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Tho' sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape Still glorious before whom awake I stood; Who, stooping, open'd 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 fill'd

up,

and heal’d. The rib he form'd and fashion'd with his hands: Under his forming hands a creature grew, 470 Manlike, but diff'rent sex; so lovely fair, That what seem'd fair in all the world, seem'd

now

480

Mean, or in her summ’d up, in her contain'd,
And in her looks; which from that time infus'd
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before; 475
And into all things from her air inspir'd
The sp'rit of love and amorous delight.
She disappear’d, and left me dark. I wak'd
To find her, or for ever to deplore
Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure :
When, out of hope, behold her, not far off,
Such as I saw her in my dream, adorn'd
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow
To make her amiable! On she came,
Led by her Heav'nly Maker, tho' unseen, 485
And guided by his voice; nor uninform’d
Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites.
Grace was in all her steps! Heav'n in her eye !
In ev'ry gesture dignity and love!
I, overjoy'd, could not forbear aloud,

490

This turn hath made amends! Thou hast fulfill'd Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign, Giver of all things fair, but fairest this Of all thy gifts, nor enviest ! I now see Bóne of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself 495 Before me! Woman is her name ; of Man Extracted. For this cause he shall forego Father and mother, and to' his wife adhere : And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.

She heard me thus; and tho' divinely brought, Yet innocence and virgin modesty,

501 Her virtue, and the conscience of her worth, That would be woo'd, and not unsought be won, Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir'd, The more desirable ; or to say all,

505 Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought, Wrought in her so, that seeing me, she turn'd. I follow'd her : she what was honour knew, And with obsequious majesty approv'd My pleaded reason. To the nuptial bow'r 510 I led her, blushing like the morn. All Heav'n, And happy constellations on that hour Shed their selectest influence! The earth Gave sign of gratulation, and each hill ! Joyous the birds ; fresh gales and gentle airs 515 Whisper'd it to the woods, and from their wings Flung rose, flung odours from the spicy shrub, Disporting, till the am'rous bird of night Sung spousal, and bid haste the ev’ning-star On his hill-top, to light the bridal lamp. 520

Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought
My story to the sum of earthly bliss
Which I enjoy; and must confess to find
In all things else delight indeed, but such
As us’d or not, works in the mind no change, 525
Nor vehement desire, these delicacies
I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and

flow'rs,
Walks, and the melody of birds; but here
Far otherwise, transported I behold,
Transported touch. Here passion first I felt, 530
Commotion strange, in all enjoyments else
Superior and unmov'd; here only weak
Against the charm of beauty's pow'rful glance.
Or nature fail'd in me, and left some part
Not proof enough such object to sustain; 535
Or from my side subducting, took perhaps
More than enough : at least on her bestow'd
Too much of ornament; in outward show
Elaborate; of inward, less exact.
For well I understand, in the prime end 540
Of nature, her th' inferor in the mind
And inward faculties, which most excel
In outward; also her resembling less
His image who made both, and less expressing
The character of that dominion giv'n 545
O'er other creatures; yet, when I approach
Her loveliness, so absolute she seems,
And in herself complete; so well to know
Her own, that what she wills to do or say,