The soul of man, or pallion in him move. 585
What higher in her society thou find it
Attractive, human, rational, love ftill;
In loving thou dost well, in paffior not,
Wherein true love consists not: love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his seat 590
In reason, and is judicious; is the scale
By which to heav'nly love thou may'st ascend,
Not funk in carnal pleasure; for which cause
Among the beasts no mate for thee was found,

To whom thus half abalh'd Adam reply'd. 595
Neither her outside form'd fo fair, nor ought
In procreation common to all kinds
(Though higher of the genial bed by far
And with mysterious reverence I deem),
So much delights me, as those graceful acts, 600
Those thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions mix'd with love
And sweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of mind, or in us both one soul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair

605 More grateful than harmonious found to th'ear. Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose What inward thence I feel; not therefore foil'd, Who meet with various objects, from the sense Variously representing ; yet ftill free

616 Approve the best, and follow what I

approve. To love thou blam'st me not; for love thou say'lt Leads up to heaven, is both the way and guide : Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask; Love not the heavenly spi'rits, and how their love 619 Express they, by looks only', or do they mix Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch?

To whom the angel, with a smile that glow'd Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue, Answer'd. Let it fuffice thee that thou know'st 628

US

Us happy', and without love no happiness.
Whatever pure thou in thy body' enjoy'lt,
(And pure thou wert created), we enjoy
In eminence, and obstacle find none
Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars; 625
Eafier than air with air, if spi'rits embrace,
Total they mix, union of pure with pure
Defiring; nor restrain'd conveyance deed,
As flesh to mix with flesh, or soul with soul.
But I can now no more; the parting sun 630
Beyond the earth's green cape and verdant ifles
Hesperian fets, my signal to depart.
Be strong, live happy', and love; but first of all
Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command; take heed left pafsion (way 635
Thy judgment to do ought which else free-wili
Would not admit; thine, and of all thy fons,
The weal or woe in thee is plac'd; beware.
I in thy perfevering Chall rejoice,
And all the bless’d: stand fast; to stand or fall
Free in thine own arbitrement it lies.
Perfect within, no outward aid require;
And all temptation to transgress repel.

So saying, he arose ; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction. Since to part,
Go heav'nly guest, ethereal messenger,
Sent from whose fov'reign goodnels I adore.
Gentle to me and affable hath been
Thy condescendion, and fhall be honour'd ever
With grateful memory : thou to mankind

650 Be good and friendly fill, and oft return.

So parted they; the angel up to heaven
From the thick Shade, and Adam to bis bower,

640

645

END of the EIGHTH Book.

ARGU

Satan having compassed the earth, with meditated guile

returns as a mist by night into Paradise, and enters into the ferpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours; which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart : Adam confents not, alleging the danger, left that ene mry, of whom they were forrwarned, mould attempt her, found alone : . Eve, loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the ruther defirous to make trial of her strength: sdam at lajt yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then Speaking, with much flattery extolling. Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to bear the ferpent Speak, asks how he attained to buman speech and such understanding not till now; the firpent answers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden be attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden : the serpent now! grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; me, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at laft brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof: Adam at first amazed but perceiving her lof, refolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trefpafs, eats also of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance, and accufation of one' another.

PARADISE

PARADISE LOST.

B 0 0 K

IX.

NO

O more of talk where God or angel guest

With man, as with his friend, familiar us'd To fit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repast, permitting him the while Venial discourse unblam'd: I now must change 5. Those notes to tragic; fout diffruft, and breach Difoyal on the part of man, revolt And disobedience; on the part of heaven Now alienated, diftance and diftafte, Anger and just rebuke, and judgment giv'n 10 That brought into this world a world of woe, Sin, and her shadow Death, and Misery Death's harbinger : Sad task, yet argument Not less, but more heroic than the wrath Of ftern Achilles on his foe pursu'd

15 Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage Of Turnus for Lavinia difefpous'd; Or Neptune's ire, or Juno's, that so long Perplex'd the Greek, and Cytherea's fon; If answerable style I can obtain

20 Of my celestial patroness, who deigns Her nightly visitation unimplorid, And dictates to me flumb'ring,

to me slumb'ring, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse:

Since first this subject for heroic song

25
Pleas'd me, long chusing, and beginning late;
Not sedulous by nature to indite
Wars, hitherto the only argument
Heroic deem'd, chief mast'ry to diffe
With long and tedious havock fabled knights 30
In battles feign'd; the better fortitude
Of patience and heroic martyrdom
Unsung; or to describe races and games
Or tilting furniture, imblazon'd shields,
Impreses quaint, caparisons, and steeds ;

35
Bales and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knights
At joust and tournament; then marshall'd feast
Sery'd up in hall, with fewers and senelhals;
The skill of artifice or office mean,
Nor that which justly gives heroic name

40
To person or to poem. Me of these
Nor skill'd nor Audious, higher argument
Remains, sufficient of itself to raise
That name, unless an age too late, or cold
Climate, or years damp my intended wing 45
Depress'd; and much they may if all be mine,
Not hers who brings it nightly to my ear.

The sun was sunk, and after him the star
Of Hefperus, whose office is to bring
Twilight upon the earth, short arbiter
'Twixt day and night, and now from end to end
Night's hemisphere had veil'd th' horizon round:
When Satan, who late fled before the threats
Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improv'd
In meditated fraud and malice, bent

55
On man's destruction, mavgre what might hap
Of heavier on himself, fearless returo'd.
By night he fled, and at midnight return'd
From compafling the carth, cautious of day,

Sinec

50