Find paftime, and bear rule: thy realm is large. 375
So fpake the universal Lord, and feem'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 Pow'r!
My Maker, be propitious while I speak!
Haft thou not made me here thy fubftitute,
And these inferior 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 prove
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
So well converfe, nor with the ox the ape:
Worse, then, can man with beast, and least of all.
Whereto th' Almighty answer'd, not difpleas'd:
A nice and fubtle happiness I fee
Thou to thyself propofeft, in the choice
Of thy affociates, Adam, and wilt tafte
No pleasure, though in pleasure, folitary.
What think'ft thou then of me, and this my ftate?
Seem I to thee fufficiently poffefs'd
Of happiness, or not? who am alone
L. 396. Ape.] Sax. i. e. a monkey. There are several forts of them; baboons and monkeys have tails, which the ape wants. It. is the mimick of mankind. The ancients believed this creature came nearest to the human species of all other animals; but the chimpanze found lately in Africa comes nearer by far to the refemblance of man and woman.
Second to me, or like; equal much less.
How have I then with whom to hold converfe,
Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite defcents
Beneath what other creatures are to thee?
He ceas'd; I lowly answer'd: To attain
The height and depth of thy eternal ways,
All human thoughts come fhort, Supreme of things!
Thou in thyfelf art perfect, and in thee
Is no deficience found: not so 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
His fingle imperfection, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiply'd,
In unity defective; which requires
Collateral love, and deareft amity.
Thou in thy fecrecy, although alone,
Beft with thyself accompany'd, feek'st not
Social communication; yet fo pleas'd,
Canft raise thy creature to what height thou wilt
Of union or communion, deify'd:
I by converfing cannot these 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
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 thyfelf,
Expreffing well the fpi'rit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute;
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee
Good reafon was thou freely fhouldst dislike;
And be fo minded ftill: I, ere thou spak'st,
Knew it not good for man to be alone;
And no fuch company as then thou faw'st
Intended thee, for trial only brought,
To fee how thou couldft judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring shall please thee, be affur'd,
Thy likenefs, thy fit help, thy other felf,
Thy wish, exactly to thy heart's defire.
He ended, or I heard no more; for now
My earthly by his heav'nly 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 instantly 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 fhape
Still glorious before whom awake I ftood;
Who ftooping open'd my left fide, and took
From thence a rib, with cordial fpirits 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 infpir'd.
The fpi'rit of love, and amorous delight.
She disappear'd, and left me dark; I wak'd
To find her, or for ever to deplore
Her lofs, and other pleafures 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 beftow
To make her amiable: on she came,
Led by her heav'nly Maker, though unfeen,
And guided by his voice, nor uninform'd
Of nuptial fanctity and marriage-rites:
Grace was in all her steps, heav'n in her eye,
In every gefture 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 cause he fhall forego
Father and mother, and to' his wife adhere;
And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one foul.
She heard me thus; and though divinely brought, 500
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 defireable; or, to say all,
Nature herself, though pure of finful thought,
Wrought in her fo, that feeing me, the turn'd
I follow'd her; fhe what was honour knew,
And with obfequious majesty approv'd
L. 496. Woman.] Sax. q. d. the womb of man, or, the wo of man, because of the sin and misery she has brought upon man.
My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bow'r
I led her, blushing like the morn: all heav'n,
And happy conftellations, on that hour
Shed their felecteft 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 rofe, flung odours from the spicy fhrub,
Difporting, till the amorous bird of night
Sung fpoufal, and bid hafte the ev❜ning star
On his hill-top, to light the bridal lamp.
Thus I have told thee all my ftate, and brought
My ftory to the fum of earthly bliss
Which I enjoy; and muft confess to find
In all things else delight indeed; but such
As us❜d or not, works in the mind no change,
Nor vehement defire; these delicacies
I mean, of tafte, fight, fmell, herbs, fruits, and flow'rs, Walks, and the melody of birds: but here
Far otherwife, tranfported I behold,
Transported touch; here paffion first I felt,
Commotion ftrange, in all enjoyments elfe
Superior and unmov'd, here only weak
Against the charm of beauty's pow'rful glance.
Or nature fail'd in me, and left fome part
Not proof enough fuch object to sustain ;
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' inferior; in the mind,.
And inward faculties, which moft excel;
In outward also her refembling lefs
His image who made both, and lefs expreffing.
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