646
After soft showers, and sweet the coming on
647
Of grateful3074 evening mild, then silent night,
648
With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,
649
And these the gems of Heav’n, her starry train.
650
But neither breath of morn, when she ascends
651
With charm3075 of earliest birds, nor rising sun
652
On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flow’r,
653
Glistering with dew, nor fragrance after showers,
654
Nor grateful ev’ning mild, nor silent night,
655
With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,
656
Or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet.
657
“But wherefore all night long shine these? For whom
658
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?
659
To whom our general 3076 ancestor replied:
660
“Daughter of God and man, accomplished 3077 Eve,
661
These have their course to finish round the earth,
662
By morrow ev’ning, and from land to land
663
In order, though to nations yet unborn.
664
Minist’ring3078 light prepared,3079 they set and rise,
665
Lest total darkness should by night regain
666
Her old possession, and extinguish life
667
In Nature and all things, which these soft fires
668
Not only enlighten,3080 but with kindly3081 heat
669
Of various3082 influence3083 foment3084 and warm,
670
Temper or nourish, or in part shed down
671
Their stellar virtue3085 on all kinds3086 that grow
672
On earth, made hereby apter 3087 to receive
673
Perfection from the sun’s more potent 3088 ray.
674
These then, though unbeheld in deep of night,
675
Shine not in vain, nor think,3089 though men were
676
That Heav’n would want3090 spectators, God want praise.
677
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
678
Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:
679
All these with ceaseless praise His works behold
680
Both day and night. How often from the steep3091
681
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
682
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
683
Sole, or responsive each to others’ note,
684
Singing their great Creator? Oft in bands
685
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,3092
686
With Heav’nly touch of instrumental sounds
687
In full harmonic number 3093 joined, their songs
688
Divide3094 the night, and lift our thoughts to Heav’n.
689
Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed
690
On to their blissful bower. It was a place
691
Chosen by the sov’reign Planter, 3095 when He framed
692
All things to man’s delightful use. The roof
693
Of thickest covert 3096 was inwoven shade,
694
Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew
695
Of firm and fragrant leaf, on either side
696
Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub,
697
Fenced up the verdant wall. Each beauteous flow’r,
Iris all hues, roses, and jessamin,
699
Reared high their flourished 3097 heads between, and wrought 3098
700
Mosaic. Underfoot the violet,
701
Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay
702
Broidered3099 the ground, more colored than with stone
703
Of costliest emblem.3100 Other creature here,
704
Bird, beast, insect, or worm, durst enter none,
705
Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower
706
More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,3101
707
Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor nymph
708
Nor Faunus3102 haunted. Here, in close3103 recess,3104
709
With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs,
710
Espousèd 3105 Eve decked first her nuptial bed,
711
And Heav’nly choirs the hymenaean3106 sung,
712
What day 3107 the genial 3108 Angel to our sire
713
Brought her in naked beauty more adorned,
714
More lovely, than Pandora,3109 whom the gods
715
Endowed with all their gifts, and O! too like
716
In sad event, when to the unwiser son3110
717
Of Japhet 3111 brought by Hermes,3112 she ensnared
718
Mankind with her fair looks, to be3113 avenged
719
On him3114 who had stole Jove’s authentic3115 fire.
720
Thus at their shady lodge 3116 arrived, both stood,
721
Both turned, and under open sky adored3117
722
The God that made both sky, air, earth, and Heav’n,
723
Which they beheld, the moon’s resplendent globe
724
And starry pole: “Thou also mad’st the night,
725
Maker Omnipotent, and Thou the day,
726
Which we, in our appointed work employed,
727
Have finished, happy in our mutual help
728
And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss
729
Ordained by Thee. And this delicious3118 place
730
For us too large, where thy abundance wants3119
731
Partakers, and uncropped 3120 falls to the ground.
732
But thou hast promised from us two a race
733
To fill the earth, who shall with us extol
734
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
735
And when we seek, as now, Thy gift of sleep.
736
This said unanimous, and other rites
737
Observing none, but adoration pure
738
(Which God likes best), into their inmost bow’r
739
Handed 3121 they went and, eased 3122 the putting off
740
These troublesome disguises which we wear,
741
Straight side by side were laid, nor turned, I ween,3123
742
Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
743
Mysterious of connubial love refused,
744
Whatever hypocrites austerely talk
745
Of purity, and place, and innocence,
746
Defaming as impure what God declares
747
Pure, and commands to some, lea
ves free to all.
748
Our Maker bids increase: who bids abstain
749
But our destroyer, foe to God and man?
750
Hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source
751
Of human offspring, sole propriety3124
752
In Paradise of all things common3125 else!
753
By thee adulterous lust was driv’n from men
754
Among the bestial herds to range. 3126 By thee
755
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
756
Relations3127 dear, and all the charities3128
757
Of father, son, and brother, first were known.
758
Far be it, that I should write3129 thee sin or blame,
759
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
760
Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,
761
Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,
762
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.
763
Here love his golden shafts3130 employs, here lights
764
His constant 3131 lamp, and waves his purple wings,
765
Reigns here and revels, not in the bought smile
766
Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared,
767
Casual fruition,3132 nor in court-amours,
768
Mixed dance, or wanton3133 masque, or midnight ball,
769
Or serenade, which the starved lover sings
770
To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain.
771
These, lulled by nightingales, embracing slept,
772
And on their naked limbs the flow’ry roof
773
Show’red roses, which the morn repaired.3134 Sleep on,
774
Blest pair! and O! yet happiest, if ye seek
775
No happier state, and know to know no more!
776
Now had night measured with her shadowy cone3135
777
Halfway up hill this vast sublunar vault,3136
778
And from their ivory port3137 the Cherubim,
779
Forth issuing at the accustomed hour, stood armed
780
To their night watches in warlike parade,
781
When Gabriel to his next in power thus spoke:
782
“Uzziel,3138 half these draw off, and coast the south
783
With strictest watch. These other wheel 3139 the north;
784
Our circuit meets full west.” As3140 flame they part,
785
Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. 3141
786
From these, two strong and subtle Spirits he called
787
That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge:
788
“Ithuriel 3142 and Zephon,3143 with wingèd speed
789
Search through this garden, leave unsearched no nook,
790
But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,
791
Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of 3144 harm.
792
This ev’ning from3145 the sun’s decline arrived
793
Who tells3146 of some infernal Spirit seen
794
Hitherward bent3147 (who could have thought?), escaped
795
The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt.
796
Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.
797
So saying, on he led his radiant files,3148
798
Dazzling the moon. These to the bower direct
799
In search of whom they sought, him3149 there they found
800
Squat 3150 like a toad, close at3151 the ear of Eve,
801
Assaying3152 by his devilish art to reach
802
The organs of her fancy, and with them forge
803
Illusions, as he list,3153 phantasms and dreams,
804
Or if, 3154 inspiring 3155 venom, he might taint3156
805
The animal spirits that from pure blood arise
806
Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise
807
At least distempered,3157 discontented thoughts,
808
Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires,
809
Blown up with high conceits engend’ring pride.
810
Him thus intent, Ithuriel with his spear
811
Touched lightly, for no falsehood can endure
812
Touch of celestial temper, 3158 but returns
813
Of force3159 to its own likeness. Up he starts,3160
814
Discovered and surprised.3161 As when a spark
815
Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, 3162 laid 3163
816
Fit for the tun3164 some magazine3165 to store
817
Against a rumored war, the smutty3166 grain,3167
818
With sudden blaze diffused,3168 inflames the air,
819
So started up in his own shape the fiend.
820
Back stepped those two fair Angels, half amazed 3169
821
So sudden to behold the grisly 3170 king,
822
Yet thus, unmoved with fear, accost3171 him soon:3172
823
“Which of those rebel Spirits adjudged 3173 to Hell
824
Com’st thou, escaped thy prison? And, transformed,
825
Why sat’st thou like an enemy in wait,
826
Here watching at the head of these that sleep?
827
“Know ye not then,” said Satan, filled with scorn,
828
“Know ye not me? Ye knew me once no mate3174
829
For you, there3175 sitting where ye durst not soar.
830
Not to know me argues3176 yourselves unknown,
831
The lowest of your throng. Or if ye know,
832
Why ask ye, and superfluous begin
833
Your message, like to end as much in vain?
834
To whom thus Zephon, answering scorn with scorn:
835
“Think not, revolted 3177 Spirit, thy shape the same,
836
Or undiminished brightness, to be known
837
As when thou stood’st in Heav’n upright and pure.
838
That glory then, when thou no more wast good,
839
Departed from thee, and thou resembl’st now
840
Thy sin and place of doom,3178 obscure and foul.
841
But come, for thou, be sure, shalt give account
842
To him who sent us, whose charge is to keep
843
This place inviolable, and these from harm.
844
So spoke the Cherub, and his grave rebuke,
845
Severe in youthful beauty, added grace
846
Invincible. Abashed the Devil stood,
847
And felt how awful 3179 goodness is, and saw
848
Virtue in her sh
ape how lovely, saw and pined 3180
849
His loss, but chiefly to find here observed
850
His luster visibly impaired, yet seemed
851
Undaunted. “If I must contend,”3181 said he,
852