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diſappeared. I found myſelf ſitting on ⟨the⟩ declivity of a mountain, and perceived at my right hand an angel, whom ⟨I⟩ knew to be Azoran, the Miniſter of ⟨Reproof⟩. When I ſaw him I was afraid. ⟨I⟩ caſt my eyes on the ground, and was ⟨about⟩ to deprecate his anger, when he ⟨commanded⟩ me to be ſilent.
'Almet,' ſaid he, 'thou haſt devoted ⟨thy⟩ life to meditation that thy counſel might deliver ignorance from the mazes of error, and deter preſumption from the precipice of guilt; but the Book of Nature thou haſt read without underſtanding: it is again open before thee; look up, conſider it, and be wiſe'
"I looked up, and beheld an incloſure, beautiful as the Garden of Paradiſe, but of a ſmall extent. Through the middle, there was a green walk; at the end a wild deſert: and beyond, impenetrable darkneſs. The walk was ſhaded with trees of every kind, that were covered at once with bloſſoms and fruit; innumerable birds were ſinging in the branches; the graſs was intermingled which flowers, which impregnated the breeze with fragrance, and painted the
