Sed cum desit hyems, nec torrida ferveat æstus, Fructibus autumnus, ver floribus occupat annum. Hic quæ donari mentitur fama Sabæis
Cinnama nascuntur, vivax quæ colligit ales, Natali cum fine perit, nidoque perusta Succedens sibimet quæsita morte resurgit : Nec contenta suo semel ales ordine nasci Longa veternosi renovatur corporis ætas, Incensamque levant exordia crebra senectam. Illic desudans fragrantia balsama ramus Perpetuum proruit pingui de stipite fluxum. Tum si forte levis movit spiramina ventus, Flatibus exiguis, lenique impulsa susurro, Dives sylva tremit foliis, ac flore salubri, Qui sparsas late suaves dispensat odores. Hic fons perspicuo resplendens gurgite surgit. Talis in argento non fulget gratia, tantam Nec crystalla trahunt nitido de frigore lucem. Margine riparum virides micuere lapilli, Et quas miratur mundi jactantia gemmas, Illic saxa jacent: varios dant arva colores Et naturali campos diademate pingunt '.
Southward through Eden went a river large, Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill Pass'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown That mountain as his garden mound high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which, through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst 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 darksome passage now appears, And now, divided into four main streams,
ALCM AVITI de Initio mundi, lib. 1, v. 211-257, édit. de Sicmond.
Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account; But rather to tell how, if Art could tell, How from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, With mazy error under pendant shades Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed Flow'rs worthy of Paradise, which not nice Art In beds and curious knots, but nature boon Pour'd forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain, Both where the morning sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs; thus was this place A happy rural seat of various view;
Groves, whose rich trees wept od'rous gums and balm ; Others, whose fruit, burnish'd with golden rind, Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste: Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd, Or palmy hillock; or the flow'ry lap
Of some irriguous valley spread her store, Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose: Another side, umbrageous grots and caves Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; meanwhile murm'ring waters fall Down the slope hills, dispers'd, or in a lake, That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams. The birds their choir apply: airs, vernal airs, Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune The trembling leaves, while universal Pan, Knit with the Graces and the Hours in dance, Led on th' eternal Spring. Not that fair field Of Enna, where Proserpine, gathering flowers, Herself a fairer flow'r, by gloomy Dis Was gather'd, which cost Ceres all that pain
To seek her through the world; nor that sweet grove Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' inspir'd Castalian spring, might with this Paradise Of Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle
Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham, Whom gentiles Ammon call and Lybian Jove, Hid Amalthea and her florid son
Young Bacchus, from his stepdame Rhea's eye; Nor where Abassin kings their issue guard, Mount Amara, though this by some suppos'd True Paradise under the Ethiop line
By Nilus' head, inclos'd with shining rock, A whole day's journey high, but wide remote From this Assyrian garden, where the fiend Saw undelighted all delight, all kind
Of living creatures, new to sight and strange '.
Satan, à l'aspect du bonheur de l'homme, s'indigne et jure de l'entraîner dans sa chute :
Vidit ut iste novos homines in sede quieta Ducere felicem nullo discrimine vitam, Lege sub accepta Domini famularier orbis, Subjectisque frui placida inter gaudia rebus, Commovit subitum zeli scintilla vaporem Excrevitque calens in sæva incendia livor; Vicinus tunc forte fuit, quo concidit alto, Lapsus, et innexam traxit per prona catervam.
Hoc recolens, casumque premens in corde recentem ;
Plus doluit periisse sibi quod possidet alter.
Tum mixtus cum felle pudor sic pectore questus
Explicat, et tali suspiria voce relaxat :
Proh dolor, hoc nobis subitum consurgere plasma, Invisumque genus nostra crevisse ruina!
Me celsum virtus habuit, nunc ecce rejectus Pellor, et angelico limus succedit honori.
1 Paradise lost, liv. 4, v. 223-287.
Cœlum terra tenet, vili compage levata
Regnat humus, nobisque perit translata potestas. Non tamen in totum periit: pars magna retentat Vim propriam, summaque cluit virtute nocendi. Nec differre juvat. Jam nunc certamine blando Congrediar, dum prima salus, experta nec ullos Simplicitas ignara dolos, ad tela patebit. Et melius soli capientur fraude, priusquam Fœcundam mittant æterna in sæcula prolem. Immortale nihil terra prodire sinendum est; Fons generis pereat, capitis dejectio victi Semen erit mortis. Pariat discrimina lethi Vitæ principium : cuncti feriantur in uno : Non faciet vivum radix occisa cacumen.
Hæc mihi dejecto tandem solatia restant.
nequeo clausos iterum conscendere cœlos,
His quoque claudentur. Levius cecidisse putandum est Si nova perdatur simili substantia casu,
Si comes excidii subeat consortia pœnæ,
Et quos prævideo nobiscum dividat ignes '.
O hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold! Into our room of bliss thus high advanc'd Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps, Not spirits, yet to heav'nly spirits bright Little inferior; whom my thoughts pursue With wonder, and could love, so lively shines
In them divine resemblance, and such grace
The hand that form'd them on their shape hath pour'd.
Ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh
Your change approaches, when all these delights
Will vanish, and deliver ye to woe;
More woe, the more your taste is now of joy :
Happy, but for so happy ill secur'd
Long to continue, and this high seat your heav'ır Ill fenc'd for heav'n, to keep out such a foe As now is enter'd; yet no purpos'd foe To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn, Though I unpitied : league with you I seek, 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 he gave it me Accep, your Maker's work;
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 loath 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 public reason just,
Honor and empire with revenge inlarg'd,
By conq'ring this new world, compels me now
To do what else, though damn'd, I should abhor '.
Ille ubi convictum claro se lumine vidit, Prodidit et totum discussio justa reatum, Non prece sammissa veniam pro crimine poscit, Non votis lacrymisve rogat, nec vindice fletu Præcurrit meritam supplex confessio pœnam ; Jamque miser factus, nondum miserabilis ille est. Erigitur sensu, tumidisque accensa querelis Fertur in insanas laxata superbia voces : Heu male perdendo mulier conjuncta marito ! Quam sociam misero prima sub lege dedisti, Hæc me consiliis vicit devicta sinistris,
Paradise lost, liv. 4, v. 358-392.
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