260

By quick instinctive motion up 1 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 smild, 265
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, 270
Knew not; to speak I try'd, and forthwith spake;
My tongue obey'd, and readily could name
Whate'er I saw. Thou Sun, said , fair light,
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 1 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, 280
From whom I have that thus I move and live,
And feel that I am happier than 1 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

290

300

My droused sense, untroubled, though I thought
I then was passing to my former state

290
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve :
When suddenly stood at my head a dream, .
Whose inward apparition gently mov'd
My fancy to believe 1 yet had being,
And liv'd : One came, methought, of shape divine,
And said, Thy mansion wants thee, Adam, rise, 296
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, 300
And over fields and waters, as in air
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
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
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.

310

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
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, expellid 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
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, cach bird and beast behold
Approaching two and two, these cow'ring low 350
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; 355
And to the heav'nly vision thus presum'd.

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
So amply, and with hands so liberal
Thou hast provided all things : but with me
I see not who partakes. In solitude
What happiness, who can enjoy alone,

365 Or all enjoying what contentment find ? Thus I presumptuous; and the vision bright, 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

370 Replenish'd, and all these at thy command To come and play before thee ? , 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. 375 So spake the universal Lord, and seem'd So ord'ring. I with leave of speech implor'd, And humble deprecation thus reply'd.

Let not my words offend thee, heav'nly 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 Can sort, what harmony and true delight? Which must be mutual, in proportion due Giv'n and receiv'd ; but in disparity The one intense, the other still remiss Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove Tedious alike : Of fellowship I speak 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 possessid 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

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