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 Happiness: 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 fhould pretend Surprizal, and that he was unadmonifh'd and unforewarn'd.

So fpoke the eternal FATHER, and fo fulfill'd all Justice: 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 Telescope, imagin'd Lands and Regions are obferv'd in the Moon, or a Pilot from amidst the CYCLADES, (b) fees DELOS (c) or SAN 3

(b) Cyclades; Lat. Gr. i. e. Circles, 53 Ifinds lying in a Cir

MOS

cle, round about Delos, in the Archipelago.

MOS (d) first 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

the Sun, as far as the ÆGYPTIAN THEBES. (g) At once he lights upon the Eastern 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 Breaft; the middle Pair girded his Waift 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 flood like him the Poets feign to be the Son of MAIA, (b) and fhook 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 rose up as he past, in Honour to his State and high Message; 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

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 please 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 Eaftward among thofe Trees, and feems another Morning risen 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 beftow'd on us, where Nature multiplies her plentiful Growth, and by difburthening herfelf, grows the more fruitful, which may ferve for Inftruction to us not to fpare.

To whom EvE replied; ADAM, whom GOD made from the Earth, and breath'd Life into! a fmall Store will ferve, where Abundance in all Seafons hangs ripe for Ufe 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

when he beholds, he fhall confefs that God hath dispens'd his Bounties here on Earth, even as he has in Heaven.

SAYING this, with bufy Looks and in Hafte fhe turns away, intent upon hofpitable Thoughts, what Fruits to chufe that were moft delicate; and in what Order to contrive not to mix Taftes, difagreeable to one another, and not elegant; but bring Taste after Tafte, changing them fo as they may ftill please. She ftirs about, and gathers from each tender Stalk whatever the fruitful Earth yields, either in East or Weft INDIA, or the middle Shore in PONTUS, (1) or the PUNIC (m) Coaft, or where ALCINOUS (2) reign'd; a large Tribute of Fruit of all Kinds, in rough Coat, fmooth Rind, or bearded Hufk, or Shell, and heaps them upon the Board with an unfparing Hand: For Drink

(1) Pontus Lat. Gr. i. e. The Sea. It is called the Euxine Sea, the Black Sea, Mare Maggiore (by the Italians, i. e. The greater Sea, thro' Ignorance) and by other Names. Pontus is a fmall Sea in Leffer Afia, upon the North-East Side of Conftantinople, runneth into the White Sea, and from thence into the Mediterranean Sea. A fine Country about it is also called Pontus, Aas 2. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 1. The antient Scythians or Tatars bordered upon it. Pontus was made a Kingdom by Darius the Son of Hyftapis, A. M. 3490, in favour of Artabazus, a Son of one the Lords of Perfia, who confpired against the Magi, who had ufurped that Throne. After him, fix of the Name of Mithridates, and other Kings reigned there. Ovid was banith'd thither by Auguftus; and there

he died, after ten Years Confinement to a cold Climate and barbarous Inhabitants, where he wrote his Triftia.

(m) Punic. Phænician. q. Penic from the Pani or Bene-Anak. Heb. i. e. The Sons of Anak, a famous Giant: Numb. 13. 22. 28. The old Inhabitants of Canaan, in the Days of Mofes

(n) Alcinous; Lat. Gr. i. e. Magnanimous. An antient King of Corcyra (now Corfu) in the Mouth of the Gulf of Venice; who had fair Orchards, it being an Apple Country. The Poets, in high Commendation of them, feigned they were Golden Apples, which Homer took froin the Garden and Apples of Paradife. The latter Poets had this from him, and he from all Antiquity. He entertain'd Ulyffes, when he was caft upon his Ifland, magnificently.