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Nor love thy life, nor hate, but what thou livest Live well; how long, or short, permit to Heaven. And now prepare thee for another sight.

He looked, and saw a spacious plain, whereon Were tents of various hues.1 By some were herds Of cattle grazing; others, whence the sound Of instruments, that made melodious chime, Was heard, of harp and organ, and who moved Their stops and chords was seen, his volant touch, Instinct through all proportions, low and high, Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. In other part stood one who, at the forge Labouring, two massy clods of iron and brass Had melted-whether found where casual fire Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale, Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot To some cave's mouth, or whether washed by stream From under ground. The liquid ore he drained Into fit moulds prepared, from which he formed First, his own tools, then, what might else be wrought Fusil or graven² in metal. After these, But on the hither side, a different sort, From the high neighbouring hills, which was their seat, Down to the plain descended; by their guise Just men they seemed, and all their study bent To worship God aright, and know his works Not hid, nor those things last, which might preserve Freedom and peace to men. They on the plain

Long had not walked, when from the tents, behold A bevy of fair women, richly gay In gems and wanton dress; to the harp they sung Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on. The men, though grave, eyed them, and let their eyes Rove without rein; till, in the amorous net Fast caught, they liked, and each his liking chose. And now of love they treat, till the evening star, Love's harbinger, appeared; then, all in heat, They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke Hymen, then first to marriage rites invoked; With feast and music all the tents resound. Such happy interview and fair event Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers, And charming symphonies, attached the heart' Of Adam, soon inclined to admit delight, The bent of nature; which he thus expressed:

PARADISE LOST.

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BOOK XI.-581-612]

True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel blest, Much better seems this vision, and more hope Of peaceful days portends, than those two past; Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse: Here nature seems fulfilled in all her ends.

To whom thus Michael: Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet; Created, as thou art, to nobler end Holy and pure, conformity divine. Those tents thou sawest so pleasant were the tents Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race Who slew his brother; studious they appear Of arts that polish life, inventors rare, Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledged none

Were tents of various hues -"And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron." (Gen. iv. 20-22.

Attached the heart .- 'And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters to born unto the were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives

of all which they chose." (Gen. vi. 1, 2. \* Though his Spirit taught them. -- "And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and In knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship." (Exod. xxxv. 31.)