Disporting, till the amorous bird of night Sung spousal, and bid haste the evening star On his hill top, to light the bridal lamp.
Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought My story to the sum of earthly bliss, Which I enjoy; and must confess to find
In all things else delight indeed, but such As, used or not, works in the mind no change,
Nor vehement desire; these delicacies
I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, Walks, and the melody of birds: but here Far otherwise, transported I behold, Transported touch; here passion first I felt, Commotion strange! in all enjoyments else Superior and unmoved; here only weak Against the charm of Beauty's powerful glance. Or Nature fail'd in me, and left some part Not proof enough such object to sustain ; Or, from my side subducting, took perhaps More than enough; at least on her bestow'd Too much of ornament, in outward show Elaborate, of inward less exact. For well I understand in the prime end Of Nature her the inferior, in the mind And inward faculties, which most excel; In outward also her resembling less
His image who made both, and less expressing The character of that dominion given O'er other creatures: Yet when I approach Her loveliness, so absolute she seems And in herself complete, so well to know Her own, that what she wills to do or say Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best: All higher knowledge in her presence falls Degraded; Wisdom in discourse with her Loses discountenanced, and like folly shows; Authority and Reason on her wait, As one intended first, not after made
Occasionally; and, to consummate all, Greatness of mind and nobleness their seat Build in her loveliest, and create an awe About her, as a guard angelic placed.
To whom the Angel with contracted brow: Accuse not Nature, she hath done her part; Do thou but thine; and be not diffident Of Wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when most thou need'st her nigh, By attributing overmuch to things
Less excellent, as thon thyself perceivest. For, what admirest thou, what transports thee so? An outside? fair, no doubt, and worthy well Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love; Not thy subjection; Weigh with her thyself; Then value: Ofttimes nothing profits more Than self-esteem, grounded on just and right Well managed; of that skill the more thou know'st, The more she will acknowledge thee her head, And to realities yield all her shows:
Made so adorn for thy delight the more,
So awful, that with honour thou mayst love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. But if the sense of touch, whereby mankind Is propagated, seem such dear delight
Beyond all other; think the same vouchsafed To cattle and each beast; which would not be To them made common and divulged, 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; 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 mayst ascend, Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause, Among the beasts no mate for thee was found.
To whom thus, half abash'd, Adam replied: 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
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 Variously representing; yet still free,
Approve the best, and follow what I approve.
To love thou blamest 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 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
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 Hesperian sets, my signal to depart.
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 Would not admit: thine, and of all thy sons, The weal or woe in thee is placed: beware! I in thy persevering shall rejoice,
And all the bless'd: Stand fast; to stand or fall 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, etherial Messenger, Sent from whose sovran 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.
Satan, having compassed the Earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mist, by night into Paradise; 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 awhile 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 used, To sit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repast; permitting him the while
Venial discourse unblamed. 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, 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 pursued Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage Of Turnus for Lavinia disespoused; 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 unimplored,
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