437
His bounty, following our delightful task,
438
To prune these growing plants, and tend these flow’rs,
439
Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.
440
To whom thus Eve replied: “O thou for whom
441
And from whom I was formed, flesh of thy flesh,
442
And without whom am to no end,3000 my guide
443
And head! What thou hast said is just and right.
444
For we to Him indeed all praises owe,
445
And daily thanks—I chiefly, who enjoy
446
So far the happier lot, enjoying thee
447
Pre-eminent by so much odds,3001 while thou
448
Like3002 consort 3003 to thyself canst nowhere find.
449
That day I oft remember, when from sleep
450
I first awaked, and found myself reposed
451
Under a shade 3004 on flow’rs, much wond’ring where
452
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
453
Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
454
Of waters issued from a cave, and spread
455
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved,3005
456
Pure as th’ expanse of Heav’n. I thither 3006 went
457
With unexperienced 3007 thought, and laid me down
458
On the green bank, to look into the clear
459
Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky.
460
As I bent down to look, just opposite
461
A shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared,
462
Bending to look on me. I started back—
463
It started back—but pleased I soon returned,
464
Pleased it returned as soon, with answering looks
465
Of sympathy and love. There I had fixed
466
Mine eyes till now, and pined 3008 with vain desire,
467
Had not a voice thus warned me: ‘What thou see’st,
468
What there thou see’st, fair creature, is thyself.
469
With thee it came and goes. But follow me
470
And I will bring thee where no shadow stays3009
471
Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
472
Whose image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy
473
Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
474
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called
475
Mother of human race. ’What could I do,
476
But follow straight,3010 invisibly thus led?
477
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall,
478
Under a platane, 3011 yet methought less fair,
479
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
480
Than that smooth wat’ry image. Back I turned.
481
Thou following cried’st aloud, ‘Return, fair Eve.
482
Whom fly’st 3012 thou? Whom thou fly’st, of him thou art,
483
His flesh, his bone. To give thee being I lent
484
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart,
485
Substantial 3013 life, to3014 have thee by my side
486
Henceforth an individual3015 solace 3016 dear.
487
Part of my soul, I seek thee! and thee claim3017
488
My other half. ’With that thy gentle hand
489
490
How beauty is excelled by manly grace,
491
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
492
So spoke our general 3018 mother, and with eyes
493
Of conjugal attraction unreproved,
494
And meek surrender, half-embracing leaned
495
On our first father. Half her swelling breast
496
Naked met his, under the flowing gold
497
Of her loose tresses hid. He in delight
498
Both of her beauty and submissive charms,
499
Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter
500
On Juno smiles, when he impregns 3019 the clouds
501
That shed May flowers, and pressed her matron lip
502
With kisses pure. Aside the Devil turned
503
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
504
Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained:3020
505
“Sight hateful, sight tormenting! Thus these two,
506
Imparadised in one another’s arms,
507
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
508
Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust,
509
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
510
Among our other torments not the least,
511
Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines.3021
512
Yet let me not forget what I have gained
513
From their own mouths. All is not theirs, it seems.
514
One fatal tree there stands, of knowledge called,
515
Forbidden them to taste. Knowledge forbidden?
516
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord
517
Envy them that? Can it be sin to know?
518
Can it be death? And do they only stand 3022
519
By ignorance? Is that their happy state,
520
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
521
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
522
Their ruin! Hence I will excite3023 their minds
523
With more desire to know, and to reject
524
Envious commands, invented with design
525
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt
526
Equal with gods. Aspiring to be such,
527
They taste and die. What likelier can ensue?
528
But first with narrow 3024 search I must walk round
529
This garden, and no corner leave unspied.
530
A chance (but chance)3025 may lead where I may meet
531
Some wand’ring Spirit of Heav’n by fountain side,
532
Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
533
What further would be learned. Live while ye may,
534
Yet happy pair—enjoy, till I return,
535
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed!”3026
536
So saying, his proud step he scornful turned,
537
But with sly circumspection,3027 and began
538
Through wood, through waste, 3028 o’er hill, o’er dale, his roam.3029
539
Meanwhile in utmost longitude, 3
030 where Heav’n
540
With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun
541
Slowly descended, and with right aspect 3031
542
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
543
Leveled his evening rays. It was a rock
544
Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
545
Conspicuous3032 far, winding with one ascent
546
Accessible from earth, one entrance high.
547
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
548
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
549
Betwixt these rocky pillars, Gabriel sat,
550
Chief of the Angelic guards, awaiting night.
551
About him exercised 3033 heroic games
552
Th’ unarmed youth of Heav’n, but nigh3034 at hand
553
Celestial armory—shields, helms, and spears,
554
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
555
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the ev’n3035
556
On a sun-beam, swift as a shooting star
557
In autumn thwarts3036 s fired 3037
558
Impress3038 the air) and shows the mariner
559
From what point of his compass to beware
560
Impetuous3039 winds. He thus began in haste:
561
“Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot 3040 hath given
562
Charge3041 and strict watch, that to this happy place
563
No evil thing approach or enter in.
564
This day at height of noon came to my sphere
565
A Spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know
566
More of the Almighty’s works, and chiefly man,
567
God’s latest image. I described 3042 his way
568
Bent all on speed, and marked 3043 his airy gait,3044
569
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
570
Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks
571
Alien3045 from Heav’n, with passions foul obscured.3046
572
Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
573
Lost sight of him. One of the banished crew,
574
I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise 3047
575
New troubles. Him thy care must be to find.
576
To whom the wingèd warrior thus returned:
577
“Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
578
Amid the sun’s bright circle where thou sit’st,
579
See far and wide. In at this gate none pass
580
The vigilance3048 here placed, but such as come
581
Well known from Heav’n. And since meridian hour 3049
582
No creature thence. If Spirit of other sort,
583
So minded,3050 have o’er-leaped these earthly bounds
584
On purpose, hard thou know’st it to exclude
585
Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.
586
But if within the circuit of these walks,
587
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
588
Thou tell’st, by morrow dawning I shall know.
589
So promised he, and Uriel to his charge3051
590
Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised
591
Bore him slope downward to the sun now fall’n
592
Beneath the Azores, whither the prime orb,
593
Incredible how swift, had thither rolled
594
Diurnal,3052 or 3053 this less voluble3054 earth,
595
By shorter flight to the east, had left him there,
596
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
597
The clouds that on his western throne attend.
598
Now came still 3055 ev’ning on, and twilight gray
599
Had in her sober livery3056 all things clad.3057
600
Silence accompanied, for beast and bird,
601
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
602
Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale:
603
She all night long her amorous descant 3058 sung.
604
Silence was pleased. Now glowed the firmament
605
With living sapphires. Hesperus,3059 that led
606
The starry host, rode brightest, till the moon,
607
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
608
(Apparent 3060 queen) unveiled her peerless light,
609
And o’er the dark her silver mantle threw.
610
When Adam thus to Eve: “Fair consort, th’ hour
611
Of night, and all things now retired to rest,
612
Mind 3061 us of like3062 repose, since God hath set
613
Labor and rest, as day and night, to men
614
Successive, 3063 and the timely dew of sleep,
615
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines3064
616
Our eye-lids. Other creatures all day long
617
Rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest;
618
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
619
Appointed, which declares3065 his dignity,
620
And the regard 3066 of Heav’n on all his ways,
621
While other animals unactive range, 3067
622
And of their doings God takes no account.
623
To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east
624
With first approach of light, we must be ris’n,
625
And at our pleasant labor, to reform3068
626
Yon flow’ry arbors, yonder alleys3069 green,
627
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
628
That mock our scant manuring, 3070 and require
629
More hands than ours to lop their wanton3071 growth.
630
Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,
631
That lie bestrewn, unsightly and unsmooth,
632
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease.
633
Meanwhile, as Nature wills, night bids us rest.
634
To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorned:
635
“My author and disposer, what thou bid’st
636
Unargued I obey. So God ordains:
637
God is thy law, thou mine. To know no more
638
Is woman’s happiest knowledge, and her praise.
639
With thee conversing I forget all time;
640
All seasons, and their change, all please alike.
641
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
642
With charm 3072 o
f earliest birds. Pleasant the sun,
643
When first on this delightful land he spreads
644
His orient 3073 beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow’r,
645
Glistering with dew. Fragrant the fertile earth