"And, freed from intricacies, taught to live
"The easiest way: nor with perplexing thoughts
"To interrupt the sweet of life, from which
"God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,

"And not molest us; unless we ourselves

"Seek them with wandering thoughts, and notions vain.
"But apt the mind, or fancy, is to rove
"Unchecked, and of her roving is no end;

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"Till, warned, or by experience taught, she learn,
"That not to know at large of things remote
"From use, obscure and subtle, but to know
"That which before us lies in daily life,
"Is the prime wisdom: what is more, is fume,
"Or emptiness, or fond impertinence ;
"And renders us, in things that most concern,
Unpractised, unprepared and still to seek.
"Therefore from this high pitch let us descend
"A lower flight, and speak of things at hand
"Useful; whence, haply, mention may arise
"Of something not unseasonable to ask,
"By sufferance, and thy wonted favour, deigned.
"Thee I have heard relating what was done
"Ere my remembrance: now, hear me relate

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My story, which perhaps thou hast not heard; "And day is not yet spent: till then thou seest "How subtly to detain thee I devise,

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Inviting thee to hear while I relate; "Fond! were it not in hope of thy reply:

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For, while I sit with thee, I seem in Heaven; "And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear "Than fruits of palm-tree, pleasantest to thirst "And hunger both, from labour, at the hour "Of sweet repast: they satiate, and soon fill, "Though pleasant; but thy words, with grace divine "Imbued, bring to their sweetness no satiety." To whom thus Raphael answered heavenly meek : "Nor are thy lips ungraceful, Sire of Men! "Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee

Abundantly his gifts hath also poured;

"Inward and outward both his image fair:

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Speaking, or mute, all comeliness and grace
"Attends thee, and each word, each motion forms.
"Nor less think we in Heaven of thee on Earth
"Than of our fellow-servant, and inquire

66 Gladly into the ways of God with man:
"For God, we see, hath honoured thee, and set
"On man his equal love: say therefore on;
"For I that day was absent, as befell,
"Bound on a voyage úncouth and obscure,
"Far on excursion towards the gates of Hell;

Squared in full legion (such command we had,)
"To see that none thence issued forth a spy,
"Or enemy while God was in his work;
"Lest he, incensed at such eruption bold,
"Destruction with creation might have mixed.
"Not that they durst without his leave attempt:
"But us he sends upon his high behests
"For state, as Sovran King; and to inure
"Our prompt obedience.

Fast we found, fast shut, "The dismal gates, and barricaded strong; "But, long ere our approaching, heard within

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Noise, other than the sound of dance or song; "Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage ! "Glad we returned up to the coasts of light "Ere Sabbath evening: so we had in charge.

"But thy relation now; for I attend,

"Pleased with thy words no less than thou with mine."
So spake the godlike Power, and thus our Sire:
"For man to tell how human life began

"Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?
"Desire with thee still longer to converse

"Induced me. As new waked from soundest sleep,
"Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid,
"In balmly sweat; which with his beams the Sun
"Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed.
"Straight toward Heaven my wondering eyes I turned,
"And gazed awhile the ample sky; till, raised
"By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung,
"As thitherward endeavouring, and upright
"Stood on my feet. About me round I saw

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“Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,
"And liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by these,
"Creatures that lived and moved, and walked or flew;
"Birds on the branches warbling; all things smiled
"With fragrance, and with joy my heart o'erflowed.
Myself I then perused, and limb by limb
"Surveyed, and sometimes went, and sometimes ran
"With supple joints, as lively vigour led:

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"But who I was, or where, or from what cause,
"Knew not to speak I tried, and forthwith spake;
My tongue obeyed, and readily could name
"Whate'er I saw. 'Thou Sun,' said I, 'fair light!
"And thou enlightened Earth, so fresh and gay!
"Ye hills, and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains,
"And ye that live and move, fair creatures! tell,

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Tell, if ye saw, how I came thus, how here? "Not of myself; by some great Maker then, "In goodness and in power pre-eminent : "Tell me how may I know him, how adore, "From whom I have that thus I move and live,

"And feel that I am happier than I know?'

"While thus I called, and strayed I knew not whither, "From where I first drew air, and first beheld "This happy light; when answer none returned, "On a green shady bank, profuse of flowers, "Pensive I sat me down: there gentle sleep

"First found me, and with soft oppression seized

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My drowsèd sense, untroubled, though I thought

"I then was passing to my former state,

"Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:
"When suddenly stood at my head a dream,
"Whose inward apparition gently moved

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My fancy to believe I yet had being,

"And lived. One came, methought, of shape divine,
"And said, "Thy mansion wants thee, Adam; rise,
"First man, of men innumerable ordained

"First father! called by thee, I come thy guide
"To the garden of bliss, thy seat prepared.'

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"So saying, by the hand he took me raised, "And, over fields and waters, as in air,

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Each tree,

"Smooth sliding without step, last led me up
"A woody mountain, whose high top was plain—
“A circuit wide, inclosed with goodliest trees,
"Planted with walks and bowers; that what I saw
"Of earth before scarce pleasant seemed.
"Laden with fairest fruit, that hung to the eye
"Tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite
"To pluck and eat; whereat I waked, and found
"Before mine eyes all real, as the dream
"Had lively shadowed. Here had new begun
"My wandering, had not He, who was my guide

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Up hither, from among the trees appeared,

"Presence Divine! Rejoicing, but with awe,

"In adoration at his feet I fell

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"Submiss: he reared me, and, 'Whom thou soughtst I am,' "Said mildly; 'Author of all this thou seest

"Above, or round about thee, or beneath.

"This Paradise I give thee; count it thine

"To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat :

"Of every tree that in the garden grows

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

66 (Remember what I warn thee!) shun to taste,
"And shun the bitter consequence: for know,
"The day thou eatest thereof,—my sole command
"Transgressed,―inevitably thou shalt die,
"From that day mortal; and this happy state
"Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world
"Of woe and sorrow.' Sternly he pronounced
"The rigid interdiction, which resounds
"Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice
"Not to incur: but soon his clear aspéct

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‘Returned, and gracious purpose thus renewed: "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.

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"In sign whereof, each bird and beast behold "After their kinds; I bring them to receive "From thee their names, and pay the feälty "With low subjection: understand the same "Of fish within their watery residence,

"Not hither summoned, 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 cowering low "With blandishment-- each bird stooped on his wing. "I named them as they passed, and understood "Their nature; with such knowledge God endued

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My sudden apprehension. But in these

"I found not what, methought, I wanted still; "And to the heavenly vision thus presumed :

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"O, by what name,-for thou above all these, "Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher, Surpassest far my naming!-how may I

"Adore thee, Author of this universe,

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And all this good to man? for whose well-being

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;
"Or, all enjoying, what contentment find?'

"Thus I presumptuous; and the Vision bright,
"As with a smile more brightened thus replied:
"What callst thou solitude? Is not the Earth
"With various living creatures, and the air
Replenished, and all these at thy command
"To come and play before thee? Knowst thou not

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"Their language and their ways?

They also know,

"And reason not contemptibly with these

:

“ Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.’
"So spake the Universal Lord, and seemed
"So ordering: I, with leave of speech implored,
"And humble deprecation, thus replied:

"Let not my words offend thee, heavenly Power!

'My Maker, be propitious while I speak!

"Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,

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