Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/231

 BOOK EIGHTH

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��Induced me. As new-waked from sound- est sleep,

Soft on the flowery herb I found me laid,

In balmy sweat, which with his beams the Sun

Soon dried, and on the reeking moisture fed.

Straight toward Heaven my wondering eyes I turned,

And gazed a while the ample sky, till, raised 258

By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung,

As thitherward endeavouring, and upright

Stood on my feet. About me round I saw

Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,

And liquid lapse of murmuring streams; by these,

Creatures that lived and moved, and walked or flew,

Birds on the branches warbling: all things smiled;

With fragrance and with joy my heart o'er- flowed.

Myself I then perused, and limb by limb

Surveyed, and sometimes went, and some- times ran

With supple joints, as lively vigour led;

But who I was, or where, or from what cause, 270

Knew not. To speak I tried, and forth- with spake ;

My tongue obeyed, and readily could name

Whate'er I saw. ' Thou Sun,' said I, 'fair light,

And thou enlightened Earth, so fresh and

. s a y>

Ye hills and dales, ye rivers, woods, and plains,

And ye that live and move, fair creatures, tell,

Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here !

Not of myself ; by some great Maker then,

In goodness and in power prse-eminent.

Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,

From whom I have that thus I move and live, 281

And feel that I am happier than I know ! '

While thus I called, and strayed I knew not whither,

From where I first drew air, and first be- held

This happy light, when answer none re- turned,

On a green shady bank, profuse of flowers,

��Pensive I sat me down. There gentle

sleep First found me, and with soft oppression

seized My drowsed sense, untroubled, though I

thought

I then was passing to my former state 290 Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve: When suddenly stood at my head a Dream, Whose inward apparition gently moved My fancy to believe I yet had being, And lived. One came, methought, of shape

divine, And said, ' Thy mansion wants thee, Adam ;

rise,

First Man, of men innumerable ordained First father ! called by thee, I come thy

guide

To the Garden of bliss, thy seat prepared.' So saying, by the hand he took me, raised, And over fields and waters, as in air 301 Smooth sliding without step, last led me up A woody mountain, whose high top was

plain, A circuit wide, enclosed, with goodliest

trees Planted, with walks and bowers, that what

I saw Of Earth before scarce pleasant seemed.

Each tree Loaden with fairest fruit, that hung to the

eye

Tempting, stirred in me sudden appetite To pluck and eat; whereat I waked, and

found

Before mine eyes all real, as the dream 310 Had lively shadowed. Here had new be- gun My wandering, had not He who was my

guide

Up hither from among the trees appeared, Presence Divine. Rejoicing, but with awe, In adoration at his feet I fell Submiss. He reared me, and, ' Whom thou

s ought 'st I am,'

Said mildly, ' Author of all this thou seest Above, or round about thee, or beneath. This Paradise I give thee; count it thine To till and keep, and of the fruit to eat. 320 Of every tree that in the Garden grows Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no

dearth.

But of the tree whose operation brings Knowledge of Good and 111, which I have

set,

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