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Find paftime, and bear rule; thy realm is large. 375
So fpake the univerfal Lord, and seem'd

So ord'ring. I, with leave of fpeech implor'd,
And humble deprecation, thus reply'd.

Let not my words offend thee, heav'nly power,
My Maker, be propitious while I fpeak.
Haft thou not made me here thy substitute,
And thefe inferiour far beneath me fet?
Among unequals what fociety

prove

Can fort, what harmony or true delight?
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Giv'n and receiv'd; but in difparity
The one intenfe, the other ftill remifs,
Cannot well fuit with either, but foon
Tedious alike. Of fellowship I speak
Such as I feek, fit to participate
All rational delight, wherein the brute
Cannot be human confort: they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lionefs;
So fitly them in pairs thou haft combin'd;

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Much lefs can bird with beast, or fish with fowl 395 So well converfe, nor with the ox the ape;

Worfe then can man with beaft, and least of all.

Whereto th' Almighty anfwer'd, not difpleas'd.

A nice and fubtle happiness I fee

Thou to thyfelf propofeft, in the choice
Of thy affociates, Adam, and wilt tafte
No pleasure, though in pleasure, folitary.
What think'st thou then of me, and this
Seem I to thee fufficiently poffefs'd
Of happiness, or not? who am alone
From all eternity; for none I know

my

ftate?

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Second to me, or like; equal much lefs.

How have I then with whom to hold converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and thofe

To me inferiour, infinite defcents
Beneath what other creatures are to thee?

410

He ceas'd; Ilowly anfwer'd. To attain The height and depth of thy eternal ways All hunian thoughts come fhort, Supreme of things! Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee Is no deficience found: not fo is man, But in degree; the cause of his defire By converfation with his like to help,

Or folace his defects. No need that thou

Shouldit propagate, already infinite,"

And through all numbers abfolute, though one:

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But man by number is to manifeft

His fingle imperfection, and beget

Like of his like, his image multiply'd,
In unity defective, which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.
Thou in thy fecrecy although alone,

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Beft with thyself accompanied, feek'st not
Social communication; yet fo pleas'd,

Canft raife thy creature to what height thou wilt
Of union or communion, deify'd:

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I by converfing cannot thefe erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom us'd

Permiffive, and acceptance found; which gain'd 435
This anfwer 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 haft rightly nam'd, but of thyself,
Expreffing well the fpi'rit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute;
Whofe fellowship, therefore unmeet for thee
Good reason was thou freely fhouldst dislike;
And be fo minded ftill: I, ere thou spak'it,

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Knew it not good for man to be alone;

And no fuch company as then thou saw'ft
Intended thee, for trial only brought,

445

To fee how thou couldst judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring fhall please thee, be affur'd,
Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other felf,
Thy with exactly to thy heart's defire.

He ended, or I heard no more; for now
My earthly by his heavenly overpower'd,

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Which it had long stood under, ftrain'd to th' height In that celeftial colloquy fublime,

As with an object that excels the fenfe

Dazzled and spent, funk down, and fought repair
Of fleep, which inftantly 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
Of fancy, my internal fight, by which
Abstract as in a trance methought I faw,
Though fleeping, where I lay, and faw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake I ftood;

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Who ftooping open'd my left fide, and took 465
From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,
And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,
But fuddenly with flesh fill'd up, and heal'd:
The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands;
Under his forming hands a creature grew,
Manlike, but different fex, fo lovely fair,
That what feem'd fair in all the world, feem'd now
Mean, or in her fumm'd up, in her contain'd,
And in her looks; which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

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And into all things from her air inspir’d
The fpirit of love, and amorous delight.

She difappear'd, and left me dark; I wak'd
To find her, or for ever to deplore

Her lofs, and other pleasures all abjure:
When out of hope, behold her, not far off,
Such as I faw her in my dream, adorn'd
With what all earth or heaven could bestow
To make her amiable: on fhe came,
Led by her heavenly Maker, though unseen,
And guided by his voice, nor uninform'd
Of nuptial fanctity and marriage-rites:

Grace was in all her fteps, heaven in her eye,
In every gesture dignity and love.

I overjoy'd could not forbear aloud.

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This turn hath made amends; thou haft fulfill'd Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,

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Giver of all things fair, but faireft this
Of all thy gifts, nor envieft. I now fee
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself
Before me woman is her name, of man
Extracted; for this caufe he fhall forego. ·
Father and mother, and to' his wife adhere;
And they fhall be one flesh, one heart, one foul.
She heard me thus; and though divinely brought,

Yet innocence, and virgin modefty,

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Her virtue, and the confcience of her worth,

That would be woo'd, and not unfought be won,

Not obvious, not obtrufive, but retir'd,

The more defirable, or, to fay all, .

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Nature herself, though pure of finful thought,

Wrought in her fo, that feeing me, fhe turn'd:
I follow'd her; fhe what was honour knew,

And with obfequious majesty approv❜d ··

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My pleaded reafon. To the nuptial bower
I led her blushing like the morn: all heaven,
And happy conftellations, on that hour
Shed their selecteft influence; the earth
Gave fign of gratulation, and each hill;

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Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs
Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings.
Flung rofe, flung odours from the spicy shrub,
Difporting, till the amorous bird of night
Sung fpoufal, and bid hafte the ev'ning-ftar
On his hill-top, to light the bridal lamp.
Thus I have told thee all my state, and brought
My story to the fum of earthly blifs
Which I enjoy; and must confess to find

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In all things elfe delight indeed, but fuch

As us'd or not, works in the mind no change,
Nor vehement defire; thefe delicacies

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I mean, of tafte, fight, fmell, herbs, fruits, and flowers;
Walks, and the melody of birds but here
Far otherwife, tranfported I behold,

:

Tranfported touch; here paffion first I felt,
Commotion ftrange, in all enjoyments else
Superiour and unmov'd, here only weak
Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance.
Or nature fail'd in me, and left fome part
Not proof enough fuch object to fuftain;
Or from my fide fubducting, took perhaps
More than enough; at least on her bestow'd
Too much of ornament, in outward fhow
Elaborate, of inward lefs exact.

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For well I understand in the prime end

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Of nature her th' inferiour; in the mind

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Her lovelinefs, so abfolute she seems,
And in herself compleat, fo well to know

Her own, that what she wills to do or fay,

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