Page:Paradise lost by Milton, John.djvu/276

270 The more she will acknowledge thee her head, And to realities yield all her shews; Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honor thou mayest love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. But if the sense of touch, whereby mankind Is propagated, seem such dear delight Beyond all other, think the same vouchsafed To cattle and each beast; which would not be To them made common and divulged, if aught Therein ehjoyedenjoyed [sic] were worthy to subdue The soul of Man, or passion in him move. What higher in her society thou findest, Attractive, human, rational, love still; In loving thou dost well; in passion not, Wherein true love consists not; love refines The thought, and heart enlarges, hath his seat In reason, and is judicious, is the scale By which to heavenly love thou mayst ascend, Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which cause Among the beasts no mate for thee was found."
 * To whom thus, half abashed, Adam, replied:

"Neither her outside formed so fair, nor aught In procreation, common to all kinds— Though higher of the genial bed by far, And with mysterious reverence I deem— So much delights me, as those graceful acts, Those thousand decencies, that daily flow