Of waters iffu'd from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd
Pure as th' expanse of Heav'n; I thither went...
With unexperienc'd thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me feem'd another fky,
As I bent down to look, just oppofite
A shape within the watry gleam appear'd,
Bending to look on me. I ftarted back,
It started back; but pleas'd I foon return'd; zida ba
Pleas'd it return'd as foon with answering looks wei:
Of fympathy and love: there I had fix'd
OT ISAOS
Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire, Jul
Had not a ota voice thus warn'd me, "What thou feeft,
What at there thou feeft, fair Creature, is thyself;
"Wish thee in same and goes: but follow me,
"And I will bring thee where no fhadow stays 470 "Thy coming, and thy foft embraces, he
Whof ofe i image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy
"Infebarably thine, to him shalt bear
"Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd
"Mother of human race." What could I do, 475 وان
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espy'd thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a plantan, yet methought less fair
Less winning soft, lefs amiably mildst
Than that mooth watry imag back I turn'd;
Thou following cry'dft aloud, dit aloud, Return fair Eve,
of him thou
I lent
bitt and T
Whom fly'st thou whom thon ly
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being
Out of my fide to o thee, nearelt, my
Substantial life, to have thee by my fide
Henceforth, an individual folace dear ort
Part of my foul, feek thee, and thee, claim owoc
My other half!——with that thy gentle hand
Seis'd mine, I yielded, and from that time fee
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair. od T
our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek furrender, half embracing lean'd
On our first father; half her swelling breast
Naked met his under the flowing gold
Both offer beauty and fubmiffive charmsadT
Of her loose treffes hid: he in delight
Smil'd with fuperior love, as Jupiter
On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds 5361
That shed May flow'rs; and press'd her matron lip
With kiffes pure: aside the Devil turn'd
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them afkance, and to himself thus plain'd.
-Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two S56 Imparadis'd in one another's armscorea 20 The happier Eden, han enjoy their fly one d Of bliss on blifs, while to Heller no Where neither joy nor love? But fierce dearest b
Among our other torments not t
Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pihes, adetised aT
Yet let me not forget what have gainda no 219610
From their own mouths; all is not theres it seembow ol
One fatal Tree there stands of knowledge calidis of
Forbidden them to taste. knowledge forbidden it 5152
Suspicious, reasonless why their orde
Envy them that? can it be in towniwnwoh aloud
Can it be death? and do they only Hahow didalis 10
By ignorance? is that their happyугаде, bas Але
The proof of their obedience and their faith?,
O fair foundation laid where Birds
Their ruin! hence I will excite then moedeird os doid W
With more defire to know and to fejeongylhoog T
Envious commands, invented with design 10 की म
To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt sa
Equal with Gods: afpiring to be fuclijedi won doid W
They taste and die: what likelier can ensuesbnow dou
But first with narrow fearch I mufa
This garden, and no corner leave unfoods to nigit 1A
A chance
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet 530
Some wandring Spirit of Heav'n, by fountain side,
Or in thick fhade retir'd', from him to draw
What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to fucceed.
So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd,
But with fly circumspection, and began
Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale his roam.
Mean-while in utmost longitude, where Heav'n
With earth and ocean meets, the fetting fun
Slowly descended, and with right aspect
Against the eastern gate of Paradife
Levell'd his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, pild up to the clouds,
Confpicuous far, winding with one afcent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel fat,
Chief of th' Angelic guards, awaiting night:
About him exercis'd heroic games
Th' unarmed youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand
Celestial armory, shields, helms, and spears,
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the ev'n
On a Sun beam, swift as a shooting star
In Autumn thwarts the night, when vapors fir'd
Impress the air, and shows the mariner
From what point of his Compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.
Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath giv'n
Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach, or enter in.
This day at hight of noon came to my sphere
A spirit, zealous, as he feem'd, to know
More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly man,
God's latest image: I defcrib'd his way
Bent all on speed, and'mark'd his aery gait:
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks
Alien from Heav'n, with passions foul obscur'd:
Mine eye perfued him still, but under shade
Loft fight of him; one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd: Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight, Amid the Sun's bright circle where thou fit'st, See far and wide: in at this gate none pass The vigilance here plac'd, but fuch as come580 Well known from Heav'n; and fince meridian hour No creature thence. If spirit of other fort, So minded, have o'erleap'd these earthy bounds On purpose, hard thou know'st it to exclude Spiritual substance with corporeal bar. But if within the circuit of these walks, In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know.
So promis'd he, and Uriel to his charge _Return'd on that bright beam, whose point now rais'd 590 Bore him flope downward to the Sun, now fall'n Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this less volubil earth
By shorter flight to th' east, had left him there 595
Arraying with reflected purple and gold,
The clouds that on his western throne attend.
Now came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had in her fober livery all things clad;
Silence accompany'd, for beast and bird,
They to their graffy couch, these to their nests
Were flunk; all but the wakeful nightingale:
She all night long her amorous defcant sung;
Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament
With living faphirs: Hesperus, that led
The starry hoft rode brightest, till the moon
Rifing in clouded majesty at lenght,
Apparent Queen, unveil'd her peerless light? aidgin 10
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw; di 10
When Adam thus to Eve. Fair confort, th th hour la
Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft
Mind us of like repose, since God hath fee ni zwait 51
Labor and rest, as day and night to men
Ini adgir a mod
Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleepi
Now falling with foft flumbrous weight, inclines 81
Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle, unemploy'd, and less need reft:
Man hath his daily work of body, or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways:
While other animals unactive tive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
Tomorrow, e're fresh morning ftreak the east
With first approach of the we mu
And at our preafant labor, to reform
Yon flow'ry arbors, yonder alleys
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown;
That mock our scant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth."
Those bloffoms alfo, and those dropping gums,
That lie bestrown unfightly and unfmooth,
riddance, if we mean to tread with ease:
Mean while as natur
as nature wills, night bids us reft. To whom tffus Eve with perfect beauty adorn'd:
My author and difpofer, what thou bidst
Unargu'd I obey; fo God ordains;
God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praife.
With thee converfing I forget all time;
All seasons and their change, all please alike.
is the breath breath of mo morn, her rifing sweet, With charm of earliest birds: pleasant the Sun, When fielt on this delightful land he spreads
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