So spake our Sire, and by his countnance seemd
Entring on studious thoughts abstruse, which Eve [ 40 ]
Perceaving where she sat retird in sight,
With lowliness Majestic from her seat,
And Grace that won who saw to wish her stay,
Rose, and went forth among her Fruits and Flours,
To visit how they prosperd, bud and bloom, [ 45 ]
Her Nurserie; they at her coming sprung
And toucht by her fair tendance gladlier grew.
Yet went she not, as not with such discourse
Delighted, or not capable her eare
Of what was high: such pleasure she reservd, [ 50 ]
Adam relating, she sole Auditress;
Her Husband the Relater she preferrd
Before the Angel, and of him to ask
Chose rather: hee, she knew would intermix
Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute [ 55 ]
With conjugal Caresses, from his Lip
Not Words alone pleasd her. O when meet now
Such pairs, in Love and mutual Honour joynd?
With Goddess-like demeanour forth she went;
Not unattended, for on her as Queen [ 60 ]
A pomp of winning Graces waited still,
And from about her shot Darts of desire
Into all Eyes to wish her still in sight.
And Raphael now to Adams doubt proposd
Benevolent and facil thus replid. [ 65 ]
To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heavn
Is as the Book of God before thee set,
Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learne
His Seasons, Hours, or Dayes, or Months, or Yeares:
This to attain, whether Heavn move or Earth, [ 70 ]
Imports not, if thou reckn right, the rest
From Man or Angel the great Architect
Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge
His secrets to be scannd by them who ought
Rather admire; or if they list to try [ 75 ]
Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heavns
Hath left to thir disputes, perhaps to move
His laughter at thir quaint Opinions wide
Hereafter, when they come to model Heavn
And calculate the Starrs, how they will weild [ 80 ]
The mightie frame, how build, unbuild, contrive
To save appeerances, how gird the Sphear
With Centric and Eccentric scribld ore,
Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb:
Alreadie by thy reasoning this I guess, [ 85 ]
Who art to lead thy ofspring, and supposest
That bodies bright and greater should not serve
The less not bright, nor Heavn such journies run,
Earth sitting still, when she alone receaves
The benefit: consider first, that Great [ 90 ]
Or Bright inferrs not Excellence: the Earth
Though, in comparison of Heavn, so small,
Nor glistering, may of solid good containe
More plenty then the Sun that barren shines,
Whose vertue on it self workes no effect, [ 95 ]
But in the fruitful Earth; there first receavd
His beams, unactive else, thir vigour find.