In Paradise, that bear delicious fruit
So various, not to tafte that only Tree
Of Knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life:
So near grows death to life! whate'er death is:
Some dreadful thing, no doubt: for well thou know'st
God hath pronounc'd it death to taste that tree,
The only fign of our obedience left,
Among fo many figns of pow'r and rule,
Confer'd upon us; and dominion giv'n
Over all other creatures that poffefs
Then let us not think hard
One eafy prohibition, who enjoy
Free leave fo large to all things elfe, and choice
Unlimited of manifold delights:
But let us ever praise Him, and extol
His bounty, following our delightful task,
To prune these growing plants, and tend thefe flow'rs,
Which were it toilfome, yet with thee were sweet.
To whom thus Eve reply'd. O thou! for whom, And from whom I was form'd; flesh of thy flesh, 441 And without whom am to no end; my guide, And head! what thou haft faid, is just and right. For we to Him indeed all praises owe, And daily thanks; I chiefly, who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by fo much odds; while thou Like confort to thy felf canft no where find. That day I oft remember, when from fleep I first awak'd, and found my self repos'd
Under a fhade on flow'rs; much wond'ring where,
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Not distant far from thence a murmuring found
Of waters iffu'd from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd,
Pure as th' expanse of heav'n: I thither went,
With un-experienc'd thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me feem'd another sky.
As I bent down to look, just oppofite
A fhape within the watry gleam appear'd,
Bending to look on me: I started back;
It flarted back: but pleas'd I foon return'd;
Pleas'd it return'd as foon; with answering looks
Of fympathy and love: there I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with ́vain defire,
Had not a voice thus warn'd me, "What thou seeft,
"What there thou feeft, fair Creature, is thy felf;
"With thee it came and goes: but follow me,
"And I will bring thee where no fhadow stays
"Thy waiting and thy foft embraces; he
"Whofe image thou art: him thou shalt enjoy
Infeparably thine, to him fhalt bear
"Multitudes like thy felf, and thence be call'd
"Mother of human race." What could I do,
But follow ftraight, invifibly thus led?
Till I elpy'd thee? fair indeed, and tall,
Under a plantan; yet, methought, less fair,
Lefs winning foft, lefs amiably mild,
Than that smooth watry image: back I turn'd,
Thou following cry'dit aloud, return fair Eve,
Whom fly'ft thou? whom thou fly'ft, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thee Being I lent
Out of my fide to thee, nearest my heart;
Substantial life, to have thee by my fide,
Henceforth an individual folace dear:
Part of my foul, I feek thee; and thee claim,
My other half! With that, thy gentle hand
Seiz'd mine; I yielded; and from that time fee
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace,
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So fpake our general mother; and with eyes.
Cf conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek furrender, half embracing lean'd
On our first father: half her fwelling breaft
Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose treffes hid: he (in delight
Both of her beauty and fubmiffive charms,)
Smil'd with fuperior love; as JUPITER
On JUNO fmiles, when he impregns the clouds,
That shed May-flow'rs; and prefs'd her matron-lip
With kiffes pure :—afide the devil turn'd
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them askance; and to himself thus plain'd.
Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two, 505 Imparadis'd in one another's arms
(The happier EDEN!) fhall enjoy their fill
Of blifs on blifs: while I to hell am thruft,
Where neither joy, nor love, but fierce defire,
(Among our other torments not the least)
Still unfulfill'd with pain of longing, pines.
Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd
From their own mouths; all is not theirs, it feems:
One fatal Tree there stands of Knowledge call'd,
Forbidden them to tafte. Knowledge forbidden?
Sufpicious, reafonless. Why fhould their Lord.
Envy them that? can it be fin to know?
Can it be death? and do they only ftand
By ignorance? is that their happy ftate,
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
Their ruin! hence I will excite their minds
With more defire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with defign
To keep them low; whom knowledge might exalt
Equal with Gods: afpiring to be fuch,
They tafte, and die: what likelier can enfue?
But firft, with narrow fearch I muft walk round
This garden, and no corner leave un-fpy'd ;
A chance, but chance may lead where I may meet 530
Some wandring fpirit of heav'n, by fountain-fide,
Or in thick fhade retir'd, from him to draw
What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair! enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures; for long woes are to fucceed!
So faying, his proud step he fcornful turn'd,
But with fly circumfpection; and began
Through wood, through wafte, o'er hill, o'er dale his roam.
Mean-while in utmost longitude, where heav'n
With earth and ocean meets, the setting fun
Slowly defcended; and with right afpect
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Level'd his ev'ning rays: it was a rock
Of alabafter, pil'd up to the clouds,
Confpicuous far; winding with one ascent
Acceffible from earth, one entrance high:
The reft was craggy cliff, that over-hung
Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb.
Betwixt thefe rocky pillars GABRIEL fat,
Chief of th' Angelick guards, awaiting night:
About him exercis'd heroic games
'Th' unarmed youth of heav'n; but nigh at hand Coeleftial armory, fhields, helms, and fpears,
Hung high, with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came URIEL, gliding through the ev'n
On a fun-beam, fwift as a shooting star
In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours
Imprefs'd the Air, and fhew the mariner
From what point of his Compafs to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.
GABRIEL! to thee thy course by lot hath giv'n
Charge and ftrict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach, or enter in :
This day, at height of noon, came to my sphere
A fpirit; zealous, as he feem'd, to know
More of th' Almighty's works; and chiefly man,
God's latest image: I defcrib'd his way,
Bent all on fpeed, and mark'd his aery gait:
But in the mount that lies from EDEN north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks
Alien from heav'n, with paffions foul obfcur'd :
Mine eye purfu'd him ftill, but under shade
Loft fight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the Deep to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd:
URIEL! no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the fun's bright circle where thou fit'st,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come
Well known from heav'n; and fince meridian hour...
No creature thence. If fpirit of other fort,
So minded, have o'er-leap'd thefe earthly bounds
On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude
Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of these walks,
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know..
So promis'd he; and URIEL to his charge
Return'd, on that bright beam, whose point now rais'd
Bore him flope downward to the fun, now fall'n
Beneath th' AZORES: whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither rowl'd...
Diurnal; or this lefs voluble earth,
By fhorter flight to th' eaft, had left him there,
Arraying with reflected purple, and gold,
The clouds that on his weftern throne attend.
Now came ftill evening on, and twilight gray
Had in her fober livery all things clad ::
Silence accompany'd; for beast and bird,
They to their graffy couch, these to their nefts,
Were flunk; all but the wakeful nightingale ;
She all night long her amorous defcant fung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament
With living faphirs; HESPERUS, that led
The ftarry hoft, rode brighteft; till the moon,,
Rifing in clouded majefty at length,
Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw ;
When ADAM thus to EVE: Fair confort! th' hour 600
Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft,
Mind us of like repofe; fince God hath fet
Labour and reft, as day and night, to men
Succeffive; and the timely dew of sleep,
K. 3
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