Now

OW 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 glow'd the firmament With living sapphires; Hesperus, that led The starry host, rode brightest, till the Moon, Rising in clouded majesty, at length Apparent queen, unveil'd her peerless light, And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw.

PARADISE LOST, Book IV.

BOTH stood,

Both turn'd, and under open sky adored

The God that made both sky, air, Earth, and Heaven,
Which they beheld, the moon's resplendent globe,
And starry pole: "Thou also madest the night,
Maker Omnipotent; and thou the day,
Which we, in our appointed work employ'd,
Have finish'd, happy in our mutual help
And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss
Ordain'd by thee; and this delicious place,
For us too large, where thy abundance wants
Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground.
But thou hast promised from us two a race
To fill the Earth, who shall with us extol
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep".

PARADISE LOST, Book IV.

HAIL, wedded Love, mysterious law, true source
Of human offspring, sole propriety

In Paradise of all things common else!
By thee adulterous lust was driven from men
Among the bestial herds to range; by thee,
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
Relations dear, and all the charities

Of father, son, and brother, first were known.
Far be it that I should write thee sin or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,

Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,
Present or past, as saints and patriarchs used.
Here Love his golden shafts employs, here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,
Reigns here and revels.

Sleep on,

Blest pair! and, O! yet happiest, if ye seek
No happier state, and know to know no more!

PARADISE LOST, Book IV.

NOW Morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime

Now

Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl;
. . the only sound

Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song
Of birds on every bough.

Awake,

My fairest, my espoused, my latest found
Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight!
Awake! the morning shines, and the fresh field
Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring
Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove,
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed,
How Nature paints her colours, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet."

Adam, PARADISE LOST, Book V.

SON of Heaven and Earth,

Attend! That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience; therein stand: This was that caution given thee; be advised. 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-ruled 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 Can hearts not free be tried whether they serve Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose? Myself, and all the angelic host, that stand In sight of God enthroned, 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 Heaven to deepest Hell: O fall From what high state of bliss into what woe.

Raphael, PARADISE LOST, BOOK V.