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
Transgress'd, inevitably thou shalt die,
From that day mortal, and this happy state
Shalt lose, expell'd from hence into a world
Of woe and sorrow.' Sternly he pronounc'd
The rigid interdiction, which resounds
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice
Not to incur; but soon his clear aspect
Return'd, and gracious purpose thus renew'd.
'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 feälty
With low subjection; understand the same
Of fish within their wat❜ry residence,

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Not hither summon'd, 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 cow'ring low
With blandishment; each bird stoop'd on his wing.
I nam'd them, as they pass'd, and understood
Their nature, with such knowledge God endued
My sudden apprehension: but in these

I found not what methought I wanted still;
And to the heav'nly vision thus presum'd.

"O, by what name, for thou above all these, Above mankind, or ought than mankind higher,

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Surpassest far my naming; how may I

Adore thee, Author of this universe,

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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 brighten'd, thus reply'd.
"What call'st thou solitude? is not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command

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To come and play before thee? know'st thou not
Their language and their ways? they also know,
And reason not contemptibly; with these

Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.'
So spake the universal Lord, and seem'd

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So ordering. 1, with leave of speech implor'd,

And humble deprecation, thus reply'd.

"Let not my words offend thee, heav'nly Pow'r,

My Maker, be propitious while I speak.

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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
Giv'n and receiv'd; but in disparity

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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

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Cannot be human consort; they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;

So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin'd ;

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 th' Almighty answer'd, not displeas'd.
'A nice and subtle happiness, I see,

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice

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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 possess'd

Of happiness, or not? who am alone

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From all eternity, for none I know

Second to me or like, equal much less..

Who have I then with whom to hold converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite descents

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Beneath what other creatures are to thee?"

"He ceas'd; I lowly answer'd.

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

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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 multiply'd,

Vor. 1.

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In unity defective, which requires

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Collateral love, and dearest amity.

Thou in thy secrecy although alone,
Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not
Social communication; yet so pleas'd,

Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt of union or communiou, deify'd;

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I, by conversing cannot these erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.'
Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom us'd
Permissive, and acceptance found; which gain'd
This answer from the gracious voice divine.

"Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleas'd,
And find thee knowing not of heasts alone,
Which thou hast rightly nam'd, 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 spak'st,
Knew it not good for man to be alone;
And no such company as then thou saw'st
Intended thee; for trial only brought,

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To see how thou couldst judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring shall please thee, be assur'd,

Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

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Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.'

"He ended, or I heard no more; for now

My earthly by his heavenly overpower'd,

Which it had long stood under, strain'd to th' height
In that celestial colloquy sublime,

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As with an object that excels the sense

Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair

call'd

Of sleep, which instantly fell on me,
By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes.
Mine eyes he clos'd, but open left the cell
Of fancy, my internal sight; by which
Abstract as in a trance, methought I saw,
Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake 1 stood;

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Who stooping open'd my left side, and took
From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,

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And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,

But suddenly with flesh fill'd up and heal'd:

The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands;

Under his forming hands a creature grew,

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Manlike, but different sex; so lovely fair,

That what seem'd fair in all the world, seem'd now
Mean, or in her summ'd up, in her contain❜d,

And in her looks; which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

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And into all things from her air inspir'd
The spirit of love and amorous delight.

She disappear'd, and left me dark; I wak'd
To find her, or for ever to deplore

Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure:

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When out of hope, behold her, not far off,

Such as I saw her in my dream, adorn'd
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable: on she came,
Led by her heav'nly Maker, though unseen,
And guided by his voice; nor uninform'd
Of nuptial sanctity, and marriage rites :

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Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her eye,

In every gesture, dignity and love.

1, overjoy'd, could not forbear aloud.

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