Whence rushing he might fureft feize them both,
Grip'd in each paw: when Adam, first of men,
To firft of women, Eve, thus moving fpeech,
Turn'd him, all car to hear new utterance flow. 410
Sole partner, and fole part, of all these joys,
Dearer thyfelf 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 rais'd us from the duft, and plac'd us here
In all this happinefs, who at his hand
Have nothing merited, nor can perform
Ought whereof he hath need; he who requires
From us no other fervice than to keep
This one, this eafy charge, of all the trees
In Paradife that bear delicious fruit
So various, that to tafte that only tree
Of knowledge, planted by the tree of life;
So near grows death to life, whate'er death is, 425
Some dreadful thing no doubt; for well thou know'st
God hath pronounc'd it death to taste that tree,
The only fign of our obedience left,
Among fo many figns of pow'r and rule
Conferr'd upon us, and dominion given
Over all other creatures that poffefs
Then let us not think hard
One eafy prohibition, who enjoy
Free leave fo large to all things elfe, and choice
Unlimited of manifold delights:
But let us ever praife him, and extol
His bounty, following our delightful task,
To prune thefe growing plants and tend thefe flowers;
Which were it toilfome, yet with thee were fweet.
To whom thus Eve reply'd. O thou for whom 440
And from whom I was form'd, flefh of thy flefh,
And without whom am to no end, my guide
And head, what thou haft faid is juft and right.
For we to him indeed all praifes owe,
And daily thanks; I chiefly, who enjoy
So far the happier lot, enjoying thee
Pre-eminent by fo much odds, while thou
Like confort to thyfelf cant no where find.
That day I oft remember, when from fleep
I first awak'd, and found myself repos'd
Under a fhade on flow'rs, much wond'ring where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Nor diftant far from thence a murm'ring found
Of waters iffu'd from a cave and fpread
Into a liquid plain, then ftood unmov'd
Pure as th' expance of heav'n; i thither went
With unexperienc'd 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, juft oppofite
A fhape within the watʼry gleam appear'd,
Bending to look on me: I started back,
It started back; but pleas'd I foon return'd,
Pleas'd it return'd as foon with anfw'ring looks
Of fympathy and love, there I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire,
Had not a voice thus warn'd me, What thou feeßt,
What there thou feeft, fair creature, is thyfelf;
With thee it came and goes: but follow me,
And I will bring thee where no fhadow stays
Thy coming, and thy foft embraces, he
Whofe image thou art; him thou fhalt enjoy
Infeparably thine; to him fhall bear
Multitudes like thyfelf, and thence be call'd
Mother of human race. What could I do,
But follow ftraight, invifibly thus led?
Till I efpy'd thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a platan; yet methought lefs fair,
Lefs winning foft, lefs amiably mild,
Than that fmooth wat'ry image: back I turn'd: 480
Thou following, cry'd aloud, Return, fair Eve,
Whom fly't thou? whom thou fly'ft, of him thou art,
His flefh, his bone; to give thee be'ing I lent
Out of my fide to thee, nearest my heart,
Subftantial life, to have thee by my fide
Henceforth an individual folace dear;
Part of my foul I feek thee, and thee claim
My other half. With that thy gentle hand
Seiz'd mine: I yielded; and from that time fee
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace;
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So fpake our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd
And meek furrender, half embracing lean'd
On our firft father; half her fwelling breast
Naked met his, under the flowing gold
Of her loofe treffes hid; he in delight,
Both of her beauty and fubmiffive charms,
Smil'd with fuperior love, as Jupiter
On Juno fmiles, when he impregns the clouds
That fhed May flow'rs, and prefs'd her matron lip
With kiffes pure. Afide the devil turn'd
For envy; yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them afkance, and to himself thus 'plain'd.
Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two, 505
Imparadis'd in one another's arms,
The happier Eden fhall enjoy their fill
Of blifs on blifs; while I to hell am thrust,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce defire,
Among our other torments not the leaft,
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 ftands, of knowledge call'd,
Forbidden them to tafte. Knowledge forbidden? 515
Sufpicious, reafonlefs. Why fhould their LORD
Envy them that? can it be fin 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 defire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with defign
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt 525`·
Equal with gods: afpiring to be such,
They tafte, and die: what likelier can en fue?
But firft with narrow fearch I muft walk round
This garden, and no corner leave unspy'd;
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet 530
Some wand'ring fp'rits of heav'n, by fountain-fide,
Or in thick fhade retir'd, from him to draw
What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleafures, for long woes are to fucceed.
So faying, his proud step he scornful turn'd, But with fly circumfpection, and began.
Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his
Mean-while in utmost longitude, where heaven
With earth and ocean meets, the fetting fun
Slowly defcended, and with bright afpect
Against the eaftern gate of Paradife
Levell'd his ev'ning-rays; it was a rock
Of alabafter, pil'd up to the clouds,
Confpicuous far, winding with one afcent
Acceffible from earth, one entrance high;
The reft was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb.
Betwixt the rocky pillars Gabriel fat,
Chief of th' angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercis'd heroic games
The unarm'd youth of heav'n, but nigh at hand
Celestial armoury, fhields, helms, and fpears,
Hung high, with diamonds flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a fun-beam, swift as a shooting star
In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fir'd,
Imprefs'd the air, and fhews the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in hafte.
Gabriel, to thee thy courfe by lot hath giv'n
Charge and ftrict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach or enter in.
This day at height of noon came to my sphere
A fpirit, zealous, as he feem'd, to know
More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly man,
GOD's lateft image: I defcrib'd his way,
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his airy gait;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks
"Alien from heav'n. with paffions full obfcur'd:
Mine eyes pursu’d him still, but under fhade
Lot fight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd.
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the fun's bright circle where thou fitt'ft,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pafs
The vigilance here plac'd, but fitch as come
Well known from heav'n; and fince meridian hour
No creature thence: if fp'rit of other fort,
So minded, hath o'erleap'd thefe earthy hounds
On purpose, hard thou know'ft it to exclude
Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar.
But if within the circuit of these walks,
In whatsoever fhape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I fhall know.
So promis'd he; and Uriel to his charge
Return'd on that bright beam, whose point now rais'd
Bore him flope downward to the fun now fall'n 591
Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how fwift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this lefs volubile earth,
By fhorter flight to th' eaft. had left him there
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
The clouds that on his weftern throne attend.
Now came ftill ev'ning on, and twilight grey
Had in her fober liv'ry all things clad;
Silence accompanied; for beaft and bird,
They to their graffy couch, these to their nefts
Were flunk; all but the wakeful nightingale ;
She all night long her am'rous defcant fung ;
Silence was pleas'd; now glow'd the firmament
With living fapphirs: Hefperus, that I'd
The ftarry hoft, rode brightest, till the moon
Rifing in cloudy majefty, at length
Ap
Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve. Fair confort, th'hour 610 night, and all things now retir'd to refl,
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