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 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 loth to this revenge On you who wrong me not for him who wrong'd. And should I at your harmless innocence Melt, as I do, yet publick reason just, Honour and empire with revenge enlarg'd By conquering this new world, compels me now To do what else, though damn'd, I should abhor. So spake the Fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant's plea, excus'd 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 serv'd best his end Nearer to view his prey, and, unespied,
To mark what of their state he more might learn, By word or action mark'd: 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 His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground, Whence rushing he might surest seize them both, Grip'd in each paw: when, Adam first of men,
To first of women, Eve thus moving speech, Turn'd him, all ear, to hear new utterance flow. Sole partner, and sole part, of all these joys, Dearer thyself than all; needs must the Power That made us, and for us this ample world, Be infinitely good, and of his good
As liberal and free as infinite;
That raised us from the dust, and plac'd us here In all this happiness, who at his hand
Have nothing merited, nor can perform
Aught whereof He hath need; He who requires
From us no other service than to keep
This one, this easy charge, of all the trees In Paradise, that bear delicious fruit
So various, not to taste 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 pronounced it death to taste that tree, The only sign of our obedience left,
Among so many signs of power and rule
Conferr'd upon us, and dominion given Over all other creatures that possess
Then, let us not think hard
One easy prohibition, who enjoy
Free leave so large to all things else, 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 these flowers, Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.
To whom thus Eve replied. O thou for whom And from whom, I was form'd, flesh of thy flesh, And without whom am to no end, my guide
And head-what thou hast said 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 so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst nowhere find. That day I oft remember, when from sleep I first awak'd, and found myself repos'd
Under a shade on flowers, much wondering where, And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound Of waters issued from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd, Pure as the expanse of Heaven; I thither went With unexperienced thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me seem'd another sky. As I bent down to look, just opposite A shape within the watery gleam appear'd Bending to look on me; I started back, It started back; but pleas'd I soon return'd, Pleas'd it returned as soon, with answering looks Of sympathy and love: There I had fix'd Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain desire, Had not a voice thus warned me; "What thou seest, What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself; With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no shadow stays Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he Whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd Mother of human race." What could I do, But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall, Under a platane; yet, methought, less fair, Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth watery image back I turn'd Thou following cry'dst aloud, "Return, fair Eve; Whom fly'st thou? whom thou fly'st, of him thou art, His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart, Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear; Part of my soul, I seek thee, and thee claim, My other half:" With that thy gentle hand Seiz'd mine: I yielded; and from that time see How beauty is excell'd by manly grace, And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So spake our general mother, and with eyes Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd
And meek surrender, half-embracing lean'd On our first father; half her swelling breast Naked met his, under the flowing gold Of her loose tresses hid: he, in delight Both of her beauty, and submissive charms, Smiled with superiour love, as Jupiter
On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds That shed May flowers; and press'd her matron lip With kisses pure: Aside the Devil turn'd
For envy; yet with jealous leer malign Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus plain'd. Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two, Imparadis'd in one another's arms,
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill Of bliss on bliss; while I to Hell am thrust, Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire, 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 seems; One fatal tree there stands, of knowledge call'd, Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know? Can it be death? And do they only stand By ignorance? Is that their happy state, 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 desire to know, and to reject Envious commands, invented with design To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt Equal with gods: aspiring to be such,
What likelier can ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk round
This garden, and no corner leave unspied;
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet Some wandering Spirit of Heaven by fountain-side, Or in thick shade retir'd, from him to draw What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may, Ye happy pair: enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.
So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd,
But with sly circumspection, and began
Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam.
Meanwhile, in utmost longitude, where Heaven
With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun
Slowly descended, and, with right aspéct, Against the eastern gate of Paradise Levell❜d his evening rays: It was a rock Of alabaster, pil'd up to the clouds,
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