Adore thee, Author of this Universe,
And all this good to man, for whofe well being So amply, and with hands fo liberal
Thou haft provided all things: but with me
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 smile more brighten'd, thus reply'd.
What call'st thou folitude, is not the Earth
With various living creatures, and the Aire
Replenisht, and all thefe at thy command
To come and play before thee, know'st thou not
Their language and their ways, they also know,
And reafon not contemptibly; with these
Find paftime, and bear rule; thy Realm is large. 375
So fpake the Universal Lord, and seem'd
So ordering. I with leave of fpeech implor'd,
And humble deprecation thus reply'd.
Let not my words offend thee, Heav'nly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I speak.
Haft thou not made me here thy substitute,
And these inferiour 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 rejoyce
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 Fowle
So well converfe, nor with the Ox the Ape;
Worfe than can Man with Beaft, and leaft of all.
Whereto th' Almighty anfwer'd, not difpleas'd.
A nice and futtle happiness I fee
Thon to thy felf propofeft, in the choice
Of thy Affociates, Adam, and wilt tafte
No pleasure, though in pleafure, folitary.
What thinkft thou then of me, and this my State,
Seem I to thee fufficiently poffeft
Of happiness, or not? who am alone
From all Eternity, for none I know
Second to me or like, equal much lefs.
How have I then with whom to hold converfe Save with the Creatures which I made, and those To me inferiour, infinite descents
Beneath what other Creatures are to thee?
He ceas'd, I lowly anfwer'd. To attain The heighth and depth of thy Eternal ways All human thoughts come fhort, Supream of things; Thou in thy felf art perfect, and in thee Is no deficience found; not fo is Man But in degree, the caufe of his defire By converfation with his like to help, Or folace his defects. No need that thou
Shouldft 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 dearest amity.
Thou in thy fecrefie although alone,
Best with thy felf accompany'd, seek'st not
Social communication, yet fo pleas'd,
Canft raife thy Creature to what heighth 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 435
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 thy felf,
Expeffing well the fpirit within thee free,
My Image, not imparted to the Brute,
Whofe fellowship therefore unmeet for thee
Good reafon was thou freely shouldst dislike,
And be fo minded ftill; I, e'er thou spak'ft,
Knew it not good for Man to be alone,
And no fuch company as then thou saw'st
Intended thee, for trial only brought,
To fee how thou couldst judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring fhall please thee, be affur'd,
Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other felf,
Thy with exactly to thy hearts defire.
He ended, or I heard no more, for now My earthly by his Heav'nly overpower'd, Which it had long stood under, strein'd to the heighth In that celeftial Colloquy fublime,
As with an object that excels the fenfe,
Dazl'd and spent, funk down, and fought repair
Of fleep, which inftantly 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 460
Of Fancy my internal fight, by which
Abstract as in a tranfe methought I faw,
Though fleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape
Still glorious before whom awake I stood;
Who fiooping 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 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 Sex, 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 Aire inspir'd
The fpirit of love and amorous delight.
She difappear'd, and left me dark, 1 wak'd
To find her, or for ever to deplore
Her lofs, and other pleasures to 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 unseen,
And guided by his voice, nor uninform'd
Of nuptial Sanctity and marriage Rites:
Grace was in all her fteps, 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, my Self 495
Before me; Woman is her Name, of Man
Extracted; for this caufe he fhall forgo
Father and Mother, and to his Wife adhere;
And they shall be one Flesh, one Heart, one Soul.
She heard me thus, and tho' divinely brought, 'sco
Yet Innocence and Virgin Modefty,
Her virtue and the confcience of her worth,
That would be woo'd, and net unfought be won,
Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir'd,
The more defirable, or to fay all,
Nature her felf, though pure of finful thought,
Wrought in her fo, that feeing me, the turn'd;
I follow'd her, the what was Honour knew,
And with obfequious Majefty approv'd
|