His fair large front and eye sublime declar'd
Absolute rule; and hyacinthin locks

300

305

Round from his parted forelock manly hung
Clust'ring, but not beneath his shoulders broad:
She as a veil down to the slender waist
Her unadorned golden tresses wore
Disshevel'd, but in wanton ringlets wav'd
As the vine curls her tendrils, which implied
Subjection, but requir'd with gentle sway,
And by her yielded, by him best receiv'd,
Yielded with coy submission, modest pride,

310

For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man.' This passage seems to justify the old reading, 'God in him,' and rejects Bentley and Pearce's alteration, 'God and him.'

301 hyacinthin] See Dionysii Geograph. ver. 1112. Theocriti Idyll. xviii. 2. Longi Pastor. lib. iv. c. 13, and the note in Dyce's ed. of Collins, Like vernal hyacinths of sullen hue,' p. 180. To which add Nonni Dionysiaca, xvi. ver. 81. ̓Αθρήσας δ' Υακίνθου ἴδον κυανόχροα χαίτην. as a veil] Carew's Poems, p. 143.

301

-Whose soft hair,

Fann'd with the breath of gentle air,
O'erspreads her shoulders like a tent,

And is her veil and ornament.'

Spenser's F. Queen, iv. 113.

'Which doft, her golden locks that were unbound
Still in a knot unto her heeles down traced,
And like a silken veil in compasse round
About her backe, and all her bodie wound.'

307 As the vine] See Merrick's Tryphiodorus, ver. 108. 'His flowing train depends with artful twine, Like the long tendrils of the curling vine.'

320

And sweet reluctant amorous delay. Nor those mysterious parts were then conceal'd; Then was not guilty shame, dishonest shame Of nature's works, honour dishonourable, Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind 315 With shews instead, mere shews of seeming pure, And banish'd from man's life his happiest life, Simplicity and spotless innocence! So pass'd they naked on, nor shunn'd the sight Of God or Angel, for they thought no ill: So hand in hand they pass'd, the loveliest pair That ever since in love's embraces met, Adam the goodliest man of men since born His sons, the fairest of her daughters Eve. Under a tuft of shade, that on a green Stood whisp'ring soft, by a fresh fountain side They sat them down; and after no more toil Of their sweet gard'ning labour than suffic'd To recommend cool Zephyr, and made ease More easy, wholesome thirst and appetite More grateful, to their supper fruits they fell, Nectarine fruits, which the compliant boughs

325

330

315 ye] Should we not read you?' For what is he speaking to besides Shame? Newton.

323

goodliest] On this idiom, borrowed from the Greek, refer to Vigerus de Idiotismis, p. 68, and Thucyd. lib. i. c. 50. Ναυμαχία γὰρ ἅυτη Ἕλλησι πρὸς Ἕλληνας νεῶν πλήθει μεγίστη δὴ τῶν πρὸ ἑαυτῆς γεγένηται. v. Herman ad

Euripid. Med. ed. Elmsley, p. 67.

332

compliant boughs] Compare the Sarcotis of Masenius, lib. i. p. 94, ed. Barbou:

Yielded them, side-long as they sat recline
On the soft downy bank damask'd with flow'rs.
The savoury pulp they chew, and in the rind, 335
Still as they thirsted, scoop the brimming stream;
Nor gentle purpose nor endearing smiles
Wanted, nor youthful dalliance, as beseems
Fair couple, link'd in happy nuptial league
Alone as they. About them frisking play'd 310
All beasts of th' earth, since wild, and of all chase
In wood or wilderness, forest or den;

Sporting the lion ramp'd, and in his paw

Dandled the kid; bears, tigers, ounces, pards, Gambol'd before them; th' unwieldly elephant 345 To make them mirth us'd all his might, and wreath'd His lithe proboscis; close the serpent sly Insinuating wove with Gordian twine

330

His braided train, and of his fatal guile
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass
Couch'd, and now fill'd with pasture gazing sat,
Or bedward ruminating for the sun
Declin'd was hasting now with prone career
To th' ocean isles, and in th' ascending scale
Of heav'n the stars that usher evening rose :

'Hic mensæ genialis opes, et dapsilis arbos Fructibus inflexos, foecundo palmite, ramos Curvat ad obsequium, præbetque alimenta petenti.' $34 damask'd] P. Fletcher. P. Isl. c. xii, 1.

'Upon the flowrie banks.

355

Todd.

Where various flowers damaske the fragrant seat.' 37 gentle] Spens. F. Qu. iii. 8. 14. 'He gan make gentl:

purpose to his dame.' Thyer.

When Satan still in gaze, as first he stood, Scarce thus at length fail'd speech recover'd sad.

O hell! what do mine eyes with grief behold, Into our room of bliss thus high advanc'd Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps, 360 Not spirits, yet to heav'nly spirits bright Little inferior; whom my thoughts pursue With wonder, and could love, so lively shines In them divine resemblance, and such grace The hand that form'd them on their shape hath pour'd!

365

Ah gentle pair, ye little think how nigh
Your change approaches, when all these delights
Will vanish and deliver ye to woe,

your

$70

heav'n

More woe, the more your taste is now of joy: Happy, but for so happy ill secur'd Long to continue; and this high seat Ill fenc'd for heav'n to keep out such a foe As now is enter'd: yet no purpos'd foe To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn, Though I unpitied. League with you I seek, 575 And mutual amity, so streight, so close, That I with you must dwell, with me Henceforth: my dwelling haply may not please,

or you

358 O hell] Compare the speech of Antitheus, in the Sarcotis, at the sight of the happiness of Sarcothea, lib. i. p. 94. • Viderat Antitheus niveam per gramina nympham Errantem, et facilis captantem gaudia ruris, Pascentemque animum jucundæ munere vitæ. Vidit, et indoluit tantorum herede bonorum,' &c.

380

Like this fair paradise, your sense; yet such
Accept your Maker's work; he gave it me.
Which I as freely give: hell shall unfold
To entertain you two, her widest gates,
And send forth all her kings: there will be room,
Not like these narrow limits, to receive

Your numerous offspring; if no better place, 385
Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge

On you, who wrong me not, for him who wrong'd. And should I at your harmless innocence

Melt, as I do, yet public reason just,

Honour and empire with revenge enlarg'd,

390

By conquering this new world, compels me now
To do, what else, though damn'd, I should abhor.
So spake the fiend, and with necessity,
The tyrant's plea, excus'd his devilish deeds.
Then from his lofty stand on that high tree
Down he alights among the sportful herd
Of those fourfooted kinds, himself now one,
Now other, as their shape serv'd best his end
Nearer to view his prey, and unespy'd

395

399

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 spy'd
In some purlieu two gentle fawns at play,
Strait couches close, then rising changes oft 405
His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground,
Whence rushing he might surest seize them both
Grip'd in each paw: when Adam first of men,