Said mildly. Author of all this thou seest
Above, or round about thee, or beneath.
This Paradise I give thee; count it thine
To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat.
Of every tree that in the garden grows
Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth.
But of the tree, whose operation brings
Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set
The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith,
Amid the garden by the Tree of Life-
Remember what I warn thee-shun to taste,
And shun the bitter consequence; for know,
The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command
Transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die,

From that day mortal, and this happy state
Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world
Of woe and sorrow. Sternly He pronounced
The rigid interdiction, which resounds.
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice
Not to incur; but soon his clear aspéct
Returned, and gracious purpose thus renewed:
Not only these fair bounds, but all the earth
To thee and to thy race I give; as lords
Possess it, and all things that therein live,
Or live in sea, or air; beast, fish, and fowl.
In sign whereof, each bird and beast behold
After their kinds, I bring them to receive
From thee their names, and pay thee fealty
With low subjection. Understand the same
Of fish within her watery residence,

Not hither summoned, since they cannot change
Their element to draw the thinner air.

As thus He spake, each bird and beast behold,
Approaching two and two; these cowering low
With blandishment, each bird stooped on his wing.
I named them as they passed, and understood

Their nature; with such knowledge God endued
My sudden apprehension. But in these

I found not what me thought I wanted still;
And to the heavenly vision thus presumed:

Oh, by what name, for Thou above all these,
Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher,
Surpassest far my naming; how may I

Adore thee, Author of this universe,

And all this good to man? for whose well-being

So amply, and with hands so liberal,

Thou hast provided all things. But with me
I see not who partakes. In solitude
What happiness? Who can enjoy alone,
Or, all enjoying, what contentment find?
Thus I, presumptuous; and the Vision bright,
As with a smile more brightened, thus replied:
What call'st thou solitude? Is not the Earth
With various living creatures, and the air,
Replenished, and all these at thy command
To come and play before thee?
Their language and their ways?

Know'st thou not

They also know,

And reason not contemptibly; with these
Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.

So spake the Universal Lord, and seemed

So ordering. I, with leave of speech implored,

And humble deprecation, thus replied:

Let not my words offend thee, heavenly Power;

My Maker, be propitious while I speak.

Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,

And these inferior far beneath me set?

Among unequals what society

Can sort, what harmony, or true delight?
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Given and received; but, in disparity,
The one intense, the other still remiss,
Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove

Tedious alike. Of fellowship I speak
Such as I seek, fit to participate
All rational delight, wherein the brute
Cannot be human consort. They rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs Thou hast combined;
Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl,
So well converse, nor with the ox the ape;
Worse, then, can man with beast, and least of all.
Whereto the Almighty answered, not displeased.
A nice and subtle happiness, I see

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice

Of thy associates, Adam, and wilt taste

No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

What think'st thou, then, of me, and this my state?
Seem I to thee sufficiently possessed

Of happiness, or not, who am alone
From all eternity? for none I know
Second to me, or like, equal much less.

How have I, then, with whom to hold converse,
Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite descents

Beneath what other creatures are to thee?

He ceased; I lowly answered: To attain The height and depth of thy eternal ways All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things! Thou in Thyself art perfect, and in Thee Is no deficience found: not so is Man, But in degree, the cause of his desire,

By conversation with his like, to help

Or solace his defects. No need that Thou
Shouldst propagate, already infinite,

And through all numbers absolute, though one.
But man by number is to manifest
His single imperfection, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiplied,

In unity defective; which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.

Thou in thy secrecy, although alone,
Best with Thyself accompanied, seek'st not
Social communication; yet, so pleased,

Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt
Of union or communion, deified:

I, by conversing, cannot these erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I, emboldened, spake, and freedom used
Permissive, and acceptance found; which gained
This answer from the gracious Voice divine:

Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased;
And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone,
Which thou hast rightly named, but of thyself;
Expressing well the spirit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute;
Whose fellowship, therefore, unmeet for thee,
Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike,
And be so minded still. I, ere thou spakest,
Knew it not good for man to be alone;
And no such company as then thou saw'st
Intended thee; for trial only brought,

To see how thou couldst judge of fit and meet.
What next I bring shall please thee, be assured,
Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.

He ended, or I heard no more; for now

My earthly by his heavenly overpowered,

Which it had long stood under, strained to the height In that celestial colloquy sublime,

As with an object that excels the sense,

Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair

Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called

By nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.

Mine eyes He closed, but open left the cell