Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf, overleaps Whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey, 'bounds Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve, In hurdled cotes amid the field secure, Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold; Or as a thief, bent to unhoard the cash Of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors, Cross-barred and bolted fast, fear no assault, 190 In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles; So clomb this first grand Thief into God's fold: So since 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 regained, but sat devising death To them who lived; nor on the virtue thought Of that life-giving plant, but only used
For prospect, what well used had been the pledge
Of immortality. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to their meanest use. Beneath him, with new wonder, now he views, To all delight of human sense exposed,
In narrow room Nature's whole wealth; yea, more!
A Heaven on Earth: for blissful Paradise Of God the garden was, by him in the east Of Eden planted. Eden stretched her line 210 From Auran eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the sons of Eden long before
Paradise Dwelt in Telassar. In this pleasant soil a Heaven His far more pleasant garden God ordained. Out of the fertile ground he caused to grow All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; And all amid them stood the Tree of Life, High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit Of vegetable gold; and next to life,
Our death, the Tree of Knowledge, grew fast by-
Knowledge of good, bought dear by knowing ill. Southward through Eden went a river large, Nor changed his course, but through the shaggy hill
Passed underneath ingulfed; for God had thrown That mountain, as his garden-mould, high raised Upon the rapid current, which, through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst up-drawn, Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill Watered the garden; thence united fell Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood, Which from his darksome passage now appears, And now, divided into four main streams, Runs diverse, wandering many a famous realm And country whereof here needs no account; But rather to tell how, if Art could tell How, from that sapphire fount the crispèd brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, With mazy error under pendent shades Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice Art In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain, Both where the morning sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierced shade
Others whose fruit, burnished 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 interposed, Or palmy hillock; or the flowery lap Of some irriguous valley spread her store, Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rose. Another side, umbrageous grots and caves Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; meanwhile murmuring waters fall 260 Down the slope hills dispersed, or in a lake, That to the fringed bank with myrtle crowned Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams. The birds their quire apply; airs, vernal airs, Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune The trembling leaves, while universal Pan, Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance, Led on the eternal Spring. Not that fair field Of Enna, where Proserpin gathering flowers, Herself a fairer flower, by gloomy Dis Was gathered-which cost Ceres all that pain To seek her through the world-nor that sweet
Of Daphne, by Orontes and the inspired Castalian spring, might with this Paradise Of Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle, Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham,
Satan Dandled the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards, recovers Gambolled before them; the unwieldy elephant, speech To make them mirth, used all his might, and
His lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly, Insinuating, wove with Gordian twine His braided train, and of his fatal guile Gave proof unheeded. Others on the grass 350 Couched, and, now filled with pasture, gazing sat, Or bedward ruminating; for the sun,
Declined, was hastening now with prone career To the Ocean Isles, and in the ascending scale Of Heaven the stars that usher evening rose : When Satan, still in gaze as first he stood, Scarce thus at length failed speech recovered sad:-
'O Hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold?
Into our room of bliss thus high advanced Creatures of other mould-Earth-born perhaps, Not Spirits, yet to Heavenly Spirits bright 361 Little inferior-whom my thoughts pursue With wonder, and could love; so lively shines In them divine resemblance, and such grace The hand that formed them on their shape hath poured.
Ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh Your change approaches, when all these delights Will vanish, and deliver ye to woe-
More woe, the more your taste is now of joy : Happy, but for so happy ill secured
Long to continue, and this high seat, your Heaven,
Ill fenced for Heaven to keep out such a foe
As now is entered; yet no purposed foe To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn, Though I unpitied. League with you I seek, And mutual amity, so strait, so close,
That I with you must dwell, or you with me, Henceforth. My dwelling, haply, may not please, Like this fair Paradise, your sense; yet such Accept your maker's work; he gave it me, 380 Which I as freely give. Hell shall unfold, To entertain you two, her widest gates, And send forth all her kings; there will be room, Not like these narrow limits, to receive Your numerous offspring; if no better place, Thank him who puts me, loath, to this revenge On you, who wrong me not, for him who wronged.
And, should I at your harmless innocence Melt, as I do, yet public reason just-
Honour and empire with revenge enlarged 390 By conquering this new World-compels me now To do what else, though damned, I should abhor.' So spake the Fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant's plea, excused his devilish deeds. Then from his lofty stand on that high tree Down he alights among the sportful herd Of those four-footed kinds, himself now one, Now other, as their shape served best his end Nearer to view his prey, and, unespied, 399 To mark what of their state he more might learn By word or action marked. About them round A lion now he stalks with fiery glare; Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play, Straight crouches close; then, rising, changes oft
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