From Whom I have, that thus I move and live,
And feel that I am happier than I know.

While thus I call'd, and ftray'd I knew not whither,
From where I first drew air, and first beheld
This happy light; when anfwer none return'd,
On a green fhady bank, profufe of flow'rs,
Penfive I fat me down. There gentle fleep
First found me, and with foft oppreffion feiz'd
My droused fenfe, untroubl'd (though I thought
I then was paffing to my former ftate
Infenfible, and forthwith to diffolve)
When fuddenly stood at my head a dream,
Whofe inward apparition gently mov'd

My fancy to believe I yet had Being,

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And liv'd. One came, methought, of fhape divine, 295
And faid, "Thy manfion wants thee, ADAM, rife
"First man, of men innumerable ordain'd

"Firft father! call'd by thee, I come thy guide
"To the garden of blifs, thy feat prepar❜d."
So faying, by the hand he took me rais'd;
And over fields and waters, as in air,
Smooth-fliding without ftep, laft led me up
A woody mountain, whofe high top was plain:

A circuit wide-inclos'd, with good licft trees

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Planted, with walks, and bow'rs; that what I faw 305 Of earth before scarce pleasant seem'd. Each tree Loaden with faireft fruit, that hung to th' eye

Tempting, ftir'd in me fudden appetite

To pluck and eat; whereat I wak'd, and found

Before mine eyes all real, as the dream

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Had lively fhadow'd. Here had new begun

My wand'ring, had not He, who was my guide

Up hither, from among the trees appear'd,

Prefence Divine! Rejoicing, but with awe,

In adoration at His feet I fell

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Submifs: He rear'd me, and "Whom thou fought'ft I am, Said mildly, "Author of all thou feeft

Above, or round about thee, or beneath. "This Paradife I give thee, count it thine "To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat :

"Of every tree that in the garden grows
"Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth:
"But of the Tree whofe operation brings

Knowledge of Good and Ill, which I have fet "The pledge of thy obedience, and thy faith, "Amid the garden by the Tree of Life, "(Remember what I warn thee!) fhun to taste, "And fhun the bitter confequence: for know, "The Day thou eat'st thereof, my fole command "Tranfgreft, inevitably thou shalt dye; "From that day mortal: and this happy state

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"Shalt lofe, expell'd from hence into a world

"Of woe, and forrow."-Sternly He pronounc'd The rigid interdiction, which refounds

Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice

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Not to incur but foon His clear afpect

Return'd, and gracious purpose thus renew'd.
"Not only these fair bounds, but all the earth
"To thee and to thy race I give as lords
"Poffefs it, and all things that therein live,
"Or live in fea, or air, beaft, fish, and fowl:
"In fign whereof, each bird, and beast, behold
"After their kinds: I bring them to receive
"From thee their names, and pay thee fealty
"With low fubjection: understand the fame
"Of fish within their wat'ry refidence ;

"Not hither fummon'd, fince they cannot change
"Their element, to draw the thinner air."

As thus He fpake, each bird, and beast, behold
Approaching, two and two; thefe cow'ring low
With blandishment; each bird ftoop'd on his wing.
I nam'd them, as they pafs'd, and understood
Their nature (with fuch knowledge God indu'd
My fudden apprehenfion!) But in these

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I found not what methought I wanted still,
And to the heav'nly Vision thus prefum'd.

O by what name (for Thou above all these, Above mankind, or ought than mankind higher, Surpaffeft far my naming!) how may I

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Adore

Adore Thee, Author of this universe,

And all this good to man? For whofe well-being
So amply, and with hands fo liberal,

Thou haft provided all things. But with me
I fee not who partakes: in folitude
What happiness, who can enjoy alone?
Or, all enjoying, what contentment find?

Thus I prefumptuous; and the Vifion bright,
As with a smile more brighten'd, thus reply'd.

What call'st thou folitude? Is not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air,
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command
To come and play before thee? Know'st thou not
Their language, and their ways? They alfo know,
And reafon not contemptibly! with these
Find paftime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.

So fpake the Univerfal Lord, and feem'd
So ord'ring: I, with leave of speech implor'd,

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And humble deprecation, thus reply'd.

Let not my words offend Thee, heav'nly pow'r!

My Maker, be propitious while I fpeak!

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Haft Thou not made me here Thy fubftitute,

And thefe inferior far beneath me set ?

Among unequals what fociety

Can fort, what harmony, or true delight?
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Giv'n and receiv'd; but in difparity
(The one intenfe, the other ftill remifs)
Cannot well fuit with either, but foon prove
Tedious alike. Of fellowship I fpeak
(Such as I feek) fit to participate
All rational delight; wherein the brute
Cannot be human confort: they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs Thou haft combin'd:
Much less can bird with beaft, or fish with fowl

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3.90

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So

So well converse, nor with the ox the ape:
Worse, then, can man with beast, and leaft of all.

Whereto th' Almighty answer'd, not displeas'd.
A nice, and fubtile happiness, I fee

Thou to thy felf propofeft, in the choice
Of thy affociates, ADAM! and wilt tafte

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No pleasure (though in pleasure) folitary.

What think'st thou then of Me, and this My ftate ?
Seem I to thee fufficiently poffeft

Of happiness, or not, who am alone

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From all eternity? for none I know

Second to Me, or like; equal much less.

How have I then with whom to hold converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and thofe
To Me inferior, infinite descents

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Beneath what other creatures are to thee?

He ceas'd; I lowly anfwer'd. To attain

The height, and depth of Thy eternal ways,

All human thoughts come fhort, Supreme of things!
Thou in Thy felf art perfect, and in Thee

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Is no deficience found. Not fo is Man,

But in degree; the cause of his defire

By conversation with his like to help;

Or folace his defects. No need that Thou

Shouldft propagate, already Infinite;

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And through all numbers abfolute, though ONE.

But man by number is to manifeft

His fingle imperfection; and beget

Like of his like, his image multiply'd:
In unity defective; which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.

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Though in Thy fecrecy although alone,

Best with Thy felf accompany'd, seek'st not

Social communication: yet, fo pleas'd,

Canft raife Thy creature to what height Thou wilt
Of anion, or communion, Deify'd:

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I by converfing cannot these erect

From prone.; nor in their ways complacence find.

Thus

Thus I imbolden'd spake, and freedom us'd Permiffive, and acceptance found; which gåin'd This answer from the gracious Voice divine.

Thus far to try thee, ADAM! I was pleas'd;
And find thee knowing, not of beafts alone,
(Which thou haft rightly nam'd) but of thy felf:
Expreffing well the fpirit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute :
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee,
Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike;
And be fo minded ftill: I, ere thou fpak'ft,
Knew it not good for man to be alone:
And no fuch company as then thou faw'st
Intended thee; for tryal only brought,

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To see how thou could't judge of fit and meet.

What next I bring fhall pleafe thee, be affur'd,

Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other felf,

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Thy wish, exactly to thy heart's defire.

He ended, or I heard no more; for now

My earthly by His heav'nly over power'd,

Which it had long ftood under, ftrain'd to th' height
In that cœleftial colloquy fublime,

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(As with an object that excels the fenfe,

Dazled, and fpent) funk down; and fought repair

Of fleep, which inftantly fell on me, call'd

By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes:
Mine eyes He clos'd, but open left the cell
Of fancy, my internal fight; by which
(Abftract as in a trance) methought I faw,
Though fleeping, where I lay, and faw the shape

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Still glorious before Whom awake I stood :

Who stooping open'd my left fide, and took

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From thence a rib, with cordial fpirits warm,

8

And life-blood ftreaming fresh: wide was the wound!
But, fuddenly with flesh fill'd up, and heal'd.
The rib He form'd and fashion'd with His hands:
Under his forming hands a creature grew
S

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Man