I see not who partakes. In solitude
What happiness? who can enjoy alone,
Or, all enjoying, what contentment find?

Thus I presumptuous; and the Vision bright,
As with a smile more brighten'd, thus replied:
« What call'st thou solitude? Is not the earth
With various living creatures, and the air
Replenish'd, and all these at thy command
To come and play before thee?
Their language and their ways?

Know'st thou not

They also know,

And reason not contemptibly with these

:

Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.

So spake the Universal Lord, and seem'd

So ordering: 1 with leave of speech implor'd,
And humble deprecation, thus replied:

«Let not my words offend thee, Heavenly Power,
My Maker, be propitious while I speak.
Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,
And these inferior far beneath me set?
Among unequals what society

Can sort; what harmony, or true delight!
Which must be mutual, in proportion due
Given and receiv'd; but, in disparity

The one intense, the other still remiss,
Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove
Tedious alike of fellowship I speak
Such as I seek, fit to participate

All rational delight; wherein the brute
Cannot the human consort: they rejoice
Each with their kind, lion with lioness;
So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin'd:
Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl

Con me non veggo. E in solitudin quale
Può esser felicità? Chi godrà solo,
Benchè tutto abbia, o troverà contento? >>
Io tanto osai; la Vision lucente

Più bella balenò d'un riso, e disse:
« Solitudin dicesti? E non è terra
Di varie vive creature e l'aria

Ripiena, e queste tutte al tuo comando

A venire e scherzar con te? Non sai
Lor lingua e modi tu? Pur elle intendono
Ed han non vile la ragion: con queste
Cerca solazzo e regna, ampio è il tuo regno. »
Parlò si il massimo Signore, e parve

Si comandar Io di parlar licenza

:

Implorata con prego umil ripiglio:

«Non ti offenda il mio dir, celeste Possa,

Mio Fattore, perdona che io favelli.

Non facestu me qui tuo viceprence,

Nè queste tu soggette a me locasti ?
E qual società fra disuguali

Può star; qual armonia o piacer verace!
Mutuo esser debbe in proporzion dovuta
E dato e accetto; ma fra disuguali
Intenso l'un, languido l'altre ognora,
Non bene ponno affarsi, e crean presto
Fastidio ugual. Di società ragiono
Quale io la bramo, a comunar ben atta
Ogni diletto razional, che i bruti

Coll' uom comunicar non ponno. Ei godono
Sua specie ognun, leon con leonessa.
Si ben tra lor giugnestili: nè augello
Con belva mai, nè con augel s' accoppia

So well converse, nor with the ox the ape;

Worse then can man with beast, and least of all. » Whereto the' Almighty answer'd, not displeas'd: « A nice and subtle happiness, I see,

Thou to thyself proposest, in the choice

Of thy associates, Adam! and wilt taste

No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitary.

What think'st thou then of me, and this my state?
Seem I to thee sufficiently possess'd

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 converse,

Save with the creatures which I made, and those To me inferior, infinite descents

Beneath what other creatures are to thee? »>

He ceas'd: I lowly answered: « To attain
The height and depth of thy eternal ways

All human thoughts come short, Supreme of things!
Thou in thyself art perfect, 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
Shouldst propagate, already Infinite;

And through all numbers absolute, though One:
But Man by numbers is to manifest
His single imperfections, and beget
Like of his like, his image multiplied,
In unity defective; which requires
Collateral love, and dearest amity.
Thou in thy secresy although alone,

Pesce, nè con bue scimia; l' uomo adunque Peggior de' bruti fia e il minor di tutti. »>

L' Onnipossente calmo allor rispose: « Cara e gentil felicitade, io veggo, A te ben tu bramasti nella scelta

De' tuoi compagni, Adam! nè niun piacere
Tu solo gusterai, benchè fra gioie.
Che pensi or tu di me, e di stato mio?
A te sembro io già posseder bastante
O nò, felicitade? E solo io sono
Da tutta eternità; nè già conosco
Secondo a me o simil nè pure eguale.
Com' io dunque tenere altri compagni
Che le mie stesse creature, e queste
A me inferiori d'infiniti gradi

Più che a te sien tutt' altre creature? » -
Disse: ed umile io si risposi aggiugnere
L'altezza e l'imo di tue eterne vie
Fina ogni uman pensiero, Ente supremo !
Tu in te compiuto sei, nè in te difetto
Alcuno già non è: non tale è l'uomo,
Ma gradi egli ha; ragion del suo desío
D'unirsi al suo simil per dar conforto
O aiuto a suoi difetti. Nè bisogno

Hai tu di propagarti già infinito,

Sei benchè un sol d'ogni ragion perfetto.
Ma col numero l'uom le sue mancanze
Fa palesi e il simil dal suo simíle
Produce, sua moltiplicata imago,
In unità manchevol, che domanda
Consorte amore ed amistà gioconda.
Tu negli arcani tuoi benchè solingo,

-

Best with thyself accompanied, seek'st not
Social communication; yet, so pleas'd,

Canst raise thy creature to what height thou wilt
Of union or communion, deified:

I, by conversing, cannot these erect

From prone; nor in their ways complacence find. »
Thus I embolden'd spake, and freedom us'd
Permissive, and acceptance found: which gain'd
This answer from the gracious Voice Divine:

Thus far to try thee, Adam; I was pleas'd,
And find thee knowing, not of beasts alone,
Which thou hast rightly nam'd, but of thyself;
Expressing well the spirit within thee free,
My image, not imparted to the brute;
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee
Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike;
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 could'st judge of fit and meet:
What next I bring shall please thee, be assur'd
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 overpower'd,

Which it had long stood under, strain'd to the height 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, call'd

By nature as in aid, and clos'd mine eyes.