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BOOK V.

THE ARGUMENT.

MORNING approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her. They come forth to their daylabors; their morning hymn at the door of their bower. God, to render man inexcusable, sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience; of his free estate; of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy; and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise; his appearance described; his coming discerned by Adam afar off sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table. Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel, a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.

Now Morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime
Advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl,
When Adam waked, so customed, for his sleep
Was aery light, from pure digestion bred
And temperate vapors bland, which the only sound
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song

1. Morn. Aurora, the goddess of the morning, announced the coming of the sun, and opened the gates of heaven with her rosy fingers. The stars fled before her as she scattered the dew, orient Dearl.

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Of birds on every bough: so much the more
His wonder was to find unwakened Eve
With tresses discomposed and glowing cheek,
As through unquiet rest: he, on his side
Leaning half raised, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamored, and beheld
Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces; then, with voice
Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand soft touching, whispered thus: "Aw
My fairest, my espoused, my latest found,
Heaven's last best gift, my ever new delight,
Awake! the morning shines, and the fresh fiel
Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spri
Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove,
What drops the myrrh and what the balmy re
How Nature paints her colors, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.”

Such whispering waked her, but with startle On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spake:

"O sole in whom my thoughts find all repos My glory, my perfection, glad I see Thy face, and morn returned; for I this night (Such night till this I never passed) have drea If dreamed, not, as I oft am wont, of thee, Works of day past, or morrow's next design, But of offence and trouble, which my mind Knew never till this irksome night. Methough Close at mine ear one called me forth to walk With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it said, 'Why sleep'st thou, Eve? now is the pleasant

16. Zephyrus. See IV. 329. Flora was the goddess of flowers and spring.

21. prime, earliest mor 23. balmy, bearing b balsam.

The cool, the silent, save where silence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labored song; now reigns
Full orbed the moon and with more pleasing light
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard: heaven wakes with all his eyes,
Whom to behold but thee, Nature's desire?
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.'
I rose as at thy call, but found thee not;
To find thee I directed then my walk;

And on, methought, alone I passed through ways
That brought me on a sudden to the tree
Of interdicted knowledge: fair it seemed,
Much fairer to my fancy than by day;
And, as I wondering looked, beside it stood

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One shaped and winged like one of those from Heaven By us oft seen his dewy locks distilled

Ambrosia; on that tree he also gazed;

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And, O fair plant,' said he,' with fruit surcharged,
Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet,
Nor God, nor man? is knowledge so despised?
Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste?
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold
Longer thy offered good, why else set here?'
This said, he paused not, but with venturous arm
He plucked, he tasted; me damp horror chilled
At such bold words vouched with a deed so bold;
But he thus, overjoyed: O fruit divine,
Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt,
Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit

For gods, yet able to make gods of men ;
And why not gods of men, since good, the more

52. interdicted, forbidden. See Genesis ii. 16, 17.

61. Does either envy or some reserve forbid to taste?

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65

ΤΟ

66. vouched, supported; fol. lowed up.

Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impaired, but honored more?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve,
Partake thou also; happy though thou art,
Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be;
Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods,
Thyself a goddess, not to earth confined,
But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes
Ascend to Heaven, by merit thine, and see
What life the gods live there, and such live the
So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Even to my mouth of that same fruit held part
Which he had plucked; the pleasant savory sm
So quickened appetite, that I, methought,
Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clou
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretched immense, a prospect wid
And various; wondering at my flight and chang
To this high exaltation, suddenly

My guide was gone, and I, methought, sunk dow
And fell asleep; but O how glad I waked
To find this but a dream!" Thus Eve her nig
Related, and thus Adam answered sad :

"Best image of myself and dearer half, The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep Affects me equally; nor can I like

This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear;
Yet evil whence? in thee can harbor none,
Created pure.
But know that in the soul

Are many lesser faculties that serve

Reason as chief; among these Fancy next
Her office holds; of all external things,
Which the five watchful senses represent,

80. by merit thine, which thou deservest. See II. 5.

81. such, such life.

98. uncouth, strange.

She forms imaginations, aery shapes,
Which Reason joining or disjoining frames
All what we affirm or what deny, and call
Our knowledge or opinion; then retires
Into her private cell when Nature rests.
Oft in her absence mimic Fancy wakes
To imitate her; but, misjoining shapes,
Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams,
Ill matching words and deeds long past or late.
Some such resemblances methinks I find
Of our last evening's talk in this thy dream,
But with addition strange; yet be not sad:
Evil into the mind of God or man
May come and go, so unapproved, and leave
No spot or blame behind; which gives me hope
That what in sleep thou didst abhor to dream
Waking thou never wilt consent to do.

Be not disheartened then, nor cloud those looks
That wont to be more cheerful and serene
Than when fair morning first smiles on the world;
And let us to our fresh employments rise
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers
That open now their choicest bosomed smells,
Reserved from night, and kept for thee in store."

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So cheered he his fair spouse, and she was cheered ; But silently a gentle tear let fall

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From either eye, and wiped them with her hair;
Two other precious drops that ready stood,
Each in their crystal sluice, he ere they fell

Kissed as the gracious signs of sweet remorse
And pious awe that feared to have offended.

So all was cleared, and to the field they haste.

107. All what, all things what

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134. remorse, compunction;

sorrow.

135

136. cleared, made clear; explained.

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