Imatges de pàgina
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By conquering this new world, compels me now To do, what else, though damn'd, I should abhor So spake the fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant's plea, excused his devilish deeds. Then from his lofty stand on that high tree Down he alights among the sportful herd Of those four-footed kinds, himself now one, Now other, as their shape served best his end Nearer to view his prey, and unespied To mark what of their state he more might learn By word or action mark'd: about them round A lion now he stalks with fiery glare, Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play, Straight couches close, then rising changes, oft His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground, Whence rushing he might surest seize them both Griped in each paw: when Adam, first of men, To first of women Eve thus moving speech, Turn'd him all ear to hear new utterance flow: Sole partner and sole part of all these joys, Dearer thyself than all, needs must the Power

That made us,

Be infinitely good, and of his good
As liberal and free as infinite,

and for us this ample world,

That raised us from the dust and placed us here
In all this happiness, who at his hand

Aught whereof he hath need, he who requires
From us no other service than to keep

This

In Paradise that bear delicious fruit
So various, not to taste that only tree
Of knowledge, planted by the tree of life;

s one, this easy charge, of all the trees

So near grows death to life; whate'er death is,
Some dreadful thing no doubt; for well thou know'st
God hath pronounced it death to taste that tree,
The only sign of our obedience left

Among

so many signs of power and rule

Conferr'd upon us, and dominion given
Over all other creatures that possess

Earth, air, and sea. Then let us not think hard

One easy prohibition, who enjoy

Free leave so large to all things else, and choice
Unlimited of manifold delights:

But let us ever praise him and extol

His bounty, following our delightful task

Το

prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet:

To whom thus Eve replied: O thou, for whom
And from whom I was form'd flesh of thy flesh,
And without whom am to no end, my guide

On our first father; half her swelling breast
́Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he, in delight
Both of her beauty and submissive charms,
Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds
That shed May flowers, and press'd her matron lip
With kisses pure: aside the devil turn'd

For envy, yet with jealous leer malign

Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plain'd:
Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two
Imparadised in one another's arms,

The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss, while I to hell am thrust,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
Among our other torments not the least,
Still unfulfill'd with pain of longing pines.
Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd

From their own mouths: all is not theirs, it seems;
One fatal tree there stands of knowledge call'd
Forbidden them to taste: knowledge forbidden?
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord
Envy them that? Can it be sin to know?
Can it be death? And do they only stand
By ignorance? Is that their happy state,
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
Their ruin! Hence I will excite their minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with design
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt
Equal with gods; aspiring to be such,

They taste and die: what likelier can ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk round
This garden, and no corner leave unspied;

A chance but chance may lead where I may meet
Some wandering spirit of heaven, by fountain side,
Or in thick shade retired, 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 succeed.

So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd,

But with sly circumspection, and began

Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam.

Meanwhile, in utmost longitude, where heaven

With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun

Slowly descended, and with right aspect

Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Levell❜d his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;

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The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat,
Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercised heroic games

The unarmed youth of heaven; but nigh at hand
Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears,
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star

In autumn 'thwart the night, when vapours fired
Impress the air, and show 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 given
Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach or enter in :

This day at height of noon came to my sphere
A spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know
More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly man,
God's latest image: I described his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aëry gait;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, soon discern'd his looks
Alien from heaven, with passions foul obscured:
Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
Lost sight of him; one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventured from the deep to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.

To whom the winged warrior thus returned:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
Amid the sun's bright circle where thou sitt'st,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here placed, but such as come
Well known from heaven; and since meridian hour
No creature thence. If spirit of other sort,

So minded, have o'erleap'd these earthly 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 promised he, and Uriel to his charge

Return'd on that bright beam, whose point now raised
Bore him slope downward to the sun, now fallen
Beneath the Azores; whither the prime orb,

Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal, or this less voluble earth,

By shorter flight to the east, had left him there,
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 sober livery all things clad;
Silence accompanied; for beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests,
Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale ;
She all night long her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleased: now glow'd the firmament
With living sapphires; Hesperus that led
The starry host rode brightest, till the moon,
Rising in clouded majesty, at length

Apparent queen unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her silver mantle threv:.
When Adam thus to Eve: Fair consort, the hour
Of night and all things now retired to rest
Mind us of like repose, since God hath set
Labour and rest, as day and night, to men
Successive, and the timely dew of sleep
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines
Our eyelids: other creatures all day long
Rove idle, unemploy'd, and less need rest :
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heaven on all his ways;
While other animals inactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east
With first approach of light, we must be risen,
And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Yon flowery arbours, yonder alleys green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our scant manuring, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth;
Those blossoms also and those dropping gums,
That lie bestrown unsightly and unsmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease:
Meanwhile, as nature wills, night bids us rest

To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty 'dorn'd: My author and disposer, what thou bidd'st Unargued I obey, so God ordains;

God is thy law, thou mine; to know no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee conversing I forget all time,

All seasons and their change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun,
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flower,
Glistering with dew; fragrant the fertile earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful evening mild; then silent night,
With this her solemn bird and this fair moon,
And these the gems of heaven, her starry train:
But neither breath of morn, when she ascends

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