First found me, and with soft oppression seiz'd

My drowsed sense, untroubled, though I thought
I then was passing to my former state,
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:

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When suddenly stood at my head a dream,

Whose inward apparition gently mov'd
My fancy to believe I yet had being,

And liv'd. One came, methought, of shape divine,

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And said, 'Thy mansion wants thee, Adam, rise,
First Man, of men innumerable ordain'd
First Father, call'd by thee I come thy guide
To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepar'd.'
So saying, by the hand he took me rais'd,
And over fields and waters, as in air
Smooth sliding without step, last led me up
A woody mountain; whose high top was plain,
A circuit wide, enclos'd, with goodliest trees
Planted, with walks, and bow'rs, that what I saw
Of earth before scarce pleasant seem'd. Each tree
Loaden with fairest fruit, that hung to th' eye
Tempting, stirr'd in me sudden appetite

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To pluck and eat: whereat I wak'd, and found
Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
Had lively shadow'd. Here had new begun
My wand'ring, had not he who was my guide
Up hither, from among the trees appear'd,
Presence divine. Rejoicing, but with awe,

In adoration at his feet I fell

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Submiss he rear'd me, and Whom thou sought'st I am,'

:

Said mildly, Author of all this thou seest

Above, or round about thee, or beneath.

Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth;
But of the tree whose operation brings

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Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set
The pledge of thy obedience and thy faith,
Amid the garden by the tree of life,
Remember what I warn thee, shun to taste,
And shun the bitter consequence: for know,
The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command
Transgress'd, inevitably thou shalt die,
From that day mortal, and this ha py state
Shalt lose, expell'd from hence into a world
Of woe and sorrow.' Sternly he pronounc'd
The rigid interdiction, which resounds
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my
Not to incur; but soon his clear aspéct
Return'd, and gracious purpose thus renew'd,
Not only these fair bounds, but all the earth
To thee and to thy race I give; as lords
Possess it, and all things that therein live,
Or live in sea, or air, beast, fish, and fowl.
In sign whereof each bird and beast behold
After their kinds; I bring them to receive
From thee their names, and pay thee fealty
With low subjection: understand the same

choice

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Of fish within their wat❜ry residence,

Not hither summon'd, since they cannot change
Their element to draw the thinner air.'

As thus he spake, each bird and beast behold
Approaching two and two, these cow'ring low
With blandishment, each bird stoop'd on his wing.
I nam'd them, as they pass'd, and understood
Their nature, with such knowledge God endued
My sudden apprehension; but in these

I found not what methought I wanted still;

And to the heav'nly vision thus presum'd.

‘O by what name, for thou above all these, Above mankind, or ought than mankind higher, Surpassest far my naming, how may Į

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Adore thee, Author of this universe,

And all this good to man? for whose well being

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So amply, and with hands so liberal,

Thou hast provided all things: but with me

I see not who partakes. In solitude

What happiness, who can enjoy alone,

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Or all enjoying, what contentment find?'
Thus I presumptuous; and the vision bright,
As with a smile more brighten'd, thus reply'd.
"What call'st thou solitude? is not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command

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To come and play before thee? know'st thou not

Their language and their ways? they also know,
And reason not contemptibly; with these

Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.'

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So spake the universal Lord, and seem'd

So ord'ring. I with leave of speech implor'd,

And humble deprecation, thus reply'd.

""Let not my words offend thee, heav'nly Power,

Cannot be human consort; they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin'd;

Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl

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So well converse, nor with the ox the ape;

Worse then can man with beast, and least of all.'

Whereto th' Almighty answer'd not displeas'd. 'A nice and subtle happiness I see

Thou to thyself proposest in the choice

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Of thy associates, Adam, and wilt taste

No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

What think'st thou then of me, and this my state?
Seem I to thee sufficiently possess'd

Of happiness, or not? who am alone
From all eternity, for none I know
Second to me or like, equal much less.

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How have I then with whom to hold converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and those
To me inferior, infinite descents

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Beneath what other creatures are to thee?'

"He ceas'd, I lowly answer'd. 'To attain

The height and depth of thy eternal ways

All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things;

Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st noț
Social communication, yet, so pleas'd,

Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt
Of union or communion, deify'd;

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I by conversing cannot these erect

From prone, nor in their ways complacence find,'

Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom us'd
Permissive, and acceptance found, which gain'd
This answer from the gracious voice divine.

Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was pleas'd,
And find thee knowing not of beasts alone,
Which thou hast rightly nam'd, but of thyself,
Expressing well the spirit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute,
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee
Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike,
And be so miuded still; I, ere thou spak'st,
Knew it not good for man to be alone,
And no such company as then thou saw'st
Intended thee, for trial only brought,

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To see how thou couldst judge of fit and meet.

What next I bring shall please thee, be assur'd,

Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

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Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.'

"He ended, or I heard no more, for now

My earthly by his heav'nly overpower'd,

Which it had long stood under, strain'd to th' height

In that celestial colloquy sublime,

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As with an object that excels the sense,

Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair

Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, call'd

By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes.
Mine eyes he clos'd, but open left the cell

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Of fancy, my internal sight, by which

Abstract, as in a trance, methought I saw,

Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape

Still glorious before whom awake I stood;

Who, stooping, open'd my left side, and took

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From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,

And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,

But suddenly with flesh fill'd up and heal'd :
The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands;
Under his forming hands a creature grew,

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