when he beholds, he fhall confefs that God hath dif pens'd his Bounties here on Earth, even as he has in Heaven. SAYING this, with bufy Looks and in Hafte fhe turns away, intent upon hofpitable Thoughts, what Fruits to chufe that were moft delicate; and in what Order to contrive not to mix Taftes, disagreeable to one another, and not elegant; but bring Taste after Tafte, changing them fo as they may still please. She ftirs about, and gathers from each tender Stalk whatever the fruitful Earth yields, either in Eaft or West INDIA, or the middle Shore in PONTUS, (7) or the PUNIC (m) Coaft, or where ALCINOUS (n) reign'd; a large Tribute of Fruit of all Kinds, in rough Coat, fmooth Rind, or bearded Hufk, or Shell, and heaps them upon the Board with an unfparing Hand: For Drink (1) Pontus; Lat. Gr. i. e. The Sea. It is called the Euxine Sea, the Black Sea, Mare Maggiore (by the Italians, i. e. The greater Sea, thro' Ignorance) and by other Names. Pontus is a small Sea in Leffer Afia, upon the North-East Side of Conftantinople, runneth into the White Sea, and from thence into the Mediterranean Sea. A fine Country about it is also called Pontus, As 2. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 1. The antient Scythians or Tatars bordered upon it. Pontus was made a Kingdom by Darius the Son of Hyflapis, A. M. 3490, in fayour of Artabazus, a Son of one the Lords of Perfia, who confpired against the Magi, who had ufurped that Throne. After him, fix of the Name of Mithridates, and other Kings reigned there. Ovid was banith'd thither by Auguftus; and there he died, after ten Years Confinement to a cold Climate and barbarous Inhabitants, where he wrote his Triftia. (m) Punic. Phænician. q. Penic from the Pani or Bene-Anak. Heb. i. e. The Sons of Anak, a famous Giant: Numb. 13. 22. 28. The old Inhabitants of Canaan, in the Days of Mofes. e; (n) Alcinous; Lat. Gr. i. e. Magnanimous. An antient King of Corcyra (now Corfu) in the Mouth of the Gulf of Venice who had fair Orchards, it being an Apple Country. The Poets, in high Commendation of them, feigned they were Golden Ap ples, which Homer took froin the Garden and Apples of Paradife. The latter Poets had this from him, and he from all Antiquity. He entertain'd Ulyffes, when he was caft upon his land, magnificently. Drink fhe squeezes Grapes, and many Sorts of Berries, and makes new Wine; though new, yet not offenfive: And preffing of fweet Kernels, prepares Creams of an agreeable Tafte; nor did fhe want pure and fit Veffels to hold fuch Liquors: She then ftrews the Ground with Rofes, and sweet Odours from the Shrubs: Mean while our firft great Father walks forth to meet his Godlike Gueft, accompanied by no other Train than his own compleat Perfections; all his State was in himfelf; much more folemn than the tedious Pomp that waits on Princes, when their rich and long Retinue of led Horfes, and Grooms whofe Habits fhine with Gold, dazles and fets all the Crowd a gazing. ADAM coming nearer to the Angel, though he was not aw'd, yet approaching with Submiffion and meek Reverence, and bowing low, as to a fuperior Nature, spoke thus: NATIVE of Heaven, (for no other Place can contain fo glorious a Shape) fince by defcending down from the Thrones above, thou haft been pleas'd to leave thofe Places, and honour these with thy Prelence, vouchsafe to remain a while with us in yonder fhady Bower, as being as yet but two, who by the Gift of GoD poffefs this fpacious Ground; please there to reft and tafte the choiceft Fruit the Garden bears, 'till this Noon Heat be over, and the Sun in his Decline grow more cool. To whom the Angel RAPHAEL gave this mild Anfwer: ADAM! therefore I came; nor art thou created fuch, or dwell'ft in fuch a Place, as may not often invite even the Spirits of Heaven to vifit thee: Lead on, where thy Bower overfhades, for all the Hours, till the Evening arife, I have Liberty to ftay with thee.-----So they came to the fylvan Lodge, that look'd like the Arbour of POMONA, ornamented with Flowers, and filt'd with Variety of Fragrance; but EVE, without Ornameut, except what was in herself, ftood to entertain her Guest from Heaven; (more lovely than any Wood-Nymph, or the fairest of the three feign'd Goddeffes, (0) that contended for the golden Prize upon Mount ID A) fhe needed no Veil, for fhe was Virtue proof; no impure Thought alter'd her Cheek. On whom the Angel beftow'd the holy Salutation, us'd long after to the bleffed Virgin MARY, (0) who was the fecond Ev E. "Hail! Mother of Mankind! whofe fruitful Womb fhall hereafter fill the World, more numerous with Sons than the Trees of GOD have heap'd this Table with thefe various Fruits."----Their Table was rais'd with Turfs of Grafs, and had round it Seats of Mofs; and on the Top of it, from Side to Side, was pil'd all the Fruits of Autumn, though Spring and Autumn were here at the fame Time. They held Difcourfe a While before they eat, when thus ADAM began to Speak: HEAVENLY Stranger! be pleas'd to taste these Bounties, which he who nourishes us (and from whom all perfect Good comes without Measure to us, for Delight (0) Three Goddesses; Juno, Pallas, and Venus, who itrove for the Golden Apple, with this Motto, Let it be given to the Faireft. They chole Paris for their Umpire, and promifed him great Rewards to bring him over to their Interest. Venus promifed him Helena the faireft Woman in the World, &c. He, gave it and the Preeminence of Beauty to her, which was the original Cause of the Deftruction of Troy, himself and his Family. (p) Mari, or Mary; Heb. Mirjam, Lat. and Gr. Maria, i. e. Bitter, or very fad. Mi- Delight and Foody hath caus'd the Earth to yield, perhaps it may not be proper Food for fpiritual Natures; however, this I know, that it is only one celeftial Father that gives to all. To whom the Angel replied: Therefore what he (whofe Praise be for ever fung!) gives to MAN in Part fpiritual, may not be found difagreeable Food for pureft Spirits; and these pure intelligential Subftances require fome Sort of Food, as well as doth your rational; and both contain within them every lower Faculty of Senfe, by which they hear, fee, fmell, touch and tafte; and tafting, concoct, digeft, and turn corporeal to incorporeal: For know thou, that whatever was created, wants to be fuftain'd and fed; of the Elements, the groffer feeds the purer, the Earth feeds the Sea, the Earth and Sea feed the Air, the Air feeds thofe etherial Fires, and as lowest, firft. the Moon, whence are in her round Vifage thofe Spots; being unpurg'd Vapours, not yet turn'd into her Subftance: Nor is it fo, that the Moon exhales no Nourishment from her moift Continent to higher Orbs. The Sun, that imparts Light to all, receives in Recompence his Nourishment from all, in moift Exhalations; and at Evening drinks of the Ocean. Though the Trees of Life in Heaven bear ambrofial Fruit, and the Vines yield Nectar, and though we brush Manna each Morning from off the Boughs, and find the Ground cover'd with finest Grain; yet God hath varied his Bounty here with fuch new Delight as may be compar'd with Heaven, and think not I fhall be backward to taste. ----So down they fat, and began to eat; the Angel not feemingly, nor in a Mift, (the common Glofs of Theologifts) but with keen Dispatch of real Hunger, and concocting Heat, to digeft Food: What redounds tranfpires with Eafe through Spirits; nor is it a Wonder, if it be true, that by Fire the Alchymift can turn, or holds it poffible to turn, the bafeft and drof'fieft of Metals to Gold, perfect as from the Mine. Mean Mean while EVE ferv'd naked at the Table, and fill❜d their flowing Cups with pleafant Liquors. Oh Innocence, truly deferving of PARADISE! then, if ever, had the Sons of GOD (q) an Excufe to have been enamour'd at that Sight; but in those Hearts reign'd pureft and chastest Love, nor was Jealousy (the Hell of the injur'd Lover) understood. THUS when they had fuffic'd, not burthen'd Nature, with Meats and Drinks, a fudden Thought arofe in the Mind of ADAM, not to let the Opportunity flip given him by this great Conference, to know fomething of Things that were above the World he was plac'd in, and of their Being who dwell in Heaven; whofe Excellence he faw fo far to transcend his own; the divine Effulgence of whofe radiant Forms; and whofe high Power fo far exceeded human Nature; and thus he addrefs'd his wary Speech to the Meffenger from Heaven: INHABITANT with Gop! now I perceive thy great Favour, in this Honour done to MAN, under whofe lowly Roof thou haft not difdain'd to enter, nor to taste these earthly Fruits, which though not the Food of Angels, thou haft accepted in fuch a Manner, as that thou could'ft not seem to have eat more willingly at the Feafts of Heaven; yet what Comparifon can be made? To whom the Angel made this Reply: Oh ADAM! there is but one ALMIGHTY, from whom all Things proceed, and to whom all Things return, if not deprav'd |