Under a fhade on flowers, much wond'ring where And what I was, whence thither brought, and how. Not diftant far from thence a murm'ring found Of waters iffu'd from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd Pure as th' expanse of heav'n; I thither went With unexperienc'd 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, juft oppofite
A fhape within the wat'ry gleam appear'd, Bending to look on me: I started back, It started back; but pleas'd I foon return'd, Pleas'd it return'd as foon with anfw'ring looks Of fympathy and love: there I had fix'd
Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire, Had not a voice thus warn'd me, What thou seeft, What there thou feeft, fair creature, is thyfelf; With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no fhadow ftays Thy coming, and thy foft embraces, he Whofe image thou art; him thou fhalt enjoy Infeparably thine, to him fhalt bear Multitudes like thyfelf, and thence be call'd Mother of human race. What could I do, But follow firait, invifibly thus led?
Till I efpy'd thee, fair indeed and tall, Under a platan; yet methought lefs fair, Lefs winning foft, less amiably mild,
Than that smooth wat'ry image: back I turn'd; 480 Thou following cry'dft aloud, Return fair Eve, Whom fly't thou? whom thou fly'st, of him thou art, His flesh, his bone; to give thee be'ing I lent Out of my fide to thee, nearest my heart, Substantial life, to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual folace dear;
Part of my foul I feek thee, and thee claim My other half: with that thy gentle hand Seiz'd mine; I yielded, and from that time fee How beauty is excell'd by manly grace And wifdom, which alone is truly fair.
So fpake our general mother, and with eyes. Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd, And meek furrender, half-embracing lean'd On our first father; half her fwelling breaft Naked met, his, under the flowing gold Of her loose treffes hid: he in delight, Both of her beauty and fubmiffive charms, Smil'd with fuperior love, as Jupiter
On Juno fmiles, when he impregns the clouds That shed May-flow'rs; and press'd her matron lip With kiffes pure Afide the Devil turn'd
For envy; yet with jealous leer malign
Ey'd them afkance, and to himself thus plain'd. Sight hateful, fight tormenting! thus these two, 505 Imparadis'd in one another's arms,
The happier Eden, fhall enjoy their fill Of blifs on blifs; while I to hell am thruft, Where neither joy nor love, but fierce defire, Among our other torments not the leaft, Still unfulfill'd with pain of longing pines. Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd
From their own mouths: all is not theirs it feems; One fatal tree there ftands, of knowledge call'd, Forbidden them to tafte. Knowledge forbidden? 515 Sufpicious, reafonlefs. Why fhould their Lord Envy them that? can it be fin to know? Can it be death? and do they only ftand 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 defire to know, and to reject Envious commands, invented with defign
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt 525 Equal with gods: afpiring to be fuch,
They taste and die: what likelier can enfue? But firft with narrow fearch I must walk round This garden, and no corner leave unfpy'd;
A chance but chance may lead where I may meet 530 Some wand'ring fpi'rit of heav'n by fountain-fide, Or in thick fhade retir'd, from him to draw What further would be learn'd. Live while ye may, Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,
Short pleasures, for long woes are to fucceed.
So faying, his proud ftep he fcornful turn'd,
But with fly circumfpection, and began
Thro' wood, thro' waffe, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam. Mean while in utmost longitude, where heav'n
With earth and ocean meets, the fetting fun
Slowly defcended, and with right aspéct
Against the eastern gate of Paradife Levell'd his ev'ning rays: it was a rock Of alabafter, pil'd up to the clouds, Confpicuous far, winding with one afcent Acceffible from earth, one entrance high; The reft was craggy cliff that overhung Still as it rofe, impoffible to climb. Betwixt thefe rocky pillars Gabriel sat, Chief of th' angelic guards, awaiting night; About him exercis'd heroic games
Th' unarmed youth of heav'n, but nigh at hand Celestial armoury, fhields, helms, and fpears, Hung high, with diamond flaming and with gold. Thither came Uriel, gliding thro' the even On a funbeam, fwift as a fhooting star
In Autum thwarts the night, when vapours fir'd Imprefs the air, and fhows the mariner
From what point of his compafs to beware Impetuous winds: He thus began in hae.
Gabriel, to thee thy courfe by lot hath given. Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place No evil thing approach or enter in.
This day at height of roon-came to my fphere A fpirit zealous, as he feem'd, to know More of th' Almighty's works, and chiefly man, God's latest image: I defcrib'd his way, Bent all on speed, and mark'd his airy gate; But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, foon difcern'd his looks 570 Alien from heav'n, with palions foul cbfcur'd: Mine eye purfu'd him ftill, but under fhade Loft fight of him: one of the banish'd crew, bfear, hath ventur'd from the deep, to raise New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged warrior thus return'd. Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect fight,
Amid the fun's bright circle where thou fitt'ft, See far and wide: in at this gate none pafs
The vigilance here placid, but fuch as come
Well known from heav'n; and fince meridian hour.
No creature thence: if fpi'rit of other fort,
So minded, have o'erleap'd thefe earthy bounds On purpose, hard thou know't it to exclude Spiritual fubftance with corporeal bar. But if within the circuit of these walks, In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tell it, by morrow dawning I fhall know.
So promis'd he; and Uriel to his charge
Return'd, on that bright beam whofe point now rais'd Bore him flope downward to the fun now fall'n 591 Beneath th' Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'à
Diurnal, or this lefs volubile earth,
By fhorter flight to th' eaft, had left him there Arraying with reflected purple' and gold The clouds that on his weftern throne attend. Now came ftill ev'ning on, and twilight gray Had in her fober livery all things elad; Silence accompany'd; for beat and bird, They to their graffy couch, these to their nefts Were flunk, all but the wakeful nightingale; She all night long her amorous defcant fung; Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament With living fapphires: Hefperus, that led The starry hoft, rode brightest, till the moon Rifing in clouded majefty, at length Apparent queen, unveil'd her peerless light, And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve. Fair confort, th' hour Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft, Mind us of like repofe, fince God hath fet Labour and reft, as day and night, to men Succeffive; and the timely dew of fleep
Now falling with foft flumb'rous weight, inclines 615 Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long Rove idly unemploy'd, and lefs need reft; Man hath his daily work of body' or mind Appointed, which declares his dignity, And the regard of heav'n on all his ways; While other animals unactive range, And of their doings God takes no account. To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east With first approach of light, we must be rifen, And at our present labour, to reform Yon flow'ry arbours, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, That mock our fcant manuring, and require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth: Thofe bloffoms alfo, and thofe dropping gums, 630
« הקודםהמשך » |