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A sylvan scene, and, as the ranks ascend,
Shade above shade, a woody theatre.
Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops
The verd'rous wall of Paradise up sprung:
Which to our general sire gave prospect large
Into his nether empire neighb'ring round.
And higher than that wall a circling row
Of goodliest trees, loaden with fairest fruit,
Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colours mix'd:

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On which the sun more glad impress'd his beams

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Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow,

When God hath show'r'd the earth; so lovely seem'd

That landscape: and of pure, now purer air

Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires

Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All sadness but despair; now gentle gales,

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Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense Center

Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Those balmy spoils. As when to them who sail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at sea north-east winds blow

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Sabean odours from the spicy shore un
Of Araby the blest; with such delay

Well pleas'd they slack their course, and many a league,
Cheer'd with the grateful smell, old Ocean smiles:
So entertain'd those odorous sweets the Fiend
Who came their bane, tho' with them better pleas'd
Than Asmodeus with the fishy fume

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That drove him, tho' enamour'd, from the spouse
Of Tobit's son, and with a vengeance sent
From Media post to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' ascent of that steep savage hill
Satan had journey'd on, pensive and slow;
But further way ound none, so thick intwin'd,
As one continued brake, the undergrowth
Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd

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All path of man or beast that pass'd that way:
One gate there only was, and that look'd east
On th' other side; which when the Arch-felon saw,
Due entrance he disdain'd,

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Sitting le limitri

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At one slight bound high overleap'd all bound
Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within
Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf,
Whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey,
Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve,
In hurdled cotes amid the field secure,

Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold; or clos
Or as a thief bent to unhoard the cash

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Of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors,
Cross-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no assault,
In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles:
So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold;
So since into his church lewd hirelings climb.
Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life,
The middle tree and highest there that grew,
Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life

Thereby regain'd, but sat devising death ye
To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought
Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd

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For prospect, what well us'd had been the pledge
Of immortality. So little knows

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In narrow room Nature's whole wealth, yea more,
A Heav'n on Earth: for blissful Paradise

Of God the garden was, by him in th' east
Of Eden planted. Eden stretch'd her line
From Auran eastward to the royal towers
Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings,
Or where the sons of Eden long before

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Dwelt in Telassar; in this pleasant soil
His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd.
Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow
All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste;
And all amid them stood the tree of life,
High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit
Of vegetable gold; and next to life,

Our death, the tree of knowledge, grew fast by,
Knowledge of good bought dear by, knowing ill.
Southward through Eden went a river large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill
Pass'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown
That mountain as his garden mould high rais'd
Upon the rapid current; which through veins
Of porous earth, with kindly thirst up drawn,
Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill
Water'd the garden; thence united, fell
Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood,
Which from his darksome passage now appears,
And now divided into four main streams,
Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm
And country, whereof here needs no account;
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell,

How from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks,
Rolling on orient pearls and sands of gold,
With mazy error under pendent shades
Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed

Flow'rs, worthy' of Paradise, which not nice Art,
In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon

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Pour'd forth profuse on hill and dale and plain,ist

Both where the morning sun first warmly smote
The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade

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Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs. Thus was this place *

A happy rural seat of various view;

Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm,

Others whose fruit, burnish'd with golden rind,

Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true,

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If true, here only', and of delicious taste:
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks,
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos❜d,

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Or palmy hillock'; or the flow'ry lap
Of some irriguous valley spread her store,
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose:
Another side, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine --

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Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creepster

Luxuriant; meanwhile murmʼring waters fall
Down the slope hills, dispers'd, or in a lake,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.
The birds their quire apply; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune
The trembling leaves, while universal Pan,
Knit with the Graces and the Hours, in dance
Led on th' eternal spring. Not that fair field
Of Enna, where Proserpine gathering flowers,
Herself a fairer flow'r, by gloomy Dis

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Was gather'd, which cost Ceres all that pain

To seek her thro' the world; nor that sweet grové

Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' inspir'd

Castalian spring, might with this Paradise

Of Eden strive; nor that Nyseian isle,

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Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham,

Whom Gentiles Ammon call and Libyan Jove,
Hid Amalthea, and her florid son,

Young Bacchus, from his stepdame Rhea's eye;
Nor where Abassin kings their issue guard,
Mount Amara, though this by some suppos'd'
True Paradise, under the Ethiop line
By Nilus' head, enclos'd 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.

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Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honour clad,
In naked majesty seem'd lords of all,
And worthy seem'd; for in their looks divine
The image of their glorious Maker shone,
Truth, wisdom, sanctitude severe and pure,
(Severe but in true filial freedom plac'd).
Whence true authority in men; though both
Not equal, as their sex not equal seem'd;
For contemplation he and valour form'd,
For softness she and sweet attractive grace,
He for God only, she for God in him.
His fair large front and eye sublime declar'd
Absolute rule; and hyacinthine locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clust'ring, but not beneath his shoulders broad:
She, as a veil, down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden tresses wore
Dishevel❜d, but in wanton ringlets way'd
As the vine curls her tendrils, which imply'd
Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway,
And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd.
Yielded with coy submission, modest pride,
And sweet reluctant amorous delay.

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Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal'd;

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Then was not guilty shame, dishonest shame

Of Nature's works, honour dishonourable :
Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind
With shows instead, mere shows of seeming pure,
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 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.

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