Authority, and reafon, on her wait,
As one intended first, not after made
Occafionally and (to confummate all )
Greatness of mind, and nobleness, their feat
Build in her loveliest, and create an awe
About her, as a guard angelic plac’d.
To whom the Angel with contracted brow.,
Accufe not nature, she hath done her part;
Do thou but thine: and not diffident
Of wifdom she deferts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when moft thou need'ft her nigh; · By attributing over-much to things.
Lefs excellent, as thou thy felf perceiv❜ft.
For what admir'ft thou, what transports thee fo
An outfide fair no doubt, and worthy well
Thy cherishing, thy honoring, and thy love ;
Not thy fubjection. Weigh with her thy felf;
Then value: oft-times nothing profits more
Then self-esteem; grounded on just, and right,
Well manag'd: of that skill the more thou know'ft
The more she will acknowledge thee her head,
And to realities yield all her shews:
Made fo adorn for thy delight the more ;-
So awful, that with honor thou may'st love
Thy mate; who fees, when thou art feen leaft wife,
But if the fenfe of Touch, whereby mankind
Is propagated, feem fuch dear delight
Beyond all other; think the fame vouchfaf'd
To cattel, and each beaft; which would not be
To them made common, and divulg'd, if ought
Therein enjoy'd were worthy to fubdue
The foul of man, or paffion in him move.
What higher in her fociety thou find'st
Attractive, human, rational, love ftill:
In loving thou dost well, in passion not;
Wherein true love confifts not. Love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his feat
In reason, and is judicious; is the scale
By which to heav'nly love thou may'st ascend; Not funk in carnal pleasure: for which cause, Among the beafts no mate for thee was found.
To whom thus, half abash'd, Adam reply'd. Neither her out-fide form'd fo fair, nor ought In procreation common to all kinds, (Though higher of the genial bed by far, And with mysterious reverence I deem) So much delights me, as thofe graceful acts, Those thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words, and actions, mix'd with love,
And fwect compliance, which declare un-feign'd
Union of mind, or in us both one foul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair!
More grateful than harmonious found to th' ear.
Yet thefe fubject not: I to thee disclose
What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd :
Who meet with various obje&s from the fenfe
Variously repréfenting; yet, ftill free
Approve the beft, and follow what I approve.
To love, thou blam'ft me not; for low, thou sayst,
Leads up to Heav'n; is both the way, and guide;
Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask:
Love not the heav'nly spirits? And how their love Exprefs they by looks only? Or, do they mix Irradiance? Virtual, or immediate, touch?
To whom the Angel, (with a (mile that glow'd
Cœleftial rofy-red, love's proper hue)
Anfver'd. Let it füffice thee that thou know'st
Us happy, and without love no happiness.
Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy’st,
(And pure thou wert created) we enjoy
In eminence and obftacle find none
Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars :
Eafier than air with air, if fpirits embrace,
Total they mix; union of pure with pure
Defiring: nor reftrain'd conveyance need,
As flesh to mix with flesh, or foul with foul.
But, I can now no more: the parting fun
Beyond the earth's green Cape, and verdant isles;
Hefperean fets, my signal to depart.
Be ftrong, live happy, and love! But, first of all,
Him, Whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command: take heed left paffion sway
Thy judgment to do ought, which else free will
Would not admit: thine, and of all thy sons,
The weal, or woe, in thee is plac'd; beware !
I in thy perfevering shall rejoice,
And all the Bleft. Stand faft! to ftand, or fall,
Free in thine own arbitrement it lies:
Perfect within, no outward aid require ;
And all temptation to tranfgrefs repel.
So faying, he arofe: whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benedi&tion. Since to part!
Go heav'nly gueft, ethereal meffenger,
Sent from Whose sovʼreign goodness I adore ?
Gentle to me, and affable, hath been
Thy condefcenfion, und shall be honor'd ever
With grateful memory: thou to mankind
Bo good, and friendly ftill, and oft return!-
So parted they; the Angel up to heav'n
From the thick shade, and Adam to his bow'r
The end of the eighth Book
Satan having compafs'd the earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mift, by night into Paradife, and enters into the ferpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labors, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each laboring apart Adam confents not, alledging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd, should attempt her found alone: Eve (loth to bé thought not circumspect, or firm enough) urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make tryal of her ftrength; Adam at laft yields: the ferpent find
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