BOOK 8

No more of talk where God or Angel Guest

With Man, as with his Friend, familiar us'd

To sit indulgent, and with him partake

Rural repast, permitting him the while

Venial discourse unblam'd: I now must change

Those Notes to Tragic; foul distrust, and breach

Disloyal on the part of Man, revolt

And disobedience: On the part of Heav'n

Now alienated, distance and distaste,

Anger and just rebuke, and judgement giv'n,

That brought into this World a world of woe,

Sinne and her shadow Death, and Miserie

Deaths Harbinger: Sad task, yet argument

Not less but more Heroic then the wrauth

Of stern ACHILLES on his Foe pursu'd

Thrice Fugitive about TROY Wall; or rage

Of TURNUS for L**INIA disespous'd,

Or NEPTUN'S ire or JUNO'S, that so long

Perplex'd the GREEK and CYTHEREA'S Son;

If answerable style I can obtaine

Of my Celestial Patroness, who deignes

Her nightly visitation unimplor'd,

And dictates to me slumbring, or inspires

Easie my unpremeditated Verse:

Since first this subject for Heroic Song

Pleas'd me long choosing, and beginning late;

Not sedulous by Nature to indite

Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument

Heroic deem'd, chief maistrie to dissect

With long and tedious havoc fabl'd Knights

In Battels feign'd; the better fortitude

Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom

Unsung; or to describe Races and Games,

Or tilting Furniture, emblazon'd Shields,

Impreses quaint, Caparisons and Steeds;

Bases and tinsel Trappings, gorgious Knights

At Joust and Torneament; then marshal'd Feast

Serv'd up in Hall with Sewers, and Seneshals;

The skill of Artifice or Office mean,

Not that which justly gives Heroic name

To Person or to Poem. Mee of these

Nor skilld nor studious, higher Argument

Remaines, sufficient of it self to raise

That name, unless an age too late, or cold

Climat, or Years damp my intended wing

Deprest, and much they may, if all be mine,

Not Hers who brings it nightly to my Ear.

The Sun was sunk, and after him the Starr

Of HESPERUS, whose Office is to bring

Twilight upon the Earth, short Arbiter

Twixt Day and Night, and now from end to end

Nights Hemisphere had veild the Horizon round:

When SATAN who late fled before the threats

Of GABRIEL out of EDEN, now improv'd

In meditated fraud and malice, bent

On mans destruction, maugre what might hap

Of heavier on himself, fearless return'd.

By Night he fled, and at Midnight return'd

From compassing the Earth, cautious of day,

Since URIEL Regent of the Sun descri'd

His entrance, and forewarnd the Cherubim

That kept thir watch; thence full of anguish driv'n,

The space of seven continu'd Nights he rode

With darkness, thrice the Equinoctial Line

He circl'd, four times cross'd the Carr of Night

From Pole to Pole, traversing each Colure;

On the eighth return'd, and on the Coast averse

From entrance or Cherubic Watch, by stealth

Found unsuspected way. There was a place,

Now not, though Sin, not Time, first wraught 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

Satan involv'd in rising Mist, then sought

Where to lie hid; Sea he had searcht and Land

From EDEN over PONTUS, and the Poole

MAEOTIS, up beyond the River OB;

Downward as farr Antartic; and in length

West from ORANTES to the Ocean barr'd

At DARIEN, thence to the Land where flowes

GANGES and INDUS: thus the Orb he roam'd

With narrow search; and with inspection deep

Consider'd every Creature, which of all

Most opportune might serve his Wiles, and found

The Serpent suttlest Beast of all the Field.

Him after long debate, irresolute

Of thoughts revolv'd, his final sentence chose

Fit Vessel, fittest Imp of fraud, in whom

To enter, and his dark suggestions hide

From sharpest sight: for in the wilie Snake,

Whatever sleights none would suspicious mark,

As from his wit and native suttletie

Proceeding, which in other Beasts observ'd

Doubt might beget of Diabolic pow'r

Active within beyond the sense of brute.

Thus he resolv'd, but first from inward griefe

His bursting passion into plaints thus pour'd:

O Earth, how like to Heav'n, if not preferrd

More justly, Seat worthier of Gods, as built

With second thoughts, reforming what was old!

For what God after better worse would build?

Terrestrial Heav'n, danc't round by other Heav'ns

That shine, yet bear thir bright officious Lamps,

Light above Light, for thee alone, as seems,

In thee concentring all thir precious beams

Of sacred influence: As God in Heav'n

Is Center, yet extends to all, so thou

Centring receav'st from all those Orbs; in thee,

Not in themselves, all thir known vertue appeers

Productive in Herb, Plant, and nobler birth

Of Creatures animate with gradual life

Of Growth, Sense, Reason, all summ'd up in Man.

With what delight could I have walkt thee round

If I could joy in aught, sweet interchange

Of Hill and Vallie, Rivers, Woods and Plaines,

Now Land, now Sea, & Shores with Forrest crownd,

Rocks, Dens, and Caves; but I in none of these

Find place or refuge; and the more I see

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 Heav'n much worse would be my state.

But neither here seek I, no nor in Heav'n

To dwell, unless by maistring Heav'ns Supreame;

Nor hope to be my self less miserable

By what I seek, but others to make such

As I though thereby worse to me redound:

For onely in destroying I finde ease

To my relentless thoughts; and him destroyd,

Or won to what may work his utter loss,

For whom all this was made, all this will soon

Follow, as to him linkt in weal or woe,

In wo then; that destruction wide may range:

To mee shall be the glorie sole among

The infernal Powers, in one day to have marr'd

What he ALMIGHTIE styl'd, six Nights and Days

Continu'd making, and who knows how long

Before had bin contriving, though perhaps

Not longer then since I in one Night freed

From servitude inglorious welnigh half

Th' Angelic Name, and thinner left the throng

Of his adorers: hee to be aveng'd,

And to repaire his numbers thus impair'd,

Whether such vertue spent of old now faild

More Angels to Create, if they at least

Are his Created or to spite us more,

Determin'd to advance into our room

A Creature form'd of Earth, and him endow,

Exalted from so base original,

With Heav'nly spoils, our spoils: What he decreed

He effected; Man he made, and for him built

Magnificent this World, and Earth his seat,

Him Lord pronounc'd, and, O indignitie!

Subjected to his service Angel wings,

And flaming Ministers to watch and tend

Thir earthlie Charge: Of these the vigilance

I dread, and to elude, thus wrapt in mist

Of midnight vapor glide obscure, and prie

In every Bush and Brake, where hap may finde

The Serpent sleeping, in whose mazie foulds

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 constraind

Into a Beast, and mixt with bestial slime,

This essence to incarnate and imbrute,

That to the hight of Deitie aspir'd;

But what will not Ambition and Revenge

Descend to? who aspires must down as low

As high he soard, obnoxious first or last

To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet,

Bitter ere long back on it self recoiles;

Let it; I reck not, so it light well aim'd,

Since higher I fall short, on him who next

Provokes my envie, this new Favorite

Of Heav'n, this Man of Clay, Son of despite,

Whom us the more to spite his Maker rais'd

From dust: spite then with spite is best repaid.

So saying, through each Thicket Danck or Drie,

Like a black mist low creeping, he held on

His midnight search, where soonest he might finde

The Serpent: him fast sleeping soon he found

In Labyrinth of many a round self-rowl'd,

His head the midst, well stor'd with suttle wiles:

Not yet in horrid Shade or dismal Den,

Not nocent yet, but on the grassie Herbe

Fearless unfeard he slept: in at his Mouth

The Devil enterd, and his brutal sense,

In heart or head, possessing soon inspir'd

With act intelligential; but his sleep

Disturbd not, waiting close th' approach of Morn.

Now whenas sacred Light began to dawne

In EDEN on the humid Flours, that breathd

Thir morning Incense, when all things that breath,

From th' Earths great Altar send up silent praise

To the Creator, and his Nostrils fill

With gratefull Smell, forth came the human pair

And joynd thir vocal Worship to the Quire

Of Creatures wanting voice, that done, partake

The season, prime for sweetest Sents and Aires:

Then commune how that day they best may ply

Thir growing work: for much thir work outgrew

The hands dispatch of two Gardning so wide.

And EVE first to her Husband thus began.

ADAM, well may we labour still to dress

This Garden, still to tend Plant, Herb and Flour.

Our pleasant task enjoyn'd, but till more hands

Aid us, the work under our labour grows,

Luxurious by restraint; what we by day

Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,

One night or two with wanton growth derides

Tending to wilde. Thou therefore now advise

Or hear what to my mind first thoughts present,

Let us divide our labours, thou where choice

Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind

The Woodbine round this Arbour, or direct

The clasping Ivie where to climb, while I

In yonder Spring of Roses intermixt

With Myrtle, find what to redress till Noon:

For while so near each other thus all day

Our task we choose, what wonder if no near

Looks intervene and smiles, or object new

Casual discourse draw on, which intermits

Our dayes work brought to little, though begun

Early, and th' hour of Supper comes unearn'd.

To whom mild answer ADAM thus return'd.

Sole EVE, Associate sole, to me beyond

Compare above all living Creatures deare,

Well hast thou motion'd, wel thy thoughts imployd

How we might best fulfill the work which here

God hath assign'd us, nor of me shalt pass

Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found

In woman, then to studie houshold good,

And good workes in her Husband to promote.

Yet not so strictly hath our Lord impos'd

Labour, as to debarr us when we need

Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,

Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse

Of looks and smiles, for smiles from Reason flow,

To brute deni'd, and are of Love the food,

Love not the lowest end of human life.

For not to irksom toile, but to delight

He made us, and delight to Reason joyn'd.

These paths and Bowers doubt not but our joynt

Will keep from Wilderness with ease, as wide

As we need walk, till younger hands ere long

Assist us: But if much converse perhaps

Thee satiate, to short absence I could yeild.

For solitude somtimes is best societie,

And short retirement urges sweet returne.

But other doubt possesses me, least harm

Befall thee sever'd from me; for thou knowst

What hath bin warn'd us, what malicious Foe

Envying our happiness, and of his own

Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame

By sly assault; and somwhere nigh at hand

Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find

His wish and best advantage, us asunder,

Hopeless to circumvent us joynd, where each

To other speedie aide might lend at need;

Whether his first design be to withdraw

Our fealtie from God, or to disturb

Conjugal Love, then which perhaps no bliss

Enjoy'd by us excites his envie more;

Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side

That gave thee being, stil shades thee and protects.

The Wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,

Safest and seemliest by her Husband staies,

Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.

To whom the Virgin Majestie of EVE,

As one who loves, and some unkindness meets,

With sweet austeer composure thus reply'd.

Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earths Lord,

That such an enemie we have, who seeks

Our ruin, both by thee informd I learne,

And from the parting Angel over-heard

As in a shadie nook I stood behind,

Just then returnd at shut of Evening Flours.

But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt

To God or thee, because we have a foe

May tempt it, I expected not to hear.

His violence thou fearst not, being such,

As wee, not capable of death or paine,

Can either not receave, or can repell.

His fraud is then thy fear, which plain inferrs

Thy equal fear that my firm Faith and Love

Can by his fraud be shak'n or seduc't;

Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy Brest,

ADAM, misthought of her to thee so dear?

To whom with healing words ADAM reply'd.

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

Th' attempt it self, intended by our Foe.

For hee who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses

The tempted with dishonour foul, suppos'd

Not incorruptible of Faith, not prooff

Against temptation: thou thy self with scorne

And anger wouldst resent the offer'd wrong,

Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,

If such affront I labour to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once

The Enemie, though bold, will hardly dare,

Or daring, first on mee th' assault shall light.

Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;

Suttle he needs must be, who could seduce

Angels, nor think superfluous others aid.

I from the influence of thy looks receave

Access in every Vertue, in thy sight

More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were

Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on,

Shame to be overcome or over-reacht

Would utmost vigor raise, and rais'd unite.

Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel

When I am present, and thy trial choose

With me, best witness of thy Vertue tri'd.

So spake domestick ADAM in his care

And Matrimonial Love, but EVE, who thought

Less attributed to her Faith sincere,

Thus her reply with accent sweet renewd.

If this be our condition, thus to dwell

In narrow circuit strait'nd by a Foe,

Suttle or violent, we not endu'd

Single with like defence, wherever met,

How are we happie, still in fear of harm?

But harm precedes not sin: onely our Foe

Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem

Of our integritie: his foul esteeme

Sticks no dishonor on our Front, but turns

Foul on himself; then wherfore shund or feard

By us? who rather double honour gaine

From his surmise prov'd false, finde peace within,

Favour from Heav'n, our witness from th' event.

And what is Faith, Love, Vertue unassaid

Alone, without exterior help sustaind?

Let us not then suspect our happie State

Left so imperfet by the Maker wise,

As not secure to single or combin'd.

Fraile is our happiness, if this be so,

And EDEN were no EDEN thus expos'd.

To whom thus ADAM fervently repli'd.

O Woman, best are all things as the will

Of God ordaind them, his creating hand

Nothing imperfet or deficient left

Of all that he Created, much less Man,

Or ought that might his happie State secure,

Secure from outward force; within himself

The danger lies, yet lies within his power:

Against his will he can receave no harme.

But God left free the Will, for what obeyes

Reason, is free, and Reason he made right,

But bid her well beware, and still erect,

Least by some faire appeering good surpris'd

She dictate false, and missinforme the Will

To do what God expresly hath forbid.

Not then mistrust, but tender love enjoynes,

That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.

Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,

Since Reason not impossibly may meet

Some specious object by the Foe subornd,

And fall into deception unaware,

Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warnd.

Seek not temptation then, which to avoide

Were better, and most likelie if from mee

Thou sever not; Trial will come unsought.

Wouldst thou approve thy constancie, approve

First thy obedience; th' other who can know,

Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?

But if thou think, trial unsought may finde

Us both securer then thus warnd thou seemst,

Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;

Go in thy native innocence, relie

On what thou hast of vertue, summon all,

For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine.

So spake the Patriarch of Mankinde, but EVE

Persisted, yet submiss, though last, repli'd.

With thy permission then, and thus forewarnd

Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words

Touchd onely, that our trial, when least sought,

May finde us both perhaps farr less prepar'd,

The willinger I goe, nor much expect

A Foe so proud will first the weaker seek;

So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse.

Thus saying, from her Husbands hand her hand

Soft she withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light

OREAD or DRYAD, or of DELIA's Traine,

Betook her to the Groves, but DELIA's self

In gate surpass'd and Goddess-like deport,

Though not as shee with Bow and Quiver armd,

But with such Gardning Tools as Are yet rude,

Guiltless of fire had formd, or Angels brought,

To PALES, or POMONA, thus adornd,

Likest she seemd, POMONA when she fled

VERTUMNUS, or to CERES in her Prime,

Yet Virgin of PROSERPINA from JOVE.

Her long with ardent look his EYE pursu'd

Delighted, but desiring more her stay.

Oft he to her his charge of quick returne,

Repeated, shee to him as oft engag'd

To be returnd by Noon amid the Bowre,

And all things in best order to invite

Noontide repast, or Afternoons repose.

O much deceav'd, much failing, hapless EVE,

Of thy presum'd return! event perverse!

Thou never from that houre in Paradise

Foundst either sweet repast, or found repose;

Such ambush hid among sweet Flours and Shades

Waited with hellish rancor imminent

To intercept thy way, or send thee back

Despoild of Innocence, of Faith, of Bliss.

For now, and since first break of dawne the Fiend,

Meer Serpent in appearance, forth was come,

And on his Quest, where likeliest he might finde

The onely two of Mankinde, but in them

The whole included Race, his purposd prey.

In Bowre and Field he sought, where any tuft

Of Grove or Garden-Plot more pleasant lay,

Thir tendance or Plantation for delight,

By Fountain or by shadie Rivulet

He sought them both, but wish'd his hap might find

EVE separate, he wish'd, but not with hope

Of what so seldom chanc'd, when to his wish,

Beyond his hope, EVE separate he spies,

Veild in a Cloud of Fragrance, where she stood,

Half spi'd, so thick the Roses bushing round

About her glowd, oft stooping to support

Each Flour of slender stalk, whose head though gay

Carnation, Purple, Azure, or spect with Gold,

Hung drooping unsustaind, them she upstaies

Gently with Mirtle band, mindless the while,

Her self, though fairest unsupported Flour,

From her best prop so farr, and storn so nigh.

Neererhe drew, and many a walk travers'd

Of stateliest Covert, Cedar, Pine, or Palme,

Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen

Among thick-wov'n Arborets and Flours

Imborderd on each Bank, the hand of EVE:

Spot more delicious then those Gardens feign'd

Or of reviv'd ADONIS, or renownd

ALCINOUS, host of old LAERTES Son,

Or that, not Mystic, where the Sapient King

Held dalliance with his faire EGYPTIAN Spouse.

Much hee the Place admir'd, the Person more.

As one who long in populous City pent,

Where Houses thick and Sewers annoy the Aire,

Forth issuing on a Summers Morn, to breathe

Among the pleasant Villages and Farmes

Adjoynd, from each thing met conceaves delight,

The smell of Grain, or tedded Grass, or Kine,

Or Dairie, each rural sight, each rural sound;

If chance with Nymphlike step fair Virgin pass,

What pleasing seemd, for her now pleases more,

She most, and in her look summs all Delight.

Such Pleasure took the Serpent to behold

This Flourie Plat, the sweet recess of EVE

Thus earlie, thus alone; her Heav'nly forme

Angelic, but more soft, and Feminine,

Her graceful Innocence, her every Aire

Of gesture or lest action overawd

His Malice, and with rapine sweet bereav'd

His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought:

That space the Evil one abstracted stood

From his own evil, and for the time remaind

Stupidly good, of enmitie disarm'd,

Of guile, of hate, of envie, of revenge;

But the hot Hell that alwayes in him burnes,

Though in mid Heav'n, soon ended his delight,

And tortures him now more, the more he sees

Of pleasure not for him ordain'd: then soon

Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts

Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.

Thoughts, whither have he led me, with what sweet

Compulsion thus transported to forget

What hither brought us, hate, not love, nor hope

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

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,

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

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.

So spake the Enemie of Mankind, enclos'd

In Serpent, Inmate bad, and toward EVE

Address'd his way, not with indented wave,

Prone on the ground, as since, but on his reare,

Circular base of rising foulds, that tour'd

Fould above fould a surging Maze, his Head

Crested aloft, and Carbuncle his Eyes;

With burnisht Neck of verdant Gold, erect

Amidst his circling Spires, that on the grass

Floted redundant: pleasing was his shape,

And lovely, never since of Serpent kind

Lovelier, not those that in ILLYRIA chang'd

HERMIONE and CADMUS, or the God

In EPIDAURUS; nor to which transformd

AMMONIAN JOVE, or CAPITOLINE was seen,

Hee with OLYMPIAS, this with her who bore

SCIPIO the highth of ROME. With tract oblique

At first, as one who sought access, but feard

To interrupt, side-long he works his way.

As when a Ship by skilful Stearsman wrought

Nigh Rivers mouth or Foreland, where the Wind

Veres oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her Saile;

So varied hee, and of his tortuous Traine

Curld many a wanton wreath in sight of EVE,

To lure her Eye; shee busied heard the sound

Of rusling Leaves, but minded not, as us'd

To such disport before her through the Field,

From every Beast, more duteous at her call,

Then at CIRCEAN call the Herd disguis'd.

Hee boulder now, uncall'd before her stood;

But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bowd

His turret Crest, and sleek enamel'd Neck,

Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.

His gentle dumb expression turnd at length

The Eye of EVE to mark his play; he glad

Of her attention gaind, with Serpent Tongue

Organic, or impulse of vocal Air,

His fraudulent temptation thus began.

Wonder not, sovran Mistress, if perhaps

Thou canst, who art sole Wonder, much less arm

Thy looks, the Heav'n of mildness, with disdain,

Displeas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze

Insatiate, I thus single; nor have feard

Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd.

Fairest resemblance of thy Maker faire,

Thee all living things gaze on, all things thine

By gift, and thy Celestial Beautie adore

With ravishment beheld, there best beheld

Where universally admir'd; but here

In this enclosure wild, these Beasts among,

Beholders rude, and shallow to discerne

Half what in thee is fair, one man except,

Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen

A Goddess among Gods, ador'd and serv'd

By Angels numberless, thy daily Train.

So gloz'd the Tempter, and his Proem tun'd;

Into the Heart of EVE his words made way,

Though at the voice much marveling; at length

Not unamaz'd she thus in answer spake.

What may this mean? Language of Man pronounc't

By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest?

The first at lest of these I thought deni'd

To Beasts, whom God on their Creation-Day

Created mute to all articulat sound;

The latter I demurre, for in thir looks

Much reason, and in thir actions oft appeers.

Thee, Serpent, suttlest beast of all the field

I knew, but not with human voice endu'd;

Redouble then this miracle, and say,

How cam'st thou speakable of mute, and how

To me so friendly grown above the rest

Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight?

Say, for such wonder claims attention due.

To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd.

Empress of this fair World, resplendent EVE,

Easie to mee it is to tell thee all

What thou commandst, and right thou shouldst be obeyd:

I was at first as other Beasts that graze

The trodden Herb, of abject thoughts and low,

As was my food, nor aught but food discern'd

Or Sex, and apprehended nothing high:

Till on a day roaving the field, I chanc'd

A goodly Tree farr distant to behold

Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mixt,

Ruddie and Gold: I nearer drew to gaze;

When from the boughes a savorie odour blow'n,

Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense

Then smell of sweetest Fenel, or the Teats

Of Ewe or Goat dropping with Milk at Eevn,

Unsuckt of Lamb or Kid, that tend thir play.

To satisfie the sharp desire I had

Of tasting those fair Apples, I resolv'd

Not to deferr; hunger and thirst at once,

Powerful perswaders, quick'nd at the scent

Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keene.

About the Mossie Trunk I wound me soon,

For high from ground the branches would require

Thy utmost reach or ADAMS: Round the Tree

All other Beasts that saw, with like desire

Longing and envying stood, but could not reach.

Amid the Tree now got, where plentie hung

Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill

I spar'd not, for such pleasure till that hour

At Feed or Fountain never had I found.

Sated at length, ere long I might perceave

Strange alteration in me, to degree

Of Reason in my inward Powers, and Speech

Wanted not long, though to this shape retaind.