15 Of stern Achilles on his foe pursued

  Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage

  Of Turnus for Lavinia disespoused,

  Or Neptune’s ire or Juno’s, that so long

  Perplexed the Greek and Cytherea’s son;

  20 If answerable style I can obtain

  Of my celestial patroness, who deigns

  Her nightly visitation unimplored,

  And díctates to me slumb’ring, or inspires

  Easy my unpremeditated verse:

  25 Since first this subject for heroic song

  Pleased me long choosing, and beginning late;

  Not sedulous by nature to indite

  Wars, hitherto the only argument

  Heroic deemed, chief mast’ry to dissect

  30 With long and tedious havoc fabled knights

  In battles feigned; the better fortitude

  Of patience and heroic martyrdom

  Unsung; or to describe races and games,

  Or tilting furniture, emblazoned shields,

  35 Impreses quaint, caparisons and steeds;

  Bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knights

  At joust and tournament; then marshalled feast

  Served up in hall with sewers, and seneschals;

  The skill of artifice or office mean,

  40 Not that which justly gives heroic name

  To person or to poem. Me of these

  Nor skilled nor studious, higher argument

  Remains, sufficient of itself to raise

  That name, unless an age too late, or cold

  45 Climate, or years damp my intended wing

  Depressed, 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 Hesperus, whose office is to bring

  50 Twilight upon the earth, short arbiter

  ’Twixt day and night, and now from end to end

  Night’s hemisphere had veiled the horizon round:

  When Satan who late fled before the threats

  Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improved

  55 In meditated fraud and malice, bent

  On man’s destruction, maugre what might hap

  Of heavier on himself, fearless returned.

  By night he fled, and at midnight returned

  From compassing the earth, cautious of day,

  60 Since Uriel regent of the sun descried

  His entrance, and forewarned the Cherubim

  That kept their watch; thence full of anguish driv’n,

  The space of seven continued nights he rode

  With darkness, thrice the equinoctial line

  65 He circled, four times crossed the car of Night

  From pole to pole, traversing each colure;

  On the eighth returned, and on the coast averse

  From entrance or Cherubic watch, by stealth

  Found unsuspected way. There was a place,

  70 Now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change,

  Where Tigris at the foot of Paradise

  Into a gulf shot under ground, till part

  Rose up a fountain by the Tree of Life;

  In with the river sunk, and with it rose

  75 Satan involved in rising mist, then sought

  Where to lie hid; sea he had searched and land

  From Eden over Pontus, and the pool

  Maeotis, up beyond the river Ob;

  Downward as far Antarctic; and in length

  80 West from Orontes to the ocean barred

  At Darien, thence to the land where flows

  Ganges and Indus: thus the orb he roamed

  With narrow search; and with inspection deep

  Considered every creature, which of all

  85 Most opportune might serve his wiles, and found

  The serpent subtlest beast of all the field.

  Him after long debate, irresolute

  Of thoughts revolved, his final sentence chose

  Fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom

  90 To enter, and his dark suggestions hide

  From sharpest sight: for in the wily snake,

  Whatever sleights none would suspicious mark,

  As from his wit and native subtlety

  Proceeding, which in other beasts observed

  95 Doubt might beget of diabolic pow’r

  Active within beyond the sense of brute.

  Thus he resolved, but first from inward grief

  His bursting passion into plaints thus poured.

  O earth, how like to Heav’n, if not preferred

  100 More justly, seat worthier of gods, as built

  With second thoughts, reforming what was old!

  For what god after better worse would build?

  Terrestrial Heav’n, danced round by other heav’ns

  That shine, yet bear their bright officious lamps,

  105 Light above light, for thee alone, as seems,

  In thee concentring all their precious beams

  Of sacred influence: as God in Heav’n

  Is centre, yet extends to all, so thou

  Centring receiv’st from all those orbs; in thee,

  110 Not in themselves, all their known virtue appears

  Productive in herb, plant, and nobler birth

  Of creatures animate with gradual life

  Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man.

  With what delight could I have walked thee round,

  115 If I could joy in aught, sweet interchange

  Of hill and valley, rivers, woods and plains,

  Now land, now sea, and shores with forest crowned,

  Rocks, dens, and caves; but I in none of these

  Find place or refuge; and the more I see

  120 Pleasures about me, so much more I feel

  Torment within me, as from the hateful siege

  Of contraries; all good to me becomes

  Bane, and in Heav’n much worse would be my state.

  But neither here seek I, no nor in Heav’n

  125 To dwell, unless by mast’ring Heav’n’s Supreme;

  Nor hope to be myself less miserable

  By what I seek, but others to make such

  As I, though thereby worse to me redound:

  For only in destroying I find ease

  130 To my relentless thoughts; and him destroyed,

  Or won to what may work his utter loss,

  For whom all this was made, all this will soon

  Follow, as to him linked in weal or woe;

  In woe then; that destruction wide may range:

  135 To me shall be the glory sole among

  The infernal Powers, in one day to have marred

  What he Almighty styled, six nights and days

  Continued making, and who knows how long

  Before had been contriving, though perhaps

  140 Not longer than since I in one night freed

  From servitude inglorious well nigh half

  Th’ angelic name, and thinner left the throng

  Of his adorers: he to be avenged,

  And to repair his numbers thus impaired,

  145 Whether such virtue spent of old now failed

  More angels to create, if they at least

  Are his created, or to spite us more,

  Determined to advance into our room

  A creature formed of earth, and him endow,

  150 Exalted from so base original,

  With Heav’nly spoils, our spoils: what he decreed

  He effected; man he made, and for him built

  Magnificent this world, and earth his seat,

  Him lord pronounced, and, O indignity!

  155 Subjected to his service angel wings,

  And flaming ministers to watch and tend

  Their earthy charge: of these the vigilance

  I dread, and to elude, thus wrapped in mist

  Of midnight vapour glide obscure, and
pry

  160 In every bush and brake, where hap may find

  The serpent sleeping, in whose mazy folds

  To hide me, and the dark intent I bring.

  O foul descent! that I who erst contended

  With Gods to sit the highest, am now constrained

  165 Into a beast, and mixed with bestial slime,

  This essence to incarnate and imbrute,

  That to the heighth of Deity aspired;

  But what will not ambition and revenge

  Descend to? who aspires must down as low

  170 As high he soared, obnoxious first or last

  To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet,

  Bitter ere long back on itself recoils;

  Let it; I reck not, so it light well aimed,

  Since higher I fall short, on him who next

  175 Provokes my envy, this new favourite

  Of Heav’n, this man of clay, son of despite,

  Whom us the more to spite his Maker raised

  From dust: spite then with spite is best repaid.

  So saying, through each thicket dank or dry,

  180 Like a black mist low creeping, he held on

  His midnight search, where soonest he might find

  The serpent: him fast sleeping soon he found

  In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled,

  His head the midst, well stored with subtle wiles:

  185 Not yet in horrid shade or dismal den,

  Nor nocent yet, but on the grassy herb

  Fearless unfeared he slept: in at his mouth

  The Devil entered, and his brutal sense,

  In heart or head, possessing soon inspired

  190 With act intelligential; but his sleep

  Disturbed not, waiting close th’ approach of morn.

  Now when as sacred light began to dawn

  In Eden on the humid flow’rs, that breathed

  Their morning incense, when all things that breathe,

  195 From th’ earth’s great altar send up silent praise

  To the Creator, and his nostrils fill

  With grateful smell, forth came the human pair

  And joined their vocal worship to the choir

  Of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake

  200 The season, prime for sweetest scents and airs:

  Then cómmune how that day they best may ply

  Their growing work: for much their work outgrew

  The hands’ dispatch of two gard’ning so wide.

  And Eve first to her husband thus began.

  205 Adam, well may we labour still to dress

  This garden, still to tend plant, herb and flow’r,

  Our pleasant task enjoined, but till more hands

  Aid us, the work under our labour grows,

  Luxurious by restraint; what we by day

  210 Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,

  One night or two with wanton growth derides

  Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise

  Or hear what to my mind first thoughts present;

  Let us divide our labours, thou where choice

  215 Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind

  The woodbine round this arbour, or direct

  The clasping ivy where to climb, while I

  In yonder spring of roses intermixed

  With myrtle, find what to redress till noon:

  220 For while so near each other thus all day

  Our task we choose, what wonder if so near

  Looks intervene and smiles, or object new

  Casual discourse draw on, which intermits

  Our day’s work brought to little, though begun

  225 Early, and th’ hour of supper comes unearned.

  To whom mild answer Adam thus returned.

  Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond

  Compare above all living creatures dear,

  Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts employed

  230 How we might best fulfil the work which here

  God hath assigned us, nor of me shalt pass

  Unpraised: for nothing lovelier can be found

  In woman, than to study household good,

  And good works in her husband to promote.

  235 Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed

  Labour, as to debar us when we need

  Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,

  Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse

  Of looks and smiles, for smiles from reason flow,

  240 To brute denied, and are of love the food,

  Love not the lowest end of human life.

  For not to irksome toil, but to delight

  He made us, and delight to reason joined.

  These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands

  245 Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide

  As we need walk, till younger hands ere long

  Assist us: but if much convérse perhaps

  Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield.

  For solitude sometimes is best society,

  250 And short retirement urges sweet return.

  But other doubt possesses me, lest harm

  Befall thee severed from me; for thou know’st

  What hath been warned us, what malicious Foe

  Envying our happiness, and of his own

  255 Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame

  By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand

  Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find

  His wish and best advantage, us asunder,

  Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each

  260 To other speedy aid might lend at need;

  Whether his first design be to withdraw

  Our fealty from God, or to disturb

  Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss

  Enjoyed by us excites his envy more;

  265 Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side

  That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects.

  The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,

  Safest and seemliest by her husband stays,

  Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.

  270 To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,

  As one who loves, and some unkindness meets,

  With sweet austere composure thus replied.

  Offspring of Heav’n and earth, and all earth’s lord,

  That such an Enemy we have, who seeks

  275 Our ruin, both by thee informed I learn,

  And from the parting angel overheard

  As in a shady nook I stood behind,

  Just then returned at shut of evening flow’rs.

  But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt

  280 To God or thee, because we have a foe

  May tempt it, I expected not to hear.

  His violence thou fear’st not, being such,

  As we, not capable of death or pain,

  Can either not receive, or can repel.

  285 His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers

  Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love

  Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced;

  Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast,

  Adam, misthought of her to thee so dear?

  290 To whom with healing words Adam replied.

  Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve,

  For such thou art, from sin and blame entire:

  Not diffident of thee do I dissuade

  Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid

  295 Th’ attempt itself, intended by our Foe.

  For he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses

  The tempted with dishonour foul, supposed

  Not incorruptible of faith, not proof

  Against temptation: thou thyself with scorn

  300 And anger wouldst resent the offered wrong,

  Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,

&n
bsp; If such affront I labour to avert

  From thee alone, which on us both at once

  The Enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,

  305 Or daring, first on me th’ assault shall light.

  Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;

  Subtle he needs must be, who could seduce

  Angels, nor think superfluous others’ aid.

  I from the influence of thy looks receive

  310 Accéss in every virtue, in thy sight

  More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were

  Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on,

  Shame to be overcome or overreached

  Would utmost vigour raise, and raised unite.

  315 Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel

  When I am present, and thy trial choose

  With me, best witness of thy virtue tried.

  So spake domestic Adam in his care

  And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought

  320 Less áttribúted to her faith sincere,

  Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed.

  If this be our condition, thus to dwell

  In narrow circuit straitened by a Foe,

  Subtle or violent, we not endued

  325 Single with like defence, wherever met,

  How are we happy, still in fear of harm?

  But harm precedes not sin: only our Foe

  Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem

  Of our integrity: his foul esteem

  330 Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns

  Foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or feared

  By us? Who rather double honour gain

  From his surmise proved false, find peace within,

  Favour from Heav’n, our witness from th’ event.

  335 And what is faith, love, virtue unassayed

  Alone, without exterior help sustained?

  Let us not then suspect our happy state

  Left so imperfect by the Maker wise,

  As not secure to single or combined.

  340 Frail is our happiness, if this be so,

  And Eden were no Eden thus exposed.

  To whom thus Adam fervently replied.

  O woman, best are all things as the will

  Of God ordained them; his creating hand

  345 Nothing imperfect or deficient left

  Of all that he created, much less man,

  Or aught that might his happy state secure,

  Secure from outward force; within himself

  The danger lies, yet lies within his power:

  350 Against his will he can receive no harm.

  But God left free the will, for what obeys

  Reason, is free, and reason he made right,

  But bid her well beware, and still erect,

  Lest by some fair appearing good surprised

  355 She díctate false, and misinform the will

  To do what God expressly hath forbid.