10

So spake our general Mother, and with eyes

Of conjugal attraction unreprovd,

And meek surrender, half imbracing leand

On our first Father, half her swelling Breast [ 495 ]

Naked met his under the flowing Gold

Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight

Both of her Beauty and submissive Charms

Smild with superior Love, as Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the Clouds [ 500 ]

That shed May Flowers; and pressd her Matron lip

With kisses pure: aside the Devil turnd

For envie, yet with jealous leer maligne

Eyd them askance, and to himself thus plaind.

Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two [ 505 ]

Imparadist in one anothers arms

The happier Eden, shall enjoy thir fill

Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust,

Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,

Among our other torments not the least, [ 510 ]

Still unfulfilld with pain of longing pines;

Yet let me not forget what I have gaind

From thir own mouths; all is not theirs it seems:

One fatal Tree there stands of Knowledge calld,

Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbiddn? [ 515 ]

Suspicious, reasonless. Why should thir Lord

Envie them that? can it be sin to know,

Can it be death? and do they onely stand

By Ignorance, is that thir happie state,

The proof of thir obedience and thir faith? [ 520 ]

O fair foundation laid whereon to build

Thir ruine! Hence I will excite thir minds

With more desire to know, and to reject

Envious commands, invented with designe

To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt [ 525 ]

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 unspid;

A chance but chance may lead where I may meet [ 530 ]

Some wandring Spirit of Heavn, by Fountain side,

Or in thick shade retird, from him to draw

What further would be learnt. Live while ye may,

Yet happie pair; enjoy, till I return,

Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed. [ 535 ]

So saying, his proud step he scornful turnd,

But with sly circumspection, and began

Through wood, through waste, ore hill, ore dale his roam.

Mean while in utmost Longitude, where Heavn

With Earth and Ocean meets, the setting Sun [ 540 ]

Slowly descended, and with right aspect

Against the eastern Gate of Paradise

Leveld his eevning Rayes: it was a Rock

Of Alablaster, pild up to the Clouds,

Conspicuous farr, winding with one ascent [ 545 ]

Accessible from Earth, one entrance high;

The rest was craggie cliff, that overhung

Still as it rose, impossible to climbe.