Their language and their ways? They also know,
And reason not contemptibly: with these
Find pastime, and bear rule? thy realm is large. 375
So spake the universal Lord, and feem'd
So ordering: I, 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!
Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,
And these inferior far beneath me set?
Among unequals what society
Can fort, what harmony, or true delight?
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Giv'n and receiv'd: but in disparity,
The one intense, the other still remiss,
Cannot well fuit with either, but foon prove
Tedious alike. Of fellowship I speak
Such as I seek, fit to participate
All rational delight; wherein the brute
Cannot be human confort: 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 395
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 fubtle happiness I fee
Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice
Of thy associates, Adam; and wilt taste
No pleasure, though in pleasure, folitary.
What think'st thou then of me, and this my state?
Seem I to thee sufficiently possest
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 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
Is no deficience found. Not so is Man,
But in degree; the cause of his desire,
By conversation with his like to help,
Or folace his defect. No need that thou
Should'st 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:
In unity defective, which requires
- Collateral love, and dearest amity.
Thou in thy fecresy although alone,
Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not
Social communication: yet, so pleas'd,
Canft raise thy creature, to what height thou wilt 430
Of union or communion, deify'd:
I by converfing cannot these erect
From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I imbolden'd spake, and freedom us'd Permissive, and acceptance found; which gain'd 435 This answer from the gracious voice divine.
Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleas'd;
And find thee knowing, not of beafts 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, e're thou spak'st,
Knew it not good for man to be alone:
And no such company as then thou faw'st
Intended thee; for tryal only brought,
To see how thou could'st judge of fit and meet.
What next I bring shall please thee, be assurd, qm3 Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other felf, di 450 Thy wish, exactly to thy heart's defiteri
He ended, or I heard no more, for now
My earthly by his heav'nly overpower'd
Which it had long stood under, strain'd to the height
In that celestial colloquy fublime,
As with an object that excels the sense,
Dazl'd and spent, funk down, and fought repair dan
Of fleep, which instantly fell on med call'du một n
By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyesbli
Mine eyes he clos'd, but open left the cell 9
Of fancy, my internal fight by which
Abstract as in a trance, methought I faw,
Though fleeping, where I lay, and faw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake I stood.
Who ftooping open'd my left fide, and took
From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,
And life-blood streaming fresh: wide was the wound,
But fuddenly with flesh fill'd up and heal'd.b
The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands:
Under his forming hands a creature grewa06134706
Man-like, but different sex: fo lovely fairnhard qນ 3100
That what feem'd fair in all the world, feem'danowde
Mean, or in her summ'd up, in her contain dівы. Н
And in her looks; which from that time infus duela
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before45
And into all things from her air infpitiofums A
The spirit of love, and amorous delightnow yo
She disappear'd, and left me dark! Iwak'd
To find her, or for ever to deploresbainavity
Her lofs, and other pleasures all abjufdog to 230 1486
When out of hope, behold her! not fapoff's 28
Such as I faw her in my dreamadondig en god
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow, to
To make her amiable: On she camelbunal ni zoor
Led by her heav'nly Maker, though unfeany do 485
And guided by his voice; nor uninform/dicommissa
Of nuptial fanctity, and marriage rites:
Grace was in all her steps, Heav'n in her eye,
In every gesture dignity and love.
I overjoy'd could not forbear aloud.
This turn hath made amends; Thou hast fulfill'd
Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign!
Giver of all things fair! but fairest this
Of all thy gifts, nor enviest. I now fee
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself
Before me: Woman is her name, of Man
Extracted: for this cause he shall forego
Father and mother, and this wife adhere;
And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one foul.
She heard me thus, and tho' divinely brought, 500
Yet innocence, and virgin modesty,
Her virtue, and the confcience of her worth,
That would be woo'd, and not unfought be won,
Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir'd,
The more defirable: or, to say all,
Nature herfelf, though pure of finful thought,
Wrought in her fo, that feeing me, she turn'd;
I follow'd her; she what was honor knew,
And with obfequious majesty approv'd,
My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bow'r
I led her blushing like the morn: all Heav'n,
And happy conftellations, on that hours
Shed their selectest influence: the eartffwo
Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill:
Joyous the birds; fresh gales, and gentle airs
Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings
Flung rofe, flung odors from the spicy shrub,
Disporting! till the amorous bird of night
Sung spoufal, and bid haste the evening star
On this hill-top, to light the bridal lamp.
Thus have I told thee all my ftate, and brought
My story to the fum of earthly blifs,
Which I enjoy; and must confess to find
In all things elfe delight indeed, but fuch
As us'd or not, works in the mind no change,
Nor vehement defire; these delicacies
I mean of taste, fight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flow'rs,
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 unmov'd; here only weak,
Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance.
Or Nature fail'd in me, and left fome 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 th' 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 giv'n
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 wifest, virtuousest, difcretest, best:
All higher knowledge in her prefence falls
Degraded; wisdom in discourse with her
Loses discountenanc'd, and like folly shews:
Authority and reason on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occafionally: and, to confummate all,
Greatness of mind, and nobleness, their feat
Build in her loveliest, and create an awe
About her, as a guard Angelic plac'd.
To whom the Angel with contracted brow.
Accuse not Nature, she hath done her part;
Do thou but thine, and be not diffident
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