Adam the goodlieft man of men fince born
His fons, the fairest of her daughters Eve.
Under a tuft of fhade that on a green
Stood whisp'ring soft, by a fresh fountain side
They fat them down; and after no more toil
Of their sweet gard'ning labor than fuffic'd
To recommend cool Zephyr, and måde ease
More eafy, wholsome thirst and appetite
More grateful, to their fupper fruits they fell,
Nectarin fruits which the compliant boughs
Yielded them, fide-long as they fat recline
On the foft downy bank damafk'd with flowers:
The favory pulp they chew, and in the rind
Still as they thirfted scoop the brimming stream;
Nor gentle purpose, nor endearing smiles
Wanted, nor youthful dalliance as befeems
Fair couple, link'd in happy nuptial league,
Alone as they. About them frisking play'd
All beafts of th' earth, fince wild, and of all chafe
In wood or wilderness, foreft or den;
Sporting the lion ramp'd, and in his paw
Dandled the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards,
Gambol'd before them; th' unwieldy elephant
To make them mirth us'd all his might, and wreath'd
His lithe probofcis; close the serpent fly
Infinuating, wove with Gordian twine
His breaded train, and of his fatal guile
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grafs
Couch'd, and now fill'd with pafture gazing fat,
Or bedward ruminating; for the fun
Declin'd was hafting now with prone carreer
To th' ocean iles, and in th' afcending scale
Of Heav'n the stars that usher evening rose :
When Satan ftill in gaze, as first he stood,
Scarce thus at length fail'd speech recover'd fad.
O Hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold!
Into our room of bliss thus high advanc'd
Creatures of other mold, earth-born perhaps,
Not Spirits, yet to heav'nly Spirits bright
Little inferior; whom my thoughts pursue
With wonder, and could love, fo lively fhines
In them divine refemblance, and fuch grace
The hand that form'd them on their shape hath pour'd.
Ah gentle pair, ye little think how nigh
Your change approaches, when all thefe delights
Will vanish and deliver ye to woe,
More woe, the more your taste is now of joy ;
Happy, but for fo happy ill fecur'd
Long to continue, and this high feat
Ill fenc'd for Heav'n to keep out such a foe
As now is enter'd; yet no purpos'd foe
To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn,
Though I unpitied: League with you I seek,
And mutual amity so strait, fo close,
That I with you muft dwell, or you with me
Henceforth; my dwelling haply may not please,
Like this fair Paradise, your sense, yet fuch
Accept your Maker's work; he gave it me,
Which I as freely give; Hell fhall unfold,
To entertain you two, her wideft gates,
Among the Spi'rits beneath, whom I feduc'd
With other promises and other vaunts
Than to submit, boasting I could fubdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vain,
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of Hell.
With diadem and scepter high advanc'd,
The lower still I fall, only fupreme
In mifery; fuch joy ambition finds.
But fay I could repent, and could obtain
By act of grace my former state; how soon
Would highth recall high thoughts, how foon unfay
What feign'd fubmiffion fwore? cafe would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow,
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep:
Which would but lead me to a worse relapfe
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear
Short intermiffion bought with double fmart.
This knows my punisher; therefore as far
From granting he, as I from begging peace:
All hope excluded thus, behold in stead
Of us out-caft, exil'd, his new delight,
Mankind created, and for him this world.
So farewel hope, and with hope farewel fear,
Farewel remorfe: all good to me is loft;
Evil be thou my good; by thee at least
Divided empire with Heav'n's king I hold,
By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign;
As Man ere long, and this new world shall know.
Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face;
Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy,
and defpair; 115
Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd
Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.
For heav'nly minds from such distempers foul
Are ever clear. Whereof he foon aware,
Each perturbation smooth'd with outward calm,
Artificer of fraud; and was the first
That practis'd falfhood under faintly fhow,
Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge:
Yet not enough had practis'd to deceive
Uriel once warn'd; whofe eye purfued him down 125
The way
he went, and on th' Affyrian mount
Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall
Spirit of happy fort: his geftures fierce
He mark'd and mad demeanour, then alone,
As he fuppos'd, all unobserv'd, unfeen.
So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, crowns with her inclosure green,
As with a rural mound, the champaign head
Of a steep wilderness, whofe hairy fides
With thicket overgrown, grottefque and wild,
Access deny'd; and over head up grew
Infuperable highth of loftieft fhade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,
A fylvan fcene, and as the ranks afcend
Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of stateliest view, Yot higher than their tops
The verd'rous wall of Paradise up sprung :
Which to our general fire gave prospect large
Into his nether empire neighb'ring round.
And higher than that wall a circling row
Of goodlieft trees loaden with fairest fruit,
Bloffoms and fruits at once of golden huc,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colors mix'd:
On which the fun more glad imprefs'd his beams 150
Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow,
When God hath fhow'r'd the earth; fo lovely feem'd
That landíkip: And of pure now purer air
Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All sadness but defpair: now gentle gales
Fanning their odoriferous wings dispense
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Thofe balmy spoils. As when to them who fail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at fea north-eaft winds blow
Sabean odors from the spicy fhore
Of Araby the bleft; with such delay
Well pleas'd they slack their course, and many a league Chear'd with the grateful fmell old Ocean fmiles: 165 So entertain'd those odorous fweets the Fiend
Who came their bane, though with them better pleas'd
Than Afmodeus with the fifhy fume
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the spouse
Of Tobit's fon, and with a vengeance fent
From Media poft to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' afcent of that steep favage hill
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