Permissive, and acceptance found; which gain'd
This answer from the gracious Voice Divine:
Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleased;
And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone,
Which thou hast rightly named, 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 shouldst dislike;
And be so minded still: I, ere thou spakest,
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 meet :
What next I bring shall please thee, be assured,
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 Heavenly overpower'd,
Which it had long stood under, strain'd to the height
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 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 open'd 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 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 sex; so lovely fair,

That what seem'd fair in all the world, seem'd now
Mean, or in her summ'd up, in her contain'd
And in her looks; which from that time infused
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,
And into all things from her air inspired
The spirit of love and amorous delight,
She disappear'd, and left me dark; I waked
To find her, or for ever to deplore

Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure :
When out of hope, behold her, not far off.
Such as I saw her in my dream, adorn'd
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable: On she came,
Led by her Heavenly Maker, though unseen,
And guided by his voice; nor uniform'd
Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites :
Grace was in all her steps, Heaven in her eye,
In every gesture dignity and love.

I, overjoy'd, could not forbear aloud :

This turn hath made amends; thou hast falfill'd

Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,
Giver of all things fair! but fairest this

Of all thy gifts! nor enviest. I now see
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself
Before me; for this cause he shall fore go
Father and mother, and to his wife adhere;
And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.
She heard me thus; and though divinely brought,
Yet innocence, and virgin modesty,

Her virtue, and the conscience of her worth,

That would be woo'd, and not unsought to be won, Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retired,

The more desirable; or, to say all,

Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,
Wrought in her so. that seeing me she turn'd:
follow'd her; she what was honour knew,
And with obsequious majesty approved

My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bower
I led her blushing like the morn: all Heaven
And happy constellations on that hour
Shed their selected influence; the Earth
Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill;
Joyous the birds: fresh gales and gentle airs
Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings
Flung rose, flung odours from the spicy shrub,
Disporting, till the amorous bird of night
Sung spousal, and bid haste the evening star
On his hill top, to light the bridal lamp.

Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought
My story to the sum of earthly bliss,

Which I enjoy; and must confess to find

In all things else delight indeed, but such

As, used or not, works in the mind no change,

Nor vehement desire; these delicacies

I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits and flowers,
Walks, and the melody of birds: but here

Far otherwise, transported I behold,
Transported touch; here passion first I felt,
Commotion strange! in all enjoyments else
Superior and unmoved; here only weak
Against the charm of beauty's powerful glance.
Or nature fail'd in me, and left some part
Not proof enough such object to sustain ;
Or, from my side subducting, took perhaps
More than enough; at least on her bestow'd
Too much of ornament, in outward show
Elaborate, of inward less exact.
For well I understand in the prime end
Of nature her the inferior, in the mind
And inward faculties, which most excel;
In outward also her resembling less

His image who made both, and less expressing
The character of that dominion given
O'er other creatures: yet when I approach

Her loveliness, so absolute she seems And in herself complete, so well to know Her own, that what she wills to do or say Seems wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best: All higher knowledge in her presence falls Degraded; wisdom in discourse with her Loses discountenanced, and like folly shows: Authority and reason on her wait, As one intended first, not after made Occasionally; and, to consummate all, Greatness of mind and nobleness their seat Build in her loveliest, and create an awe About her, as a guard angelic placed. To whom the Angel with contracted brow: Accuse not nature, she hath done her part; Do thou but thine; and be not diffident Of wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when most thou need'st her nigh? By attributing overmuch to things

Less excellent, as thou thyself perceivest.

For, what admirest thou, what transports thee so
An outside? fair, no doubt, and worthy well
Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love;
Not thy subjection: weigh with her thyself;
Then value: Oftimes nothing profits more
Than self esteem, grounded on just and right
Well managed, of that skill the more thou know'st
The more she will acknowledge thee her head,
And to realities yield all her shows:

Made to adorn for thy delight the more,

So awful, that with honour thou mayest love
Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise
But if the sense of touch, whereby mankind
Is propogated, seem such dear delight
Beyond all other; think the same vouchsafed
To cattle and each beast; which would not be
To them made common and divulged, if aught

Therein enjoy'd were worthy to subdue
The soul of man, or passion in him move.
What higher in her society thou find'st

Attractive, human, rational, love still;

In loving thou dost well, in passion not
Wherein true love consists not: Love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his seat
In reason and is judicious; is the scale

By which to Heavenly love thou mayest ascend:
Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause,
Among the beasts no mate for thee was found.

To whom thus, half abash'd, Adam replied:
Neither her outside form'd so fair, nor aught
In procreation common to all kinds
(Though higher of the genial bed by far;
And with mysterious reverence I deem,)
So much delights me, as those graceful acts,
Those thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions mix'd with love
And sweet com pliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of mind, or in us both one soul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair

More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear.
Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose
What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd
Who meet with various objects from the sense
Variously representing; yet still free,

Approve the best, and follow what I approve.
To love thou blamest me not; for love, thou say'st
Leads up to Heaven, is both the way and guide
Bear with me then, iflawful what I ask:

Love not the Heavenly Spirits, and how their love
Express they? by looks only? or do they mix
Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch?

To whom the angel, with a smile that glow'd Celestial rosy red, loves proper hue,

Answer'd: Let it suffice thee that thou know'st