hume.

94.

90

95

100

105

Our

and thus Adam] Adam conformable to his fuperior character for wisdom inftructs and comforts Eve upon this occafion.

Addifon. 117. Evil

Our knowledge or opinion; then retires
Into her private cell when nature rests.
Oft in her abfence mimic fancy wakes
To imitate her; but misjoining shapes,
Wild work produces oft, and moft in dreams,
Ill matching words and deeds long paft or late.
Some fuch resemblances methinks I find

Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream, 115
But with addition ftrange; yet be not fad,
Evil into the mind of God or Man

May come and go, fo unapprov'd, and leave
No fpot or blame behind: Which gives me hope
That what in fleep thou didst abhor to dream, 120
Waking thou never wilt consent to do.

Be not difhearten'd then, nor cloud thofe looks,
That wont to be more chearful and ferene,

117. Evil into the mind of God or

Man] God here must fignify Angel, as it frequently does in this poem. For God cannot be tempted with evil, as St. James fays (I. 13.) of the Supreme Being. And Milton had just before (as Mr. Thyer alfo obferves) used the term God in the fame meaning. ver. 59.

Nor God nor Man?

again ver. 70.

Than

yet able to make Gods of Men.

129. So chear'd be his fair feaf,

and he was cheard] Aman ner of fpeaking that occurs fome times in Scripture, as in Jerem. XX. 7. thou baft deceived me, and I Deigns none to ease thy load and was deceived. tafte thy fweet,

137. But

125

Than when fair morning first smiles on the world;
And let us to our fresh employments rife
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers
That open now their choiceft bofom'd fmells,
Referv'd from night, and kept for thee in store.
So chear'd he his fair spouse, and she was chear'd,
But filently a gentle tear let fall

From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair;
Two other precious drops that ready stood,
Each in their crystal fluce, he ere they fell
Kifs'd, as the gracious figns of sweet remorfe
And pious awe, that fear'd to have offended.

So all was clear'd, and to the field they haste.

But first, from under fhady arborous roof
Soon as they forth were come to open fight
Of day-fpring, and the fun, who scarce up risen,

137. But firft, from under fhady

arbo'rous roof Soon as they forth were come &c.] Dr. Bentley proposes arbor's roof: I don't know why: he gives us no reason, and I can think of none. But if the Doctor has made a change, where there was no fault; = he has let a very confiderable fault in this paffage escape without any =change or obfervation. As the

comma now ftands after roof, the

130

135

With

morning hymn of Adam and Eve is reprefented as faid by them (at one and the fame time) from under the roof, and in the open fight of the fun which is a contradiction. The fenfe plainly requires that the comma fhould be as we hav~ plac'd it; and the conftruction is, But firft they lowly bow'd adoring, ver. 144. as foon as they were come forth from under the roof of the arbor. Pearce.

145.- each

With wheels yet hovering o'er the ocean brim, 140
Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray,
Discovering in wide landskip all the east
Of Paradife and Eden's happy plains,
Lowly they bow'd adoring, and began
Their orifons, each morning duly paid
In various ftile; for neither various ftile

Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise

145

Their Maker, in fit ftrains pronounc'd or fung
Unmeditated, fuch prompt eloquence

Flow'd from their lips, in profe or numerous verse,

More tuneable than needed lute or harp

845. each morning duly paid In various file;] As it is very well known that our author was no friend to fet forms of prayer, it is no wonder that he afcribes extemporary effufions to our first parents; but even while he attributes ftrains unmeditated to them, he himself imitates the Pfalmift.

153. These are thy glorious works, &c.] The morning hymn is written in imitation of one of thofe Pfalms, where in the overflowings of gratitude and praise the Pfalmift calls not only upon the Angels, but upon the moft confpicuous parts of the inanimate creation, to join with him in extolling their common Maker. Invocations of this nature fill the mind with glorious ideas of

151

To

God's works, and awaken that divine enthufiafm, which is fo natural to devotion. But if this calling upon the dead parts of nature is at all times a proper kind of worfhip, it was in a particular manner fuitable to our firft parents, who had the creation fresh upon their minds, and had not feen the various difpenfations of Providence, nor confequently could be acquainted with thofe many topics of praise, which might afford matter to the devotions of their pofterity. I need not remark the beautiful spirit of poetry, which runs thro' this whole hymn, nor the holiness of that refolution with which it concludes.

Addi fan.

The