Or, all enjoying, what contentment find?
Thus I presumptuous; and the Vision bright,
As with a smile more brighten'd, thus replied:
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
So ordering: I, with leave of speech implored,

370

375

And humble deprecation, thus replied:

Let not my words offend thee, Heavenly 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
Given and received; but, in disparity
The one intense, the other still remiss,

385

Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove
Tedious alike of fellowship I speak,

Such as I seek, fit to participate

390

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 combined:
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 the Almighty answer'd, not displeased
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?

395

400

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.

405

How have I then with whom to hold converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite descents

410

Beneath what other creatures are to thee?

He ceased; I lowly answer'd: To attain

The height and depth of thy eternal ways

All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things! Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee

415

Is no deficience found: Not so is Man,

But in degree; the cause of his desire

By conversation with his like to help

Like of his like, his image multiplied,

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 pleased,

425

Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt 430

Of union or communion, deified:

I, by conversing, cannot these ercct

From prone; nor in their ways complacence find

Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom used

Permissive, and acceptance found; which gain'd 435
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;

440

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,

445

450

Which it had long stood under, strain'a to the height In that celestial colloquy sublime,

call'd

As with an object that excels the sense
Dazzled and spent, sunk down; and sought repair
Of sleep, which instantly fell on me,
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 :

455

460

Who stooping open'd my left side, and took

From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,

465

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,

470

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,

475

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 uninform'd
Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites :

480

485

Grace was in all her steps, Heaven in her eye,
In every gesture dignity and love.

1, overjoy'd, could not forbear aloud:

490

This turn hath made amends; thou hast fulfill'd

495

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: Woman is her name; of Man
Extracted; for this cause he shall forego
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,

501

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,

505

Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,

Wrought in her so, that seeing me she turn'd:

I follow'd her; she what was honour knew,

And with obsequious majesty approved

My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bower

510

I led her blushing like the morn: All Heaven

And happy constellations on that hour

Shed their selectest influence; the Earth

Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill;

Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs

515

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.

520

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,

525

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,

530

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.

535

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,

550