For, heav'nly minds from fuch diftempers foul
Are ever clear. Whereof he foon aware,

Each perturbation fmooth'd with outward calm, 120
Artificer of fraud! and was the first

That practis'd falfhood, under faintly fhew
Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge.
Yet not enough had practis'd, to deceive

URIEL once warn'd; whofe eye purfu'd him down
The way he went, and on th' ASSYRIAN mount
Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall
Spirit of happy fort: his geftures fierce

He mark'd, and mad demeanor, then alone,
As he fuppos'd, all un-obferv'd, unfeen.
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 wildernefs; whofe hairy fides

With thicket overgrown, grotesque, and wild,
Access deny'd and over head up-grew
Infuperable height of loftieft fhade,

Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,
A fylvan fcene! and as the ranks afcend
Shade above fhade, a woody theatre

Of ftatelieft view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up-fprung:
Which to our general fire gave profpect large
Into his nether empire, neighb'ring round.
And higher than that wall a circling row
Of goodlieft trees, loaden with faireft fruit,
Bloffoms, and fruits at once of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colours mix'd:
On which the fun more glad imprefs'd his beams,
Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow,

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When God hath fhow'r'd the earth; fo lovely feem'd

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That

That landscape! and of pure now purer air
Meets his approach; and to the heart infpires
Vernal delight, and joy, able to drive
All fadnefs, but defpair: now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, difpenfe
Native perfumes, and whifper whence they stole
Thofe balmy fpoils. As when to them who fail
Beyond the CAPE OF HOPE, and now are past
MOZAMBIC, off at fea north-eaft winds blow
SABEAN odour from the spicy fhore

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Of ARABY THE BLEST, with such delay
Well-pleas'd they flack their courfe, and many a league
Chear'd with the grateful fmell old OCEAN fmiles :
So entertain'd thofe odorous fweets the fiend, 166
Who came their bane; though with them better pleas'd
Than ASMODEUS with the fishy fume
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the spouse.
Of TOBIT's fon, and with a vengeance fent
From MEDIA poft to EGYPT, there fast bound.

Now to th' afcent of that steep favage hill
SATAN had journied on, penfive, and flow;
But further way found none, fo thick entwin'd,
As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth
Of fhrubs, and tangling bufhes, had perplex'd
All path of man, or beaft, that pafs'd that way.
One gate there only was, and that look'd east,
. On th' other fide: which when th' arch-felon faw,
Due entrance he difdain'd, and in contempt
At one flight bound high over-leap'd all bound
Of hill, or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf,
Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for prey.
Watching where fhepherds pen their flocks at eve
In hurdled cotes, amid the field fecure,

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186 Leaps

Leaps o'er the fence with eafe into the fold:
Or as a thief, bent to unhoard the cafh
Of fome rich burgher, whofe fubftantial doors,
Crofs-barr'd, and bolted faft, fear no affault,
In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles :
So clomb the first grand thief into God's fold;
(So fince into his church lewd hirelings climb.)
Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life,
The middle tree, and highest there that grew,
Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life
Thereby regain'd, but fat devifing death
To them who liv'd: nor on the virtue thought
Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd
For profpect, what well-us'd had been the pledge
Of immortality. (So little knows

Any, but GoD alone, to value right

The good before him, but perverts beft things.
To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.)

Beneath him, with new wonder, now he views, 205
To all delight of human fenfe expos'd

In narrow room, nature's whole wealth, yca more,
A heav'n on earth! for blifsful Paradife

Of GOD the garden was, by him in th' caft
Of EDEN planted; EDEN ftretch'd her line
From AURAN eastward to the royal tow'rs
Of great SEL EUCIA, built by GRECIAN kings,
Or where the fons of EDEN long before
Dwelt in TELASSAR. In this pleafant foil
His far more pleafant garden GOD ordain'd.
Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow
All trees of nobleft kind, for fight, fmell, tafte;
And all amid them ftood the Tree of Life,
High eminent, blooming ambrofial fruit
*Of vegetable gold and next to life,

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Our death, the Tree of Knowledge, grew faft by;

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Know

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Book IV. Knowledge of good, bought dear by knowing ill! Southward through EDEN went a river large, Nor chang'd his courfe, but through the fhaggy hill Pafs'd underneath ingulf'd; for GOD had thrown 225 That mountain as his garden mound, high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirft up drawn, Rofe a fresh fountain, and with many a rill Water'd the garden; thence united fell Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood, Which from his dark fome paffage now appears: And now divided into four main ftreams, Runs diverfe, wandring many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account : But rather to tell how (if art could tell How) from that faphire fount the crifped brooks Rowling on orient pearl, and fands of gold, With mazy error under pendent fhades Ran Nectar, vifiting each plant, and fed Flow'rs worthy of Paradife, which not nice art In beds, and curious knots, but nature boon Pour'd forth profufe on hill, and dale, and plain, Both where the morning fun firft warmly fmote The open field, and where the un-pierc'd fhade 245 Imbrown'd the noon-tide bow'rs. Thus was this place, A happy rural feat of various view:

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Groves whofe rich trees wept od'rous gums, and balm,
Others whofe fruit,, burnish'd with golden rind,
Hung amiable: HESPERIAN fables true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste.
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd:
Or palmy hilloc, or the flow'ry lap

Of fome irriguous valley fpread her store;
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rofe.

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Another

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Another fide, umbragcous grots, and caves
Of cool recefs, o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant: mean-while murm'ring waters fall
Down the flope hills, difpers'd, or in a lake,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her cryftal mirror holds, unite their streams.
The birds their choir apply: airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the fmell of field and grove, attune
The trembling leaves, while univerfal PAN,
Knit with the GRACES, and the HOURS, in dance,
Led on th' eternal fpring. Not that fair field
Of ENNA, where PROSERPINE gathering flow'rs,
Her felf a fairer flow'r, by gloomy Dis

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Was gather'd; which coft CERES all that pain
To feek her through the world: nor that fweet grove
Of DAPHNE by ORONTES, and th' infpir'd
CASTALIAN fpring, might with this Paradife
Of EDEN ftrive: nor that NY SEIAN ifle
Girt with the river TRITON, where old CHAM,
(Whom Gentiles AMMON call, and LIBYAN JOVE)
Hid AMALTHEA, and her florid fon

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Young BACCHUS, from his ftepdame RHEA's eye:
Nor where A BASSIN kings their iffue guard,
Mount AMARA (though this by fome fuppos'd
True Paradife) under the ETHIOP Linc
By NILUS' head, inclos'd with fhining rock,
A whole day's journey high; but wide remote
From this ASSYRIAN garden: where the fiend 285
Saw un-delighted all delight, all kind

Of living creatures, new to fight, and strange.

Two of far nobler thape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect! with native honour clad
In naked majesty, feem'd Lords of all:

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And