Not distant far from thence a murm'ring sound Of waters issu'd from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd Pure as th' expanse of Heav'n. I thither went With unexperienc'd thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me seem'd another sky. As I bent down to look, just opposite
A shape within the wat'ry gleam appear'd, Bending to look on me. I started back; It started back but pleas'd I soon return'd; Pleas'd it return'd as soon with answ'ring looks Of sympathy and love: there I had fix'd Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain desire, Had not a voice thus warn'd me. What thou seest, What there thou seest, fair Creature, is thyself; With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no shadow stays 470 Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he Whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy Inseparably thine; to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd Mother of Human Race. What could I do, 475 But follow straight, invisibly thus led? Till I espy'd thee, fair indeed and tall, Under a platan; yet methought less fair, Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth wat'ry image. Back I turn'd: Thou following cry'dst aloud, Return, fair Eve; Whom fly'st thou ? Whom thou fly'st, of him thou art;
His flesh, his bone. To give thee b'ing I lent Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear: Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim My other half: with that thy gentle hand Seiz'd mine; I yielded, and from that time see How beauty is excell'd by manly grace And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So spake our gen'ral mother, and with eyes Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd,
And meek surrender, half embracing lean'd
On our first father; half her swelling breast 495 Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight, Both of her beauty and submissive charms, Smil'd with superior love, as Jupiter
On Juno smiles when he impregns the clouds That shed May flow'rs; and press'd her matron lip With kisses pure. Aside the Devil turn'd For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them askance, and to himself thus 'plain'd: Sight hateful! sight tormenting! thus these two, Imparadis'd in one another's arms,
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss; while I to Hell am thrust,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire, Amongst our other torments not the least, 510 Still unfulfill'd with pain of longing, pines. Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd
From their own mouths: all is not theirs, it seems; One fatal tree there stands, of Knowledge call'd, Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbidden? Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord Envy them that? Can it be sin to know? Can it be death? And do they only stand By ignorance? Is that their happy state, The proof of their obedience and their faith? 520 O fair foundation laid whereon to build Their ruin! Hence I will excite their minds With more desire to know, and to reject Envious commands, invented with design To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt Equal with Gods: aspiring to be such, They taste and die. What likelier can ensue? But first with narrow search I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unspy'd; 529 A chance but chance may lead where I may meet Some wand'ring Sp'rit of Heav'n by fountain side, Or in thick shade retir'd, from him to draw What further would be learn'd.
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed. So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd, But with sly circumspection, and began
Thro' wood, thro' waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his
Mean while in utmost longitude, where Heav'n With earth and ocean meets, the setting Sun 540
Slowly descended, and with right aspect Against the eastern gate of Paradise Level'd his ev'ning rays: it was a rock Of alabaster, pil'd up to the clouds, Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent Accessible from earth, one entrance high; The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung Still as it rose, impossible to climb. Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat. Chief of th' angelic guards, awaiting night; 550 About him exercis'd heroic games
Th' unarmed youth of Heav'n, but nigh at hand Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears, Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold. Thither came Uriel, gliding through th' even On a Sun-beam, swift as a shooting star In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fir'd Impress the air, and shews the mariner From what point of his compass to beware Impetuous winds. He thus began in haste: 56Q Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath giv'n Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place No evil thing approach or enter in.
This day at height of noon came to my sphere A Spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know 565 More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly Man, God's latest image: I describ'd his way Bent all on speed, and mark'd his aery gait; But in the mount that lies from Eden north, Where he first lighted, soon discern'd his looks
Alien from Heav'n, with passions foul obscur'd: Mine eye pursu'd him still, but under shade Lost sight of him. One of the banish'd crew, I fear, hath ventur'd from the deep, to raise 574 New troubles him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd: Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight, Amid the Sun's bright circle, where thou sitt'st, See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here plac'd, but such as come 580 Well known from Heav'n; and since meridian
No creature thence: if Sp'rit of other sort, So minded, have o'erleap'd these earthy bounds On purpose, hard thou know'st it to exclude Spiritual substance with corporeal bar. But if within the circuit of these walks, In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know. So promis'd he; and Uriel to his charge Return'd on that bright beam, whose point, now
Bore him slope downward to the Sun, now fall'n Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb, Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd Diurnal, or this less voluble earth,
By shorter flight to th' east, had left him there Arraying with reflected purple' and gold 596 The clouds that on his western throne attend. Now came still ev'ning on, and twilight grey
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