Altera adhuc Series, umbræ imminet altior umbra,
Silvarumque viret variarum infigne Theatrum.
Has fuper hortorum latè viridantia cœlo
Monia fe attollunt, unde afpectanda patebant
Omnia primævo circumfita regna Parenti.
At murum exfuperans felicius exftitit Agmen
Arboreum, varios indutum fuave colores,
Et pomis fœcundum ardentibus; aurea ramis
Pomaque & admifti flores rutilantibus hærent;
Quêis Sol lætior arridet, quàm vefpere pulchram
Cum nubem intrârit, pluviumve ornaverit arcum:
Tantum verficolor jactabat Scena decorem!
Afpirat jam pura magis magis aura, recentes
Delicias latè fpargens ac gaudia verna,
Gaudia, quæ cunctas poffint depellere curas,
Ni pectus Spes blanda reliquerit. Almus amico
Flamine concuffis Zephyrus fragrantibus alis
Balfamaque ambrofia effundit, narratque fufurris
Shade above Shade, a woody Theatre
Of statelieft view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up-fprung:
Which to our general Sire gave profpect large
Into this nether Empire, neighb'ring round.
And higher than that Wall a circling row
Of goodlieft Trees, loaden with fairest Fruit,
Bloffoms and Fruits at once of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colours mix'd:
On which the Sun more glad imprefs'd his beams,
Than on fair Evening Cloud, or humid Bow,
When God hath show'rd the earth: fo lovely feem'd
That Landskip. And of pure now purer Air
Meets his approach; and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All fadness but Defpair. Now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Blandiloquis, unde arreptos libavit odores.
Haud aliter quam vela mari facientibus alto,
Ut notum liquere Apicem Cui candida nomen
Spes dedit, emiffos Arabum felicibus oris
Eurus odoriferos diffundit thuris honores;
Cunctantur lento faciles in marmore nautæ,
Et dulci Pater Oceanus fpiramine gaudet.
Sic Satanam mulcebat odor, licet Ipfe pararet
Lædere jucundi fragrantia dona receffùs.
Hoc longe diverfum Afmodeus haufit odorem,
Tobia ut fugit fponfam lafcivus amatam,
Miffus in Ægypti fines & triftia vincla.
Jamque rudis clivi Satanas confcenderat arcem
Multa putans, tardoque movens molimine greffus :
Nulla fed ulterius patuit via; limine in ipfo
Tam spiffi inter fe coeuntes agmine denso
Concrevere rubi & nexi per mutua vepres.
Unica Porta fuit, longe contraria, Eoum
Those balmy spoils. As when to them who fail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at Sea North-East winds blow
Sabean Odours from the spicy fhore
Of Arabie the bleft; with fuch delay [League
Well-pleas'd they flack their course, and many a
Chear'd with the grateful smell old Ocean fmiles.
So entertain'd those odorous sweets the Fiend,
Who came their bane; though with them better
Than Afmodeus with the fishy fume, [plea'd
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the Spouse
Of Tobit's Son, and with a vengeance fent
From Media post to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' afcent of that steep favage Hill
Satan had journied on, penfive and flow;
But further way found none; fo thick entwin'd,
As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth
Of fhrubs and tangling bufhes had perplex'd
All path of Man, or Beast, that pass'd that way.
One Gate there only was, and that look'd East
Ad latus; hanc aliâ confpexit parte Latronum
Ut Pater, indignans aditus tentare patentes,
Murorumque fuper montifque cacumina faltu
Se volucri dedit, ac recto pede conftitit intus.
Ut Lupus indomitâ rabie stimulatus edendi,
Obfervans teneras fero quà vefpere claudit
Upilio fecurus oves, falit arduus acri
Impete, caularumque fupervolat irrita septa.
Aut levis ut Prædo, grandem qui Divitis Arcam
Nocte petit, fpernens portarum ferrea claustra
Firmatafque feras, citus emicat, atque feneftram
Involat: haud aliter teterrimus Ille latronum
Profiluit, ftabulifque DEI fefe intulit audax.
Inde fugam rapit, & Vitæ fuper arbore fummâ
Confidens, medio hortorum quæ maxima, formâ
Hydricorax patuit; ftudio hic meditatur atroci
Humano mortem generi; nec dona moratur
Vitalis plantæ, nec vim; faftigia tantùm
On th' other fide: which when th' Arch-felon faw,
Due entrance he disdain'd; and in contempt
At one flight bound high over-leap'd all Bound
Of Hill, or highest Wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling Wolf,
Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for prey,
Watching where Shepherds pen their Flocks at eve
In hurdled Cotes, amid the field fecure,
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the Fold:
Or as a Thief, bent to un-hoard the cafh
Of fome.rich Burgher, whofe fubftantial doors,
Cross-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no assault;
In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles;
So clomb this firft Grand Thief into Go D's Fold;
(So fince into his Church lewd Hirelings climb.)
Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life,
(The middle Tree, and highest there that grew)
Sat like a Cormorant; yet not true Life
Thereby regain'd, but fat devifing Death
To them who liv'd: nor on the virtue thought
Expetit, unde acies per inane licentius erret.
Nempe Boni pretium rectè DEUS æftimat unus:
Ignorant Alii, indignis aut ufibus aptant.
Inde oculis Satanas errantibus obvia luftrat,
Attonitos quæcunque movent dulcedine fenfus,
Divitias Naturæ omnes in limite claufas
Augufto, & cœlum in terris miratus inhæret.
Quippe DEI ipfius felicem confpicit Hortum:
Maximus hunc Pater Edeni fundarat Eois
Limitibus; regio fe longa trahebat ad Ortum,
A Carris ufque ad turres quas ardua in astra
Evexit generofa Seleucia, gloria Regum
Graiorum; aut Talatha aerias qua fuftulit arces,
Edeno genitis longum ante habitata colonis.
Hâc pulchrâ tellure DEI ftat pulchrior Hortus.
Fœcundæ gremio Omnipotens emergere terræ
Fecerat arborei generis quodcunque palatum
Deliciis caperet, narefve oculofve teneret.
Of that life-giving Plant; but only us'd
For profpect, what well-us'd had been the pledge
Of immortality. (So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him; but perverts best things
To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.)
Beneath him with new wonder now he views,
To all delight of human Senfe expos'd
A Heav'n on Earth: for blifsful Paradise
Of God the Garden was, by him in th' Eaft
Of Eden planted. Eden stretch'd her Line
From Auran Eastward to the Royal Tow'rs
Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings;
Or where the Sons of Eden long before
Dwelt in claffar. In this pleasant foil
His far more pleasant Garden GOD ordain'd.
In narrow room, Nature's whole wealth, yea Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow
All Trees of noblest kind, for fight, smell, taste;
At procul in medio Vitæ fpectabilis Arbos
Exftitit, ipfa aliis felicior omnibus una,
Floribus ambrofiis & vivo fertilis auro.
Proxima letifero fublimis vertice Planta
Confurgit, cui poma Bonum dant fcire, Malumque:
Eheu triste Bonum & magno nimis empta Voluptas!
Edeni in campis Fluvius tendebat ad auftros.
Ingens; hirfutique undas fub concava montis
Rectus agens, ibat fallenti conditus alveo :
Montis enim lætum DEUS amni injecerat uber,
Unde recens venis terræ fitientibus hauftus
Fons hortis falit irriguis, multoque meatu
Hinc atque hinc placidarum erumpit rivus aquarum.
Tum per præcipitem clivum fimul agmine facto
Subjectum in Fluvium rapido sese impete volvunt,
Tramite qui tandem tenebrofo emergit ad auras,
Divifas fcindens in flumina quatuor undas,
Quæ latè diverfa locis & gentibus errant.
And all amid them ftood the Tree of Life,
High eminent, blooming Ambrofial Fruit
Of vegetable Gold: and next to Life,
Our Death, the Tree of Knowledge, grew faft by;
Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing Ill!
Southward through Eden went a River large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the fhaggy hill
Pafs'd underneath ingulf'd; for GOD had thrown
That Mountain as His Garden mold, high rais'd
Upon the rapid current, which through veins.
Of porous Earth with kindly thirft up drawn
Rofe a fresh Fountain, and with many a rill
Water'd the Garden; thence united fell
Down the steep glade, and met the nether Floud,
Which from his darkfome paffage now appears:
And now divided into four main Streams,
Runs diverse, wandring many a famous Realm
And Country, whereof here needs no account;
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