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THUS talking, hand in hand alone they passed | |
| On to their blissful bower. It was a place | |
| Chosen by the sov’reign Planter, when he framed | |
| All things to Man’s delightful use; the roof | |
| Of thickest covert was inwoven shade, | 5 |
| Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew | |
| Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side | |
| Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub, | |
| Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower, | |
| Iris all hues, roses, and jessamine, | 10 |
| Rear’d high their flourished heads between, and wrought | |
| Mosaic; under foot the violet, | |
| Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay | |
| Broidered the ground, more coloured than the stone | |
| Of costliest emblem: Other creature here, | 15 |
| Beast, bird, insect, or worm, durst enter none; | |
| Such was their awe of Man. In shadier bower | |
| More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned, | |
| Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor nymph, | |
| Nor Faunus haunted. Here, in close recess, | 20 |
| With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs, | |
| Espousèd Eve decked first her nuptial bed | |
| And heavenly quires the hymenean sung, | |
| What day the genial Angel to our sire | |
| Brought her, in naked beauty more adorned, | 25 |
| More lovely than Pandora, whom the Gods | |
| Endowed with all their gifts, and, O! too like | |
| In sad event, when to the unwiser son | |
| Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnared | |
| Mankind with her fair looks, to be avenged | 30 |
| On him who had stole Jove’s authentic fire. | |
| Thus at their shady lodge arrived, both stood, | |
| Both turned, and under open sky adored | |
| The God that made both sky, air, earth and heaven | |
| Which they beheld, the moon’s resplendent globe, | 35 |
| And starry pole: “Thou also madest the night, | |
| Maker Omnipotent; and thou the day, | |
| Which we in our appointed work employed, | |
| Have finished, happy in our mutual help | |
| And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss | 40 |
| Ordained by thee; and this delicious place, | |
| For us too large, where thy abundance wants | |
| Partakers, and uncropt falls to the ground. | |
| But thou hast promised from us two a race | |
| To fill the earth, who shall with us extol | 45 |
| Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake | |
| And when we seek, as now, the gift of sleep.” | |
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| This said unanimous, and other rites | |
| Observing none, but adoration pure | |
| Which God likes best, into their inmost bower | 50 |
| Handed they went; and eased the putting off | |
| Those troublesome disguises which we wear, | |
| Straight side by side were laid; nor turned, I ween, | |
| Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites | |
| Mysterious of connubial love refused: | 55 |
| Whatever hypocrites austerely talk | |
| Of purity, and place, and innocence, | |
| Defaming as impure what God declares | |
| Pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all. | |
| Our Maker bids increase; who bids abstain | 60 |
| But our destroyer, foe to God and Man? | |
| Hail, wedded Love, mysterious law, true source | |
| Of human offspring, sole propriety | |
| In Paradise, of all things common else! | |
| By thee adult’rous love was driven from men | 65 |
| Among the bestial herds to range; by thee, | |
| Founded in reason, loyal, just and pure, | |
| Relations dear, and all the charities | |
| Of father, son, and brother, first were known. | |
| Far be it that I should write thee sin or blame, | 70 |
| Or think the unbefitting holiest place | |
| Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets, | |
| Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced, | |
| Present or past, as saints and patriarchs used! | |
| Here love his golden shafts employs, here lights | 75 |
| His constant lamp, and waves his purple wings, | |
| Reigns here and revels; not in the bought smile | |
| Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared, | |
| Casual fruition: nor in court amours | |
| Mixed dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball, | 80 |
| Or serenade, which the starved lover sings | |
| To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain. | |
| These lulled by nightingales embracing slept, | |
| And on their naked limbs the flow’ry roof | |
| Showered roses, which the morn repaired. Sleep on, | 85 |
| Blest pair! and, O! yet happiest if ye seek | |
| No happier state, and know to know no more! | |
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