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
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;
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
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?
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:
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,
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:
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,
Knew it not good for man to be alone;
And no fuch company as then thou saw'ft Intended thee, for trial only brought,
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,
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;
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,
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.
This turn hath made amends; thou haft fulfill'd Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,
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,
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, .
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 ··
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;
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
In all things elfe delight indeed, but fuch
As us'd or not, works in the mind no change, Nor vehement defire; thefe delicacies
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.
For well I understand in the prime end
Of nature her th' inferiour; in the mind
Her lovelinefs, so abfolute she seems, And in herself compleat, fo well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or fay,
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել » |