Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/233

 BOOK EIGHTH

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��No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary. What thiuk'st thou, then, of Me, and this

my state ?

Seem I to thee sufficiently possessed Of happiness, or not, who am alone From all eternity ? for none I know Second to me or like, equal much less. How have I, then, with whom to hold con- verse, Save with the creatures which I made, and

those

To me inferior infinite descents 410

Beneath what other creatures are to thee ? '

"He ceased. I lowly answered: 'To

attain

The highth and depth of thy eternal ways All human thoughts come short, Supreme

of Things !

Thou in thyself art perfet, and in Thee Is no deficience found. Not so is Man, But in degree the cause of his desire By conversation with his like to help Or solace his defects. No need that thou Should'st propagate, already infinite, 420 And through all numbers absolute, though

One;

But Man by number is to manifest His single imperfection, and beget Like of his like, his image multiplied, In unity defective; which requires Collateral love, and dearest amity. Thou, in thy secrecy although alone, Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not Social communication yet, so pleased, Canst raise thy creature to what highth

thou wilt 430

Of union or communion, deified; I, by conversing, cannot these erect From prone, nor in their ways complacence

find.' Thus I emboldened spake, and freedom

used Permissive, and acceptance found; which

gained

This answer from the gratious Voice Di- vine : " ' Thus far to try thee, Adam, I was

pleased,

And find thee knowing not of beasts alone, Which thou hast rightly named, but of

thyself

Expressing well the spirit within thee free, My image, not imparted to the brute; 441 Whose fellowship, therefore, unmeet for

thee,

��Good reason was thou freely shouldst dis- like.

And be so minded still. I, ere thou spak'st, Knew it not good for Man to be alone, And no such company as then thou saw'st Intended thee for trial only brought, To see how thou couldst judge of fit and

meet.

What next I bring shall please thee, be assured, 449

Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self, Thy wish exactly to thy heart's desire.' "He ended, or I heard no more; for

now

My earthly, by his heavenly overpowered, Which it had long stood under, strained to

the highth

In that celestial colloquy sublime, As with an object that excels the sense, Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought

repair

Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes. Mine eyes he closed, but open left the cell Of fancy, my internal sight; by which, 461 Abstract as in a trance, methought I saw, Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the

Shape

Still glorious before whom awake I stood; Who, stooping, opened my left side, and

took

From thence a rib, with cordial spirits warm, And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was

the wound,

But suddenly with flesh filled up and healed. The rib he formed and fashioned with his hands ; 469

Under his forming hands a creature grew, Man-like, but different sex, so lovely fair That what seemed fair in all the world

seemed now

Mean, or in her summed up, in her con- tained

And in her looks, which from that time in- fused

Sweetness into my heart unfelt before, And into all things from her air inspired The spirit of love and amorous delight. She disappeared, and left me dark; I waked To find her, or for ever to deplore 479

Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure: When, out of hope, behold her not far off, Such as I saw her in my dream, adorned With what all Earth or Heaven could be- stow

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