So spake eneral Mother, and with eyes
Of jugal attra unreprovd,
And meek surrender, half imbrag leand
On our first Father, half her swelling Breast [ 495 ]
Naked met his uhe 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 her 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 fet what I have gaind
From thir own mouths; all is not theirs it seems:
Oal Tree there stands of Knowledge calld,
Forbiddeo taste: Knowledge forbiddn? [ 515 ]
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should thir Lord
Ehem that? it be sin to know,
it be death? and do they onely stand
By Ignorance, is that thir happie state,
The proof of thir obediend 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 ands, ied with designe
To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt [ 525 ]
Equal with Gods; aspiring to be such,
They taste and die: what likelier ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk round
This Garden, and no er leave unspid;
A ce but ce 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 sful turnd,
But with sly circumspe, and began
Through wood, through waste, ore hill, ore dale his roam.
Mean while in utmost Longitude, where Heavn
With Earth and O meets, the setting Sun [ 540 ]
Slowly desded, 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,
spicuous farr, winding with one ast [ 545 ]
Accessible from Earth, orance high;
The rest was craggie cliff, that
Still as it rose, impossible to climbe.