I then was passing to my former state Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve :
When suddenly stood at my head a dream, Whose inward apparition gently moved
My fancy to believe I yet had being,
And lived: 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 prepared. Eo saying, by the hand he took me raised, 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, enclosed, with goodliest trees
Planted, with walks and bowers; that what I saw 305 Of Earth before scarce pleasant seem'd. Loaden with fairest fruit that hung to the eye
Tempting, stirr'd in me sudden appetite
To pluck and eat; whereat I waked, and found
Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
Had lively shadow'd: Here had new begun My wandering, 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.
This Paradise I give thee, count it thine To till and keep, and of the fruit to cat:
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, expell'd from hence into a world Of woe and sorrow. Sternly he pronounce 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 fealty
With low subjection; understand the same
Of fish within their watery residence,
Not hither summon'd, since they cannot change Their element, to draw the thinner air.
And thus he spake, each bird and beast behold Approaching two and two; these cowering low With blandishment; each bird stoop'd on his wing. I named them as they pass'd, and understood Their nature, with such knowledge God endued My sudden apprehension: But in these
I found not what methought I wanted still; And to the heavenly Vision thus presumed:
O, by what name, for thou above all these, Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher, Surpassest far my naming; how may I Adore thee, Author of this universe,
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,
Or, all enjoying, what contentment find? Thus I presumptuous; and the Vision bright, As with a smile more brighten'd, thus replied: What call'st thou solitude? Is not the Earth With various living creatures, and the air Replenish'd, and all these at thy command To come and play before thee? Know'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 ordering: I, with leave of speech implored,
Let not my words offend thee, Heavenly Power;
And humble deprecation, thus replied:
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, or true delight? Which must be mutual, in proportion due Given and received; 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 combined: 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 the Almighty answer'd, not displeased: 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 possess'd
Of happiness, or not? who am alone From all eternity; for none I know Second to me or like, equal much less.
How have I then with whom to hold converse,
Save with the creatures which I made, and those To me inferior, infinite descents
Beneath what other creatures are to thee?
He ceased; I lowly answer'd: To attain
The height and depth of thy eternal ways
All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things! Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee
Is no deficience found: Not so is Man,
But in degree; the cause of his desire By conversation with his like to help
Or solace his defects. No need that thou
Shouldst propagate, already Infinite;
And through all numbers absolute, though One:
But Man by number is to manifest
His single imperfection, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiplied, In unity defective; which requires Collateral love, and dearest amity. Thou in thy secrecy although alone,
Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not
Social communication; yet, so pleased,
Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt 430 of union or communion, deified:
I, by conversing, cannot these erect
From prone; nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom used
Permissive, and acceptance found; which gain'd 435 This answer from the gracious Voice Divine : Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased; And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone, Which thou hast rightly named, but of thyself; Expressing well the spirit within thee free, My image, not imparted to the brute;
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike; And be so minded still: I, ere thou spakest, Knew it not good for Man to be alone : And no such company as then thou saw'st Intended thee; for trial only brought,
To see how thou couldst judge of fit and meet : What next I bring shall please thee, be assured, Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self, Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.
He ended, or I heard no more; for now My earthly by his heavenly overpower'd,
Which it had long stood under, strain'd to the height In that celestial colloquy sublime,
As with an object that excels the sense
Dazzled and spent, sunk down; and sought repair Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, call'd By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes. Mine eyes he closed, but open left the cell Of fancy, my internal sight; by which, Abstract as in a trance, methought I saw, Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape Still glorious before whom awake I stood : Who stooping open'd my left side, and took From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm, And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound, But suddenly with flesh fill'd up and heal'd: The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands; Under his forming hands a creature grew, Manlike, but different sex; so lovely fair, That what seem'd fair in all the world, seem'd now Mean, or in her summ'd up, in her contain'd
And in her looks; which from that time infused Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,
And into all things from her air inspired The spirit of love and amorous delight.
She disappear'd, and left me dark; I waked To find her, or for ever to deplore
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