As Man ere long, and this new world shall know.
Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face; Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and defpair; 115 Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.
For heav'nly minds from fuch distempers foul Are ever clear. Whereof he foon aware,
Each perturbation smooth'd with outward calm, 120 Artificer of fraud; and was the first
That practis'd falshood under faintly show, Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge:
Yet not enough had practis'd to deceive
Uriel once warn'd; whose eye pursued him down 125 The way he went, and on th' Affyrian mount Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall Spirit of happy fort: his geftures fierce He mark'd and mad demeanour, then alone, As he fuppos'd, all unobferv'd, unseen. So on he fares, and to the border comes Of Eden, where delicious Paradise, Now nearer, crowns with her inclosure green, As with a rural mound, the champaign head Of a steep wilderness, whofe hairy fides With thicket overgrown, grotefque and wild, Access deny'd; and over head up grew Infuperable highth of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm, A fylvan scene, and as the ranks afcend Shade above shade, a woody theatre
Of itatelieft view. Yet higher than their tops
The verd❜rous wall of Paradise up sprung: Which to our general fire gave prospect large Into his nether empire neighb'ring round. And higher than that wall a circling row Of goodlieft trees loaden with fairest fruit, Bloffoms and fruits at once of golden hue, Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colors mix'd:
On which the fun more glad imprefs'd his beams 150 Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow, When God hath fhow'r'd the earth; fo lovely feem'd That landfkip: And of pure now purer air Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All fadnefs but defpair: now gentle gales Fanning their odoriferous wings difpenfe Native perfumes, and whisper whence they ftole Thofe balmy spoils. As when to them who fail Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are paft Mozambic, off at fea north-eaft winds blow Sabean odors from the fpicy fhore
Of Araby the bieft; with fuch delay
Well pleas'd they flack their course, and many a league Chear'd with the grateful fmell old Ocean smiles: 165 So entertain'd thofe odorous fweets the Fiend
Who came their bane, though with them better pleas'd Than Afmodeus with the fifhy fume
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the spouse Of Tobit's fon, and with a vengeance sent From Media poft to Egypt, there fast bound. Now to th' afcent of that steep favage hill
Satan had journey'd on, penfive and flow;
But further way found none, so thick intwin'd, As one continued brake, the undergrowth Of fhrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd All path of man or beast that pass'd that One gate there only was, and that look'd east On th' othar fide: which when th' arch-felon faw, Due entrance he disdain'd, and in contempt, At one flight bound high over leap'd all bound Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf, Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve 185 In hurdled cotes amid the field fecure,
Leaps o'er the fence with ease into the fold: Or as a thief bent to unhord the cafh
Of fome rich burgher, whofe fubftantial doors, Crofs-barr'd and bolted faft, fear no affault, In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles : So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold; So fince into his church lewd hirelings climb. Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life, The middle tree and highest there that Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life Thereby regain'd, but fat devifing death
To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd
For profpect, what well us'd had been the pledge 200
Of immortality. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to their meanest use. Beneath him with new wonder now he views To all delight of human sense expos'd In narrow room Nature's whole wealth, yea more, A Heav'n on Earth: for blissful Paradife Of God the garden was, by him in th' east Of Eden planted; Eden stretch'd her line From Auran eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the fons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telaffar: in this pleasant soil His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd; Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow All trees of nobleft kind for fight, fmell, tafte; And all amid them ftood the tree of life, High eminent, blooming ambrofial fruit Of vegetable gold; and next to life,
Our death the tree of knowledge grew faft by, Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill. Southward through Eden went a river large, Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill Pass'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown 225 That mountain as his garden mound high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst up drawn, Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill Water'd the garden; thence united fell Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood, Which from his darksome passage now appears,
And now divided into four main streams,
Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm
And country, whereof here needs no account;
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell,
How from that faphir fount the crifped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and fands of gold, With mazy error under pendent shades Ran nectar, vifiting each plant, and fed
Flow'rs, worthy' of Paradise, which not nice Art In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon Pour'd forth profuse on hill and dale and plain, Both where the morning fun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs: Thus was this place A happy rural feat of various view;
Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, Others whose fruit burnish'd with golden rind
Hung amiable, Hefperian fables true,
If true, here only', and of delicious taste: Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd,
Or palmy hilloc; or the flow'ry lap
Of fome irriguous valley fpread her store,
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose: Another fide, umbrageous grots and caves Of cool recefs, o'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; mean while murm'ring waters fall Down the flope hills, difpers'd, or in a lake, That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
« ՆախորդըՇարունակել » |