Here glides, along the fields of Babylon, Narmalca, leaving the interior
Of Susis, where is much of bdellium,
And gold conceal'd in caves deep under ground, And onyx stone abounding in the mines: Narsares laves the other side with waves Warm'd by the solar heats, and fructuous To arid lands, embracing in its course The hotter districts:-
Superior Euphrates wanders through
The regions to my right, o'er fertile meads, And shares its waters with Chaldæa's fens, Prodigal: from the quarter, which beholds The Sun's re-harness'd steeds from Ocean spring, The sacred garden stretches out her line Of charming prospect, in whose bosom flows Surcharg'd Euphrates, wand'ring diverse off Into four shallow streams. Here thickest groves To the faint murmurs of the Zephyrs mild Sigh soft responses, and the waving woods Whisper their shrill accords of merriment: The Sun here always shines with happy smiles: The constant gale breathes ever soft and day Is ever bland with look serene and sweet: No clouds low'r o'er the place, nor dark'ning rains Pour down in torrents from the angry heav'ns: Nor doth the blessed region fear the shaft Of forked lightning, or the thunder's roar: A genial warmth expels all cold, and Spring Eternal keeps grim Winter far away: No norther from the frowning arctic pole Blows; and no stormy souther agitates Th' etherial waters: and whatever is Desirable and grateful, here is seen In this one spot collected-ev'ry tree Pleasant to sight or taste-whatever is Of evil elsewhere, is excluded here. All this assemblage of felicities
And rural charms-this goodly Paradise- God, prodigal of bliss to man, reserves For Adam, and has given him to keep. After he had made the world's machinery-
The heavens studded with their brilliant stars
And the dimensions of the fruitful earth
And the sixth day now beam'd with rosy light In th' empyrean, he created Man,
Than whom more perfect no created being
Beneath the stars might earth behold; and form'd Ignoble dust into adapted parts,
Breathing in them the breath of life; nor yet Life only, senses gave he him; but stamp'd
The glorious impress of his own divine Image upon the human mind: moreover Instructed him for what he was created, By whom created, he who was, before, Nothing. He hath o'er ev'ry bird of th' air, O'er ev'ry beast of th' earth, fish of the sea, Dominion yea, all that the broad earth covers Is one wide field for him alone-the soils. Whereof innumerable, various,
Of which he may be sole proprietor, The Lord himself hath taken no account of,- And all the Moon embraces in her course Circuitous, who with her borrow'd light Passing thro' each successive phase, returns To her full orb, he-man, the tyrant-sways With absolute and fell authority:
While, to th' intent that an inheritance To so divine an empire might remain In perpetuity unto his race,
A wife was given to Adam
The world, amaz'd, admiringly beheld
A woman fashion'd from the rib of man;
The new-born Sun remember'd nothing made Since his creation half so beautiful:
Yet, naked both, together, hand in hand, They roam the flow'ry alleys, not asham'd; For yet they know no evil; free from all Deceit-all fraud-sincere and virtuous- With grateful hearts they join in praising God: No thoughts concupiscent their senses vex, From sin yet pure: while with impunity, In ignorance, they laugh at death; and pain, Disease, and what is still more terrible, The miserable fear of dying, shun them. Alas! how far, far different is their lot From mine-(oh, most accurst indignity!) I who, coeval with the starry heav'ns, Was born, not even of the subtle fire, Or exhalations of the humid air, Still less of water, or the senseless sod Of the material earth; but was created Without compagination of gross parts- Bodiless-equal to the most high God- I live the slave of punishment!-nor live! Death, of whose terrors man is ignorant, Is sole my wish supreme: and yet, to die Is me denied.-Oh, cursedest of fates !- In the deep centre of the solid earth- The place of gravitation, and the mean Between th' extreme two equidistant poles- The drear abodes of hateful Hell are seen, Unknown to sunlight: with vast gloom o'erspread,
The cavern yawns: thick darkness fills its den Vacuous;-there a silent horror broods; While lakes of living sulphur ever flow- And ample spaces through the void extend. In bottomless pits weltering there lie All our Satanic crew-whatever pain The wrath of the enrag'd Almighty could Inflict upon us, we endure. Our crime Deep-planted in our memories, remains Goading our harden'd souls, and late remorse Drives ever from the conscious heart all peace. Wo, trepidation, and most mortal fears, Dwell with us, and the tyrant's rage pursues: At times, despair relieves itself in hate, And madden'd by his punishment, the damn'd Chafes with the vengeance of a savage foe, And curses the refinement of his torture- That he cannot retort upon some one The agonies he feels-what most he feels Is not so much the being miserable, As, miserable, being all alone!
Yea, it will ease these pangs somewhat to have A partner in my wo. Let Adam roam Eden's delicious gardens, and be happy, And promise, with relying faith, himself My place above the stars-while his fair wife Enjoys, secure, felicity serene-
Not thus the heavy scores of hate shall pass Unsatisfied, nor the undying pain
Forget its fierce resentment. All the bonds Of peace wide sunder'd, the invet'rate spirit Will wage perpetual war; and violence Shall breed sure discord leading on to evil. But evil how? Whatever bliss there is Stor'd up in heav'n or on the friendly earth- All that the sea or air possesses good, Is his-all his. My warfare he contemns- And me as adversary sdeigns ;*-my hate He makes his jest ;—with certain trust in God, Behold! the way already is prepar'd- He mounts unto the heavens! This it is- This that we have to see to and prevent- That he who now hath kingdom on the earth, Do not obtain a higher throne in heav'n!
Were such a consummation to ensue,
Then-aye, indeed, then would my haughty spirit Be tam'd to abject shame: thus to have fled Ingloriously from the skies above,
A word used by Milton-"I sdained subjection.' B. 4, v. 50. We have retained the g in the present tense, and on account of the spelling of the Italian sdeguare, from which it is imitated.
An unresisting exile-to have left
My realms to see them to another giv'n- And, thrust out, yielded up my place to man. On, Hell-wrath, on! and crush this would-be God! Pow'rs of the utter darkness, hear and aid me! Arise forth from your deepest pits of wo! Hell, ope thy maw! eternal Chaos, spread! Ye heav'n-rebelling thrones and potentates- All ye companions of iniquity-
Assemble! Let us hurl against our foe What engines we may have of desolation, Of swift and sure destruction! Stir in him
The sin of which he yet is ignorant—
That sin whose punishment we know too well- Pride uncontent, impatient of command- Impiety rebellious to th' Almighty!
Let him err hugely! let his heart conceive A new ambition with the vain desire Of novelties and changes! Let each vice Conspire against him-Sensuality—
And vain Quack-worship, and false Humbug thou, Frivolous, credulous of idle marvels,
Be ye not wanting! These-these let us use Ministers of our spite! Plagues, ev'ry one Born of infernal darkness, who do hide
Deceitful scorpion stings beneath the semblance Of fairest looks, do ye excite the deed! Ask in requital of your woful doom
Terrible scourges! Burst Hell's manacles!
Break down the brazen gates of murky Tophet! Invade the ampler regions of the earth! Rend Adam's bosom with distracting woes! Let no hand idle in the cause of sin!
Where the glad waters of Euphrates lave Eden's fair garden, in the midst, a tree Conspicuous spreads around its branches broad, Admitting dim the rays of checker'd light. Its pendent fruits on ev'ry side weigh down The parent limbs with their delicious load: Their golden tints delight the eye, and give No vain anticipation to the taste:
But God has left commandment that no one Should touch this tree-no hand should pluck its fruit; And hath made penal, by a threat confirm'd, Severe, the knowledge proud of good and evil. For man, now slave to virtue, knows not sin; But in the middle plac'd, between them both, As he may will, to either he can turn. His will free, it may shift with ev'ry breath: He sins half-way who hath the pow'r to will To sin or not-begins to sin already. Hope animates my hate: if thus it prove,
And turning backward from the straight way, he His tott'ring footsteps once shall move towards That narrow, mazy path, Death-double Death, To soul and body, is his fate decreed. The moment that forbidden fruit he tastes, He rushes headlong upon sudden ruin; And for the perpetrated crime becomes Our fellow-a new denizen of Hell,
Punish'd with pains in common with ourselves. To arms, malicious Furies: if the man Ye find compliant, tempt him; but if not, The woman: any way let this avail- That I no longer live in solitude.
The woman's mind-weak, frivolous, and prone To disobey when bidden-in resolve
Not firm-loves change-is self-indulgent much- Full of vain hopes, extravagant desires: She longs for that the most which is denied: Old things grow stale and ugly in her sight Alongside of the strange and the unknown; And stripp'd of novelty, no thing hath charms. The calm monotony of happiness- Weariness of a life always the same, Supremely tranquil, blest, without a change- Her levity, vain longing after trifles- The specious glitter of this golden apple- Her curiosity to know its taste-
No slight assurance these give of success; Omitting these, why woman's very self Is of itself sure evil, and enough!
But will she hearken him she thinks her foe? Enemy, hating me, will she her ear
Open to me? Let peace be held out then,
And hate assume the guise of friendship pure: He who lays open to the enemy
The plan of his attack, gives him the vantage; And who masks not his hate, is no good hater. 'Tis easy to feign love; and she betrays Herself in wishing for the good of her's. Forbidden hope is always credulous: I'll flatter her that her posterity
Shall become equals with the most high God, And a new order of divinities.
It may so chance to be impossible
To take them in the snare, unless they will To take the tempting bait: belief were sure, If, first, desire were sure. But if the will Cling firm to good, and th' enemy denies His ready ear to me, then I'll assume Some new disguise. No eye hath sight to see, No hand touch to perceive the spirit-kind; The sense detects in them no sympathy:
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