By quick instinctive motion up I sprung, As thitherward endeavouring, and upright Stood on my feet; about me round I saw
Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,
And liquid lapse of murm'ring streams; by these, Creatures that liv'd and mov'd, and walk'd, or flew, Birds on the branches warbling; all things smil'd, With fragrance and with joy my heart o'erflow'd. Myself i then perus'd, and limb by limb Survey'd, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran With supple joints, as lively vigour led :
But who I was, or where, or from what cause, Knew not; to speak I try'd, and forthwith spake ; My tongue obcy'd, and readily could name Whate'er I saw. Thou Sun, said fair light,
And thou enlighten'd Earth, so fresh and gay, Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains, 275 Ani 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 pow'r pre-eminent; 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. While thus I call'd, and stray'd I knew not whither, From where I first drew air, and first beheld This happy light, when answer none return'd,
On a green shady bank profuse of flow'rs Pensive I sat me down; there gentle sleep First found me, and with soft oppression seiz'd
My droused 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 mov'd
And liv'd: One came, methought, of shape divine,
My fancy to believe yet had being,
And said, Thy mansion wants thee, Adam, rise,
First man, of men innumerable ordain'd
First Father, call'd by thee I come thy guide To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepar’d.
So saying, by the hand he took me rais'd, 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, inclos'd, with goodliest trees
Planted, with walks, and bow'rs, that what I saw 305 Of earth before scarce pleasant seem'd. Each tree Loaden with fairest fruit, that hung to th' eye
Tempting, stirr'd in me sudden appetite
To pluck and eat: whereat I wak'd, and found Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
Had lively shadow'd: Here had new begun
My wand'ring, had not he who was my guide Up hither, from among the trees appear'd,
Presence divine. Rejoicing, but with awe,
In adoration at his feet I fell
Submiss he rear'd me, and whom thou sought'st 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 dearth; 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 command Transgress'd, inevitably thou shalt die, From that day mortal, and this happy state Shalt lose, expell'd from hence into a world Of woe and sorrow. Sternly he pronounc'd The rigid interdiction, which resounds
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice Not to incur; but soon his clear aspéct Return'd, and gracious purpose thus renew'd. 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 wat'ry residence, Not hither summon'd, 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 cow'ring low With blandishment, each bird stoop'd on his wing. I nam'd them, as they pass'd, and understood Their nature, with such knowledge God indued My sudden apprehension: but in these
I found not what methought I wanted still; And to the heav'nly vision thus presum'd.
O BY what name, for thou above all these, Above mankind, or ought 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
As with a smile more brighten'd, thus reply'd. WHAT call'st thou solitude? s not the earth With various living creatures, and the air Replenish'd, and all these at thy command To come and play before thee?
Their language and their ways? They also know, And reason not contemptibly; with these
Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.
So spake the universal Lord, and seem'd So ord'ring. I with leave of speech implor'd, And humble deprecation thus reply'd.
LET not my words offend thee, heav'nly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I speak.
Hast thou not made me here thy substitute, And these inferior far beneath me set? Among unequals what society
Can sort, what harmony and true delight?
Which must be mutual, in proportion due Giv'n and receiv'd; but in disparity
The one intense, the other still remiss
Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove
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 combin'd; Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl So well converse, nor with the ox the ape; Worse then can man with beast, and least of all. Whereto th' Almighty answer'd not displeas’d. 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 possess'd
Of happiness, or not? Who am alone
From all eternity, for none I know
Second to me or like, equal much less.
Who have I then with whom to hold converse
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