Spirit of happy sort: his gestures fierce He mark'd and mad demeanour, then alone, As he suppos'd, all unobserv'd, unseen. 130 So on he fares, and to the border comes Of Eden, where delicious Paradise, Now nearer, crowns with her inclosure green, As with a rural mound, the champain head Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides 135 With thicket overgrown, grotesque and wild, Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm. Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops 140 145 Appear'd with gay enamel'd colours mix'd: On which the sun more glad impress'd his beams 150 Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow, When God hath show'r'd the earth; so lovely seem'd That landskip and of pure now purer air Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires Vernal delight and joy, able to drive 155 All sadness but despair: now gentle gales Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Of Araby the blest; with such delay 160 Well pleas'd they slack their course, and many a league Cheer'd with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles: 165 So entertain'd those odorous sweets the Fiend Who came their bane, though with them better pleas'd That drove him, though enamour'd, from the spouse 170 Now to th' ascent of that steep savage hill Satan had journey'd on, pensive and slow; But further way found none, so thick intwin'd 175 All path of man or beast that pass'd that way: One gate there only was, and that look'd east On th' other side: which, when th' arch-felon saw, At one slight bound high overleap'd all bound Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf, 180 Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve 185 In hurdled cotes amid the field secure, Leaps o'ert he fence with ease into the fold: K Or as a thief bent to unhoard the cash Of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors, 190 In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles : So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold: The middle tree and highest there that grew, 195 Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life Thereby regain'd, but sat devising death To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought For prospect, what well us'd had been the pledge 200 Any, but God alone, to value right The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to their meanest use. Beneath him with new wonder now he views 205 To all delight of human sense expos'd In narrow room Nature's whole wealth, yea more, All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; 210 215 And all amid them stood the tree of life, Our death the tree of knowledge grew fast by, 220 Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill 230 Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood, Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account; 235 But rather to tell how, if Art could tell, How from that saphire fount the crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, With mazy error under pendent shades 240 Flow'rs, worthy of Paradise, which not nice Art 245 Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, Others whose fruit burnish'd with golden rind Hung amiable, Hesperian fables true, 250 If true, here only', and of delicious taste: Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd, Or palmy hillock; or the flow'ry lap Of some irriguous valley spread her store, 255 Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose: Was gather'd, which cost Ceres all that pain 260 265 270 To seek her through the world; nor that sweet grove Of Daphne by Orontes, and th' inspir'd Castalian spring, might with this Paradise Girt with the river Triton, where old Cham, 275 |