Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 25

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Of nectarous draughts between, from milkie stream,

Berrie or Grape: to whom thus ADAM call'd.

Haste hither EVE, and worth thy sight behold

Eastward among those Trees, what glorious shape

Comes this way moving; seems another Morn

Ris'n on mid-noon; som great behest from Heav'n

To us perhaps he brings, and will voutsafe

This day to be our Guest. But goe with speed,

And what thy stores contain, bring forth and poure

Abundance, fit to honour and receive

Our Heav'nly stranger; well we may afford

Our givers thir own gifts, and large bestow

From large bestowd, where Nature multiplies

Her fertil growth, and by disburd'ning grows

More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare.

To whom thus EVE. ADAM, earths hallowd mould,

Of God inspir'd, small store will serve, where store,

All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;

Save what by frugal storing firmness gains

To nourish, and superfluous moist consumes:

But I will haste and from each bough and break,

Each Plant & juciest Gourd will pluck such choice

To entertain our Angel guest, as hee

Beholding shall confess that here on Earth

God hath dispenst his bounties as in Heav'n.

So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste

She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent

What choice to chuse for delicacie best,

What order, so contriv'd as not to mix

Tastes, not well joynd, inelegant, but bring

Taste after taste upheld with kindliest change,

Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk

Whatever Earth all-bearing Mother yeilds

In INDIA East or West, or middle shoare

In PONTUS or the PUNIC Coast, or where

ALCINOUS reign'd, fruit of all kindes, in coate,

Rough, or smooth rin'd, or bearded husk, or shell

She gathers, Tribute large, and on the board

Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the Grape

She crushes, inoffensive moust, and meathes

From many a berrie, and from sweet kernels prest

She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold

Wants her fit vessels pure, then strews the ground

With Rose and Odours from the shrub unfum'd.

Mean while our Primitive great Sire, to meet

His god-like Guest, walks forth, without more train

Accompani'd then with his own compleat

Perfections, in himself was all his state,

More solemn then the tedious pomp that waits

On Princes, when thir rich Retinue long

Of Horses led, and Grooms besmeard with Gold

Dazles the croud, and sets them all agape.

Neerer his presence ADAM though not awd,

Yet with submiss approach and reverence meek,

As to a superior Nature, bowing low,

Thus said. Native of Heav'n, for other place

None can then Heav'n such glorious shape contain;

Since by descending from the Thrones above,

Those happie places thou hast deignd a while

To want, and honour these, voutsafe with us

Two onely, who yet by sov'ran gift possess

This spacious ground, in yonder shadie Bowre

To rest, and what the Garden choicest bears

To sit and taste, till this meridian heat

Be over, and the Sun more coole decline.

Whom thus the Angelic Vertue answerd milde.

ADAM, I therefore came, nor art thou such

Created, or such place hast here to dwell,

As may not oft invite, though Spirits of Heav'n

To visit thee; lead on then where thy Bowre

Oreshades; for these mid-hours, till Eevning rise

I have at will. So to the Silvan Lodge

They came, that like POMONA'S Arbour smil'd

With flourets deck't and fragrant smells; but EVE

Undeckt, save with her self more lovely fair

Then Wood-Nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign'd

Of three that in Mount IDA naked strove,

Stood to entertain her guest from Heav'n; no vaile

Shee needed, Vertue-proof, no thought infirme

Alterd her cheek. On whom the Angel HAILE

Bestowd, the holy salutation us'd

Long after to blest MARIE, second EVE.

Haile Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful Womb

Shall fill the World more numerous with thy Sons

Then with these various fruits the Trees of God

Have heap'd this Table. Rais'd of grassie terf

Thir Table was, and mossie seats had round,

And on her ample Square from side to side

All AUTUMN pil'd, though SPRING and AUTUMN here

Danc'd hand in hand. A while discourse they hold;

No fear lest Dinner coole; when thus began

Our Authour. Heav'nly stranger, please to taste

These bounties which our Nourisher, from whom

All perfet good unmeasur'd out, descends,

To us for food and for delight hath caus'd

The Earth to yeild; unsavourie food perhaps

To spiritual Natures; only this I know,

That one Celestial Father gives to all.

To whom the Angel. Therefore what he gives

(Whose praise be ever sung) to man in part

Spiritual, may of purest Spirits be found

No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure

Intelligential substances require

As doth your Rational; and both contain

Within them every lower facultie

Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste,

Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate,

And corporeal to incorporeal turn.

For know, whatever was created, needs

To be sustaind and fed; of Elements

The grosser feeds the purer, earth the sea,

Earth and the Sea feed Air, the Air those Fires

Ethereal, and as lowest first the Moon;

Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurg'd

Vapours not yet into her substance turnd.

Nor doth the Moon no nourishment exhale

From her moist Continent to higher Orbes.

The Sun that light imparts to all, receives

From all his alimental recompence

In humid exhalations, and at Even

Sups with the Ocean: though in Heav'n the Trees

Of life ambrosial frutage bear, and vines

Yeild Nectar, though from off the boughs each Morn

We brush mellifluous Dewes, and find the ground

Cover'd with pearly grain: yet God hath here

Varied his bounty so with new delights,

As may compare with Heaven; and to taste

Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat,

And to thir viands fell, nor seemingly

The Angel, nor in mist, the common gloss

Of Theologians, but with keen dispatch

Of real hunger, and concoctive heate

To transubstantiate; what redounds, transpires

Through Spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire

Of sooty coal the Empiric Alchimist

Can turn, or holds it possible to turn

Metals of drossiest Ore to perfet Gold

As from the Mine. Mean while at Table EVE

Ministerd naked, and thir flowing cups

With pleasant liquors crown'd: O innocence

Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,

Then had the Sons of God excuse to have bin

Enamour'd at that sight; but in those hearts

Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousie

Was understood, the injur'd Lovers Hell.

Thus when with meats & drinks they had suffic'd,

Not burd'nd Nature, sudden mind arose

In ADAM, not to let th' occasion pass

Given him by this great Conference to know

Of things above his World, and of thir being

Who dwell in Heav'n, whose excellence he saw

Transcend his own so farr, whose radiant forms

Divine effulgence, whose high Power so far

Exceeded human, and his wary speech

Thus to th' Empyreal Minister he fram'd.

Inhabitant with God, now know I well

Thy favour, in this honour done to man,

Under whose lowly roof thou hast voutsaf't

To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste,

Food not of Angels, yet accepted so,

As that more willingly thou couldst not seem

At Heav'ns high feasts to have fed: yet what compare?

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