To whom thus Adam, cleared of doubt, "How fully hast thou satisfied me, pure Intelligence of Heaven, angel serene ! And, freed from intricacies, taught to live The easiest way, nor with perplexing thou To interrupt the sweet of life, from which God hath bid dwell far off all anxious care And not molest us, unless we ourselves Seek them with wandering thoughts and n But apt the mind or fancy is to rove Unchecked; and of her roving is no end, Till warned, or by experience taught, she That not to know at large of things remote From use, obscure and subtle, but to know That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime wisdom; what is more, is fum Or emptiness, or fond impertinence, And renders us in things that most concern Unpractised, unprepared, and still to seek. Therefore from this high pitch let us descer A lower flight, and speak of things at hand Useful, whence haply mention may arise Of something not unseasonable to ask, By sufferance and thy wonted favor deigned Thee I have heard relating what was done Ere my remembrance; now hear me relate My story, which perhaps thou hast not hear And day is yet not spent ; till then thou sec How subtly to detain thee I devise, Inviting thee to hear while I relate, Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:
For while I sit with thee I seem in Heaven,
191. at large, widely; in full. 192. subtle, subtile.
194. fume, smoke; vapor. 197. still to seek, still obliged to seek or learn, not having un
derstood; as in Com not think my sister so 202. sufferance, allowance.
209. Fond, foolish.
And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear
Than fruits of palm-tree, pleasantest to thirst And hunger both, from labor, at the hour
Of sweet repast: they satiate and soon fill, Though pleasant; but thy words, with grace divine Imbued, bring to their sweetness no satiety."
To whom thus Raphael answered heavenly meek : "Nor are thy lips ungraceful, sire of men, Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee Abundantly his gifts hath also poured, Inward and outward both, his image fair; Speaking or mute all comeliness and grace Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms. Nor less think we in Heaven of thee on Earth Than of our fellow-servant, and inquire
Gladly into the ways of God with man ;
For God we see hath honored thee, and set On man his equal love.
For I that day was absent, as befell,
Bound on a voyage uncouth and obscure, Far on excursion toward the gates of Hell; Squared in full legion (such command we had) To see that none thence issued forth a spy Or enemy while God was in his work, Lest he, incensed at such eruption bold, Destruction with creation might have mixed. Not that they durst without his leave attempt, But us he sends upon his high behests For state, as sovran king, and to inure Our prompt obedience.
Fast we found, fast shut,
229. that day, the day of the creation of man. - as befell, as it chanced.
230. uncouth, strange; unknown.
239. inure, practise; put in
The dismal gates, and barricadoed strong; But, long ere our approaching, heard withi Noise, other than the sound of dance or so Torment and loud lament and furious rage. Glad we returned up to the coasts of light Ere sabbath evening; so we had in charge But thy relation now; for I attend, Pleased with thy words no less than thou w
So spake the godlike Power, and thus ou "For man to tell how human life began Is hard; for who himself beginning knew? Desire with thee still longer to converse Induced me. As new waked from soundest Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid, In balmy sweat, which with his beams the s Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed Straight toward heaven my wondering eyes And gazed awhile the ample sky, till raised By quick instinctive motion up I sprung, As thitherward endeavoring, and upright Stood on my feet: about me round I saw Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plain And liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by Creatures that lived and moved, and walked Birds on the branches warbling; all things = With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erf Myself I then perused, and limb by limb Surveyed, and sometimes went, and sometim With supple joints, as lively vigor led; But who I was, or where, or from what caus Knew not to speak I tried, and forthwith s My tongue obeyed, and readily could name
247. relation, recital; narrative. attend, wait; wait for
253. Induced me, propose such relation. 263. lapse, flow; gl
Whate'er I saw. And thou enlightened earth, so fresh and gay, Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains, And ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell, Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here? Not of myself; by some great maker then, In goodness and in power preeminent : Tell me how may I know him, how adore, From whom I have that thus I move and live, And feel that I am happier than I know.'
'Thou sun,' said I, 'fair light,
While thus I called, and strayed I knew not whither From where I first drew air and first beheld This happy light, when answer none returned, On a green shady bank, profuse of flowers, Pensive I sat me down; there gentle sleep First found me, and with soft oppression seized My drowsèd sense, untroubled, though I thought 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
One came, methought, of shape divine, And said, 'Thy mansion wants thee, Adam; rise, 296 First man, of men innumerable ordained
First father! called by thee, I come thy guide To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepared.' So 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 seemed. Each tree
281. From whom. we live and move and have our being." Acts xvii. 28.
300-309. Compare IV. 131-149.
Loaden with fairest fruit, that hung to the Tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite To pluck and eat; whereat I waked, and Before mine eyes all real, as the dream Had lively shadowed. Here had new beg My wandering, had not He, who was my g Up hither, from among the trees appeared, Presence divine. Rejoicing, but with awe, In adoration at his feet I fell
Submiss; he reared me, and, 'Whom tho 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 eat: Of every tree that in the garden grows Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no de 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 commar Transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die, From that day mortal, and this happy state Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world Of woe and sorrow.' Sternly he pronounced The rigid interdiction, which resounds Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choi Not to incur; but soon his clear aspect
316. Submiss, submissive, or, as a Latinism, prostrate.-reared, raised.
320. To till and keep. "And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it." Gen. ii. 15.
323. operation, actic 331. mortal, subject 335. though in my ch incur, though it has b my choice not to incur alty.
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