Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his dignity,
And the regard of Heav’n on all his ways;
While other animals unactive range,
And of their doings God takes no account.
To morrow ere fresh morning streak the east
With first approach of light, we must be ris’n,
And at our pleasant labor, to reform
Yon flow’ry arbors, yonder allies green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our scant manuring628, and require
More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth:
Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,
That lie bestrown unsightly and unsmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;
Meanwhile, as nature wills, night bids us rest.”
To whom thus Eve with perfect beauty adorned.
“My author and disposer635, what thou bidd’st
Unargued I obey; so God ordains,
God is thy Law, thou mine: to know no more
Is woman’s happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee conversing I forget all time,
All seasons640 and their change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm642 of earliest birds; pleasant the sun
When first on this delightful land he spreads
His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow’r,
Glist’ring with dew; fragrant the fertile earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful evening mild, then silent night
With this her solemn bird648 and this fair moon,
And these the gems of heav’n, her starry train:
But neither breath of morn when she ascends
With charm of earliest birds, nor rising sun
On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flow’r,
Glist’ring with dew, nor fragrance after showers,
Nor grateful evening mild, nor silent night
With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,
Or glittering starlight without thee is sweet.
But wherefore all night long shine these, for whom
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?”
To whom our general ancestor replied.
“Daughter of God and man, accomplished Eve,
These661 have their course to finish, round the Earth,
By morrow evening, and from land to land
In order, though to nations yet unborn,
Minist’ring light prepared, they set and rise;
Lest665 total darkness should by night regain
Her old possession, and extinguish life
In nature667 and all things, which these soft fires
Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat
Of various influence foment and warm,
Temper or nourish, or in part shed down
Their stellar virtue on all kinds that grow
On earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the sun’s more potent ray.
These then, though unbeheld in deep of night,
Shine not in vain, nor think, though men were none,
That heav’n would want spectators, God want praise;
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:
All these with ceaseless praise his works behold
Both day and night: how often from the steep
Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive each to other’s note
Singing their great Creator: oft in bands
While they keep watch, or nightly rounding685 walk
With Heav’nly touch of instrumental sounds
In full harmonic number joined, their songs
Divide the night688, and lift our thoughts to Heaven.”
Thus talking hand in hand alone they passed
On to their blissful bower690; it was a place
Chos’n by the sov’reign planter, when he framed
All things to man’s delightful use; the roof
Of thickest covert was inwoven shade
Laurel and myrtle694, and what higher grew
Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side
Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub
Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flow’r,
Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine
Reared high their flourished heads between, and wrought
Mosaic; underfoot the violet,
Crocus, and hyacinth701 with rich inlay
Broidered the ground, more colored than with stone
Of costliest emblem703: other creature here
Beast, bird, insect, or worm durst enter none;
Such was their awe of man. In shady705 bower
More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,
Pan or Silvanus never slept, nor nymph,707
Nor Faunus707 haunted. Here in close708 recess
With flowers709, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs
Espousèd Eve decked first her nuptial bed,
And Heav’nly choirs the hymenaean711 sung,
What day the genial712 angel to our sire
Brought her in naked beauty more adorned,
More lovely than Pandora714, whom the Gods
Endowed with all their gifts, and O too like
In sad event, when to the unwiser son
Of Japhet717 brought by Hermes, she ensnared
Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged
On him who had stole Jove’s authentic719 fire.
Thus at their shady lodge arrived, both stood
Both turned, and under open sky adored
The God that made both sky, air, Earth and heav’n
Which they beheld, the moon’s resplendent globe
And starry pole724: “Thou also mad’st the night,
Maker omnipotent, and thou the day,
Which we in our appointed work employed
Have finished happy in our mutual help
And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss
Ordained by thee, and this delicious place
For us too large, where thy abundance wants
Partakers, and uncropped falls to the ground.
But thou hast promised from us two a race
To fill the Earth733, who shall with us extol
Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,
And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep735.”
This736 said unanimous, and other rites
Observing none, but adoration pure
Which God likes best, into their inmost bow’r
Handed739 they went; and eased the putting off
These troublesome disguises which we wear,
Straight side by side were laid, nor741 turned I ween
Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Mysterious of connubial love refused:
Whatever hypocrites744 austerely talk
Of purity and place and innocence,
Defaming as impure what God declares
Pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all.
Our Maker bids increase, who bids abstain
But our destroyer, foe to God and man?
Hail wedded love, mysterious law, true source
Of human offspring, sole propriety751,
In Paradise of all things common else.
By thee adulterous lust was driv’n from men
Among the bestial herds to range, by thee
Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,
Relations dear, and all the charities756
Of father, son, and brother first were known.
Far be it, that I should write thee sin or blame,
Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,
Perpetual fountain760 of domestic sweets,
Whose bed is undefiled761 and chaste pronounced,
Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.
Here love763 his golden shafts employs, here lights
His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,
Reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile
Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared,
Casual fruition, nor in court amours
Mixed dance768, or wanton masque, or midnight ball,
Or serenade, which the starved769 lover sings
To his proud fair, best quitted770 with disdain.
These lulled by nightingales embracing slept,
And on their naked limbs the flow’ry roof
Show’red roses, which the morn repaired773. Sleep on
Blest pair774; and O yet happiest if ye seek
No happier775 state, and know to know no more.
Now had night measured with her shadowy cone776
Half way up hill this vast sublunar vault776,
And from their ivory port778 the Cherubim
Forth issuing at th’ accustomed hour stood armed
To their night watches in warlike parade,
When Gabriel to his next in power thus spake.
“Uzziel782, half these draw off, and coast the south
With strictest watch; these other wheel the north,
Our circuit meets full west.” As flame they part
Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear.
From these, two strong and subtle spirits he called
That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge.
“Ithuriel and Zephon788, with winged speed
Search through this garden, leave unsearched no nook,
But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,
Now laid perhaps asleep secure791 of harm.
This evening from the sun’s decline arrived
Who793 tells of some infernal spirit seen
Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escaped
The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt:
Such where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.”
So saying, on he led his radiant files,
Dazzling the Moon; these798 to the bower direct
In search of whom they sought: him there they found
Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve;
Assaying by his devilish art to reach
The organs of her fancy802, and with them forge
Illusions as he list, phantasms and dreams,
Or if, inspiring804 venom, he might taint
Th’ animal spirits that from pure blood arise
Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise
At least distempered, discontented thoughts,
Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires
Blown up with high conceits engend’ring pride.
Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear
Touched lightly; for no falsehood can endure
Touch of celestial temper812, but returns
Of force to its own likeness: up he starts
Discovered and surprised. As when a spark
Lights815 on a heap of nitrous powder, laid
Fit for the tun some magazine to store816
Against a rumored war, the smutty grain
With sudden blaze diffused, inflames the air:
So started up in his own shape the fiend.
Back stepped those two fair angels half amazed
So sudden to behold the grisly821 king;
Yet thus, unmoved with fear, accost him soon.
“Which of those rebel spirits adjudged to Hell
Com’st thou, escaped thy prison, and transformed,
Why sat’st thou like an enemy in wait
Here watching at the head of these that sleep?”
“Know ye not then,” said Satan, filled with scorn,
“Know ye not me? Ye knew me once no mate
For you, there sitting where ye durst not soar;
Not to know me argues830 yourselves unknown,
The lowest of your throng; or if ye know,
Why ask ye, and superfluous begin
Your message, like to end as much in vain?”
To whom thus Zephon, answering scorn with scorn.
“Think not,835 revolted Spirit, thy shape the same,
Or undiminished brightness836, to be known
As when thou stood’st in Heav’n upright and pure;
That glory then, when thou no more wast good,
Departed from thee, and thou resemblest now
Thy sin and place of doom obscure and foul.
But come, for thou, be sure, shalt give account
To him who sent us, whose charge is to keep
This place inviolable, and these from harm.”
So spake the Cherub, and his grave rebuke
Severe845 in youthful beauty, added grace
Invincible: abashed the Devil stood,
And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Virtue in her shape how lovely848, saw, and pined
His loss; but chiefly to find here observed
His luster visibly impaired; yet seemed
Undaunted. “If I must contend,” said he,
“Best with the best, the sender not the sent,
Or all at once; more glory will be won,
Or less be lost.” “Thy fear,” said Zephon bold,
“Will save us trial what the least can do
Single against thee wicked, and thence weak.”
The fiend replied not, overcome with rage;
But like858 a proud steed reined, went haughty on,
Champing his iron curb: to strive or fly
He held it vain; awe from above had quelled
His heart, not else dismayed. Now drew they nigh
The western point, where those half-rounding862 guards
Just met, and closing stood in squadron joined
Awaiting next command. To whom their chief
Gabriel from the front thus called aloud.
“O friends, I hear the tread of nimble feet
Hasting this way, and now by glimpse discern
Ithuriel and Zephon through the shade868,
And with them comes a third of regal port,
But faded splendor wan; who by his gait870
And fierce demeanor seems the Prince of Hell,
Not likely to part hence without contest;
Stand firm, for in his look defiance lours.”
He scarce had ended, when those two approached
And brief related whom they brought, where found,
How busied, in what form and posture couched.
To whom with stern regard thus Gabriel spake.
“Why hast thou, Satan, broke the bounds prescribed
To thy transgressions879, and disturbed the charge
Of others, who approve880 not to transgress
By thy example, but have power and right
To question thy bold entrance on this place;
Employed it seems to violate sleep, and those
Whose dwelling God hath planted here in bliss?
To whom thus Satan, with contemptuous brow.
“Gabriel, thou hadst in Heav’n th’ esteem of wise886,
And such I held thee; but this question asked
Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain?
Who would not, finding way, break loose from Hell,
Though thither doomed? Thou wouldst thyself, no doubt,
And boldly venture to whatever place
Farthest from pain, where thou mightst hope to change
Torment with ease, and soonest recompense893
Dole with delight893, which in this place I sought;
To thee no reason; who know’st only good,
But evil hast not tried: and wilt object896
His will w
ho bound us? Let him surer bar
His iron gates, if he intends our stay
In that dark durance899: thus much what was asked.
The rest is true, they found me where they say;
But that implies not violence or harm.”
Thus he in scorn. The warlike angel moved,
Disdainfully half smiling thus replied.
“O loss of one904 in Heav’n to judge of wise,
Since Satan fell, whom folly overthrew,
And now returns906 him from his prison scaped,
Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise
Or not, who ask what boldness brought him hither
Unlicensed from his bounds in Hell prescribed;
So wise he judges it to fly from pain
However911, and to scape his punishment.
So judge thou still, presumptuous, till the wrath,
Which thou incurr’st by flying, meet thy flight
Sevenfold, and scourge that wisdom back to Hell,
Which taught thee yet no better, that no pain
Can equal anger infinite provoked.
But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee
Came not all Hell broke loose? Is pain to them
Less pain, less to be fled, or thou than they
Less hardy to endure? Courageous chief,
The first in flight from pain, hadst thou alleged
To thy deserted host this cause of flight,
Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive.”
To which the fiend thus answered frowning stern.
“Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain,
Insulting angel, well thou know’st I stood926
Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid
The928 blasting volleyed thunder made all speed
And seconded thy else not dreaded spear.
But930 still thy words at random, as before,
Argue thy inexperience what behooves
From hard assays and ill successes past
A faithful Leader, not to hazard all
Through ways of danger by himself untried.
I therefore, I alone first undertook
To wing the desolate abyss, and spy
This new created world, whereof in Hell
Fame is not silent, here in hope to find
Better abode, and my afflicted939 powers
To settle here on Earth, or in mid-air940;
Though for possession put to try once more
What thou and thy gay942 legions dare against;
Whose easier business were to serve their Lord
High up in Heav’n, with songs to hymn his throne,
And practiced distances945 to cringe, not fight.”
To whom the warrior angel, soon replied.
“To say and straight unsay, pretending first
Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy,
Argues no949 leader but a liar traced,