rate of 1 deg. in 70 years, and will require a period of 25,868 years to
complete an entire revolution of the heavens.

The spot on Earth round which is centred the chief interest in Milton's
poem is Paradise, which was situated in the east of Eden, a district of
Central Asia. It was here where God ordained that man should first
dwell--a place created for his enjoyment and delight. Satan, after his
soliloquy on Mount Niphates, directs his way to Paradise, and arrives
first in Eden, where he beholds from a distance the Happy Garden--

So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, crowns with her enclosure green,
As with a rural mound, the champain head
Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides
With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild,
Access denied; and overhead upgrew
Insuperable highth of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,
A sylvan scene, and, as the ranks ascend,
Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradise up-sprung;
Which to our general sire gave prospect large
Into his nether empire neighbouring round.
And higher than that wall, a circling row
Of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit,
Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue,
Appeared, with gay enamelled colours mixed;
On which the Sun more glad impressed his beams
Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow,
When God hath showered the Earth: so lovely seemed
That landskip. And of pure now purer air
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All sadness but despair. Now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmy spoils.--iv. 131-59.

Satan, having gained admission to the Garden by overleaping the tangled
thicket of shrubs and bushes which formed an impenetrable barrier and
prevented any access to the enclosure within, he flew up on to the Tree
of Life--

Beneath him, with new wonder, now he views,
To all delight of human sense exposed,
In narrow room Nature's whole wealth; yea, more!--
A Heaven on Earth: for blissful Paradise
Of God the garden was, by Him in the east
Of Eden planted, Eden stretched her line
From Auran eastward to the royal towers
Of great