My maker, be propitious while I speak.
Haft thou not made me here thy substitute,
And thefe inferior far beneath me fet?
Among unequals what society

380

Can fort, what harmony or true delight?

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

385

The one intenfe, the other still remifs

Cannot well fuit with either, but foon prove
Tedious alike: Of fellowship I speak
Such as I feek, fit to participate
All rational delight, wherein the brute
Cannot be human confort; they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin'd;
Much lefs can bird with beaft, or fish with fowl
So well converfe, nor with the ox the ape;
Worfe then can man with beaft, and least of all.
Whereto th' Almighty answer'd not difpleas'd.
A nice and fubtle happiness I fee

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice

390

395

400

Of thy affociates, Adam, and wilt tafte

No pleasure, though in pleasure, folitary.

Seem I to thee fufficiently poffefs'd

What think'st thou then of me, and this my ftate?

Of happiness, or not? who am alone

405

From all eternity, for none I know

Second to me or like, equal much less.

How have I then with whom to hold converfe

Save

Save with the creatures which I made, and those

To me inferior, infinite defcents

Beneath what other creatures are to thee?

410

He ceas'd, I lowly anfwer'd. To attain The highth and depth of thy eternal ways

415

All human thoughts come fhort, Supreme of things;
Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee
Is no deficience found; not fo is Man,
But in degree, the caufe of his defire
By conversation with his like to help,

Or folace his defects. No need that thou

Shouldft propagate, already infinite,

4.20

And through all numbers abfolute, though one;

But Man by number is to manifest
His fingle imperfection, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiply'd,
In unity defective, which requires
Collateral love, and deareft amity.
Thou in thy fecrefy although alone,

Best with thyself accompanied, feek'st not

Social communication, yet fo pleas'd,

425

Canft raise thy creature to what highth thou wilt 430 of union or communion, deify'd;

Í by conversing cannot these erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I imbolden'd spake, and freedom us'd

Permiffive, and acceptance found, which gain'd 435
This anfwer from the gracious voice divine.
Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleas'd,

And find thee knowing not of beasts alone,
Which thou haft rightly nam'd, but of thyself,
Expreffing well the fpi'rit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute,

Whofe fellowship therefore unmeet for thee
Good reafon was thou freely fhouldst dislike,
And be fo minded ftill; I, ere thou spak'st,
Knew it not good for Man to be alone,
And no fuch company as then thou faw'st
Intended thee, for trial only brought,

To fee how thou could't judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring fhall please thee, be affur'd,
Thy likenefs, thy fit help, thy other felf,
Thy with exactly to thy heart's defire.

He ended, or I heard no more, for now

My earthly by his heav'nly overpower'd,

440

445

450

Which it had long ftood under, ftrain'd to th' highth, In that celestial colloquy fublime,

As with an object that excels the sense

Dazled and spent, funk down, and fought repair
Of fleep, which inftantly fell on me, call'd
By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes.
Mine eyes he clos'd, but open left the cell
Of fancy my internal fight, by which
Abstract as in a trance methought I saw,
Though fleeping, where I lay, and faw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake I stood;
Who ftooping open'd my left fide, and took
From thence a rib, with cordial fpirits warm,

455

460

465

And

And life-blood ftreaming fresh; wide was the wound,
But fuddenly with flesh fill'd up and heal'd :
The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands;
Under his forming hands a creature grew,
Manlike, but different fex, fo lovely fair,

470

That what feem'd fair in all the world, feem'd now Mean, or in her fumm'd up, in her contain'd

And in her looks, which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

475

And into all things from her air infpir'd
The spirit of love and amorous delight.

She disappear'd, and left me dark; I wak’d
To find her, or for ever to deplore

Her lofs, and other pleasures all abjure:

480

When out of hope, behold her, not far off,
Such as I faw her in my dream, adorn'd
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable: On the came,
Led by her heav'nly Maker, though unfeen,
And guided by his voice, nor uninform'd

485

Of nuptial fanctity and marriage rites:

Grace was in all her fteps, Heav'n in her eye,

In every gefture dignity and love.

I overjoy'd could not forbear aloud.

490

This turn hath made amends; thou haft fulfill'd

Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,

Giver of all things fair, but faireft this

Of all thy gifts, nor envieft. I now fee
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself

R 4

495

Before

Before me; Woman is her name, of Man
Extracted; for this cause he fhall forego
Father and mother, and to' his wife adhere;
And they fhall be one flesh, one heart, one foul.
She heard me thus, and though divinely brought,
Yet innocence and virgin modesty,

Her virtue and the confcience of her worth,
That would be woo'd, and not unfought be won,
Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir'd,
The more defirable, or to say all,

505

Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,

Wrought in her fo, that feeing me, the turn'd;

I follow'd her, fhe what was honor knew,

And with obfequious majesty approv'd
My pleaded reafon. To the nuptial bower

510

I led her blushing like the morn: all Heaven,

And happy conftellations on that hour

Shed their felecteft influence; the earth

Gave fign of gratulation, and each hill;

Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs
Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings
Flung rofe, flung odors from the spicy shrub,
Disporting, till the amorous bird of night
Sung fpoufal, and bid haste the evening star
On this hill top, to light the bridal lamp.
Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought

515

520

My story to the fum of earthly bliss

Which I enjoy, and must confess to find

In all things elfe delight indeed, but fuch

As