`Io8 PARADISE LOST. BOOK IV. To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty adorn'd. My author and difpofer ! what thou bidft 635 Unargu'd I obey ; fo God ordains, God is thy law, thou mine : to know no more Is woman's happieft knowledge, and her praife. With thee converting I forget all time, All feafons and their change, all pleafe alike : 640 Sweet is the breath of:morn, her rifing fweet, With charm of earlieft birds : pleafant the fun, When &ft on this delightful land he fpreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow'r, Charing with dew : fragrant the fertile earth 645 After foft fhow'rs : and tweet the coming on Ofgrateful ev'ning mild : then fluent night With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon, And thefe the gems of heav'n, her harry train But neither breath of morn, when the afcends 65o With charm of earlieft birds : nor riling fun On this delightful land : nor herb, fruit, flow'r, Charing with dew : nor fragrance after fhow'rs : Nor grateful evening mild : nor filent night, With this her folemn bird, nor walk by moon, 655 Or glittering (tar- light, without thee is fweet. But wherefore all night long Thine thefe, for whom This glorious fight, when fleep bath Phut all eyes ? To whom our general anceftor reply'd. Daughter of God and man, accomplilli'd Eve, 66o Thole have their courfe to finial, round the earth, By morrow ev'ning, and from land to land In order, though to nations yet unborn, Miniftring light prepar'd, they let and rife : Left total ciarknefs lhould by night regain 665 Her old poffeffion, and extinguith life In nature and all things ; which thefe loft fires Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat Of
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