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"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.
Each tree,
"Laden with fairest fruit, that hung to the eye
66 '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,

66 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

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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,
"(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
"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.'

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"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 My sudden apprehension. But in these

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I found not what, methought, I wanted still; "And to the heavenly vision thus presumed: "O, by what name,-for thou above all these, "Above mankind, or aught than mankind higher, Surpassest far my naming!-how "Adore thee, Author of this universe,

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may I

"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?
"Their language and their ways?
"And reason not contemptibly

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Knowst thou not

They also know, 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:

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"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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"And these, inferior far, beneath me set?

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Among unequals what society

"Can sort? what harmony, or true delight?
"Which must be mutual, in proportion due
"Given and received; but, in disparity,
"The one intense, the other still remiss,
"Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove
"Tedious alike. Of fellowship I speak,
"Such as I seek, fit to participate

"All rational delight; wherein the brute
"Cannot be human consort: they rejoice
"Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
"So fitly them in pairs thou hast combined:
"Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl
"So well converse; nor with the ox the ape;
"Worse then can man with beast, and least of all.'
"Whereto the Almighty answered, not displeased:
""A nice and subtle happiness, I see,

"Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice
"Of thy associates, Adam! and wilt taste
"No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

"What thinkst thou then of me, and this my state?
"Seem I to thee sufficiently possessed

"Of happiness, or not? who am alone

"From all eternity; for none I know

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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

"Beneath what other creatures are to thee?'

"He ceased; I lowly answered: 'To attain "The height and depth of thy eternal ways

"All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things! "Thou in thyself art perfect, and in thee

"Is no deficience found: not so is man,

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But in degree-the cause of his desire

By conversation with his like to help,

"Or solace his defects. No need that thou

“Shouldst propagate, already Infinite;

And through all numbers absolute, though One:

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"But man by number is to manifest
"His single imperfection, and beget
"Like of his like, his image multiplied;
"In unity defective, which requires
"Collateral love, and dearest amity.
"Thou, in thy secresy, although alone,
"Best with thyself accompanied, seekst not
"Social communication; yet, so pleased,

"Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt
"Of union, or communion, deified:
"I, by conversing, cannot these erect

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"From prone; nor in their ways complacence find.'
"Thus I emboldened spake, and freedom used
"Permissive, and acceptance found: which gained
"This answer from the gracious Voice Divine :
"Thus far to try thee, Adam! I was pleased;
"And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone,
"Which thou hast rightly named, 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 minded still: I, ere thou spakest,
"Knew it not good for man to be alone:
"And no such company as then thou sawst
"Intended thee; for trial only brought,

"To see how thou couldst judge of fit and meet :

"What next I bring shall please thee, be assured,-

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Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,—

"Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.'

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

"My earthly by his heavenly overpowered,

"Which it had long stood under, strained to the height "In that celestial colloquy sublime,

"(As with an object that excels the sense,

"Dazzled and spent,) sunk down; and sought repair

"Of Sleep, which instantly fell on me, called

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By nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes. "Mine eyes he closed, but open left the cell "Of fancy, my internal sight; by which,

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"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, opened my left side, and took
"From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm,
"And life-blood streaming fresh: wide was the wound,
"But suddenly with flesh filled up and healed:
"The rib he formed and fashioned with his hands;
"Under his forming hands a creature grew,
"Man like, but different sex; so lovely fair,

"That what seemed fair in all the world, seemed now

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Mean, or in her summed up-in her contained

"And in her looks; which from that time infused

"Sweetness into my heart unfelt before,

"And into all things from her air inspired

"The spirit of love, and amorous delight.

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She disappeared, and left me dark; I waked-"To find her, or for ever to deplore

"Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure.

"When out of hope, behold her, not far off,
"Such as I saw her in my dreamı, adorned
66 With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
"To make her amiable! On she came,
"Led by her heavenly Maker, though unseen,
"And guided by his voice; nor uninformed
"Of nuptial sanctity, and marriage rites :

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"Grace was in all her steps, Heaven in her eye,

"In every gesture dignity and love!

"I, overjoyed, could not forbear aloud :

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"This turn hath made amends: thou hast fulfilled

"Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,

"Giver of all things fair! but fairest this

"Of all thy gifts! nor enviest. I now see
"Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself
"Before me: Woman is her name; of Man
"Extracted: for this cause he shall forego
"Father and mother, and to his wife adhere;

"And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.'

"She heard me thus; and though divinely brought, 500

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