Page images
PDF
EPUB

By quick instinctive motion up I sprung,
As thitherward endeavouring, and upright
Stood on my feet; about me round I saw

Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,

And liquid lapse of murm'ring streams; by these,
Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, and walk'd, or flew,
Birds on the branches warbling; all things smil'd,
With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflow'd.
Myself i then perus'd, and limb by limb
Survey'd, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran
With supple joints, as lively vigour led :

But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
Knew not; to speak I try'd, and forthwith spake ;
My tongue obcy'd, and readily could name
Whate'er I saw. Thou Sun, said fair light,

[ocr errors]

260

265

270

And thou enlighten'd Earth, so fresh and gay,
Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains, 275
Ani ye that live and move, fair Creatures tell,

Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?
Not of myself; by some great Maker then,
In goodness and in pow'r pre-eminent;
Tell me how may I know him, how adore,
From whom I have that thus I move and live,

280

And feel that I am happier than I know.
While thus I call'd, and stray'd I knew not whither,
From where I first drew air, and first beheld
This happy light, when answer none return'd,

285

On a green shady bank profuse of flow'rs
Pensive I sat me down; there gentle sleep
First found me, and with soft oppression seiz'd

My droused sense, untroubled, though I thought

I then was passing to my former state
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:
When suddenly stood at my head a dream,
Whose inward apparition gently mov'd

And liv'd: One came, methought, of shape divine,

My fancy to believe yet had being,

And said, Thy mansion wants thee, Adam, rise,

First man, of men innumerable ordain'd

First Father, call'd by thee I come thy guide
To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepar’d.

So saying, by the hand he took me rais'd,
And over fields and waters, as in air

290

296

300

Smooth sliding without step, last led me up

A woody mountain; whose high top was plain,
A circuit wide, inclos'd, with goodliest trees

Planted, with walks, and bow'rs, that what I saw 305
Of earth before scarce pleasant seem'd. Each tree
Loaden with fairest fruit, that hung to th' eye

Tempting, stirr'd in me sudden appetite

To pluck and eat: whereat I wak'd, and found
Before mine eyes all real, as the dream

310

Had lively shadow'd: Here had new begun

My wand'ring, had not he who was my guide
Up hither, from among the trees appear'd,

Presence divine. Rejoicing, but with awe,

In adoration at his feet I fell

315

Submiss he rear'd me, and whom thou sought'st I am,

Said mildly, Author of all this thou seest

Above, or round about thee, or beneath.

This Paradise I give thee, count it thine

To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat :

Of every tree that in the garden grows

320

Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth;
But of the tree whose operation brings
Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set
The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith,
Amid the garden by the tree of life,
Remember what I warn thee, shun to taste,
And shun the bitter consequence: for know,
The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command
Transgress'd, inevitably thou shalt die,
From that day mortal, and this happy state
Shalt lose, expell'd from hence into a world
Of woe and sorrow. Sternly he pronounc'd
The rigid interdiction, which resounds

Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice
Not to incur; but soon his clear aspéct
Return'd, and gracious purpose thus renew'd.
Not only these fair bounds, but all the earth
To thee and to thy race I give; as lords
Possess it, and all things that therein live,
Or live in sea, or air, beast, fish, and fowl.
In sign whereof each bird and beast behold
After their kinds; I bring them to receive
From thee their names, and pay thee feälty
With low subjection; understand the same

325

330

335

340

345

Of fish within their wat'ry residence,
Not hither summon'd, since they cannot change
Their element to draw the thinner air.

As thus he spake, each bird and beast behold
Approaching two and two, these cow'ring low
With blandishment, each bird stoop'd on his wing.
I nam'd them, as they pass'd, and understood
Their nature, with such knowledge God indued
My sudden apprehension: but in these

I found not what methought I wanted still;
And to the heav'nly vision thus presum'd.

350

355

O BY what name, for thou above all these, Above mankind, or ought than mankind higher, Surpassest far my naming, how may I

Adore thee, Author of this universe,

360

And all this good to man? for whose well being

[blocks in formation]

As with a smile more brighten'd, thus reply'd.
WHAT call'st thou solitude? s not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command
To come and play before thee?

[ocr errors]

now'st thou not

Their language and their ways? They also know,
And reason not contemptibly; with these

Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.

So spake the universal Lord, and seem'd
So ord'ring. I with leave of speech implor'd,
And humble deprecation thus reply'd.

370

375

LET not my words offend thee, heav'nly Power,

My Maker, be propitious while I speak.

Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,
And these inferior far beneath me set?
Among unequals what society

380

Can sort, what harmony and true delight?

Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Giv'n and receiv'd; but in disparity

385

The one intense, the other still remiss

Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove

Tedious alike: Of fellowship I speak

390

Such as I seek, fit to participate

All rational delight, wherein the brute
Cannot be human consort; they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin'd;
Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl
So well converse, nor with the ox the ape;
Worse then can man with beast, and least of all.
Whereto th' Almighty answer'd not displeas’d.
A nice and subtle happiness I see

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice

Of thy associates, Adam, and wilt taste

No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

What think'st thou then of me, and this my state?
Seem I to thee sufficiently possess'd

Of happiness, or not? Who am alone

From all eternity, for none I know

Second to me or like, equal much less.

Who have I then with whom to hold converse

395

400

405

« PreviousContinue »