To them made common and divulg'd, if aught
Therein enjoy'd were worthy to subdue
The soul of man, or passion in him move.
What higher in her society thou find'st
Attractive, human, rational, love still:

585

In loving thou dost well, in passion not,
Wherein true love consists not: love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his seat
In reason, and is judicious; is the scale

By which to heavenly love thou may'st ascend,
Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause
Among the beasts no mate for thee was found.

591

595

600

To whom thus half abash'd Adam reply'd. Neither her outside form'd so fair, nor aught In procreation common to all kinds (Though higher of the genial bed by far, And with mysterious reverence I deem,) So much delights me, as those graceful acts, Those thousand decencies that daily flow From all her words and actions, mix'd with love And sweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd Union of mind, or in us both one soul; Harmony to behold in wedded pair

605

More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear.
Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose
What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd,
Who meet with various objects, from the sense

598 genial bed] Genialis Lectuli.' Arnob. lib. iv. c. 20. Apuleius de Asino. 'Foedus thori genialis. v. Orellium ad Arnob. vol. ii. p. 219.

Variously representing; yet still free

610

Approve the best, and follow what I approve.
To love thou blam'st me not, for love thou say'st
Leads up to heaven, is both the way and guide;
Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask :
Love not the heavenly spirits, and how their love
Express they? by looks only? or do they mix 616
Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch?

To whom the angel with a smile that glow'd Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue,

Answer'd. Let it suffice thee that thou know'st
Us happy, and without love no happiness.
Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st,
And pure thou wert created, we enjoy
In eminence, and obstacle find none

621

625

Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars:
Easier than air with air, if spirits embrace,
Total they mix, union of pure with pure
Desiring; nor restrain'd conveyance need
As flesh to mix with flesh, or soul with soul.
But I can now no more; the parting sun
Beyond the earth's Green Cape and Verdant Isles,
Hesperean sets, my signal to depart.

630

Be strong, live happy, and love, but first of all
Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command; take heed lest passion sway
Thy judgment to do aught, which else free will 636

681 Green Cape] See Lisle's Du Bartas, p. 94.

'Thrusts out the Cape of Fesse, the green Cape and the white.'

Would not admit; thine and of all thy sons
The weal or woe in thee is plac'd; beware.
I in thy persevering shall rejoice,

And all the blest: stand fast; to stand or fall 640
Free in thine own arbitrement it lies;
Perfect within, no outward aid require,
And all temptation to transgress repel.

So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction. Since to part,
Go, heavenly guest, ethereal messenger,
Sent from whose sov'reign goodness I adore.
Gentle to me and affable hath been
Thy condescension, and shall be honour'd ever
With grateful memory: thou to mankind
Be good and friendly still, and oft return.

So parted they, the angel up to heaven From the thick shade, and Adam to his bower.

645

650

637 admit] Used in the Latin sense, as in Ter. Heaut. act v.

·

sc. ii. Quid ego tantum sceleris admisi miser?' Newton.

641 Free] See Dante Il Purgat. c. xxvii. v. 139.

'Non aspettar mio dir più, nè mio cenno.

Libero, dritto, e sano è tuo arbitrio;

E fallo fora non fare a suo senno.'

658 bower] Compare the parting of Jupiter and Thetis in Hom. Il. i. 531.

—ἡ μὲν ἔπειτα

Εις ἅλα άλτο βαθεῖαν ἀπ' αἰγλήεντος Ολύμπου,

Ζεὺς δὲ ἑὸν πρὸς δῶμα.

Todd.

127

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK IX.

THE ARGUMENT.

SATAN having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by night into Paradise, and enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone: Eve loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength: Adam at last yields: the serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding, not till now; the serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden; the serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat: she, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam, or not; at last brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof: Adam at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her, and extenuating the trespass eats also of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both: they seek to cover their nakedness: then fall to variance and accusation of one another.

No more of talk where GOD or angel guest
With man, as with his friend, familiar us'd
To sit indulgent, and with him partake
Rural repast, permitting him the while

Venial discourse unblam'd: I now must change

Those notes to tragic; foul distrust, and breach Disloyal on the part of man, revolt,

And disobedience: on the part of heaven
Now alienated, distance and distaste,

7

Anger, and just rebuke, and judgment given,
That brought into this world a world of woe;
Sin and her shadow death, and misery
Death's harbinger: sad task, yet argument
Not less but more heroic than the wrath
Of stern Achilles on his foe pursu'd
Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage
Of Turnus for Lavinia disespous'd,
Or Neptune's ire or Juno's, that so long
Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's son:
If answerable style I can obtain

Of my celestial patroness, who deigns
Her nightly visitation unimplor'd,

And dictates to me slumb'ring, or inspires

11 world] Atterbury proposed reading

'That brought into this world (a world of woe),'

but such is not Milton's manner.

10

15

20

11 a world of woe] See Davison's Poetical Rhapsody, ii. 178.

ed. 1826.

' a private hell, a very world of woe.'