75

This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth, 70
Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest
From Man or Angel the great Architect
Did wifely to conceal, and not divulge
His fecrets to be feann'd by them who ought
Rather admire; or, if they lift to try
Conjecture, he his fabric of the Heavens
Hath left to their difputes, perhaps to move
His laughter at their quaint opinions wide
Hereafter, when they come to model Heaven
And calculate the stars, how they will wield
The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive
To fave appearances, how gird the fphere
With centric and eccentric feribled o'er,
Cycle and epicycle, orb in orb:

Already by thy reafoning this I guess,

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Who art the lead thy offspring, and fuppofeft
That bodies bright and greater fhould not ferve
The lefs not bright, nor Heav'n fuch journeys run,
Earth fitting ftill, when he alone receives
The benefit: confider first, that great
Or bright infers not excellence: the earth
Though, in comparifon of Heav'n, so small,
Nor gift ring, may of folid good contain
More plenty than the fun that barren shines,
Whofe virtue on itfelf works no effect,
But in the fruitful earth; there first receiv'd
His beams, unactive elfe, their vigor find.
Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries
Officious, but to thee earth's habitant.

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105

And for the Heav'n's wide circuit, let it fpeak 100
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
So fpacious, and his line ftretch'd out so far;
That Man may know he dwells not in his own;
An edifice too large for him to fill,
Lodg'd in a small partition, and the reft
Ordain'd for ufes to his Lord beft known.
The fwiftnefs of thofe circles attribute,
Though numberlefs, to his omnipotence,
That to corporeal fubftances could add
Speed almoft fpiritual; me thou think'ft not flow,
Who fince the morning hour fet out from Heaven
Where God refides, and cre mid-day arriv'd
In Eden, diftance inexpreffible

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By numbers that have name.
But this I urge,
Admitting motion in the Heav'ns, to show
Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov'd;
Not that I fo affirm, though so it seem
To thee who haft thy dwelling here on earth.
God to remove his ways from human fenfe,
Plac'd Heav'n from Earth so far, that earthly fight,
If it prefume, might err in things too high,
And no advantage gain. What if the fun
Be center to the world, and other stars
By his attractive virtue and their own
Incited, dance about him various rounds?
Their wand'ring courfe now high, now low, then
hid,

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150

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Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb fuppos'd,
Invifible elfe above all stars, the wheel
Of day and night; which needs not thy belief,
If earth induftrious of herself fetch day
Traveling eat, and with her part averse
From the fun's beam meet night, her other part
Still luminous by his ray. What if that light 140
Sent from her through the wide tranfpicuous air,
To the terreftrial moon be as a flar
Inlightning her by day, as fhe by night
This earth? reciprocal, if land be there,
Fields and inhabitants: Her fpots thou feeft 145
As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce
Fruits in her foften'd foil, for fome to eat
Allotted there; and other funs perhaps
With their attendant moons thou wilt defcry
Communicating male and female light,
Which two great fexes animate the world,
Stor'd in each orb perhaps with fome that live.
For fuch vaft room in nature unpoffefs'd
By living foul, defert and defolate,
Only to fhine, yet fcarce to contribute
Each orb a glimpfe of light, convey'd fo far
Down to this habitable, which returns
Light back to them, is obvious to difpute.
But whether thus thefe things, or whether not,
Whether the fun predominant in Heaven
Rife on the earth, or earth rife on the fun,
He from the eaft his flaming road begin,
Or the from weft her filent course advance
With inoffenfive pace that fpinning fleeps
On her foft axle, while fhe paces even,
And bears thee foft with the fmooth air along,
Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,
Leave them to God above, him ferve and fear;
(f other creatures, as him pleafes beft,
Wherever plac'd, let him difpofe joy thou 170
In what he gives to thee, this Paradife
And thy fair Eve; Heav'n is for thec too high
To know what paffes there; be lowly wife:
Think only what concerns thee and thy being;
Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there
Live, in what state, condition, or degree, 176
Contented that thus far hath been reveal'd
Not of Earth only but of highest Heaven.

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180

To whom thus Adam, clear'd of doubt, reply'd. How fully halt thou fatisfy'd me, pure Intelligence of Heav'n, Angel ferene, And, freed from intricacies, taught to live The cafieft way, nor with perplexing thoughts | To interrupt the fweet of life, from which God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares, 185 And not moleft us, unless we ourselves Seek them with wand'ring thoughts, and notions

vain.

191

But apt the mind or fancy is to rove
Uncheck'd, and of her roving is no end;
Till warn'd, or by experience taught, she learn,
That not to know at large of things remote
From ufe, obfcure and fubtle, but to know
That which before us lics in daily life,
Is the prime wifdom; what is more, is fume,
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,
And renders us in things that most concern
Unpractis'd, unprepar'd, and still to feck,

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Therefore from this high pitch let us descend
A lower flight, and speak of things at hand
Useful, whence haply mention may arise
Of fomething not unfeasonable to ask
By fufferance, and thy wonted favor deign'd.
Thee I have heard relating what was done
Ere my remembrance: now hear me relate
My story, which perhaps thou haft not heard; 205
And day is not yet fpent; till then thou seest
How fubtly to detain thee I devise,
Inviting thee to hear while I relate,
Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:

For while I fit with thee, I feem in Heaven, 210
And sweeter thy difcourfe is to my ear
Than fruits of palm tree pleasantest to thirst
And hunger both, from labor, at the hour
Of sweet repaft; they fatiate, and foon fill
Though pleasant, but thy words with grace di
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vine

Imbued, bring to their sweetness no fatiety. To whom thus Raphael anfwer'd heav'nly meek.

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Nor are thy lips ungraceful, Sire of men,
Nor tongue incloquent; for God on thee
Abundantly his gifts hath alfo pour'd
Inward and outward both, his image fair:
Speaking or mute all comeliness and grace
Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms;
Nor lefs think we in Heav'n of thee on Earth
Than of our fellow-fervant, and inquire
Gladly into the ways of God with Man:
For God we see hath honor'd thee, and fet
On Man his equal love; fay therefore on;
For I that day was abfent, as befel,
Bound on a voyage uncouth and obfcure,
Far on excursion toward the gates of Hell;
Squar'd in full legion (fuch command we had)
To fee that none thence iffued forth a spy,
Or enemy, while God was in his work,
Left he incens'd at fuch eruption bold,
Destruction with creation might have mix'd,
Not that they durft without his leave attempt,
But as he fends upon his high tehosts
For ftate, as Sovran King, and to inure
Our prompt obedience. Faft we found, faft shut
The difmal gates, and barricado'd strong;
But long ere our approaching heard within
Noife, other than the found of dance or song,
Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage.
Glad we return'd up to the coafts of light
Ere fabbath evening: fo we had in charge.
But thy relation now; for I attend,

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Pleas'd with thy words no lefs than thou with mine.

250

Eo fpake the Godlike Pow'r, and thus our fire. For Man to tell how human life began Is hard; for who himself beginning knew? Defire with thee ftill longer to converfe Induc'd me. As new wak'd from foundest sleep Soft on the flow'ry herb I found me laid In balmy fweat, which with his beams the fun Soon dry'd, and on the reaking moisture fed. 256 Strait toward Heav'n my wond'ring eyes I turn'd, And gaz'd a while the ample sky, till rais'd By quick inftinctive motion up I fprung, VOL. II.

With fupple joints, as lively vigor led:

But who I was, or where, or from what cause, 270
Knew not; to fpeak I try'd, and forthwith spake;
My tongue obey'd, and readily could name
What'er I faw. Thou Sun, faid I, fair light,
And thou inlighten'd Earth, fo fresh and gay,
Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and
Plains;
275

And ye that live and move, fair Creatures! tell
| Tell, if ye faw, how came I thus, how here?
Not of myfelf; by fome great Maker then,
In goodness and in pow'r præeminent;
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore, 289
From whom I have that thus I move and live,
And feel that I am happier than I know.
While thus I call'd, and ftray'd I knew not whi
ther,

From where I firft drew air, and first beheld
This happy light, when anfwer none return'd, 285
On a green fhady bank profufe of flowers
Penfive I fat me down; there gentle fleep
First found me, and with foft oppreffion feis'd
My droufed fenfe, untroubled, though I thought
I then was paffing to my former flate

Infenfible, and forthwith to diffolve:

When fuddenly stood at my head a dream,

Whofe inward apparition gently mov'd My fancy to believe I yet had being,

vine,

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And liv'd: One came, me thought, of fhape di

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And faid, Thy manfion wants thee, Adam, rife,
First Man, of men innumerable ordain'd
Firft Father, call'd by thee I come thy guide
To the garden of blifs, thy feat prepar'd.
So faying, by the hand he took me rais'd,
And over fields and waters, as in air
Smooth fliding without step, laft led me up
A woody mountain; whofe high top was plain,
A circuit wide, inclos'd, with goodlieft trees
Planted, with walks, and bow'rs, that what I

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choice

Said mildly, Author of all this thou feest
Above, or round about thee, or beneath.
This Paradife I give thee, count it thine
To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat :
Of every tree that in the garden grows
Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth:
But of the tree whofe operation brings
Knowledge of good and ill, which I have fet
The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith,
Amid the garden by the tree of life,
Remember what I warn thee, fhun to tafle,
And fhun the bitter confequence: for know,
The day thou eat'ft thereof, my fole command
Tranfgrefs'd, inevitably thou fhalt die,
From that day mortal, and this happy ftate
Shait fe, expell'd from hence into a world
Of wee and forrow Sternly he pronounc'd
The rigid interdi&tion, which refounds
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my
Not to incur; but foon his clear afpéc
Return'd, and gracious purpose thus rencw'd.
Not only thefe fair bounds, but all the earth
To thee and to thy race I give; as lords
Poffefs it, and all things that therein live,
Or live in fea, or air, beaft, fish, and fowl,
In fign whereof each bird and beast behold
After their kinds; I bring them to receive
From thee their names, and pay thee feälty
With low fubjection; understand the fame
Of fish within their watry refidence,
Not hither fummon'd, fince they cannot change
Their element to draw the thinner air.
As thus he fpake, each bird and beatt behold
Approaching two and two, thefe cowring low 350
With blandifhment, each bird ftoop'd on his wing.
I nam'd them, as they pafs'd, and understood
Their nature, with fuch knowledge God indued
My fudden apprehenfion: but in thefe

336

And thefe inferior far beneath me fet? Among unequals what fociety

Can fort, what harmony or true delight?

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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 prove
Tedious alike: Of fellowship Ifpeak
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 lioness;
So fitly them in pairs thou haft combin'd;
Much lefs can bird with beaft, or fish with fow!
So well converfe, nor with the ox the ape; 396
Worfe then can man with beaft, and leaft 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.

400

What think it thou then of me, and this my ftate? Seem I to thee sufficiently poffefs'd

340

Of happiness, or not? who am alone

From all eternity, for none I know

Second to me or like, equal much less.

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I found not what methought I wanted ftill; 355 And to the heav'nly vifion thus prefum'd.

O by what name, for thou above all thefe, Above mankind, or ought than mankind higher, Surpaffeft far my naming, how may I Adore thee, Author of this univerfe, And all this good to ma? for whofe well-being So amply, and with hands fo liberal

Thou haft provided all things: but with me

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He ceas'd, I lowly anfwer'd. To attain The highth and depth of thy eternal ways All human thoughts come fort, 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 manifest His fingle imperfection, and beget Like of his like, his image multiply'd, In unity defective, which requires Collateral love, and dearcft amity.

I fee not who partakes. In folitude
What happiness, who can enjoy alone,
Or all enjoying, what contentment find?
Thus I prefumptuous; and the vision bright,
As with a fmile more brighten'd, thus reply'd.
• What call'st thou folitude? is not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all thefe at thy command
To come and play before thee? know'st thou not
Their language and their ways? they alfo know,
And reafon not contemptibly; with thefe
Find paftime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.
So fpake the univerfal Lord, and feem'd
So ord'ring. I with leave of fpeech implor'd,
And humble deprecation thus reply'd.

I by converfing cannot thefe erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find.
Thus I imbolden'd spake, and freedom us'd
Permiffive, and acceptance found, which gain'd
This answer from the gracious voice divine. 436
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 fellowflip therefore unmeet for thee
Good reafon was thou freely fhouldft diflike,
And be fo minded ftill; 1, ere thou spak'ft,`
Knew it not good for Man to be alone,
And no fuch company as then thou faw'st

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445