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Met that unclouded, joyous gaze,
As torches, that have burnt all night
Through some impure and godless rite,
Encounter morning's glorious rays.

But hark! the vesper call to prayer,
As slow the orb of day-light sets,
Is rising sweetly on the air,

From SYRIA's thousand minarets!
The boy has started from the bed
Of flowers, where he had laid his head,
And down upon a fragrant sod

Kneels with his forehead to the south,
Lisping th' eternal name of God

From purity's own cherub mouth,

And looking, while his hands and eyes
Are lifted to the glowing skies,
Like a stray babe of Paradise,

Just lighted on that flowery plain,
And seeking for its home again!

Oh 'twas a sight-that Heav'n-that child

A scene, which might have well beguil'd
Ev'n haughty EBLIS of a sigh
For glories lost and peace gone by!

And how felt he, the wretched Man,
Reclining there-while memory ran
O'er many a year of guilt and strife,
Flew o'er the dark flood of his life,
Nor found one sunny resting-place,
Nor brought him back one branch of grace!
"There was a time," he said in mild,
Heart-humbled tones-" thou blessed child;
"When young and haply pure as thou,
"I look'd and pray'd like thee-but now-"

He hung his head-each nobler aim

And hope and feeling, which had slept From boyhood's hour, that instant came Fresh o'er him, and he wept! he wept!

Blest tears of soul-felt penitence!

In whose benign, redeeming flow

Is felt the first, the only sense

Of guiltless joy that guilt can know.

"There's a drop," said the Peri, "that down from the

moon

"Falls through the withering airs of June

"Upon Egypt's land, of so healing a power,
"So balmy a virtue, that ev'n in the hour
"That drop descends, contagion dies,
"And health reanimates earth and skies!-
"Oh, is it not thus, thou man of sin,

"The precious tears of repentence fall? "Though foul thy very plagues within, "One heavenly drop hath dispelled them all."

And now-behold him kneeling there,
By the child's side, in humble prayer,
While the same sun-beam shines upon
The guilty and the guiltless one,

And hymns of joy proclaim through Heaven
The triumph of a Soul Forgiven!

'Twas when the golden orb had set,

While on their knees they linger'd yet,
There fell a light more lovely far
Than ever came from sun or star,
Upon the tear, that warm and meek,
Dew'd that repentant sinner's cheek;
To mortal eye this light might seem
A northern flash, a meteor beam—
But well the enraptur'd PERI knew
'Twas a bright smile the Angel threw
From Heaven's gate to hail that tear
Her harbinger of glory near!

"Joy, joy for ever! my task is done-
"The Gates are pass'd, and Heaven is won!"

ADAM'S DESCRIPTION OF FIRST FINDING HIMSELF ON EARTH.

For man to tell how human life began

Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?
Desire with thee still longer to converse

Induced me. As new waked from soundest sleep.

Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid,

In balmy sweat; which with his beams the sun
Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed.
Straight toward heaven my wandering eyes I turn'd,
And gazed awhile the ample sky; till, raised
By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung,
As thitherward endeavoring, and upright
Stood on my feet: about me round I saw

Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plant
And liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by these,
Creatures that lived and moved, and walk'd or flew;
Birds on the branches warbling; all things smiled,
With fragrance and with joy my heart o`erflow'd.
Myself I then perused, and limb by limb

Survey'd, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran
With supple joints, as lively vigor led:

But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
Knew not; to speak I tried, and forthwith spake;
My tongue obey`d, and readily could name
Whate'er I saw. "Thou sun," said I fair light,
And thou enlighten'd earth, so fresh and gay,
Ye hills, and dales, ye rivers, woods and plains
And ve that live and move, fair ereatures, tell
Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?"

DESCRIPTION OF EVE'S FIRST FINDING HERSELF ON EARTH.

That day I oft remember when from sleep first awaked, and found myself reposed,

Under a shade, on flowers, much wondering where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound

Of waters issued from a cave, and spread

Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved,
Pure as the expanse of heaven; I thither went
With unexperienced thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky
As I bent down to look, just opposite

A shape within the watery gleam appear'd,
Bending to look on me: I s'arted back,
It started back: but pleased I soon return'd,
Pleased it return'd as soon with answering looks
Of sympathy and love: there I had fix'd

Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire,
Had not a voice thus warned me: what thou seest,
What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself;
With thee it came and goes; but follow me,
And I will bring thee where no shadow stays
Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
Whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy
Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd
Mother of human race. What could I do,
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?

Till I espied thee, fair indeed, and tall,
Under a plantain, yet methought less fair,
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,

Than that smooth watery image: back I turned;
Thou following, cry'dst aloud, return, fair Eve;

Whom fly'st thou? whom thou fly'st, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart,
Substantial life, to have thee by my side
Henceforth an individual solace dear;

Part of my soul, I seek thee, and thee claim,
ly other half. With that thy gentle hand
Seized mine: I yielded; and from that time see
How beauty is excelled by manly grace,
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

EVE'S UNQUIET DREAM.

Now morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime
Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearl,
When Adam waked, so custom'd: for his sleep
Was æry-light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperate vapors bland, which the only sound
Of leaves and fuming rills Aurora's fan,
Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song
Of Birds on every bough; so much the more
His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve
With tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek
As through unquiet rest: he, on his side
Leaning, half raised, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld
Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice
Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus: Awake
My fairest, my espoused, my latest found,
Heaven's last, best gift, my ever new delight!
Awake: the morning shines, and the fresh field
Calls us; we lose the prime to mark how spring
Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove
What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed,
How Nature paints her colors, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweets.'

Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spake.

'O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose,

My glory, my perfection! glad I see

Thy face and morn return'd; for I this night,
Such night till this I never pass'd, have dream'd,
If dream'd, not, as I oft am wont, of thee,
Works of day past, or morrow's next design;

But of offence and trouble, which my mind
Knew never till this irksome night. Methought
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it said,
Why sleep'st thou, Eve? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the silent, save where silence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labor'd song; now reigns
Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard; heaven wakes with all his eyes,
Whom to behold but thee, Nature's desire?
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.

I rose as at thy call, but found thee not;
To find thee I directed then my walk;

And on, methought, alone I pass'd through ways
That brought me on a sudden to the tree

Of interdicted knowledge; fair it seem'd,

Much fairer to my fancy than by day:

And, as I wondering look'd, beside it stood

One shaped and wing'd like one of those from heaven By us oft seen: his dewy locks distill'd

Ambrosia: on that tree he also gazed;

And, O, fair plant, said he, with fruit surcharg'd,
Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet,
Nor God, nor man? Is knowledge so despised?
Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste?
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold
Longer thy offer'd good; why else set here?
This said, he paused not, but with venturous arm
He pluck'd, he tasted; me damp horror chill'd
At such bold words, vouch'd with a deed so bold:
But he thus, overjoy'd; O fruit divine,

Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt,
Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit

For gods, yet able to make gods of men;

And why not gods of men; since good, the more
Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impair'd, but honor'd more?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve!
Partake thou also: happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be:
Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods
Thyself a goddess, not to earth confined,
But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes
Ascend to heaven, by merit thine, and see
What life the gods live there, and such live thou.
So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Even to my mouth of that same fruit held part
Which he had pluck'd; the pleasant savory smell

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