So spake our Sire, and by his Countenance seem’d
  Entring on studious Thoughts abstruse:  which Eve
  Perceiving, where she sat retired in sight,
  With lowliness majestick, from her Seat,
  And Grace, that won who saw to wish her Stay,
  Rose; and went forth among her Fruits and Flowers
  To visit how they prosper’d, Bud and Bloom,
  Her Nursery:  they at her coming sprung,
  And touch’d by her fair Tendance gladlier grew. 
  Yet went she not, as not with such Discourse
  Delighted, or not capable her Ear
  Of what was high:  Such Pleasure she reserved,
  Adam relating, she sole Auditress;
  Her Husband the Relater she preferr’d
  Before the Angel, and of him to ask
  Chose rather:  he, she knew, would intermix
  Grateful Digressions, and solve high Dispute
  With conjugal Caresses; from his Lip
  Not Words alone pleas’d her.  O when meet now
  Such Pairs, in Love and mutual Honour join’d!

The Angels returning a doubtful Answer to Adams Enquiries, was not only proper for the Moral Reason which the Poet assigns, but because it would have been highly absurd to have given the Sanction of an Archangel to any particular System of Philosophy.  The chief Points in the Ptolemaick and Copernican Hypothesis are described with great Conciseness and Perspicuity, and at the same time dressed in very pleasing and poetical Images.

Adam, to detain the Angel, enters afterwards upon his own History, and relates to him the Circumstances in which he found himself upon his Creation; as also his Conversation with his Maker, and his first meeting with Eve.  There is no part of the Poem more apt to raise the Attention of the Reader, than this Discourse of our great Ancestor; as nothing can be more surprizing and delightful to us, than to hear the Sentiments that arose in the first Man while he was yet new and fresh from the Hands of his Creator.  The Poet has interwoven every thing which is delivered upon this Subject in Holy Writ with so many beautiful Imaginations of his own, that nothing can be conceived more just and natural than this whole Episode.  As our Author knew this Subject could not but be agreeable to his Reader, he would not throw it into the Relation of the six days Works, but reserved it for a distinct Episode, that he might have an opportunity of expatiating upon it more at large.  Before I enter on this part of the Poem, I cannot but take notice of two shining Passages in the Dialogue between Adam and the Angel.  The first is that wherein our Ancestor gives an Account of the pleasure he took in conversing with him, which contains a very noble Moral.

  For while I sit with thee, I seem in Heavn,
  And sweeter thy Discourse is to my Ear
  Than Fruits of Palm-tree (pleasantest to Thirst
  And Hunger both from Labour) at the hour
  Of sweet Repast:  they satiate, and soon fill,
  Tho pleasant; but thy Words with Grace divine
  Imbu’d, bring to their Sweetness no Satiety.