Returned, and gracious purpose thus renewed:
'Not only these fair bounds, but all the earth
To thee and to thy race I give; as lords
Possess it, and all things that therein live,
Or live in sea or air, beast, fish, and fowl.
In sign whereof each bird and beast behold
After their kinds; I bring them to receive
From thee their names, and pay thee feälty
With low subjection; understand the same
Of fish within their watery residence,

Not hither summoned, since they cannot change
Their element to draw the thinner air.’

As thus he spake, each bird and beast behold
Approaching two and two; these cowering low
With blandishment, each bird stooped on his wing.
I named them as they passed, and understood
Their nature, with such knowledge God endued
My sudden apprehension; but in these

I found not what methought I wanted still;
And to the heavenly vision thus presumed:

"O by what name, for thou above all these,
Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher,
Surpassest far my naming, how may I
Adore thee, Author of this universe,

And all this good to man, for whose well-being
So amply, and with hands so liberal,
Thou hast provided all things? but with me
I see not who partakes. In solitude
What happiness, who can enjoy alone,
Or all enjoying what contentment find?'
Thus I presumptuous; and the Vision bright,
As with a smile more brightened, thus replied:

337. purpose, speech; conversation; the French " propos." 350. these refers to beast.

340

345

350

355

360

365

351. stooped is here a partici

ple.

356. presumed to speak.

"What call'st thou solitude ? Is n With various living creatures, and the Replenished, and all these at thy comm To come and play before thee? know Their language and their ways? they a And reason not contemptibly; with the Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm So spake the universal Lord, and seeme So ordering. I, with leave of speech in And humble deprecation, thus replied:

"Let not my words offend thee, hea My Maker, be propitious while I speak. Hast thou not made me here thy substitu And these inferior far beneath me set? Among unequals what society Can sort, what harmony or true delight? Which must be mutual, in proportion due Given and received; but in disparity, The one intense, the other still remiss, Cannot well suit with either, but soon pro Tedious alike. Of fellowship I speak Such as I seek, fit to participate All rational delight, wherein the brute Cannot be human consort: they rejoice Each with their kind, lion with lioness; So fitly them in pairs thou hast combined; Much less can bird with beast, or fish with So well converse, nor with the ox the ape; Worse then can man with beast, and least o

"Whereto the Almighty answered, not d

378. deprecation, entreaty for strings of a musical pardon or forbearance.

384. sort, consort; unite. 387. intense, strained, and remiss, slack or loose, like the

The one being intens

388. Cannot. The is which, as in line 38 396. Converse, asso

'A nice and subtle happiness I see

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice
Of thy associates, Adam, and wilt taste
No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

What think'st thou then of me, and this my state? Seem I to thee sufficiently possessed

Of happiness, or not? who am alone

From all eternity, for none I know
Second to me or like, equal much less.

How have I then with whom to hold converse,
Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite descents

Beneath what other creatures are to thee?'

"He ceased; I lowly answered: To attain The height and depth of thy eternal ways

All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things!
Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee
Is no deficience found; not so is man,
But in degree, the cause of his desire
By conversation with his like to help

400

405

410

415

Or solace his defects. No need that thou

Shouldst propagate, already infinite,

And through all numbers absolute though one;
But man by number is to manifest
His single imperfection, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiplied,
In unity defective, which requires
Collateral love and dearest amity.

413-415. "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! " Romans xi. 33.

417. in degree, in his degree; comparatively.-the cause, which is the cause.

418. Conversation. 396, 408, 432.

See lines

420

425

421. through all numbers absolute. This is a Latinism, meaning absolutely perfect. There seems to be here a play upon the words all numbers and one. 423. single imperfection, imperfection while single.

125. In unity defective, deficient if but one.

Thou in thy secrecy although alone,
Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st
Social communication, yet, so pleased,
Canst raise thy creatures to what height
of union or communion, deified;
I by conversing cannot these erect
From prone, nor in their ways complace
Thus I emboldened spake, and freedom
Permissive, and acceptance found, which
This answer from the gracious voice divi

"Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was And find thee knowing not of beasts alon Which thou hast rightly named, but of th Expressing well the spirit within thee fre My image, not imparted to the brute, Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for the Good reason was thou freely shouldst disli And be so minded still. I, ere thou spak Knew it not good for man to be alone, And no such company as then thou saw'st Intended thee, for trial only brought, To see how thou couldst judge of fit and What next I bring shall please thee, be ass Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self, Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.'

"He ended, or I heard no more; for no My earthly by his heavenly overpowered, Which it had long stood under, strained to In that celestial colloquy sublime,

427. Secrecy. See I. 6.

429. so pleased, if thou art so pleased.

432. these. See lines 369-375. -erect, make upright.

433. From prone, from being prone, with the head or face downwards.

435. Permissive, g lowed.

445. "And the Lor It is not good that be alone." Genesis ii 454. strained. See lin

460

As with an object that excels the sense
Dazzled and spent sunk down, and sought repair
Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called
By nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.
Mine eyes he closed, but open left the cell
Of fancy, my internal sight, by which
Abstract as in a trance methought I saw,
Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake I stood;
Who stooping opened my left side, and took
From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,
And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,
But suddenly with flesh filled up and healed.
The rib he formed and fashioned with his hands;
Under his forming hands a creature grew,

465

470

Manlike, but different sex, so lovely fair

That what seemed fair in all the world seemed now Mean, or in her summed up, in her contained,

And in her looks, which from that time infused
Sweetness into my heart unfelt before,

475

And into all things from her air inspired
The spirit of love and amorous delight.

She disappeared, and left me dark; I waked
To find her, or forever to deplore

Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure:

480

On she came,

When, out of hope, behold her not far off,
Such as I saw her in my dream, adorned
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable.
Led by her heavenly Maker, though unseen,
And guided by his voice, nor uninformed
Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites:

461. fancy, my internal sight. Compare V. 100-111.

462. Abstract, drawn away; out of myself. - Saw, verb neuter. 465-471. See Genesis ii. 21, 22.

485

466. cordial, from the heart. 481. out of hope, beyond my hope; more than I hoped. 484. amiable, lovely.