These as a line their long dimension drew, Of future, in small room large heart inclos'd, Hereafter, joined in her popular tribes Of commonalty: swarming next appear'd The female bee, that feeds her husband drone With honey stor'd: the rest are numberless, 480 485 490 And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them names, Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, 484 snaky folds] A. Rams. P. Sacr. i. 10. 'Atque orbibus orbes Implexos sinuantem anguem.' 495 485 provident-large heart] The former part from Hor. Sat. I. i. 35, and the latter from Virg. Georg. iv. 83. Newton. 491 waxen cells] So Marino's Sl. of the Innocents, p. 28. 'Or when the bees, like murmuring armies, hide The tops of flowers, where sweetest nectar flows, And on their laden wings the odorous prey In troops, unto their waxen camp convey.' 497 hairy mane] See Virg. Æn. ii. 206. 38. J. Obsequens de Prodigiis, p. 54. Petronii Troje Elosis, v. 500 505 Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd Her motions, as the great First Mover's hand First wheel'd their course; earth in her rich attire Consummate lovely smil'd; air, water, earth, By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd; There wanted yet the master-work, the end Of all yet done; a creature, who not prone And brute as other creatures, but indued With sanctity of reason, might erect His stature, and upright with front serene Govern the rest, self-knowing; and from thence 510 Magnanimous to correspond with heaven; But grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends, thither with heart, and voice, and eyes Directed in devotion, to adore And worship GoD supreme, who made him chief 515 Of all his works: therefore the omnipotent Eternal Father, (for where is not he Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake. Let us make now man in our image, man In our similitude, and let them rule Over the fish and fowl of sea and air, Beast of the field, and over all the earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the ground. 520 Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd 525 The breath of life in his own image he Amphitr. act. v. sc. i. 'Jubatus anguis major solitis.' Capitolin. Vit. Anton. Pii, ix. 35, ed. Putman. Created thee, in the image of GOD Female for race; then bless'd mankind, and said, 530 Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st, He brought thee into this delicious grove, This garden, planted with the trees of GoD, Delectable both to behold and taste; And freely all their pleasant fruit for food 535 540 Gave thee; all sorts are here that all th' earth yields, Variety without end; but of the tree, Which tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin Here finish'd he, and all that he had made 545 550 536 thence] Tickell, Fenton, and Bentley have adopted in this passage a wrong punctuation, putting only a comma after 'earth' (534), and a full stop after 'name' (536). Newton restored the reading of Milton's own editions. Thence to behold this new-created world, 555 560 565 570 Resounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heard'st ;) So sung 575 580 Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh 581 Powder'd] Sylvester's Du Bartas, p. 76. 'Powdred with stars streaming with glorious light.' Todd. Evening arose in Eden, for the sun Was set, and twilight from the east came on, Of heaven's high seated top, th' imperial throne 585 590 Hath Omnipresence,) and the work ordain'd, Fuming from golden censers hid the mount. Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite 595 600 Thy power; what thought can measure thee, or tongue Than from the giant angels; thee that day Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound 605 610 |