Nor hope to be myself less miserable
By what I seek, but others to make such As I, though thereby worse to me redound: For only in destroying I find ease
To my relentless thoughts; and, him destroy'd, Or won to what may work his utter loss,
For whom all this was made, all this will soon Follow, as to him link'd in weal or woe; In woe then; that destruction wide may range : To me shall be the glory sole among
The infernal Powers, in one day to have marr'd What he, Almighty styl'd, six nights and days Continued making; and who knows how long Before had been contriving? though perhaps Not longer than since I, in one night, freed From servitude inglorious well nigh half The angelic name, and thinner left the throng Of his adorers: He, to be aveng'd, And to repair his numbers thus impair'd, Whether such virtue spent of old now fail'd More Angels to create, if they at least Are his created, or, to spite us more, Determin'd to advance into our room
A creature form'd of earth, and him endow, Exalted from so base original,
With heavenly spoils, our spoils: What he decreed,
He effected; Man he made, and for him built
Magnificent this world, and earth his seat,
Him lord pronounc'd; and, O indignity!
Subjected to his service angel-wings,
And flaming ministers to watch and tend Their earthly charge: Of these the vigilance I dread; and, to elude, thus wrapt in mist Of midnight vapour glide obscure, and pry In every bush and brake, where hap may find The serpent sleeping; in whose mazy folds To hide me, and the dark intent I bring. O foul descent! that I, who erst contended With Gods to sit the highest, am now constrain'd Into a beast; and, mix'd with bestial slime, This essence to incarnate and imbrute, That to the highth of Deity aspir'd!
But what will not ambition and revenge Descend to? Who aspires, must down as low As high he soar'd; obnoxious, first or last, To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long, back on itself recoils:
Let it; I reck not, so it light well aim'd, Since higher I fall short, on him who next Provokes my envy, this new favourite
Of Heaven, this man of clay, son of despite, Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker rais'd From dust: Spite then with spite is best repaid.
So saying, through each thicket dank or dry, Like a black mist low-creeping, he held on His midnight-search, where soonest he might find The serpent; him fast-sleeping soon he found In labyrinth of many a round self-roll'd, His head the midst, well stor'd with subtile wiles Not yet in horrid shade or dismal den,
Nor nocent yet; but, on the grassy herb, Fearless unfear'd he slept: in at his mouth The Devil enter'd; and his brutal sense, In heart or head, possessing, soon inspir'd With act intelligential; but his sleep
Disturb'd not, waiting close the approach of morn. Now, when as sacred light began to dawn
In Eden on the humid flowers, that breath'd Their morning incense, when all things, that breathe, From the Earth's great altar send up silent praise To the Creator, and his nostrils fill
With grateful smell, forth came the human pair, And join'd their vocal worship to the quire Of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake The season, prime for sweetest scents and airs: Then commune, how that day they best may ply Their growing work: for much their work outgrew The hands' dispatch of two gardening so wide, And Eve first to her husband thus began.
Adam, well may we labour still to dress This garden, still to tend plant, herb, and flower, Our pleasant task enjoin'd; but, till more hands Aid us, the work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint; what we by day Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, One night or two with wanton growth derides Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise, Or bear what to my mind first thoughts present: Let us divide our labours; thou, where choice Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind
The woodbine round this arbour, or direct The clasping ivy where to climb; while I, In yonder spring of roses intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redress till noon: For, while so near each other thus all day Our task we choose, what wonder if so near Looks intervene and smiles, or object new Casual discourse draw on; which intermits Our day's work, brought to little, though begun Early, and the hour of supper comes unearn'd? To whom mild answer Adam thus return'd. Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond Compare above all living creatures dear!
Well hast thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd, How we might best fulfil the work which here God hath assign'd us; nor of me shalt pass Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found In woman, than to study household good, And good works in her husband to promote. Yet not so strictly hath our Lord impos'd Labour, as to debar us when we need Refreshment, whether food, or talk between, Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow,
To brute denied, and are of love the food; Love, not the lowest end of human life. For not to irksome toil, but to delight, He made us, and delight to reason join'd.
These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long Assist us: But, if much converse perhaps Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield: For solitude sometimes is best society, And short retirement urges sweet return. But other doubt possesses me, lest harm Befall thee sever'd from me; for thou know'st What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe Envying our happiness, and of his own Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find His wish and best advantage, us asunder; Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each To other speedy aid might lend at need: Whether his first design be to withdraw Our fealty from God, or to disturb Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;
Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side That gave thee being, still shades thee, and protects. The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,
Safest and seemliest by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst endures. To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,
As one who loves, and some unkindness meets, With sweet austere composure thus replied.
Offspring of Heaven and Earth, and all Earth's Lord! That such an enemy we have, who seeks
Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn,
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