There is, said Michael, if thou well observe [ 530 ] The rule of not too much, by temperance taught In what thou eatst and drinkst, seeking from thence Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight, Till many years over thy head return: So maist thou live, till like ripe Fruit thou drop [ 535 ] Into thy Mothers lap, or be with ease Gatherd, not harshly pluckt, for death mature: This is old age; but then thou must outlive Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change To witherd weak and gray; thy Senses then [ 540 ] Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forgoe, To what thou hast, and for the Aire of youth Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reigne A melancholly damp of cold and dry To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume [ 545 ] The Balme of Life.

His free Will

Man should be seduc't

Man should be seduc't

Her hand he seis'd, and to a shadie bank, Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd He led her nothing loath; Flours were the Couch, Pansies, and Violets, and Asphodel, [ 1040 ] And Hyacinth, Earths freshest softest lap. There they thir fill of Love and Loves disport Took largely, of thir mutual guilt the Seale, The solace of thir sin, till dewie sleep Oppress'd them, wearied with thir amorous play.

However I with thee have fixt my Lot, Certain to undergoe like doom, if Death Consort with thee, Death is to mee as Life; So forcible within my heart I feel [ 955 ] The Bond of Nature draw me to my owne, My own in thee, for what thou art is mine; Our State cannot be severd, we are one, One Flesh; to loose thee were to loose my self.

Thoughts, whither have ye led me, with what sweet Compulsion thus transported to forget What hither brought us, hate, not love, nor hope [ 475 ] Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy, Save what is in destroying, other joy To me is lost. Then let me not let pass Occasion which now smiles, behold alone [ 480 ] The Woman, opportune to all attempts, Her Husband, for I view far round, not nigh, Whose higher intellectual more I shun, And strength, of courage hautie, and of limb Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould, [ 485 ] Foe not informidable, exempt from wound, I not; so much hath Hell debas'd, and paine Infeebl'd me, to what I was in Heav'n. Shee fair, divinely fair, fit Love for Gods, Not terrible, though terrour be in Love [ 490 ] And beautie, not approacht by stronger hate, Hate stronger, under shew of Love well feign'd, The way which to her ruin now I tend.

Let ther be Light

To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav'n Is as the Book of God before thee set, Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learne His Seasons, Hours, or Dayes, or Months, or Yeares: This to attain, whether Heav'n move or Earth, [ 70 ] Imports not, if thou reck'n right, the rest From Man or Angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge His secrets to be scann'd by them who ought Rather admire;

So spake the Godlike Power, and thus our Sire. For Man to tell how human Life began [ 250 ] Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?

is Knowledge so despis'd? [ 60 ] Or envie, or what reserve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer thy offerd good, why else set here?

O Sole in whom my thoughts find all repose, My Glorie, my Perfection

Awake My fairest, my espous'd, my latest found, Heav'ns last best gift, my ever new delight,

The God that made both Skie, Air, Earth and Heav'n Which they beheld, the Moons resplendent Globe And starrie Pole: Thou also mad'st the Night, Maker Omnipotent, and thou the Day, [ 725 ] Which we in our appointed work imployd Have finisht happie in our mutual help And mutual love, the Crown of all our bliss Ordaind by thee, and this delicious place For us too large, where thy abundance wants [ 730 ] Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground. But thou hast promis'd from us two a Race To fill the Earth, who shall with us extoll Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake, And when we seek, as now, thy gift of sleep

To whom thus Eve with perfet beauty adornd. My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst [ 635 ] Unargu'd I obey; so God ordains, God is thy Law, thou mine: to know no more Is womans happiest knowledge and her praise.

When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice) Useless and vain, of freedom both despoild, Made passive both, had servd necessitie, [ 110 ] Not mee.

Thir freedom, they themselves ordain'd thir fall.

I made him just and right, Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.

For man will heark'n to his glozing lyes, And easily transgress the sole Command, Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall, [ 95 ] Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault? Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee

More then can be in Heav'n, we now return To claim our just inheritance of old,

but who here Will envy whom the highest place exposes Formost to stand against the Thunderers aim Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain?

O Prince, O Chief of many Throned Powers,

OF Mans First Disobedience, and the Fruit Of that Forbidden Tree, whose mortal tast Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,

Say first, for Heav'n hides nothing from thy view Nor the deep Tract of Hell