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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

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Eat freely with glad heart; for here no dearth:
Put 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,

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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 cowring low, 350
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 endued
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 aught than mankind higher,
Surpassest far my naming, how may I
Adore thee, author of this universe,

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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 brighten'd, thus reply'd:
What call'st thou Solitude? is not the Earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command
To come and play before thee? know'st thou not
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

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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. 380
Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,
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
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

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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
Seem I to thee sufficiently possess'd
Of happiness, or not? who am alone
From all eternity, for none I know

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state?

Second to me or like, equal much less.

Who 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?

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He ceas'd, I lowly answer'd: to attain The heighth 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,

Or solace his defects. No need that thou

Shouldst propagate, already infinite,

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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 multiply'd,
In unity defective, which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.
Thou in thy secrecy although alone,
Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not

Social communication, yet so pleas'd,

Canst raise thy creature to what heighth thou wilt Of union or communion, deify'd;

I by conversing cannot these erect

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From prone, nor in their ways complacence find. Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom us'd Permissive, and acceptance found, which gain'd This answer from the gracious voice divine :

Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleas'd, And find thee knowing not of beasts alone, Which thou had rightly nam'd, but of thyself, Expressing well the spirit within thee free, My image, not imparted to the brute, Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee Good reason was thou freely should'st dislike And be so minded still; I, ere thou spak'st, 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 could'st judge of fit and meet ; What next I bring shall please thee, be assur'd, Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self, Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.

He ended, or I heard no more, for now

My earthly by his heav'nly overpower'd,

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Which it had long stood under, strain'd to th' heighth

In that celestial colloquy sublime,

As with an object that excels the sense

Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair
Of Sleep, which instantly fell on me, call'd
By Nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes.
Mine eyes he clos'd, but open left the cell 460
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 Į stood :
Who stooping open'd my left side, and took

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