LITMIR.BIZ

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       In prospect; there the Eagle and the Stork

       On Cliffs and Cedar tops thir Eyries build:

       Part loosly wing the Region, part more wise

       In common, rang’d in figure wedge thir way,

       Intelligent of seasons, and set forth

       Thir Aierie Caravan high over Sea’s

       Flying, and over Lands with mutual wing

       Easing thir flight; so stears the prudent Crane

       Her annual Voiage, born on Windes; the Aire

       Floats, as they pass, fann’d with unnumber’d plumes:

       From Branch to Branch the smaller Birds with song

       Solac’d the Woods, and spred thir painted wings

       Till Ev’n, nor then the solemn Nightingal

       Ceas’d warbling, but all night tun’d her soft layes:

       Others on Silver Lakes and Rivers Bath’d

       Thir downie Brest; the Swan with Arched neck

       Between her white wings mantling proudly, Rowes

       Her state with Oarie feet: yet oft they quit

       The Dank, and rising on stiff Pennons, towre

       The mid Aereal Skie: Others on ground

       Walk’d firm; the crested Cock whose clarion sounds

       The silent hours, and th’ other whose gay Traine

       Adorns him, colour’d with the Florid hue

       Of Rainbows and Starrie Eyes. The Waters thus

       With Fish replenisht, and the Aire with Fowle,

       Ev’ning and Morn solemniz’d the Fift day.

      The Sixt, and of Creation last arose

       With Eevning Harps and Mattin, when God said,

       Let th’ Earth bring forth Fowle living in her kinde,

       Cattel and Creeping things, and Beast of the Earth,

       Each in their kinde. The Earth obey’d, and strait

       Op’ning her fertil Woomb teem’d at a Birth

       Innumerous living Creatures, perfet formes,

       Limb’d and full grown: out of the ground up-rose

       As from his Laire the wilde Beast where he wonns

       In Forrest wilde, in Thicket, Brake, or Den;

       Among the Trees in Pairs they rose, they walk’d:

       The Cattel in the Fields and Meddowes green:

       Those rare and solitarie, these in flocks

       Pasturing at once, and in broad Herds upsprung:

       The grassie Clods now Calv’d, now half appeer’d

       The Tawnie Lion, pawing to get free

       His hinder parts, then springs as broke from Bonds,

       And Rampant shakes his Brinded main; the Ounce,

       The Libbard, and the Tyger, as the Moale

       Rising, the crumbl’d Earth above them threw

       In Hillocks; the swift Stag from under ground

       Bore up his branching head: scarse from his mould

       Behemoth biggest born of Earth upheav’d His vastness: Fleec’t the Flocks and bleating rose, As Plants: ambiguous between Sea and Land The River Horse and scalie Crocodile. At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, Insect or Worme; those wav’d thir limber fans For wings, and smallest Lineaments exact In all the Liveries dect of Summers pride With spots of Gold and Purple, azure and green: These as a line thir long dimension drew, Streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all Minims of Nature; some of Serpent kinde Wondrous in length and corpulence involv’d Thir Snakie foulds, and added wings. First crept The Parsimonious Emmet, provident Of future, in small room large heart enclos’d, Pattern of just equalitie perhaps Hereafter, join’d in her popular Tribes Of Commonaltie: swarming next appeer’d The Femal Bee that feeds her Husband Drone Deliciously, and builds her waxen Cells With Honey stor’d: the rest are numberless, And thou thir Natures know’st, and gav’st them Names, Needlest to thee repeaed; nor unknown The Serpent suttl’st Beast of all the field, Of huge extent somtimes, with brazen Eyes And hairie Main terrific, though to thee Not noxious, but obedient at thy call. Now Heav’n in all her Glorie shon, and rowld Her motions, as the great first-Movers hand First wheeld thir course; Earth in her rich attire Consummate lovly smil’d; Aire, Water, Earth, By Fowl, Fish, Beast, was flown, was swum, was walkt Frequent; and of the Sixt day yet remain’d; There wanted yet the Master work, the end Of all yet don; a Creature who not prone And Brute as other Creatures, but endu’d With Sanctitie of Reason, might erect His Stature, and upright with Front serene Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence Magnanimous to correspond with Heav’n, But grateful to acknowledge whence his good Descends, thither with heart and voice and eyes Directed in Devotion, to adore And worship God Supream, who made him chief Of all his works: therefore the Omnipotent Eternal Father (For where is not hee 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 Fowle of Sea and Aire,

       Beast of the Field, and over all the Earth,

       And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.

       This said, he formd thee, Adam, thee O Man Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath’d The breath of Life; in his own Image hee Created thee, in the Image of God Express, and thou becam’st a living Soul. Male he created thee, but thy consort Femal for Race; then bless’d Mankinde, and said, Be fruitful, multiplie, and fill the Earth, Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold Over Fish of the Sea, and Fowle of the Aire, And every living thing that moves on the Earth. Wherever thus created, for no place 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 thir pleasant fruit for food Gave thee, all sorts are here that all th’ Earth yeelds, Varietie without end; but of the Tree Which tasted works knowledge of Good and Evil, Thou mai’st not; in the day thou eat’st, thou di’st; Death is the penaltie impos’d, beware, And govern well thy appetite, least sin Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death. Here finish’d hee, and all that he had made View’d, and behold all was entirely good; So Ev’n and Morn accomplish’d the Sixt day: Yet not till the Creator from his work Desisting, though unwearied, up returnd Up to the Heav’n of Heav’ns his high abode, Thence to behold this new created World Th’ addition of his Empire, how it shew’d In prospect from his Throne, how good, how faire, Answering his great Idea. Up he rode Followd with acclamation and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand Harpes that tun’d Angelic harmonies: the Earth, the Aire Resounded, (thou remember’st, for thou heardst) The Heav’ns and all the Constellations rung, The Planets in thir stations list’ning stood, While the bright Pomp ascended jubilant. Open, ye everlasting Gates, they sung, Open, ye Heav’ns, your living dores; let in The great Creator from his work returnd Magnificent, his Six days work, a World; Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deigne To visit oft the dwellings of just Men Delighted, and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged Messengers On errands of supernal Grace. So sung The glorious Train ascending: He through Heav’n, That open’d wide her blazing Portals, led To Gods Eternal house direct the way, A broad and ample rode, whose dust is Gold And pavement Starrs, as Starrs to thee appeer, Seen in the Galaxie, that Milkie way Which nightly as a circling Zone thou seest Pouderd with Starrs. And now on Earth the Seaventh Eev’ning arose in Eden, for the Sun Was set, and twilight from the East came on, Forerunning Night; when at the holy mount Of Heav’ns high-seated top, th’ Impereal Throne Of Godhead, fixt for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arriv’d, and sate him

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