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And banish'd from man's life his happiest life,
Simplicity and spotless innocence!

So pass'd they naked on, nor shunn'd the sight
Of God or Angel; for they thought no ill:
So hand in hand they pass'd, the lovliest 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 gardening labour than sufficed
To recommend cool Zephyr, and made ease
More easy, wholesome thirst and appetite
More grateful, to their supper fruits they fell
Nectarine fruits which the compliant boughs
Yielded them, sidelong as they sat recline
On the soft downy bank damask'd with flowers:
The savoury pulp they chew, and in the rind,
Still as they thirsted, scoop the brimming stream;

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Nor gentle purpose, nor endearing smiles

Wanted, nor youthful dalliance, as beseems

Fair couple, link'd in happy nuptial league,

Alone as they. About them frisking play'd

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All beasts of the earth, since wild, and of all chase
In wood or wilderness, forest or den;

Sporting the lion ramp'd, and in his paw,

Dandled the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards,

Gambol'd before them; the unwieldy elephant.

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To make them mirth, used all his might, and wreath'd His lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly,

Insinuating, wove with Gordian twine

His braided train, and of his fatal guile
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass
Couch'd, and now fill'd with pasture gazing sat,
Or bedward ruminating; for the sun,
Declined, was hasting now with prone career
To the ocean isles, and in the ascending scale

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Of Heaven the stars that usher evening rose :
When Satan still in gaze, as first he stood,
Scarce thus at length fail'd speech recover'd sad :
O Hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold!
Into our room of bliss thus high advanced
Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps,
Not Spirits, yet to heavenly Spirits bright
Little inferior: whom my thoughts pursue
With wonder, and could love, so lively shines

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In them divine resemblance, and such grace

The hand that form'd them on their shape hath pour'd. Ah! gentle pair, ye little think how nigh

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Your change approaches, when all these delights

Will vanish, and deliver ye to woe;

More woe, the more you tas.e is now of joy;

Happy, but for so happy ill secured

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Long to continue, and this high seat your Heaven

Ill fenced for Heaven to keep out such a foe

As now is enter'd; yet no purposed foe
To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn,
Though I unpitied League with you I seek,
And mutual amity, so straight, 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; he gave it me,
Which I as freely give: Hell shall unfold,
To entertain you two, her widest gates,

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And send forth all her kings; there will be room,

Not like these narrow limits, to conceive

Your numerous offspring; if no better place,

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Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge

On you who wrong me not for him who wrong'd.
And should I at your harmless innocence
Melt, as I do, yet public reason just,`

Honour and empire with revenge enlarged,

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By conquering this new world, compel me now
To do what else, though damn'd, 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,

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To mark what of their state he more might learn, 400 By word or action mark'd: About them round

A lion 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 405
His couchant watch, as one chose his ground,
Whence rushing, he might surest seize them both,
Griped in each paw: when Adam, first of men,
To first of women, Eve, thus moving speech,
Turn'd him, all ear to hear new utterance flow:
Sole partner and sole 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

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As liberal and free as infinite;

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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

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This one, this easy charge, of all the trees
In Paradise that bear delicious fruit

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 is,

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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

Conferr'd upon us, and dominion given

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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,

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To prune these growing plants and tend these flowers, Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.

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To whom thus Eve replied: O thou for whom 440 And from whom I was form'd, 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 for the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst no where find. That day I oft remember, when from sleep I first awaked, and found myself reposed Under a shade on flowers, much wondering 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 the expanse of Heaven; I thither went With unexperienced thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me seem'd another sky. As I bent down to look, just opposite A shape within the watery gleam appear'd, Bending to look on me. I started back; It started back: but pleased I soon return'd;

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Pleased it return'd as soon with answering looks
Of sympathy and love: There I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pined with vain desire,
Had not a voice thus warn'd me; "What thou seest,
What there thou seest, fair Creature, is thyself;

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With thee it came and goes: but follow me,
And I will bring thee where no shadow stays
Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
Whose image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy
Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be call'd
Mother of human race." What could I do,
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a platane; yet methought less fair
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,

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Than that smooth watery image: back I turn'd; 480 Thou following criedst aloud," Return, fair Eve;

Whom fliest thou? whom thou fliest, 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 individual solace dear;

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Part of my soul I seek thee, and thee claim

My other half:" With that thy gentle hand

Seized mine I yielded; and from that time see

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Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight,

Both of her beauty and submissive charms,

Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds

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That shed May flowers; and press'd her matron lip

With kisses pure: Aside the Devil turn'd

For envy; yet with jealous leer malign

Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plain'd:

Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two, Imparadised in one another's arms,

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