’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

      

Seized mine, I yielded, and from that time see

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, 3030 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 of 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

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.