by John Milton
Nor where Abassin280 kings their issue guard,
Mount Amara, though this by some supposed
True Paradise under the Ethiop line
By Nilus’ head, enclosed with shining rock,
A whole day’s journey high, but wide remote
From this Assyrian garden, where the fiend
Saw undelighted all delight, all kind
Of living creatures new to sight and strange:
Two of far nobler shape erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honor clad
In naked majesty seemed lords of all,
And worthy seemed, for in their looks divine
The image of their glorious Maker shone,
Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure,
Severe but in true filial freedom placed;
Whence true authority in men; though both
Not equal, as their sex not equal seemed;
For contemplation he and valor formed,
For softness she and sweet attractive grace,
He for God only, she for God in him:
His fair large front300 and eye sublime declared
Absolute rule; and hyacinthine301 locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clust’ring, but not beneath his shoulders broad:
She as a304 veil down to the slender waist
Her unadornèd golden tresses wore
Disheveled, but in wanton306 ringlets waved
As the vine curls her tendrils, which implied
Subjection, but required with gentle sway,
And by her yielded, by him best received,
Yielded with coy310 submission, modest pride,
And sweet reluctant311 amorous delay.
Nor those mysterious312 parts were then concealed,
Then was not guilty shame, dishonest shame
Of nature’s works, honor dishonorable,
Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind
With shows instead, mere shows of seeming pure,
And banished from man’s life his happiest life,
Simplicity and spotless innocence.
So passed they naked on, nor shunned the sight
Of God or angel, for they thought no ill:
So hand in hand they passed, the loveliest pair
That ever since in love’s embraces met,
Adam the goodliest man of men since born
His sons, the fairest of her daughters Eve.
Under a tuft of shade that on a green
Stood whispering soft, by a fresh fountain side
They sat them down, and after no more toil
Of their sweet gard’ning labor than sufficed
To recommend cool Zephyr329, and made ease
More easy, wholesome thirst and appetite
More grateful, to their supper fruits they fell,331
Nectarine332 fruits which the compliant boughs
Yielded them, sidelong as they sat recline
On the soft downy bank damasked334 with flow’rs:
The savory pulp they chew, and in the rind
Still as they thirsted scoop the brimming stream;
Nor gentle purpose337, nor endearing smiles
Wanted338, nor youthful dalliance as beseems
Fair couple, linked in happy nuptial league,
Alone as they. About them frisking played
All beasts of th’ earth, since wild, and of all chase341
In wood or wilderness, forest or den;
Sporting the lion ramped343, and in his paw
Dandled344 the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards,
Gamboled before them, th’ unwieldy elephant
To make them mirth used all his might, and wreathed
His lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly
Insinuating348, wove with Gordian twine
His braided train, and of his fatal guile
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass
Couched, and now filled with pasture gazing sat,
Or bedward ruminating352: for the sun
Declined was hasting now with prone career353
To th’ ocean isles354, and in th’ ascending scale
Of heav’n the stars that usher evening rose:
When Satan still in gaze, as first he stood356,
Scarce thus at length failed speech recovered sad.
“O Hell! What do mine eyes with grief behold,
Into our room of bliss thus high advanced
Creatures of other mold360, earth-born perhaps,
Not spirits, yet to Heav’nly spirits bright361
Little inferior361; whom my thoughts pursue
With wonder, and could love, so lively shines
In them divine resemblance, and such grace
The hand that formed them on their shape hath poured.
Ah gentle pair, ye little think how nigh
Your change approaches, when all these delights
Will vanish and deliver ye to woe,
More woe, the more your taste is now of joy;
Happy, but for so happy370 ill secured
Long to continue, and this high seat your Heav’n
Ill fenced for Heav’n to keep out such a foe
As now is entered; yet no purposed foe
To you whom I could pity thus forlorn
Though I unpitied: league with you I seek,
And mutual amity so strait376, so close,
That I with you must dwell, or you with me
Henceforth; my dwelling haply may not please
Like this fair Paradise, your sense, yet such
Accept your Maker’s work; he380 gave it me,
Which I as freely give; Hell shall unfold,
To entertain you two, her widest gates382,
And send forth all her kings; there will be room,
Not like these narrow limits, to receive
Your numerous offspring; if no better place,
Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge
On you who wrong me not for387 him who wronged.
And should I at your harmless innocence
Melt, as I do, yet public reason just389,
Honor and empire with revenge enlarged,
By conquering this new world, compels me now
To do what else though damned I should abhor.”
So spake the fiend, and with necessity,
The tyrant’s plea, excused his devilish deeds.
Then from his lofty stand on that high tree
Down he alights among the sportful herd
Of those four-footed kinds, himself now one,
Now other, as their shape served best his end
Nearer to view his prey, and unespied
To mark what of their state he more might learn
By word or action marked: about them round
A lion402 now he stalks with fiery glare,
Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied
In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play,
Straight couches close, then rising changes oft
His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground
Whence rushing he might surest seize them both
Gripped in each paw: when Adam first of men
To first of women Eve thus moving speech,
Turned him all ear410 to hear new utterance flow.
“Sole partner and sole411 part of all these joys,
Dearer thyself than all; needs must the power
That made us, and for us this ample world
Be infinitely good, and of his good
As liberal and free as infinite,
That raised us from the dust and placed us here
In all this happiness, who at his hand
Have nothing merited, nor can perform
Aught whereof he hath need, he who requires
From us no other service than to keep
This one, this easy charge, of all the trees
In Paradise that bear delicious f
ruit
So various, not to taste that only Tree
Of Knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life,
So near grows death to life, whate’er death is425,
Some dreadful thing no doubt; for well thou know’st
God hath pronounced it death to taste that Tree,
The only sign of our obedience left
Among so many signs of power and rule
Conferred upon us, and dominion giv’n
Over all other creatures that possess
Earth, air, and sea. Then let us not think hard
One easy prohibition, who enjoy
Free leave so large to all things else, and choice
Unlimited of manifold delights:
But let us ever praise him, and extol
His bounty, following our delightful task
To prune these growing plants, and tend these flow’rs,
Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.”
To whom thus Eve replied. “O thou for whom
And from whom I was formed flesh of thy flesh,
And without whom am to no end, my guide
And head, what thou hast said is just and right.
For we to him indeed all praises owe,
And daily thanks, I chiefly who enjoy
So far the happier lot, enjoying thee
Preeminent by so much odds447, while thou
Like consort to thyself canst nowhere find.
That day I oft remember, when from sleep
I first awaked, and found myself reposed
Under a shade on451 flow’rs, much wond’ring where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
Of waters issued from a cave and spread
Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved
Pure as th’ expanse of heav’n; I thither went
With unexperienced thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky.
As I bent down to look, just opposite,460
A shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared
Bending to look on me, I started back,
It started back, but pleased I soon returned,
Pleased it returned as soon with answering looks
Of sympathy and love; there I had fixed
Mine eyes till now, and pined466 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 stays470
Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
Whose image thou art, him thou shall enjoy
Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called
Mother of human race.’ What could I do,
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a platan478, yet methought less fair,
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
Than480 that smooth wat’ry image; back I turned,
Thou following cried’st aloud, ‘Return fair Eve,
Whom fli’st thou? Whom thou fli’st, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart
Substantial life, to have thee by my side
Henceforth an individual486 solace dear;
Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim487
My other half487.’ With that thy gentle hand
Seized mine, I yielded, and from that time see
How beauty is excelled by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.”
So spake our general mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreproved493,
And meek surrender, half embracing leaned
On our first father, half her swelling breast
Naked met his under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight
Both of her beauty and submissive charms
Smiled499 with superior love, as Jupiter
On Juno smiles, when he impregns500 the clouds
That shed May flowers; and pressed her matron lip
With kisses pure: aside the Devil turned
For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained.
“Sight hateful, sight tormenting! Thus these two505
Imparadised in one another’s arms
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust508,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
Among our other torments not the least,
Still511 unfulfilled with pain of longing pines;
Yet let me not forget what I have gained
From their own mouths; all is not theirs it seems:
One fatal Tree there stands of Knowledge called,
Forbidden them to taste: knowledge515 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?
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 unspied;
A chance but chance530 may lead where I may meet
Some wand’ring spirit of Heav’n, by fountain side,
Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
What further would be learned. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.”
So saying, his proud step he scornful turned,
But with sly circumspection, and began
Through wood, through waste, o’er hill, o’er dale his roam.
Meanwhile in utmost longitude539, where heav’n
With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun
Slowly descended, and with right aspect541
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Leveled his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still548 as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel549 sat
Chief of th’ angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercised heroic games
Th’ unarmèd youth of Heav’n, but nigh at hand
Celestial armory, shields, helms, and spears,
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even555
On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star
In autumn thwarts557 the night, when vapors fired
Impress558 the air, and shows the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.
“Gabriel, to thee561 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 highth of noon came to my sphere
A Spirit, zealous, as h
e seemed, to know
More of th’ Almighty’s works, and chiefly man
God’s latest Image: I described567 his way
Bent all on speed, and marked his airy gait568;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks
Alien from Heav’n, with passions foul obscured:
Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
Lost sight of him; one of the banished crew
I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.”
To whom the wingèd warrior thus returned:
“Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
Amid the sun’s bright circle where thou sitst,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance580 here placed, but such as come
Well known from Heav’n; and since meridian hour
No creature thence: if spirit of other sort,
So minded, have o’erleaped these earthy bounds
On purpose, hard thou knowst 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 promised he, and Uriel to his charge
Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised
Bore him slope downward591 to the sun now fall’n
Beneath th’ Azores; whether592 the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither rolled
Diurnal594, or this less voluble Earth
By shorter flight to th’ east, had left him there
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
The clouds that on his western throne attend:
Now came still evening on, and twilight gray
Had in her sober livery all things clad;
Silence accompanied, for beast and bird,
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale;
She all night long her amorous descant603 sung;
Silence was pleased: now glowed the firmament
With living sapphires: Hesperus605 that led
The starry606 host, rode brightest, till the moon
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
Apparent608 Queen unveiled her peerless light,
And o’er the dark her silver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve: “Fair consort, th’ hour
Of night, and all things now retired to rest
Mind us of like repose, since God hath set
Labor and rest, as day and night to men
Successive, and the timely dew of sleep
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines
Our eyelids; other creatures all day long
Rove idle unemployed, and less need rest;
