Cross-barr'd and bolted fast, fear no assault, 190
In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles:
So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold;
So fince into his church lewd hirelings climb.
Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life,
The middle tree, and highest there that grew, 195
Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life
Thereby regain'd, but fat devising death
To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought
Of that life-giving plant; but only us'd
For profpect, what,well us'd,had been the pledge 200
Of immortality. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him; but perverts beft things
To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.
Beneath him,with new wonder, now he views, 205 To all delight of human sense expos'd,
In narrow room, Nature's whole wealth; yea more,
A Heav'n on Earth: for blissful Paradife
Of God the garden was, by him in th’east
Of Eden planted; Eden stretch'd her line
From Auran eastward to the royal towers
Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings;
Or where the fons of Eden long before
Dwelt in Telaffar: in this pleasant foil,
His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd;
Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow
All trees of nobleft kind for fight, fmell, tafte;
And all amid them ftood the tree of life,
High eminent, blooming ambrofial fruit
Of vegetable gold; and next to life,
Our death, the tree of knowledge,grew faft by;
Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill.
Southward through Eden went a river large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the fhaggy hill
Pass'd underneath ingulf'd; for God had thrown 225
That mountain as his garden mold high rais'd
Upon the rapid current, which, through veins
Of porous earth with kindly thirst up drawn,
Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill
Water'd the garden; thence united fell
Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood;
Which from his darksome passage now appears,
And now divided into four main streams,
Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm
And country, whereof here needs no account; 235
But rather to tell how, if Art could tell,
How from that faphir fount the crisped brooks,
Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold,
With mazy error, under pendent shades,
'Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed
Flow'rs, worthy of Paradife; which not nice Art
In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon
Pour'd forth, profuse, on hill and dale and plain;
Both where the morning fun first warmly smote
The open field, and where the unpierc'd shade 245
Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs: Thus was this place A happy rural feat of various view;
Groves whofe rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, Others, whose fruit,burnish'd with golden rind, Hung amiable; Hefperian fables true,
If true, here only, and of delicious taste:
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd,
Or palmy hilloc; or the flow'ry lap
Of fome irriguous valley spread her store,
Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose:
Another fide, umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recefs, o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps
Luxuriant; mean while murm'ring waters fall 260
Down the flope hills, difpers'd, or in a lake,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds, unite their streams.
The birds their quire apply; airs, vernal airs,
Breathing the smell of field and grove, attune 265
The trembling leaves; while univerfal Pan,
Knit with the Graces and the Hours,in dance
Led on th'eternal spring. Not that fair field
Of Enna, where Proferpin gathering flowers,
Herself a fairer flow'r, by gloomy Dis
Was gather'd, which coft Ceres all that pain
To feek her through the world; nor that fweet grove
Of Daphne, by Orontes, and th’inspir'd
Caftalian spring, might with this Paradise ·
Of Eden ftrive; nor that Nyseian ile
Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham,
Whom Gentiles Ammon call and Lybian Jove,
Hid Amalthea,and her florid fon,
Young Bacchus, from his stepdame Rhea's eye;
Nor where Abassin kings their issue guard,
Mount Amara, though this by fome fuppos'd
True Paradife,under the Ethiop line,
By Nilus head, inclos'd with shining rock,
A whole day's journey high; but wide remote
From this Affyrian garden, where the Fiend
Saw,undelighted, all delight; all kind
Of living creatures, new to fight,and strange.
Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honor clad,
In naked majesty, seem'd lords of all;
And worthy feem'd; for in their looks divine
The image of their glorious Maker shone;
Truth, wisdom, fanctitude,fevere and pure,
(Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd)
Whence true authority in men; though both
Not equal, as their fex not equal seem'd;
For contemplation he, and valor form'd,
For foftnefs fhe, and fweet attractive grace;
He for God only; fhe for God in him:
His fair large front and eye fublime declar'd
Abfolute rule; and hyacinthin locks
Round from his parted forelock manly hung,
Cluftring, but not beneath his fhoulders broad:
She,as a veil,down to the flender waste
Her unadorned golden treffes wore,
Difhevel'd; but in wanton ringlets wav'd
As the vine curls her tendrils, which imply'd
Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway,
And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd;
Yielded with coy fubmiffion, modest pride,
And sweet reluctant amorous delay.
Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal'd,
Then was not guilty fhame, dishonest shame
Of nature's works, honor dishonorable,
Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind
With shows instead, mere fhows,of feeming pure,
And banish'd from man's life his happiest life,
Simplicity and spotless innocence!
So pass'd they naked on, nor fhunn'd the fight
Of God or Angel, for they thought no ill:
So hand in hand they pafs'd, the lovelieft pair
That ever fince in love's embraces met;
Adam,the goodlieft man of men fince born
His fons, the fairest of her daughters Eve.
Under a tuft of fhade that on a green
Stood whisp'ring soft, by a fresh fountain fide
They fat them down; and after no more toil
Of their sweet gard'ning labor than suffic'd
To recommend cool Zephyr, and made ease
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