Lest on the threshing floor his hopeful sheaves
Prove chaff. On th' other side Satan alarm'd,
Collecting all his might, dilated stood,
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremoved:

His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest
Sat horror plum'd; nor wanted in his grasp

985

What seem❜d both spear and shield. Now dreadful deeds

Might have ensu'd, nor only paradise

In this commotion, but the starry cope

Of heaven perhaps, or all the elements

At least bad gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn
With violence of this conflict, had not soon
Th' Eternal to prevent such horrid fray
Hung forth in heav'n his golden scales, yet seen
Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign,

990

995

1000

Wherein all things created first he weigh'd,
The pendulous round earth with balanc'd air
In counterpoise; now ponders all events,
Battles, and realms: in these he put two weights,
The sequel each of parting and of fight;
The latter quick up flew and kick'd the beam:
Which Gabriel spying thus bespake the fiend.

1005

Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st

mine :

Neither our own but giv'n; what folly then
To boast what arms can do, since thine no more

1008 thine] Thine' and 'mine' refer to strength, ver. 1006. not to Newton.

arms.

Than heaven permits, nor mine, though doubled now To trample thee as mire? for proof look up, 1010 And read thy lot in yon celestial sign,

Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak,

If thou resist. The fiend look'd up, and knew
His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled

Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK V.

THE ARGUMENT.

MORNING approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to their day-labours: their morning hymn at the door of their bower. GOD, to render man inexcusable, sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to paradise; his appearance described, his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table: Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state, and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him; persuading all but only Abdiel a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.

Now morn, her rosy steps in th' eastern clime Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl,

1 rosy steps] Quintus Smyrnæus applies the epithet, godóσqugos to Aurora. v. lib. i. 137. A. Dyce.

2 sow'd] Ambo de comis calorem, et ambo radios conserunt.' See Anthol. Lat. vol. i. p. 8, ed. Burm. Avieni, Orb. Desc. ver. 580. and Fragm. in Aristot. Poet.

Σπείρων θεοκτίστην φλόγα. Upton.

6

10

When Adam wak'd, so custom'd, for his sleep
Was aery light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperate vapours bland, which th' only sound
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
Lightly dispers'd, and the shrill matin song
Of birds on every bough: so much the more
His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve
With tresses discompos'd and glowing cheek,
As through unquiet rest: he, on his side
Leaning half-rais'd, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld
Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces: then with voice
Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus: Awake,
My fairest, my espoused, my latest found,
Heaven's last best gift, my ever new delight,

5 only] For alone.' Spens. F. Q. v. xi. 30.
'As if the only sound thereof she fear'd.'

6 fuming] v. Lucretii. lib. vi. Virg. Geo. ii. 217.

6 fan] Sylvester's Du Bartas, p. 116.

'Calls forth the winds. Oh Heaven's fresh fans, quoth he:'

and p. 161;

' now began

Aurora's usher with his windy fan

Gently to shake the woods on every side.'

7 matin] Virg. Æn. viii. 456.

'Et matutini volucrum sub culmine cantus.'

Newton.

15

17 Awake] See Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, ver. 10012. (Mar

chant's Tale.)

VOL. I.

'Rise up, my wif, my love, my lady free,

The turtle's vois is heard, myn owen swete!
The winter is gon, with all his raines wete!
Come forth now,' &c.

20

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.

20

25

Such whispering wak'd her, but with startled eye On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spake.

O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose, My glory, my perfection, glad I see

30

Thy face, and morn return'd; for I this night,
(Such night till this I never pass'd,) have dream'd,
If dream'd, not, as I oft am wont, of thee,
Works of day pass'd, or morrow's next design,
But of offence and trouble, which my mind
Knew never till this irksome night: methought 35
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it said,
Why sleep'st thou Eve? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the silent, save where silence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labour'd song; now reigns
Full orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard: heaven wakes with all his eyes,

40

23 balmy reed] svodμov xalaμoło. v. Dionysii Geog. ver. 937. 41 his] In the other passages, where the song of the nightingale is described, the bird is of the feminine gender; v. iii. 40. iv. 602. vii. 436. Newton.

44 wakes] G. Fletcher's Christ's Victorie, p. 1. st. 78.

'Heaven awakened all his eyes.' Todd.