The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)

  Equal with gods; aspiring to be such,

  They taste and die: what likelier can ensue?

  But first with narrow search I must walk round

  This garden, and no corner leave unspied;

  530 A chance but chance may lead where I may meet

  Some wand’ring Spirit of Heav’n, by fountain side,

  Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw

  What further would be learnt. Live while ye may,

  Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,

  535 Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.

  So saying, his proud step he scornful turned,

  But with sly circumspection, and began

  Through wood, through waste, o’er hill, o’er dale his roam.

  Meanwhile in utmost longitude, where heav’n

  540 With earth and Ocean meets, the setting sun

  Slowly descended, and with right aspéct

  Against the eastern gate of Paradise

  Levelled his evening rays: it was a rock

  Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,

  545 Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent

  Accessible from earth, one entrance high;

  The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung

  Still as it rose, impossible to climb.

  Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat

  550 Chief of th’ angelic guards, awaiting night;

  About him exercised heroic games

  Th’ unarméd youth of Heav’n, but nigh at hand

  Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears,

  Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.

  555 Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even

  On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star

  In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired

  Impress the air, and shows the mariner

  From what point of his compass to beware

  560 Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.

  Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath giv’n

  Charge and strict watch that to this happy place

  No evil thing approach or enter in;

  This day at heighth of noon came to my sphere

  565 A Spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know

  More of th’ Almighty’s works, and chiefly man

  God’s latest image: I described his way

  Bent all on speed, and marked his airy gait;

  But in the mount that lies from Eden north,

  570 Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks

  Alien from Heav’n, with passions foul obscured:

  Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade

  Lost sight of him; one of the banished crew

  I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise

  575 New troubles; him thy care must be to find.

  To whom the wingéd warrior thus returned:

  Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,

  Amid the sun’s bright circle where thou sitt’st,

  See far and wide: in at this gate none pass

  580 The vigilance here placed, but such as come

  Well known from Heav’n; and since meridian hour

  No creature thence: if Spirit of other sort,

  So minded, have o’erleaped these earthy bounds

  On purpose, hard thou know’st it to exclude

  585 Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.

  But if within the circuit of these walks,

  In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom

  Thou tell’st, by morrow dawning I shall know.

  So promised he, and Uriel to his charge

  590 Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised

  Bore him slope downward to the sun now fall’n

  Beneath the Azores; whether the prime orb,

  Incredible how swift, had thither rolled

  Diurnal, or this less volúble earth

  595 By shorter flight to th’ east, had left him there

  Arraying with reflected purple and gold

  The clouds that on his western throne attend:

  Now came still ev’ning on, and twilight grey

  Had in her sober livery all things clad;

  600 Silence accompanied, for beast and bird,

  They to their grassy couch, these to their nests

  Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale;

  She all night long her amorous descant sung;

  Silence was pleased: now glowed the firmament

  605 With living sapphires: Hesperus that led

  The starry host, rode brightest, till the moon

  Rising in clouded majesty, at length

  Apparent queen unveiled her peerless light,

  And o’er the dark her silver mantle threw.

  610 When Adam thus to Eve: Fair consort, th’ hour

  Of night, and all things now retired to rest

  Mind us of like repose, since God hath set

  Labour and rest, as day and night to men

  Successive, and the timely dew of sleep

  615 Now falling with soft slumb’rous weight inclines

  Our eye-lids; other creatures all day long

  Rove idle unemployed, and less need rest;

  Man hath his daily work of body or mind

  Appointed, which declares his dignity,

  620 And the regard of Heav’n on all his ways;

  While other animals unactive range,

  And of their doings God takes no account.

  Tomorrow ere fresh morning streak the east

  With first approach of light, we must be ris’n,

  625 And at our pleasant labour, to reform

  Yon flow’ry arbours, yonder alleys green,

  Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,

  That mock our scant manuring, and require

  More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth:

  630 Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,

  That lie bestrewn 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.

  635 My author and disposer, 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,

  640 All seasons and their change, all please alike.

  Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,

  With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the sun

  When first on this delightful land he spreads

  His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow’r,

  645 Glist’ring with dew; fragrant the fertile earth

  After soft showers; and sweet the coming on

  Of grateful ev’ning mild, then silent night

  With this her solemn bird and this fair moon,

  And these the gems of heav’n, her starry train:

  650 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 ev’ning mild, nor silent night

  655 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.

  660 Daughter of God and man, accomplished Eve,

  Those have their course to finish, round the earth,

  By morrow ev’ning, and from land to land

  In order, though to nations yet unborn,

  Minist’ring light prepared, they set and rise;

  665 Lest total darkness should by night re
gain

  Her old possession, and extinguish life

  In nature and all things, which these soft fires

  Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat

  Of various influence foment and warm,

  670 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,

  675 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

  680 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

  685 While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk

  With Heav’nly touch of instrumental sounds

  In full harmonic number joined, their songs

  Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven.

  Thus talking hand in hand alone they passed

  690 On to their blissful bower; 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 myrtle, and what higher grew

  695 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

  700 Mosaic; underfoot the violet,

  Crocus, and hyacinth with rich inlay

  Broidered the ground, more coloured than with stone

  Of costliest emblem: other creature here

  Beast, bird, insect, or worm durst enter none;

  705 Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower

  More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,

  Pan or Silvanus never slept, nor nymph,

  Nor Faunus haunted. Here in close recess

  With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs

  710 Espousèd Eve decked first her nuptial bed,

  And Heav’nly choirs the hymenean sung,

  What day the genial angel to our sire

  Brought her in naked beauty more adorned,

  More lovely than Pandora, whom the gods

  715 Endowed with all their gifts, and O too like

  In sad event, when to th’ unwiser son

  Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnared

  Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged

  On him who had stole Jove’s authentic fire.

  720 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 pole: Thou also mad’st the night,

  725 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

  730 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 earth, who shall with us extol

  Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,

  735 And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep.

  This said unanimous, and other rites

  Observing none, but adoration pure

  Which God likes best, into their inmost bower

  Handed they went; and eased the putting off

  740 These troublesome disguises which we wear,

  Straight side by side were laid, nor turned I ween

  Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites

  Mysterious of connubial love refused:

  Whatever hypocrites austerely talk

  745 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?

  750 Hail wedded love, mysterious law, true source

  Of human offspring, sole propriety,

  In Paradise of all things common else.

  By thee adulterous lust was driv’n from men

  Among the bestial herds to range, by thee

  755 Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,

  Relations dear, and all the charities

  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,

  760 Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,

  Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,

  Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.

  Here Love his golden shafts employs, here lights

  His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings,

  765 Reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile

  Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared,

  Casual fruition, nor in court amours

  Mixed dance, or wanton masque, or midnight ball,

  Or serenade, which the starved lover sings

  770 To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain.

  These lulled by nightingales embracing slept,

  And on their naked limbs the flow’ry roof

  Show’red roses, which the morn repaired. Sleep on,

  Blest pair; and O yet happiest if ye seek

  775 No happier state, and know to know no more.

  Now had night measured with her shadowy cone

  Half way up hill this vast sublunar vault,

  And from their ivory port the Cherubim

  Forth issuing at th’ accustomed hour stood armed

  780 To their night watches in warlike parade,

  When Gabriel to his next in power thus spake.

  Uzziel, 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

  785 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 Zephon, with winged speed

  Search through this garden, leave unsearched no nook,

  790 But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,

  Now laid perhaps asleep secure of harm.

  This ev’ning from the sun’s decline arrived

  Who tells of some infernal Spirit seen

  Hitherward bent (who could have thought?) escaped

  795 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; these to the bower direct

  In search of whom they sought: him there they found

  800 Squat like a toad, close at the ear of Eve;

  Assaying by his devilish art to reach

  The organs of her Fancy, and with them forge

  Illusions as he list, phantasms and dreams,

  Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint

  805 Th’ animal spirits that from pure blood arise

  Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, the
nce raise

  At least distempered, discontented thoughts,

  Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires

  Blown up with high conceits engend’ring pride.

  810 Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear

  Touched lightly; for no falsehood can endure

  Touch of celestial temper, but returns

  Of force to its own likeness: up he starts

  Discovered and surprised. As when a spark

  815 Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, laid

  Fit for the tun some magazine to store

  Against a rumoured war, the smutty grain

  With sudden blaze diffused, inflames the air:

  So started up in his own shape the Fiend.

  820 Back stepped those two fair angels half amazed

  So sudden to behold the grisly 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,

  825 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;

  830 Not to know me argues 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.

  835 Think not, revolted Spirit, thy shape the same,

  Or undiminished brightness, 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

  840 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

  845 Severe in youthful beauty, added grace

  Invincible: abashed the Devil stood,

  And felt how awful goodness is, and saw

  Virtue in her shape how lovely, saw, and pined

  His loss; but chiefly to find here observed

  850 His lustre 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,

  855 Will save us trial what the least can do

  Single against thee wicked, and thence weak.

  The Fiend replied not, overcome with rage;

  But like a proud steed reined, went haughty on,

  Champing his iron curb: to strive or fly