riage: Grace was in all her Steps, Beauty like the Stars of Heaven in her Eyes, and in every Gesture, Love and Dignity. I overjoy'd, could not help crying out aloud; "Bounteous and good Creator! Thou "haft fulfill'd thy Words! Thou Giver of all Things "fair, but this is the faireft of all thy Gifts! nor " doft Thou envy the Happiness of thy Creatures. I "now see myself before me, the Bone of my Bone,

and the Flesh of my Flefh: Her Name is Wo"MAN, (f) extracted from MAN: For this Caufe "MAN fhall leave his Father and Mother, and they "fhall be one Flesh, and one Heart, and one Soul."

SHE heard me fpeak thus; and though led on by GOD himfelf, yet her Virtue, Innocence, VirginModefty, and the Confcioufnefs of her own Worth, (that would be courted, and not be won unfought, not forward, but retiring back the more defirable) or, to fay all, Nature herfelf (though fhe was quite free from Thought of Sin) wrought in her fo, that feeing me fhe turn'd away: I follow'd her; fhe knew what was Honour, and with yielding Majefty approv'd the Pleading of my Reafon. ----- I led her blushing to the nuptial Bower: On that Hour all fortunate Stars fhed their kindeft Influence; the very Earth, and every Hill gave Signs of Joy; the Birds, the freth Gales, and the gentle Winds carried it through the Woods, and as they flew fcatter'd Odours from aromatic Shrubs, 'till the Nightingale begun to fing our Efpoufals, and the Evening Star appear'd for the Bridal Lamp.

THUS I have told thee all concerning my State, and continued my Story to the Sum of earthly Happinels

(f) Woman; Sax. q. The Womb of Man, or the Woe of Man; because of the Sin and

Mifery fhe has brought upon
Man.

pinefs which I enjoy; and I must confefs to find indeed in every Thing elfe Delight; but fuch as, whether us'd or not, works no great Change, nor vehement Defire in the Mind; I mean thefe Delicacies of Tafte, Sight, and Smell, fuch as Herbs, Fruits, and Flowers, pleafant Walks, and Melody of Birds; but far otherwife in Regard to EvE, on whom I look with Tranfport, and whom I with Tranfport touch: Here I firft felt Paflion, fuperior to all Enjoyments elfe, and am unmov'd, except by this ftrange Commotion; finding myfelf only weak here, and unable to ftand against the powerful Charm of Beauty. Whether Nature fail'd in making me, and left fome Part of me not Proof enough to fuftain fuch an Object; or making of her out of my Side, perhaps took more than enough, and Part of my Strength from me; at leaft, beftow'd upon her too much Ornament, taking great Care to finish her as to the outward Show, but lefs exact as to her Mind; for I well understand in the firft Defign of Nature, that in the Abilities and Powers of the Mind, which excell all outward Forms, fhe is the inferior; in her outward Form alfo lefs re fembling his Image who made both, and lefs expreffing the Character of that Dominion given over other Creatures: Yet when I approach her Lovelinefs, fhe feems fo abfolutely compleat in herfelf, and fo well to know her own proper Part, that whatever fhe wills to fay or do, feems moft virtuous, moft difcreet, wifeft and beft; all higher Knowledge lofes its Value in her Prefence, and Wifdom in Difcourfe with her, fhews like Folly Authority and Reafon wait upon her, as one defign'd first, and not made occafionally afterwards: And (to fum up all) Greatnefs of Mind and Nobleness appear lovely in her, and create an Awe about her, as if fhe was guarded by Angels. To whom the Angel, with a contracted Brow, made this Reply:

Do

Do not thou prefume to accufe Nature, fhe hath done her Part; do thou but thine: Be not diffident of Wisdom; Wisdom will not defert thee, if thou doft not difmifs her, when thou haft moft Occafion to have her near thee; by attributing too much to Things lefs excellent. For what is it thou admireft fo? What is it fo tranfports thee? An Outfide? Fair, no Doubt, and very well worthy thy cherishing, honouring, and loving; but not worthy thy Subjection. Confider her with thyself, then value both: Oftentimes nothing is more profitable than Self-esteem, grounded upon a juft and well-manag'd Right: The more of that thou learneft to know, the more fhe will acknowledge thee to be her Head, and yield all her Appearances of Wisdom to Reality: She was made fo beautiful for the Sake of thy Delight; fo awful, that thou mighteft with Honour love her, who, if thou foregoest thy Wisdom, will fee and perhaps triumph over thy Weakness. But if that Senfe of Touch, whereby MANKIND is propagated, feem to thee fuch a dear Delight beyond all other; think that the fame is vouchfaf'd to Cattle, and every Beaft; which would not be made common to them, if there were any Thing in the Enjoyment of it, to fubdue the Soul of a MAN, or move him to Paffion: What thou findest in the Society of EVE above this, that is attractive, human, and rational: Do thou ftill love; for in loving thou doft well, but not in fubjecting thyfelf to Paffion, wherein true Love does not fubfift. Love refines the Thoughts, and enlarges the Heart, hath his Seat in Reason, and acts by Choice: Love is the Scale by which thou may'ft afcend to Heaven, but not when funk in carnal Pleafure; for which Reason there was no Companion found thee among the Brutes. To whom ADAM, half afham'd, made Answer:

NEITHER

NEITHER her Outfide, which is form'd fo fair, nor any Thing in Procreation, which is common to all Kinds, (though I think of the Marriage-Bed with a higher and more myfterious Reverence) delight me fo much as thofe graceful Actions, thofe many Decencies, that daily refult from all fhe does and fays; mix'd with Love and fweet Compliance, which declare an unfeign'd Union of Mind, or that there is in us both but one Soul; which Harmony in a wedded Pair, is more grateful than Mufick to the Ear. Yet thefe fubject me not; I difcover to thee what I feel inwardly from thence, but I am not therefore overcome: I meet with various Objects, variously reprefented through the Senfes to the Mind; yet ftill being free, I approve the best, and follow what I approve. Thou blameft me not to love, for thou fay'ft that Love leads up to Heaven, that it is both the Way and the Guide; then bear with me, if what I afk is lawful: Do not the Spirits of Heaven love? How do they express it? Is it only by their Looks? Or do they mix their pure Emanations? Do they touch by Influence, or fenfibly as we do one another?

To whom the Angel, with a Smile that glow'd rofy upon his Face, (the propar Hue of Love) made Anfwer: Let it fuffice thee, that thou knowest that we are happy, and without Love there is no Happinefs. Whatever thou enjoyest pure in the Body, (and thou wert created pure) we enjoy more eminently; and find no Obftacle, no exclufive Bars of Joint, Membrane, or Limb: If Spirits embrace, they mix totally; easier than Air with Air; Union and Commixture of pure with pure; alike kindled with Defire; nor need any of the reftrain'd Conveyances of the Senfes or Paffions, as Flefh does with Flesh, or Soul with Soul. But I can now ftay no longer; for the Sun is fetting in the Weft, which is my Signal to

T

depart.

dǝpart. Be ftrong, live happy, and love! but first of all love him, whom to love rightly is to obey, and keep his great Commandment: Take Heed, left Paffion fhould fway thy Judgment to do any Thing, which elfe Free-will would not admit of. The Happinefs or Unhappiness of thee and all thy Pofterity is plac'd in thee: Beware! I, and all the Bleft above, fhall rejoice to fee thee perfevere in Obedience. Stand faft; it lies free in thy own Election, to ftand or fall: Having Power fufficient within, feek no Help elfewhere, and repel every Temptation to tranfgrefs.

SAYING this, he arofe; and ADAM thus follow'd him with Thanks: Since the Time of thy Departure is come, go, heavenly Meffenger, and Gueft fent from him whofe fovereign Goodnefs I adore! Thy Condefcenfion hath been very gentle and affable to me, and fhall ever be honour'd with grateful Remembrance: Continue fill to be good and friendly to MANKIND, and return hither often.

So they parted; the Angel flying up to Heaven, and ADAM to his Bower, to feek for EvE.

The End of the EIGHTH BOOK.

THE