Of those four-footed kinds; himself now one,
Now other, as their shape served best his end;
Nearer to view his prey, and, unespied,

To mark what of their state he more might learn,
By word or action mark'd: about them round

A lion now he stalks with fiery glare;
Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied
In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play,
Straight couches close; then, rising, changes oft
His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground,
Whence rushing he might surest seize them both,
Griped in each paw: when Adam first of men,
To first of women Eve, thus moving speech,
Turn'd him all ear to hear new utterance flow:
Sole partner and sole part of all these joys,
Dearer thyself than all; needs must the Power
That made us, and for us this ample world,
Be infinitely good, and of his good
As liberal and free as infinite;

That raised us from the dust, and placed us here
In all this happiness; who at his hand
Have nothing merited, nor can perform
Aught whereof he hath need; he who requires
From us no other service than to keep
This one, this easy charge; of all the trees
In Paradise that bear delicious fruit

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So various, not to taste that only Tree

Of Knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life;

So near grows death to life, whate'er death is;

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Some dreadful thing no doubt: for well thou know'st

God hath pronounced it death to taste that tree;

The only sign of our obedience left

Among so many signs of power and rule

Conferr'd upon us; and dominion given

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Over all other creatures that possess

Earth, air, and sea. Then let us not think hard
One easy prohibition, who enjoy

Free leave so large to all things else, and choice
Unlimited of manifold delights:

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But let us ever praise him, and extol

His bounty; following our delightful task

To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers;
Which, were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.
To whom thus Eve replied:-0 thou, for whom

This one, this easy charge.

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It was very natural for Adam to discourse of this; and this was what Satan wanted more particularly to learn: and it is expressed from God's command, Gen. ii. 16, 17. In like manner, when Adam says afterwards, "dominion given over all other creatures," it is taken from the divine commission, Gen. i. 28. These things are so evident, that it is almost superfluous to mention them. If we take notice of them, it is that every reader may be sensible how much of Scripture our author has wrought into this divine poem.--NEWTON.

And from whom I was form'd, flesh of thy flesh,
And without whom am to no end, my guide
And head; what thou hast said is just and right:
For we to him indeed all praises owe,
And daily thanks: I chiefly, who enjoy
So far the happier lot, enjoying thee
Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou
Like consort to thyself canst no where find.
That day I oft remember, when from sleep
I first awaked, and found myself reposed
Under a shade on flowers; much wondering where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
Of waters issued from a cave, and spread
Into a liquid plain; then stood unmoved,
Pure as the expanse of heaven: I thither went
With unexperienced thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the clear
Smooth lake, that to me seem'd another sky.
As I bent down to look, just opposite
A shape within the watery gleam appear'd,
Bending to look on me: I started back,
It started back; but pleased I soon return'd,
Pleased it return'd as soon with answering looks
Of sympathy and love: there I had fix'd

Mine eyes

till now, and pined with vain desire,

Had not a voice thus warn'd me: What thou seest,
What there thou seest, fair creature, is thyself;

With thee it came and goes: but follow me,

And I will bring thee where no shadow stays

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x That day I oft remember.

From this, as well as several other passages in the poem, it appears that the poet supposes Adam and Eve to have been created, and to have lived many days in Paradise before the Fall. See b. iv. 639, 680, 712, and b. v. 31, &c.-NEWTON.

The whole of this passage is exquisitely tender, beautiful, and picturesque, in expression, as well as in imagery and sentiment.

Smooth lake.

y To look into the clear

This account that Eve gives of her coming to a lake, and there falling in love with her own image, when she had seen no other human creature, is much more probable and natural, as well as more delicate and beautiful, than the famous story of Narcissus, in Ovid; from whom Milton manifestly took the hint, and has expressly imitated some passages; but has avoided all his puerilities, without losing any of his beauties; as the reader may easily observe by comparing both together (Met. iii. 457).-NEWTON.

I cannot help remarking how the story of Narcissus is improved by this application: the same might be said of almost every passage Milton has borrowed from the ancients. The improvement is so obvious in one main circumstance, that it seems needless to mention it: yet, as I do not remember that Mr. Addison has done it, I will just observe, that the want of probability, that Narcissus, who had lived in society, should be so far deceived as to take an image in the water for a reality, is here totally removed. We may apply to Milton on this occasion what Aristotle says of Homer, that he taught poets how to lie properly.-STILLINGFLEET.

z I started back,

It started back.

How admirably expressed!

Thy coming, and thy soft embraces; he
Whose image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy
Inseparably thine; to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called
Mother of human race. What could I do,
But follow straight, invisibly thus led?
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a platane; yet, methought, less fair,
Less winning soft, less amiably mild,

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Than that smooth watery image. Back I turn'd:

Thou following criedst aloud, Return, fair Eve;

Whom fliest thou? whom thou fliest, of him thou art,

His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent

Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart,

Substantial life; to have thee by my side
Henceforth an individual solace dear.

Part of my soul, I seek thee, and thee claim,
My other half: with that thy gentle hand
Seized mine: I yielded and from that time see
How beauty is excell'd by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.

So spake our general mother; and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreproved
And meek surrender, half-embracing lean'd
On our first father; half her swelling breast
Naked met his, under the flowing gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he, in delight

Both of her beauty and submissive charms,

Smiled with superior love; as Jupiter

On Juno smiles, when he impregns the clouds

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That shed May flowers; and press'd her matron lip
With kisses pure. Aside the devil turn'd

For envy; yet with jealous leer malign

Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plain'd:

Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two,
Imparadised in one another's arms,
The happier Eden, shall enjoy their 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,
Still unfulfill'd with pain of longing pines.
Yet let me not forget what I have gain'd

a So spake our general mother.

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What a charming picture of love and innocence has the poet given us in this paragraph! There is the greatest warmth of affection, and yet the most exact delicacy and decorum. One would have thought that a scene of this nature could not, with any consistency, have been introduced into a divine pocm; and yet our author has so nicely and judiciously covered the soft description with a veil of modesty, that the purest and chastest mind can find no room for offence. The meek surrender, and the half-embracement, are circumstances inimitable. An Italian's imagination would have hurried him the length of ten or a dozen stanzas upon this occasion, and with its luxuriant wildness changed Adam and Eve into a Venus and Adonis.-THYER.

From their own mouths; all is not theirs, it seems:
One fatal tree there stands, of Knowledge call'd,
Forbidden them to taste: knowledge forbidden? ↳
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord
Envy them that? can it be sin to know?
Can it be death? and do they only stand
By ignorance? is that their happy state,
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
Their ruin! hence I will excite their minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with design
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt
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 unspied;

A chance but chance may lead where I may meet
Some wandering spirit of heaven by fountain side
Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
What farther would be learn'd. Live while ye may,
Yet happy pair; enjoy, till I return,

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Short pleasures; for long woes are to succeed.

So saying, his proud step he scornful turn'd,

But with sly circumspection, and began

Through wood, through waste, o'er hill, o'er dale, his roam.

Meanwhile in utmost longitude, where heaven

With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun

Slowly descended, and with right aspect

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Against the eastern gate of Paradise
Level'd his evening rays: it was a rock
Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
Conspicuous far, winding with one ascent
Accessible from earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rocky pillars Gabriel sat,a
Chief of the angelic guards, awaiting night;
About him exercised heroic games

a Knowledge forbidden.

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This is artfully perverted by Satan, as if some useful and necessary knowledge was forbidden; whereas our first parents were created with perfect understanding; and the only knowledge that was forbidden was the knowledge of evil by the commission of it. -NEWTON.

e Live while ye may.

This is one of those exclamations of Satan, while wavering in wickedness and halfrepenting his malicious designs on the happiness of innocent beings.

d Gabriel sat.

One of the archangels sent to show Daniel the vision of the four monarchies and the seventy weeks, Dan. vii. ix.; and to the Virgin Mary, to reveal the incarnation of our Saviour, Luke i. His name in Hebrew signifies the man of God, or the strength and power of God; well posted as chief of the angelic guards placed about Paradise.-HUME

The unarm'd youth of heaven; but nigh at hand
Celestial armoury, shields, helms, and spears,
Hung high with diamond flaming and with gold.
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the even
On a sunbeam, swift as a shooting star

In autumn thwarts the night, when vapours fired
Impress the air, and show the mariner
From what point of his compass to beware
Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste :-
Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot hath given
Charge and strict watch, that to this happy place
No evil thing approach or enter in.

This day at highth of noon came to my sphere
A spirit, zealous, as he seem'd, to know
More of the Almighty's works, and chiefly man,
God's latest image: I described his way
Bent all on speed, and mark'd his acry gait;
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
Where he first lighted, soon discern'd his looks
Alien from heaven, with passions foul obscured:
Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
Lost sight of him: one of the banish'd crew,
I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise
New troubles; him thy care must be to find.

To whom the winged warrior thus return'd:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
Amid the sun's bright circle where thou sitt'st,
See far and wide: in at this gate none pass
The vigilance here placed, but such as come
Well known from heaven; and since meridian hour
No creature thence. If spirit of other sort,

So minded, have o'erleap'd these earthly bounds

On purpose, hard thou know'st it to exclude
Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.

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But if within the circuit of these walks

In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom

Thou tell'st, by morrow dawning I shall know.

So promised he; and Uriel to his charge

Return'd on that bright beam, whose point now raised

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Bore him slope downwards to the sun, now fallen
Beneath the Azores; whether the prime orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither roll'd
Diurnal; or this less volubil earth,

By shorter flight to the east, had left him there,
Arraying with reflected purple and gold

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The clouds that on his western throne attend.
Now came still evening on, and twilight gray

e Now came still evening on.

f

This is the first evening in the poem; for the action of the preceding books lying out of the sphere of the sun, the time could not be computed. When Satan came first to the earth, and made that famous soliloquy at the beginning of this book, the sun