Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,
263
And liquid lapse4511 of murmuring streams. By4512 these,
264
Creatures that lived and moved, and walked, or flew,
265
Birds on the branches warbling—all things smiled.
266
With fragrance and with joy my heart o’erflowed.
267
Myself I then perused, and limb by limb
268
Surveyed, and sometimes went,4513 and sometimes ran
269
With supple joints, as lively vigor led.
270
But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
271
Knew not. To speak I tried, and forthwith spoke.
272
My tongue obeyed, and readily could name
273
Whate’er I saw. ‘Thou Sun,’ said I, ‘fair light,
274
And thou enlight’ned 4514 earth, so fresh and gay,
275
Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains,
276
And ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell,
277
Tell, if ye saw, how I came thus, how here?
278
Not of myself—by some great Maker, then,
279
In goodness and in power preëminent.
280
Tell me, how may I know Him, how adore,
281
From whom I have that thus I move and live,
282
And feel that I am happier than I know.
283
While thus I called, and strayed I knew not whither
284
From where I first drew air, and first beheld
285
This happy light—when, answer none returned,
286
On a green shady bank, profuse of flowers,
287
Pensive I sat me down. There gentle sleep
288
First found me, and with soft oppression4515 seized
289
My drowsèd 4516 sense, untroubled, though I thought
290
I then was passing to my former state
291
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve.
292
When suddenly stood at my head a dream,
293
Whose inward apparition4517 gently moved
294
My fancy to believe I yet had being,
295
And lived. One came, methought, of shape divine,
296
And said, ‘Thy mansion4518 wants4519 thee, Adam. Rise,
297
First man, of men innumerable ordained
298
First father! Called by thee, I come thy guide
299
To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepared.
300
So saying, by the hand He took me raised,
301
And over fields and waters, as in air
302
Smooth-sliding without step, last led me up
303
A woody mountain, whose high top was plain,
304
A circuit wide, enclosed with goodliest trees
305
Planted, with walks, and bowers, that what I saw
306
Of earth before scarce pleasant seemed. Each tree,
307
Loaden with fairest fruit that hung to the eye
308
Tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite
309
To pluck and eat, whereat I waked, and found
310
Before mine eyes all real,4520 as the dream
311
Had lively4521 shadowed.4522 Here had new begun
312
My wand’ring, had not He, who was my guide
313
Up hither, from among the trees appeared,
314
Presence Divine. Rejoicing, but with awe,
315
In adoration at His feet I fell
316
Submiss. He reared me, and ‘Whom thou sought’st I am,
317
Said mildly, ‘Author of all this thou see’st
318
Above, or round about thee, or beneath.
319
This Paradise I give thee, count it thine
320
To till 4523 and keep, and of the fruit to eat.
321
Of every tree that in the garden grows
322
Eat freely with glad heart, fear here no dearth.4524
323
But of the tree whose operation4525 brings
324
Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set
325
The pledge4526 of thy obedience and thy faith,
326
Amid the garden by4527 the Tree of Life,
327
Remember what I warn thee: shun to taste,
328
And shun the bitter consequence. For know,
329
The day thou eat’st thereof, my sole command
330
Transgressed, inevitably4528 thou shalt die,
331
From that day mortal, and this happy state
332
Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world
333
Of woe and sorrow. ’ Sternly He pronounced
334
The rigid interdiction, which resounds
335
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice
336
Not to incur. But soon His clear aspect4529
337
Returned, and gracious purpose4530 thus renewed:
338
‘Not only these fair bounds,4531 but all the earth
339
To thee and to thy race I give. As lords
340
Possess it, and all things that therein live,
341
Or live in sea, or air, beast, fish, and fowl.
342
In sign whereof each bird and beast behold
343
After their kinds; I bring them to receive
344
From thee their names, and pay thee fealty4532
345
With low subjection. Understand the same
346
Of fish within their wat’ry residence,
347
Not hither summoned, since they cannot change
348
Their element, to draw4533 the thinner air.
349
As thus he spoke, each bird and beast behold
350
Approaching two and two, these4534 cowering low
351
With blandishment,4535 each bird stooped on his wing.
352
I named them, as they passed, and understood
353
Their nature, with such knowledge God endued 4536
354
My sudden apprehension.4537 But in these
355
I found not what methought I wanted still,
356
And to the Heav’nly vision thus presumed:4538
357
“‘O by what name, for Thou above all these,
358
Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher,
359
Surpassest far my naming? How may I
360
Adore Thee, Author of this universe,
361
And all this good to man? for whose well being
362
So amply, and with hands so liberal,
363
Thou hast provided all things. But with me
364
I see not who partakes. In solitude
365
What happiness? W
ho can enjoy alone,
366
Or all enjoying, what contentment find?
367
Thus I presumptuous, and the Vision bright,
368
As with a smile more bright’ned, thus replied:
369
“‘What call’st thou solitude? Is not the earth
370
With various living creatures, and the air
371
Replenished,4539 and all these at thy command
372
To come and play4540 before thee? Know’st thou not
373
Their language and their ways? They also know,
374
And reason not contemptibly. With these
375
Find pastime, 4541 and bear 4542 rule. Thy realm is large.
376
So spoke the Universal Lord, and seemed
377
So ordering. I, with leave of speech implored,
378
And humble deprecation,4543 thus replied:
379
“‘Let not my words offend Thee, Heav’nly Power.
380
My Maker, be propitious4544 while I speak.
381
Hast Thou not made me here Thy substitute,
382
And these inferior far beneath me set?
383
Among inequals what society
384
Can sort,4545 what harmony or true delight?
385
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
386
Giv’n and received. But in disparity
387
The one intense, 4546 the other still remiss,4547
388
Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove
389
Tedious4548 alike. 4549 Of fellowship I speak
390
Such as I seek, fit to participate4550
391
All rational delight, wherein the brute
392
Cannot be human consort.4551 They rejoice
393
Each with their kind, lion with lioness,
394
So fitly4552 them in pairs Thou hast combined.
395
Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl
396
So well converse, 4553 nor with the ox the ape.
397
Worse then can man with beast, and least of
398
Whereto the Almighty answer
399
“‘A nice4554 and subtle happiness, I see,
400
Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice
401
Of thy associates, Adam! And wilt taste
402
No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.
403
What think’st thou then of me, and this m
404
Seem I to thee sufficiently possessed
405
Of happiness, or not? who am alone
406
From all eternity? For none I know
407
Second to me or like, equal much less.
408
How have I then with whom to hold converse, 4555
409
Save with the creatures which I made
410
To me inferior, infinite descents
411
Beneath what other creatures are to thee?
412
He ceased; I lowly answered:
“‘To attain
413
The height and depth of Thy eternal ways
414
All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things!
415
Thou in Thyself art perfect, and in Thee
416
Is no deficience found. Not so is man,
417
But in degree, the cause of his desire
418
By conversation4556 with his like to help
419
Or solace4557 his defects. No need that Thou
420
Should’st propagate, already Infinite,
421
422
But man by number is to manifest4559
423
His single imperfection,4560 and beget
424
Like of his like, his image multiplied,
425
In unity defective, which requires
426
Collateral4561 love, and dearest amity. 4562
427
Thou in Thy secrecy4563 although alone,
428
Best with Thyself accompanied, seek’st not
429
Social communication, yet, so pleased,
430
Canst raise Thy creature to what height Thou wilt
431
Of union or communion, deified.
432
I by conversing cannot these4564 erect
433
From prone, nor in their ways complacence4565 find.
434
Thus I embold’ned spoke, and freedom used
435
Permissive, and acceptance found, which gained
436
This answer from the gracious voice Divine:
437
“‘Thus far to try4566 thee, Adam, I was pleased,
438
And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone,
439
Which thou hast rightly named, but of thyself,
440
Expressing well the spirit within thee free,
441
My image, not imparted to the brute,
442
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet 4567 for thee
443
Good reason was thou freely should’st dislike,
444
And be so minded still.4568 I ere thou spok’st
445
Knew it not good for man to be alone,
446
And no such company as then thou saw’st
447
Intended thee—for trial only brought,4569
448
To see how thou could’st judge of fit and meet.
449
What next I bring shall please thee, be assured,
550
Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,
451
Thy wish exactly to thy heart’s desire.
452
He ended, or I heard no more, for now
453
My earthly by His Heav’nly overpowered,
454
Which it had long stood 4570 under, strained to the height
455
In that celestial colloquy 4571 sublime, 4572
456
As with an object that excels4573 the sense,
457
Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair 4574
458
Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called
459
By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.
460
“Mine eyes He closed, but open left the cell
461
Of fancy, my internal sight, by which,
462
Abstract 4575 as in a trance, methought I saw, 4576
463
Though sleeping where I lay, and saw the shape
464
Still glorious before whom awake I stood,
465
Who stooping op’ned my left side, and took
466
From thence a rib, with cordial 4577 spirits warm,
467
And life-blood streaming fresh. Wide was the wound,
468
But suddenly with flesh filled up and healed.
469
The rib He formed and fashioned with His hands.
470
Under His forming hands a creature grew,
471
Man-like, but different sex, so lovely fair
472
That what seemed fair in all the world seemed now
473
Mean4578 or in her summed up, in her contained