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To make her amiable. On she came,

Led by her heavenly Maker, though unseen,

And guided by his voice; nor uninformed

Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites.

Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye,

In every gesture dignity and love.

I, overjoyed, could not forbear aloud:

This turn hath made amends: thou hast fulfilled Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign, Giver of all things fair! but fairest this Of all thy gifts! nor enviest. I now see Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself Before me. Woman is her name; of man Extracted: for this cause he shall forego Father and mother, and to his wife adhere; And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.

She heard me thus: and, though divinely brought, Yet innocence and virgin modesty, Her virtue and the conscience of her worth,1 That would be wooed, and not unsought be won, Not obvious, not obtrusive, but, retired, The more desirable; or, to say all, Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought, Wrought in her so, that, seeing me, she turned; I followed her; she what was honour knew, And with obsequious majesty approved My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bower I led her, blushing like the morn: all heaven, And happy constellations, on that hour Shed their selectest influence: the earth Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill; Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs Whispered it to the woods, and from their wings Flung rose, flung odours from the spicy shrub,

Conscience of her worth.—Conscious of, knowing it.

Disporting, till the amorous bird of night

Sung spousal, and bid haste the evening star,

On his hill-top, to light the bridal lamp.

Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought My story to the sum of earthly bliss Which I enjoy; and must confess to find In all things else delight indeed, but such As, used or not, works in the mind no change, Nor vehement desire; these delicacies I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, Walks, and the melody of birds. But here Far otherwise, transported I behold, Transported touch; here passion first I felt, Commotion strange! in all enjoyments else Superior and unmoved; here only weak Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance, Or nature failed in me, and left some part Not proof enough such object to sustain; Or, from my side subducting, took, perhaps, More than enough; at least on her bestowed Too much of ornament, in outward show Elaborate, of inward less exact. For well I understand, in the prime end Of nature, her the inferior in the mind And inward faculties, which most excel; In outward, also, her resembling less His image who made both, and less expressing The character of that dominion given O'er other creatures. Yet, when I approach Her loveliness, so absolute she seems, And in herself complete, so well to know Her own, that what she wills to do or say Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best. All higher knowledge in her presence falls Degraded. Wisdom in discourse with her Loses, discountenanced, and like folly shews.