For never can true reconcilement grow,
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep: Which would but lead me to a worfe relapse And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear Short intermiffion bought with double fmart. This knows my Punisher: therefore as far From granting he, as I from begging peace: All hope excluded thus, behold in stead Of us outcast, exil'd, his new delight, Mankind created, and for him this world. So farewel hope, and with hope farewel fear, Farewel remorse: all good to me is loft; Evil be thou my good; by thee at least Divided empire with heaven's King I hold, By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign; As man ere long, and this new world, fhall know.-
Thus while he fpake, each paffion dimm'd his face Thrice chang'd with pale ire, envy, and defpair; 115 Which marr'd his borrow'd visage, and betray'd Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.
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 falfehood under faintly fhow; Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge:
Yet not enough had practis'd to deceive
Uriel once warn'd; whose eye purfu'd him down 125. The way he went, and on th' Affyrian mount Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall a Spirit of happy fort; his geftures fierce
He mark'd, and mad demeanour, then alone,..
As he fuppos'd, all unobserv'd, unseen.
So on he fares, and to the border comes.> Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, crowns with her inclosure green a
As with a rural mound, the champaign head Of a steep wilderness, whofe hairy fides With thicket overgrown, grotefque and wild, Access deny'd; and over head up grew Infuperable height of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm, A fylvan fcene, and as the ranks afcend, Shade above fhade, a woody theatre Of statelieft view. Yet higher than their tops The verd'rous wall of Paradife up fprung: Which to our general fire gave profpe& large Into his nether empire neighb'ring round. And higher than that wall a circling row Of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit, Bloffoms and fruits at once of golden hue, Appear'd, with gay enamell'd colours mix'd: On which the fun more glad imprefs'd his beams 150 Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow, When God hath fhower'd the earth; fo lovely feem'd That landfcape: and of pure now purer air Meets his approach, and to the heart infpires Vernal delight and joy, able to drive AH fadness but defpair: now gentle gales, Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they ftole Thofe balmy spoils. As when to them who fail Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past Mozambique, off at fea north-eaft winds blow Sabéan odours from the spicy fhore
Of Araby the Blefs'd; with fuch delay
Well pleas'd they flack their courfe, and many a league Cheer'd with the grateful fmell old Ocean fmiles: 165 So entertain'd thefe odorous fweets the fiend, Who came their bane; though with them better Than Afmodeus with the fifhy fume [pleas'd 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 journey'd on, penfive and flow; But further way found none, fo thick intwin'd, As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth Of fhrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd All path of man or beast 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 overleap'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 185 In hurdled cotes amid the field fecure,
Leaps o'er the fence with eafe into the fold: Or as a thief, bent to unhoard the cash Of fome rich burgher, whofe fubstantial doors, Crofs-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no affault, In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles : So clomb this 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 200
Of immortality. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him, but perverts beft things To worft abufe, or to their meanest use.
Beneath him with new wonder now he views, To all delight of human sense expos'd
In narrow room, nature's whole wealth, yea more, A heav'n on earth: for blissful Paradife Of God the garden was, by him in th' eaft Of Eden planted; Eden ftretch'd her line From Auran eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the fons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telaffar: in this pleasant foil His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd; Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow All trees of noblest kind for fight, smell, taste; And all amid them ftood the tree of life, High eminent, blooming ambrofial fruit Of vegetable gold: and next to life,
Our death, the tree of knowledge, grew faft by ; Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill. Southward through Eden went a river large, Nor chang'd his course, but through the fhaggy hill Pafs'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown 225 That mountain as his garden-mould high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which, through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirft up drawn, Rose 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 darkfome paffage now appears; And now divided into four main streams, Runs diverfe, wand'ring many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account; 235 But rather to tell how, if art could tell, How from that faphir fount the crifped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and fands of gold,
mazy error under pendent fhades
Ran nectar, vifiting each plant, and fed 240 Flowers, worthy' of Paradise, 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 unpierc'd fhade 245 Imbrown'd the noontide-bow'rs. Thus was this place A happy rural feat of various view;
Groves whofe rich trees wept odorous gums and balm; Others whofe fruit, burnish'd with golden rind, Hung amiable, Hefperian fables true,
If true, here only', and of delicious taste : Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks Grafing the tender herb, were interpos'd,
Or palmy hillock; or the flow'ry lap Of fome irriguous valley fpread her store, Flowers of all hue, and without thorn the rofe: Another fide, umbrageous grots and caves Of cool recefs, o'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; meanwhile murm'ring waters fall Down the flope hills, difpers'd, or in a lake, That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd Her crystal mirror holds, unite their fireams. The birds their quire 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 spring. Not that fair field Of Enna, where Proférpine gathering flowers, Herfelf a fairer flow'r, by gloomy Dis Was gather'd, which coft Ceres all that pain To feek her through the world; nor that sweet Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' infpir'd Caftalian spring, might with this Paradise
« PreviousContinue » |