Levelled his evening rays: it was a rock 645 550 The unarmed youth of Heaven; but nigh at hand 555 In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired Impress the air, and show the mariner From what point of his compass to beware 560 Gabriel! to thee thy course by lot hath given "Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place "No evil thing approach, or enter in. "This day, at height of noon, came to my sphere "A spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know 565 "More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly man, 570 575 "The vigilance here placed, but such as come 580 "Well known from Heaven; and since meridian hour No creature thence. If spirit of other sort, "So minded, have o'erleaped these earthly bounds 585 "But if within the circuit of these walks "In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom "Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know." So promised he; and Uriel to his charge Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised 590 Bore him slope downwards to the Sun, now fallen Beneath the Azores; whether the prime orb, Incredible how swift, had thither rolled Diurnal; or this less voluble Earth, By shorter flight to the east, had left him there, 595 Now came still evening on, and twilight gray Had in her sober livery all things clad: They to their grassy couch, these to their nests, 600 C05 Apparent queen, unveiled her peerless light, And o'er the dark her silver mantle threw. When Adam thus to Eve: "Fair consort! the hour 610 66 "Of night, and all things now retired to rest, Mind us of like repose; since God hath set "Labour and rest, as day and night, to men "Successive; and the timely dew of sleep, 66 Now falling with soft slumberous weight, inclines "Our eyelids: other creatures all day long 615 66 Rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest: "Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed, which declares his dignity, 66 66 And the regard of Heaven on all his ways; "More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: 66 66 66 66 Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease; "God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more 66 "All seasons, and their change,--all please alike. 66 €20 623 630 €35 640 645 650 66 "With this her solemn bird; nor walk by Moon, 66 66 66 In order, though to nations yet unborn, Ministering light prepared, they set and rise; "Lest total Darkness should by night regain "Her old possession, and extinguish life "In Nature and all things; which these soft fires 66 Temper or nourish; or in part shed down "Their stellar virtue on all kinds that grow "On earth, made hereby apter to receive 66 'Perfection from the sun's more potent ray. These then, though unbeheld in deep of night, "Shine not in vain; nor think, though men were none, "That Heaven would want spectators, God want praise: "Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep; "All these, with ceaseless praise, his works behold Both day and night. How often from the steep "Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard 66 "Celestial voices, to the midnight air 66 66 (Sole, or responsive each to other's note,) Singing their great Creator! Oft in bands "While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk, CS5 "Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven." Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed On to their blissful bower: it was a place €90 Chosen by the sovereign Planter, when he framed All things to Man's delightful use: the roof, C95 Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub, Fenced up the verdant wall: each beauteous flower, Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought 700 Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay Broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone Of costliest emblem: other creature here, Bird, beast, insect, or worm, durst enter none; Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower, 705 More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned, 710 And heavenly quires the hymenean sung, 715 Thus, at their shady lodge arrived, both stood, Both turned, 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 employed, 66 66 720 725 730 735 As narrated in Book II., Satan sets out in search of the newly created world called Earth, determined to effect the ruin of our first parents, and thus revenge himself on God for casting him and his compeers out of heaven. SUMMARY. 1-204. Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions,-fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradiso, whose outward prospect and situation is described; overleaps the bounds; sits in the shape of a cormorant on the Tree of Life, as the highest in the garden, to look about him. 205-538. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse; thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by seducing them to transgress; then leaves them awhile to know further of their state by some other means. 539-597. Meanwhile, Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good angel down to Paradise, discovered afterwards by his furious gestures on the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. 598-735. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest; their bower described; their evening worship. ENGLISH OR SAXON. A, on or in, as abed, ashore. Out, beyond or superiority, outrun. Over, eminence or excess, overtop, overthrow. Un, not; before a verb, to undo, un- Up, motion upwards, as upright. LATIN. A, ab, abs, from or away, as avert, abhor, abstain. Ad, with its different forms, a, ac, af, Am, round about, ambient. Circum, with its form circu, round Cis, on this side, cisalpine. | means not, as inactive, ignorant, Inter, between, intercept. Intro, within, introduce. Juxta, close to, juxtaposition. Ob, with its various forms, oc, of, op, in the way of, against, obstacle, occur, offer, oppose. Per or pel, through, thoroughly, perfect, | Post, after, postscript. Preter, beyond, preternatural. Pro, forth, for, forward, provoke, pro- Re, back or again, recede, repeat. Contra, which has sometimes the form Se, aside or apart, secede. counter, against, contradict, counter-Sine, with its forms, sim and sin, with |