Lit Midterm: PL

Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven

Farewell, happy fields,Where joy forever dwells! Hail, horrors! hail,        
Infernal World! and thou, profoundest Hell,Receive thy new possessor—one who brings
A mind not to be changed by place or time.The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.

So stretched out huge in length the Arch-Fiend lay,Chained on the burning lake; nor ever thence        210Had risen, or heaved his head, but that the willAnd high permission of all-ruling HeavenLeft him at large to his own dark designs,

And, re-assembling our afflicted powers,Consult how we may henceforth most offendOur Enemy, our own loss how repair,How overcome this dire calamity,What reinforcement we may gain from hope,        190If not what resolution from despair.”

“Princes, Potentates,        315Warriors, the Flower of Heaven—once yours; now lost,If such astonishment as this can seizeEternal Spirits! Or have ye chosen this placeAfter the toil of battle to reposeYour wearied virtue, for the ease you find        320To slumber here, as in the vales of Heaven?

Sing, Heavenly Muse, that, on the secret topOf Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspireThat Shepherd who first taught the chosen seedIn the beginning how the heavens and earthRose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill        10Delight thee more, and Siloa’s brook that flowedFast by the oracle of God, I thenceInvoke thy aid to my adventrous song,That with no middle flight intends to soarAbove the Aonian mount, while it pursues        15Things unattempted yet in prose or rhyme.

OF MAN’S first disobedience, and the fruitOf that forbidden tree whose mortal tasteBrought death into the World, and all our woe,With loss of Eden, till one greater ManRestore us, and regain the blissful Seat,

what in me is darkIllumine, what is low raise and support;That, to the highth of this great argument,I may assert Eternal Providence,        25And justify the ways of God to men.

“If thou beest he—but Oh how fallen! how changedFrom him!—who, in the happy realms of light,        85Clothed with transcendent brightness, didst outshineMyriads, though bright—if he whom mutual league,United thoughts and counsels, equal hopeAnd hazard in the glorious enterprise,Joined with me once, now misery hath joined        90In equal ruin; into what pit thou seestFrom what highth fallen: so much the stronger provedHe with his thunder: and till then who knewThe force of those dire arms?

Yet not for those,Nor what the potent Victor in his rage        95Can else inflict, do I repent, or change,Though changed in outward lustre, that fixed mind,And high disdain from sense of injured merit,That with the Mightiest raised me to contend,And to the fierce contention brought along        100Innumerable force of Spirits armed,That durst dislike his reign, and, me preferring,His utmost power with adverse power opposedIn dubious battle on the plains of Heaven,And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?        105All is not lost—the unconquerable will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield:

And what is else not to be overcome.That glory never shall his wrath or might        110Extort from me. To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee, and deify his powerWho, from the terror of this arm, so lateDoubted his empire—that were low indeed;That were an ignominy and shame beneath        115This downfall; since, by fate, the strength of Gods,And this empyreal substance, cannot fail;Since, through experience of this great event,In arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,We may with more successful hope resolve        120To wage by force or guile eternal war,Irreconcilable to our grand Foe,Who now triumphs’, and in the excess of joySole reigning holds the tyranny of Heaven.”

Thus Satan, talking to his nearest Mate,With head uplift above the wave, and eyesThat sparkling blazed; his other parts besidesProne on the flood, extended long and large,        195Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as hugeAs whom the fables name of monstrous size,Titanian or Earth-born, that warred on Jove,Briareos or Typhon, whom the denBy ancient Tarsus held, or that sea-beast        200Leviathan, which God of all his worksCreated hugest that swim the ocean-stream.Him, haply slumbering on the Norway foam,The pilot of some small night-foundered skiff,Deeming some island, oft, as seamen tell,        205With fixèd anchor in his scaly rind,Moors by his side under the lee, while nightInvests the sea, and wishèd morn delays.So stretched out huge in length the Arch-Fiend lay,Chained on the burning lake;

“Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven!—For, since no deep within her gulf can holdImmortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen,I give not Heaven for lost: from this descentCelestial Virtues rising will appear        15More glorious and more dread than from no fall,And trust themselves to fear no second fate!—Me though just right, and the fixed laws of Heaven,Did first create your leader—next, free choice,With what besides in council or in fight        20Hath been achieved of merit—yet this loss,Thus far at least recovered, hath much moreEstablished in a safe, unenvied throne,Yielded with full consent

The signal to ascend—sit lingering here,Heaven’s fugitives, and for their dwelling-placeAccept this dark opprobrious den of shame,The prison of His tyranny who reignsBy our delay?

Others apart sat on a hill retired,In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned highOf Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate—Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute—        560And found no end, in wandering mazes lost.Of good and evil much they argued then,Of happiness and final misery,Passion and apathy, and glory and shame:Vain wisdom all, and false philosophy!—

Yet, with a pleasing sorcery, could charmPain for a while or anguish, and exciteFallacious hope, or arm the obdured breastWith stubborn patience as with triple steel.

In Book IV, what does Milton do?

Thee I revisit now with bolder wing,Escaped the Stygian Pool, though long detainedIn that obscure sojourn, while in my flight,        15Through utter and through middle Darkness borne,With other notes than to the Orphean lyreI sung of Chaos and eternal Night,Taught by the Heavenly Muse to venture downThe dark descent, and up to re-ascend,        20Though hard and rare. Thee I revisit safe,And feel thy sovreign vital lamp;

but thouRevisit’st not these eyes, that rowl in vainTo find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn;So thick a drop serene hath quenched their orbs,        25Or dim suffusion veiled. Yet not the moreCease I to wander where the Muses hauntClear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill,Smit with the love of sacred song;

Hell, her numbers full,Thenceforth shall be for ever shut. MeanwhileThe World shall burn, and from her ashes springNew Heaven and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell,        335And, after all their tribulations long,See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,With Joy and Love triumph’ing, and fair Truth.Then thou thy regal sceptre shalt lay by;For regal sceptre then no more shall need;        340God shall be All in All.

The first art wont his great authentic willInterpreter through highest Heaven to bring,Where all his Sons thy embassy attend,And here art likeliest by supreme decreeLike honour to obtain, and as his eye        660To visit oft this new Creation round—Unspeakable desire to see and knowAll these his wondrous works, but chiefly ManHis chief delight and favour, him for whomAll these his works so wondrous he ordained,        665Hath brought me from the quires of CherubimAlone thus wandering. Brightest Seraph, tellIn which of all these shining orbs hath ManHis fixed seat—or fixèd seat hath none,But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell—        670That I may find him, and with secret gazeOr open admiration him beholdOn whom the great Creator hath bestowedWorlds, and on whom hath all these graces poured;That both in him and all things, as is meet,        675The Universal Maker we may praise;Who justly hath driven out his rebel foesTo deepest Hell, and, to repair that loss,Created this new happy race of MenTo serve him better. Wise are all his ways!”

Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though boldFar off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,Begins his dire attempt; which, nigh the birth        15Now rowling, boils in his tumultuous breast,And like a devilish engine back recoilsUpon himself. Horror and doubt distractHis troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stirThe hell within him; for within him Hell        20He brings, and round about him, nor from HellOne step, no more than from Himself, can flyBy change of place. Now conscience wakes despairThat slumbered; wakes the bitter memoryOf what he was, what is, and what must be        25Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue!Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his viewLay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad;Sometimes towards Heaven and the full-blazing Sun,Which now sat high in his meridian tower:        30Then, much revolving, thus in sighs began:—

Ah, wherefore? He deserved no such returnFrom me, whom he created what I wasIn that bright eminence, and with his goodUpbraided none; nor was his service hard.        45What could be less than to afford him praise,The easiest recompense, and pay him thanks,How due?

Yet all his good proved ill in me,And wrought but malice. Lifted up so high,I ’sdained subjection, and thought one step higher        50Would set me highest, and in a moment quitThe debt immense of endless gratitude,So burthensome, still paying, still to owe;Forgetful what from him I still received;And understood not that a grateful mind        55By owing owes not, but still pays, at onceIndebted and discharged—what burden then?

Oh, had his powerful destiny ordainedMe some inferior Angel, I had stoodThen happy; no unbounded hope had raised        60Ambition. Yet why not? Some other PowerAs great might have aspired, and me, though mean,Drawn to his part. But other Powers as greatFell not, but stand unshaken, from withinOr from without to all temptations armed!        65Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand?Thou hadst. Whom has thou then, or what, to accuse,But Heaven’s free love dealt equally to all?Be then his love accursed, since, love or hate,To me alike it deals eternal woe.

which way shall I flyInfinite wrauth and infinite despair?Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell;        75And, in the lowest deep, a lower deepStill threatening to devour me opens wide,To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven.O, then, at last relent! Is there no placeLeft for repentence, none for pardon left?

The lower still I fall, only supremeIn misery: such joy ambition finds!But say I could repent, and could obtain,By act of grace, my former state; how soonWould highth recal high thoughts, how soon unsay        95What feigned submission swore! Ease would recantVows made in pain, as violent and void(For never can true reconcilement growWhere wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep)

“‘Author of Evil, unknown till thy revolt,Unnamed in Heaven, now plenteous as thou seestThese acts of hateful strife—hateful to all,Though heaviest, by just measure, on thyself        265And thy adherents—how hast thou disturbedHeaven’s blessed peace, and into Nature broughtMisery, uncreated till the crimeOf thy rebellion! how hast thou instilledThy malice into thousands, once upright        270And faithful, now proved false! But think not hereTo trouble holy rest; Heaven casts thee outFrom all her confines; Heaven, the seat of bliss,Brooks not the works of violence and war.Hence, then, and Evil go with thee along,        275Thy offspring, to the place of Evil, Hell—Thou and thy wicked crew! there mingle broils!Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom,Or some more sudden vengeance, winged from God,Precipitate thee with augmented pain.’

NO MORE of talk where God or Angel GuestWith Man, as with his friend, familiar usedTo sit indulgent, and with him partakeRural repast, permitting him to whileVenial discourse unblamed. I now must change        5Those notes to tragic—foul distrust, and breachDisloyal, on the part of man, revoltAnd disobedience; on the part of Heaven,Now alienated, distance and distaste,Anger and just rebuke, and judgment given,        10That brought into this World a world of woe,Sin and her shadow Death, and Misery,Death’s harbinger.

If answerable style I can obtain        20Of my celestial Patroness, who deignsHer nightly visitation unimplored,And dictates to me slumbering, or inspiresEasy my unpremeditated verse,Since first this subject for heroic song        25Pleased me, long choosing and beginning late,Not sedulous by nature to inditeWars, hitherto the only argumentHeroic deemed, chief maistrie to dissectWith long and tedious havoc fabled knights        30In battles feigned (the better fortitudeOf patience and heroic martyrdomUnsung)or to describe races and games,Or tilting furniture, emblazoned shields,Impreses quaint, caparisons and steeds,        35Bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knightsAt joust and tournament; then marshalled feastServed up in hall with sewers and seneshals:The skill of artifice or office mean;Not that which justly gives heroic name        40To person or to poem!

But I in none of theseFind place or refuge; and the more I seePleasures about me, so much more I feel        120Torment within me, as from the hateful siegeOf contraries; all good to me becomesBane, and in Heaven much worse would be my state.

O foul descent! that I, who erst contendedWith Gods to sit the highest, am now constrainedInto a beast, and, mixed with bestial slime,        165This essence to incarnate and imbrute,That to the highth of Deity aspired!But what will not ambition and revengeDescend to? Who aspires must down as lowAs high he soared, obnoxious, first or last,        170To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet,Bitter ere long back on itself recoils.Let it; I reck not, so it light well aimed,Since higher I fall short, on him who nextProvokes my envy, this new favourite        175Of Heaven, this Man of Clay, son of despite,Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker raisedFrom dust: spite then with spite is best repaid.”

That name, unless an age too late, or coldClimat, or years, damp my intended wing        45Depressed; and much they may if all be mine,Not Hers who brings it nightly to my ear.

But neither here seek I, nor in Heaven,To dwell, unless by maistring Heaven’s Supreme;        125Nor hope to be myself less miserableBy what I seek, but others to make suchAs I, though thereby worse to me redound.For only in destroying I find easeTo my relentless thoughts; and him destroyed,        130Or won to what may work his utter loss,For whom all this was made, all this will soonFollow, as to him linked in weal or woe:

“Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventrous Eve,And peril great provoked, who thus hast daredHad it been only coveting to eyeThat sacred Food, sacred to abstinence;Much more to taste it, under ban to touch.        925But past who can recall, or done undo?Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate! Yet soPerhaps thou shalt not die; perhaps the factIs not so hainous now-foretasted Fruit,Profaned first by the Serpent, by him first        930Made common and unhallowed ere our taste,Nor yet on him found deadly. He yet lives—Lives, as thou saidst, and gains to live, as Man,Higher degree of life: inducement strongTo us, as likely, tasting, to attain        935Proportional ascent; which cannot beBut to be Gods, or Angels, Demi-gods.Nor can I think that God, Creator wise,Though threatening, will in earnest so destroyUs, his prime creatures, dignified so high,        940Set over all his works; which, in our fall,For us created, needs with us must fail,Dependent made.

Our state cannot be severed, we are one, One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself

To Sin and Death a prey, and so to us,        490Without our hazard, labour, or alarm,To range in, and to dwell, and over ManTo rule, as over all he should have ruled.True is, me also he hath judged; or ratherMe not, but the brute Serpent, in whose shape        495Man I deceived. That which to me belongsIs enmity, which he will put betweenMe and Mankind: I am to bruise his heel;His seed—when is not set—shall bruise my head!A world who would not purchase with a bruise,        500Or much more grievous pain? Ye have the accountOf my performance; what remains, ye Gods,But up and enter now into full bliss?”

Thus were they plagued,And, worn with famine, long and ceaseless hiss,Till their lost shape, permitted, they resumed—Yearly enjoined, some say, to undergo        575This annual humbling certain numbered days,To dash their pride, and joy for Man seduced.However, some tradition they dispersedAmong the Heathen of their purchase got,And fabled how the Serpent, whom they called        580Ophion, with Eurynome (the wide—Encroaching Eve perhaps), had first the ruleOf high Olympus, thence by Saturn drivenAnd Ops, ere yet Dictæan Jove was born.

O, why did GodCreator wise, that peopled highest HeavenWith Spirits masculine, create at last        890This novelty on Earth, this fair defectOf Nature, and not fill the World at onceWith men as Angels, without fiminine;Or find some other way to generateMankind? This mischief had not then befallen,        895And more that shall befall—innumerableDisturbances on Earth through female snares,And strait conjunction with this sex. For eitherHe never shall find out fit mate, but suchAs some misfortune brings him, or mistake;

“Forsake me not thus, Adam! witness HeavenWhat love sincere and reverence in my heart        915I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,Unhappily deceived! Thy suppliantI beg, and clasp thy knees; bereave me notWhereon I live, they gentle looks, thy aid,Thy counsel in this uttermost distress,        920My only strength and stay. Forlorn of thee,Whither shall I betake me, where subsist?While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps,Between us two let there be peace; both joining,As joined in injuries, one enmity        925Against a Foe by doom express assigned us.That cruel Serpent. On me exercise notThy hatred for this misery befallen—On me already lost, me than thyselfMore miserable. Both have sinned; but thou        930Against God only; I against God and thee,And to the place of judgment will return,There with my cries impor’tune Heaven, that allThe sentence, from thy head removed, may lightOn me, sole cause to thee of all this woe,        935Me, me only, just object of His ire.”

Bear thine own first, ill able to sustain        950His full wrauth whose thou feel’st as yet least part,And my displeasure bear’st so ill. If prayersCould alter high decrees, I to that placeWould speed before thee, and be louder heard,That on my head all might be visited,        955Thy frailty and infirmer sex forgiven,To me committed, and by me exposed.But rise; let us no more contend, nor blameEach other, blamed enough elsewhere, but striveIn offices of love how we may lighten        960Each other’s burden in our share of woe;Since this day’s death denounced, if aught I see,Will prove no sudden, but a slow—paced evil,A long day’s dying, to augment our pain,And to our seed (O hapless seed!) derived.”

Why stand we longer shivering under fearsThat shew no end but death, and have the power,Of many ways to die the shortest choosing,        1005Destruction with destruction to destroy?”

We are by doom to pay; rather such actsOf contumacy will provoke the HighestTo make death in us live. Then let us seekSome safer resolution—which methinksI have in view, calling to mind with heed        1030Part of our sentence, that thy seed shall bruiseThe Serpent’s head. Piteous amends! unlessBe meant whom I conjecture, our grand foe,Satan, who in the Serpent hath contrivedAgainst us this deceit. To crush his head        1035Would be revenge indeed—which will be lostBy death brought on ourselves, or childless daysResolved as thou proposest; so our foeShall scape his punishment ordained, and weInstead shall double ours upon our heads.

What better can we do than, to the placeRepairing where he judged us, prostrate fallBefore him reverent, and there confessHumbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tearsWatering the ground, and with our sighs the air        1090Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in signOf sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek?Undoubtedly he will relent, and turnFrom his displeasure, in whose look serene,When angry most he seemed and most severe,        1095What else but favour, grace, and mercy shon?”

Authority usurped, from God not given!He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl,Dominion absolute; that right we holdBy his donation: but man over menHe made not lord—such title to himself        70Reserving, human left from human free.

Thus laws and ritesEstablished, such delight hath God in men        245Obedient to his will

This yet I apprehend not—why to those        280Among whom God will deign to dwell on EarthSo many and so various laws are given.So many laws argue so many sinsAmong them; how can God with such reside?”

To whom thus Michael:—“Doubt not but that sin        285Will reign among them, as of thee begot;And therefore was law given them, to evinceTheir natural pravity, by stirring upSin against Law to fight, that, when they seeLaw can discover sin, but no remove,        290Save by those shadowy expiations weak,

Some blood more precious must be paid for Man,Just for unjust, that in such righteousness,To them by faith imputed, they may find        295Justification towards God, and peaceOf conscience, which the law by ceremoniesCannot appease, nor man the moral partPerform, and not performing cannot live.So Law appears imperfect, and but given        300With purpose to resign them, in full time,Up to a better covenant, disciplinedFrom shadowy types to truth, from flesh to spirit,From imposition of strict laws to freeAcceptance of large grace, from servile fear        305To filial, works of law to works of faith.

“How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,Measured this transient World, the race of Time,Till Time stand fixed! Beyond is all abyss—        555Eternity, whose end no eye can reach.Greatly instructed I shall hence depart,Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fillOf knowledge, what this vessel can contain;Beyond which was my folly to aspire.

Henceforth I learn that to obey is best,And love with fear the only God, to walkAs in his presence, ever to observeHis providence, and on him sole depend,Merciful over all his works, with good        565Still overcoming evil, and by smallAccomplishing great things—by things deemed weakSubverting worldly-strong, and worldly-wiseBy simply meek; that suffering for Truth’s sakeIs fortitude to highest victory,        570And to the faithful death the gate of life—Taught this by his example whom I nowAcknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.”

This having learned, thou hast attained the sum        575Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the starsThou knew’st by name, and all the ethereal powers,All secrets of the Deep, all Nature’s works,Or works of God in heaven, air, earth, or sea,And all the riches of this world enjoy’dst,        580And all the rule, one empire. Only addDeeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith;Add virtue, patience, temperance; add love,

Wearied, I fell asleep. But now lead on;In me is no delay; with thee to go        615Is to stay here; without thee here to stayIs to go hence unwilling; thou to meArt all things under Heaven, all places thou,Who for my wilful crime art banished hence.

This further consolation yet secure        620I carry hence: though all by me is lost,Such favour I unworthy am voutsafed,By me the Promised Seed shall all restore.”

So spake our mother Eve; and Adam heardWell pleased, by answered not; for now too nigh        625The Archangel stood, and from the other hillTo their fixed station, all in bright array,The Cherubim descended, on the groundGliding meteorous, as evening mistRisen from a river o’er the marish glides,        630And gathers ground fast at the labourer’s heelHomeward returning. High in front advanced,The brandished sword of God before them blazed,Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,And vapour at the Libyan air adust,        635Began to parch that temperate clime;

vwhereatIn either hand the hastening Angel caughtOur lingering Parents, and to the eastern gateLed them direct, and down the cliff as fastTo the subjected plain—then disappeared.        640They, looking back, all the eastern side beheldOf Paradise, so late their happy seat,Waved over by that flaming brand; the gateWith dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms.Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon;        645The world was all before them, where to chooseTheir place of rest, and Providence their guide.They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow,Through Eden took their solitary way

For solitude sometimes is best society,And short retirement urges sweet return.        250But other doubt possesses me, lest harmBefall thee, severed from me; for thou know’stWhat hath been warned us—what malicious foe,Envying our happiness, and of his ownDespairing, seeks to work us woe and shame

By sly assault and somewhere nigh at handWatches, no doubt, with greedy hope to findHis wish and best advantage, us asunder,Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where eachTo other speedy aid might lend at need.        260Whether his first design be to withdrawOur fealty from God, or to disturbConjugal love—than which perhaps no blissEnjoyed by us excites his envy more—Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side        265That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects.The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,Safest and seemliest by her husband stays,Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.”

But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubtTo God or thee, because we have a foe        280May tempt it, I expected not to hear.His violence thou fear’st not, being suchAs we, not capable of death or pain,Can either not receive, or can repel.His fraud is, then, thy fear; which plain infers        285Thy equal fear that my firm faith and loveCan by his fraud be shaken or seduced:

How are we happy, still in fear of harm?But harm precedes not sin: only our FoeTempting affronts us with his foul esteemOf our integrity: his foul esteemSticks no dishonour on our front, but turns        330Foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or fearedBy us, who rather double honour gainFrom his surmise proved false, find peace within,Favour from Heaven, our witness, from the event?And what is faith, love, virtue, unassayed        335Alone, without exterior help sustained?Let us not then suspect our happy stateLeft so imperfet by the Maker wiseAs not secure to single or combined.Frail is our happiness, if this be so;        340And Eden were no Eden, thus exposed.”

But God left free the Will; for what obeysReason is free; and Reason he made right,But bid her well beware, and still erect,Lest, by some fair appearing good surprised,She dictate false, and misinform the Will        355To do what God expressly hath forbid.Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoinsThat I should mind thee oft; and mind thou me,

Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,Since Reason not impossibly may meet        360Some specious object by the foe suborned,And fall into deception unaware,Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warned.

Seek not temptation, then, which to avoidWere better, and most likely if from me        365Thou sever not: trial will come unsought.Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approveFirst thy obedience; the other who can know,Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?

But the hot hell that always in him burns,Though in mid Heaven, soon ended his delight,And tortures him now more, the more he seesOf pleasure not for him ordained. Then soon        470Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughtsOf mischief, gratulating, thus excites:—

Veiled in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood,        425Half-spied, so thick the roses bushing roundAbout her glowed, oft stooping to supportEach flower of tender stalk, whose head, though gayCarnation, purple, azure, or specked with gold,Hung drooping unsustained.

Some cursed fraudOf enemy hath beguiled thee, yet unknown,        905And me with thee hath ruined; for with theeCertain my resolution is to die.How can I live without thee? how forgoThy sweet converse, and love so dearly joined,To live again in these wild woods forlorn?        910Should God create another Eve, and IAnother rib afford, yet loss of theeWould never from my heart. No, no! I feelThe link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh,Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state        915Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe.”

Us, his prime creatures, dignified so high,        940Set over all his works; which, in our fall,For us created, needs with us must fail,Dependent made. So God shall uncreate,Be frustrate, do, undo, and labour lose—

uch of late        1115Columbus found the American, so girtWith feathered cincture, naked else and wild,Among the trees on isles and woody shores.Thus fenced, and, as they thought, their shame in partCovered, but not at rest or ease of mind,        1120They sat them down to weep.

The signal to ascend—sit lingering here,Heaven’s fugitives, and for their dwelling-placeAccept this dark opprobrious den of shame,The prison of His tyranny who reignsBy our delay?

With this advantage, then,        35To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,More than can be in Heaven, we now returnTo claim our just inheritance of old,Surer to prosper than prosperityCould have assured us; and by what best way,        40Whether of open war or covert guile,We now debate. Who can advise may speak.”

Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,God—like erect, with native honour cladIn naked majesty, seemed lords of all,        290And worthy seemed; for in their looks divineThe image of their glorious Maker shon,Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure—Severe, but in true filial freedom placed,Whence true authority in men: though both        295Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed;For contemplation he and valour formed,For softness she and sweet attractive grace;He for God only, she for God in him.His fair large front and eye sublime declared        300Absolute rule; and Hyacinthin locksRound from his parted forelock manly hungClustering, but not beneath his shoulders broad:She, as a veil down to the slender waist,Her unadornèd golden tresses wore        305Dishevelled, but in wanton ringlets wavedAs the vine curls her tendrils—which impliedSubjection, but required with gentle sway,And by her yielded, by him best received—Yielded, with coy submission, modest pride,        310And sweet, reluctant, amorous delay.Nor those mysterious parts were then concealed:Then was not guilty shame.

O thou for whom        440And from whom I was formed flesh of thy flesh,And without whom am to no end, my guideAnd head! what thou hast said is just and right.For we to him, indeed, all praises owe,And daily thanks—I chiefly, who enjoy        445So far the happier lot, enjoying theePre-eminent by so much odds, while thouLike consort to thyself canst nowhere find.

That day I oft remember, when from sleepI first awaked, and found myself reposed,        450Under a shade, on flowers, much wondering whereAnd what I was, whence thither brought, and how.Not distant far from thence a murmuring soundOf waters issued from a cave, and spreadInto a liquid plain; then stood unmoved,        455Pure as the expanse of Heaven.

I thither wentWith unexperienced thought, and laid me downOn the green bank, to look into the clearSmooth lake, that to me seemed another sky.As I bent down to look, just opposite        460A Shape within the watery gleam appeared,Bending to look on me. I started back,It started back; but pleased I soon returnedPleased it returned as soon with answering looksOf sympathy and love.

There I had fixed        465Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire,Had not a voice thus warned 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        470Thy coming, and thy soft imbraces—heWhose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoyInseparably thine; to him shalt bearMultitudes like thyself, and thence be calledMother of human race.’

What could I do,        475But follow straight, invisibly thus led?Till I espied thee, fair, indeed, and tall,Under a platan; yet methought less fair,Less winning soft, less amiably mild,That that smooth watery image. Back I turned;        480Thou, following, cried’st aloud, ‘Return, fair Eve;Whom fliest thou?

Whom thou fliest, of him thou art,His flesh, his bone, to give thee being I lentOut of my side to thee, nearest my heart,Substantial life, to have thee by my side        485Henceforth an individual solace dear:Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claimMy other half.’

With that thy gentle handSeized mine: I yielded, and from that time seeHow beauty is excelled by manly grace        490And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.”