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If better thou belong not to the dawn, Sure pledge of day, that crown'st the smiling morn With thy bright circlet, praise Him in thy sphere, While day arises, that sweet hour of prime. Thou Sun, of this great world both eye and soul, Acknowledge Him thy greater; sound His praise In thy eternal course, both when thou climb'st, And when high noon hast gained, and when thou fall'st. Moon, that now meet'st the orient sun, now fly'st, With the fixed stars, fixed in their orb that flies; And ye five other wandering fires,1 that move In mystic dance not without song, resound His praise, who out of darkness called up light. Air, and ye elements, the eldest birth Of nature's womb, that in quarternion run³ Perpetual circle, multiform; and mix And nourish all things; let your ceaseless change Vary to our great Maker still new praise. Ye mists and exhalations, that now rise From hill or steaming lake, dusky or grey, Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold, In honour to the world's great Author rise; Whether to deck with clouds the uncoloured sky, Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers, Rising or falling, still advance His praise. His praise, ye winds that from four quarters blow, Breathe soft or loud; and wave your tops, ye pines, With every plant, in sign of-worship wave. Fountains, and ye that warble as ye flow, Melodious murmurs, warbling tune His praise. Join voices, all ye living souls: ye birds That, singing, up to Heaven-gate ascend,

BOOK V.-199-232] Bear on your wings and in your notes His praise. Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep; Witness if I be silent, morn or even, To hill or valley, fountain or fresh shade, Made vocal by my song, and taught His praise. Hail, universal Lord! be bounteous still To give us only good; and if the night Have gathered aught of evil, or concealed, Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.

So prayed they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recovered soon, and wonted calm. On to their morning's rural work they haste, Among sweet dews and flowers, where any row Of fruit-trees, over-woody, reached too far Their pampered boughs, and needed hands to check Fruitless embraces: or they led the vine To wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines Her marriageable arms, and with her brings Her dower, the adopted clusters, to adorn His barren leaves. Them thus employed beheld With pity heaven's high King, and to Him called Raphael, the sociable spirit, that deigned To travel with Tobias,1 and secured His marriage with the seven-times wedded maid.

Raphael, said he, thou hear'st what stir on Earth Satan, from Hell 'scaped through the darksome gulf, Hath raised in Paradise; and how disturbed This night the human pair; how he designs In them at once to ruin all mankind. Go, therefore, half this day, as friend with friend, Converse with Adam, in what bower or shade Thou find'st him from the heat of noon retired, To respite his day-labour with repast,

And ye five other wandering fires.—The five planets known in Milton's time—Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter

That move in mystic dance.—The fitting action of things is often described as their music. Hence the wide application of the words harmony, concord, &c., derived from music.

^\* That in quaternian run. —A reference to the supposed four-fold influence of the first elements of things.

¹ To travel with Tobias. - See Book of Tobit.