Their pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happy men, And worship him; and in reward to rule So sung they, and the empyrean rung 630 633 Inform'd by thee might know. If else thou seek'st Aught, not surpassing human measure, say. 640 101 PARADISE LOST. BOOK VIII. THE ARGUMENT. ADAM inquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answer'd, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge. Adam assents; and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember'd since his own creation; his placing in Paradise; his talk with GOD concerning solitude and fit society; his first meeting and nuptials with Eve. His discourse with the angel thereupon; who, after admonitions repeated, departs. THE angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fix'd to hear: Then, as new wak'd, thus gratefully replied. What thanks sufficient, or what recompence 6 Equal, have I to render thee, divine Historian? who thus largely hast allay'd 1 The angel] In the first edition of this Poem in ten books, here was only this line, To whom thus Adam gratefully replied. This would have been too abrupt a beginning for a new book. Newton. What thanks] See Beaumont's Psyche, c. xii. st. 171. 'My soule's sweet friend, what thanks can I repay For all this honey which thy tongue hath hed' The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsaf'd Things else by me unsearchable, now heard For aught appears, and on their orbs impose 8 The thirst] See Dante Il Purgator. c. xviii. ver. 4. Di fuor taceva, e dentro dicea.' 9 condescension Conversation, ver. 649. Bentl. MS 14 solution] Decision. Bentl. MS. 15 goodly] Hamlet, act ii. scene ii. 'This goodly frame the Earth.' 10 15 20 25 30 Repeated, while the sedentary earth, That better might with far less compass move, 35 As tribute, such a sumless journey brought So spake our sire, and by his count'nance seem'd Entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve Perceiving where she sat retir'd in sight, 41 45 And grace that won who saw to wish her stay, Of what was high: such pleasure she reserv'd, 50 Her husband the relater she preferr❜d Before the angel, and of him to ask Chose rather; he, she knew, would intermix 46 sprung] So Marino Adon. c. iii. st. 65, and c. vi. st. 146. 'Tutto al venir d'Adon par che ridenti Rivesta il bel giardin novi colori.' Thyer. 53 to ask] In accordance with St. Paul, 1. Corinth. xiv. 35. 'And if they (women) will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home.' Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute 55 Not words alone pleas'd her. O when meet now A pomp of winning graces waited still, To ask or search I blame thee not, for heaven Is as the book of GOD before thee set, 55 solve] Sic ait, ac mediis interserit oscula verbis. 60 65 73 75 Ovid. Met. x. 550 and Epist. xiii. ver. 119, ed. Burm. vol. i. p. 180. 'Quæ mihi dum referes, quamvis audire juvabit, 62 shot] See Greene's Never too late, P. act 2. (1616) He shot amongst them sweet desire.' |