Paradise Lost

by John Milton

The space of seven continued nights he rode With darkness; thrice the equinoctial line 65 He circled; four times crossed the car of night From pole to pole, traversing each colure; On the eighth returned; and, on the coast averse From entrance or Cherubick watch, by stealth Found unsuspected way.

There was a place, 70 Now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change, Where Tigris, at the foot of Paradise, Into a gulf shot under ground, till part Rose up a fountain by the tree of life: In with the river sunk, and with it rose ...

the orb he roamed With narrow search; and with inspection deep Considered every creature, which of all 85 Most opportune might serve his wiles; and found The Serpent subtlest beast of all the field. Him after long debate, irresolute Of thoughts revolved, his final sentence chose Fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom 90 To enter, and his dark suggestions hide From sharpest sight: for, in the wily snake Whatever sleights, none would suspicious mark, As from his wit and native subtlety Proceeding;

As God in Heaven Is center, yet extends to all; so thou, Centring, receivest from all those orbs: in thee, 110 Not in themselves, all their known virtue appears Productive in herb, plant, and nobler birth Of creatures animate with gradual life Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in Man.

With what delight could I have walked thee round, 115 If I could joy in aught, sweet interchange Of hill, and valley, rivers, woods, and plains, Now land, now sea and shores with forest crowned, Rocks, dens, and caves! But I in none of these Find place or refuge; and the more I see 120 Pleasures about me, so much more I feel Torment within me, as from the hateful siege Of contraries: all good to me becomes Bane, and in Heaven much worse would be my state.

neither here seek I, no nor in Heaven 125 To dwell, unless by mastering Heaven’s Supreme; Nor hope to be mysel...

For only in destroying I find ease 130 To my relentless thoughts; and, him destroyed, Or won to what may work his utter loss, For whom all this was made,

To me shall be the glory sole among The infernal Powers, in one day to have marred What he, Almighty styled, six nights and days Continued making; and who knows how long Before had been contriving?

What he decreed, He effected; Man he made, and for him built Magnificent this world, and earth his seat, Him lord pronounced; and, O indignity! 155 Subjected to his service angel-wings, And flaming ministers to watch and tend Their earthly charge:

The serpent sleeping; in whose mazy folds To hide me, and the dark intent I bring. O foul descent! that I, who erst contended With Gods to sit the highest, am now constrained 165 Into a beast; and, mixed with bestial slime, This essence to incarnate and imbrute, That to the highth of Deity aspired!

But what will not ambition and revenge Descend to? Who aspires, must down as low 170 As high he soared; obnoxious, first or last, To basest things.

Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long, back ...

on him who next 175 Provokes my envy, this new favourite Of Heaven, this man of clay, son of despite, Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker raised From dust:

Spite then with spite is best repaid.

Fearless unfeared he slept: in at his mouth The Devil entered; and his brutal sense, In heart or head, possessing, soon inspired 190 With act intelligential; but his sleep Disturbed not, waiting close the approach of morn.

when as sacred light began to dawn In Eden on the humid flowers, that breathed Their morning incense, when all things, that breathe, 195 From the Earth’s great altar send up silent praise To the Creator, and his nostrils fill With grateful smell,

Eve first to her husband thus began.

Our pleasant task enjoined; but, till more hands Aid us, the work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint; what we by day 210 Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, One night or two with wanton growth derides Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise, Or bear what to my mind first thoughts present: Let us divide our labours;

while so near each other thus all day Our task we choose, what wonder if so near Looks intervene and smiles, or object new Casual discourse draw on; which intermits Our day’s work, brought to little,

To whom mild answer Adam thus returned.

Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts employed, 230 How we might best fulfil the work which here God hath assigned us; nor of me shalt pass Unpraised: for nothing lovelier can be found In woman, than to study houshold good, And good works in her husband to promote.

Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed Labour, as to debar us when we need Refreshment, whether food, or talk between, Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse Of looks and smiles;

smiles from reason flow, 240 To brute denied, and are of love the food; Love, not the...

For not to irksome toil, but to delight, He made us, and delig...

as wide As we need walk, till younger hands ere long Assist us;

For solitude sometimes is best society, 250 And short retirement urges sweet return.

But other doubt possesses me, lest harm Befall thee severed from me; for thou knowest What hath been warned us, what malicious foe Envying our happiness, and of his own 255 Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find His wish and best advantage, us asunder;

Whether his first design be to withdraw Our fealty from God, or to disturb Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss Enjoyed by us excites his envy more;

leave not the faithful side That gave thee being, still shades thee, and protects. The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks, Safest and seemliest by her husband stays, Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.

To whom the virgin majesty of Eve, As one who loves, and some unkindness meets, With sweet aus...

But, that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt 280 To God or thee, because we have a foe May tempt it, I expected not to hear. His violence thou fearest not, being such As we, not capable of death or pain, Can either not receive, or can repel. 285 His fraud is then thy fear; which plain infers Thy equal fear, that my firm faith and love Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced;

Adam replied. Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve! For such thou art; from sin and blame entire: Not diffident of thee do I dissuade Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid 295 The attempt itself, intended by our foe.

he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses The tempted with dishonour foul; supposed Not incorruptible of faith, not proof Against temptation:

thee alone, which on us both at once The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare;

but Eve, who thought 320 Less attributed to her faith sincere, Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed. If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straitened by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued 325 Single with like defence, wherever met;

How are we happy, still in fear of harm? But harm precedes not sin: only our foe, Tempting, affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integrity:

Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns Foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or feared By us? who rather double honour gain From his surmise proved false; find peace within, Favour from Heaven, our witness, from the event. 335 And what is fait...

Adam fervently replied.

best are all things as the will Of God ordained them:

His creating hand 345 Nothing imperfect or deficient left Of all that he created, much less Man, Or aught that might his happy state secure, Secure from outward force;

within himself The danger lies, yet lies wi...

Against his will he can receive no harm. But God left free the will; for what obeys Reason, is free; and Reason he made right, But b...

Lest, by some fair-appearing good surprised, 355 She dictate false; and mis-inform the will To do wh...

Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins, That I should mind thee oft; and mind thou me. Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve; 360 Since Reason not impossibly may meet Some specious object ...

Trial will come unsought.

But, if thou think, trial unsought may find Us both securer than thus warned thou seemest, Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; Go in thy native innocence, rely On what thou hast of virtue; summon all! 375 For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. So spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve Persisted; yet submiss, though last, replied.

A foe so proud will first the weaker seek; So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse.

Thus saying, from her husband’s hand her hand Soft she withdrew;

Oft he to her his charge of quick return 400 Repeated;

Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss! For now, and since first break of dawn, the Fiend, Mere serpent in appearance, forth was come; And on his quest, where likeliest he might find 415 The only two of mankind, but in them The whole included race, his purposed prey.