登陆注册
5386800000022

第22章 Book 4(2)

So on he fares, and to the border comes Of EDEN, where delicious Paradise, Now nearer, Crowns with her enclosure green, As with a rural mound the champain head Of a steep wilderness, whose hairie sides With thicket overgrown, grottesque and wilde, Access deni'd; and over head up grew Insuperable highth of loftiest shade, Cedar, and Pine, and Firr, and branching Palm, A Silvan Scene, and as the ranks ascend Shade above shade, a woodie Theatre Of stateliest view. Yet higher then thir tops The verdurous wall of Paradise up sprung:

Which to our general Sire gave prospect large Into his neather Empire neighbouring round.

And higher then that Wall a circling row Of goodliest Trees loaden with fairest Fruit, Blossoms and Fruits at once of golden hue Appeerd, with gay enameld colours mixt:

On which the Sun more glad impress'd his beams Then in fair Evening Cloud, or humid Bow, When God hath showrd the earth; so lovely seemd That Lantskip: And of pure now purer aire Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires Vernal delight and joy, able to drive All sadness but despair: now gentle gales Fanning thir odoriferous wings dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Those balmie spoiles. As when to them who saile Beyond the CAPE OF HOPE, and now are past MOZAMBIC, off at Sea North-East windes blow SABEAN Odours from the spicie shoare Of ARABIE the blest, with such delay Well pleas'd they slack thir course, and many a League Cheard with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles.

So entertaind those odorous sweets the Fiend Who came thir bane, though with them better pleas'd Then ASMODEUS with the fishie fume, That drove him, though enamourd, from the Spouse Of TOBITS Son, and with a vengeance sent From MEDIA post to AEGYPT, there fast bound.

Now to th' ascent of that steep savage Hill SATAN had journied on, pensive and slow;

But further way found none, so thick entwin'd, As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplext All path of Man or Beast that past that way:

One Gate there onely was, and that look'd East On th' other side: which when th' arch-fellon saw Due entrance he disdaind, and in contempt, At one slight bound high overleap'd all bound Of Hill or highest Wall, and sheer within Lights on his feet. As when a prowling Wolfe, Whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey, Watching where Shepherds pen thir Flocks at eeve In hurdl'd Cotes amid the field secure, Leaps o're the fence with ease into the Fould:

Or as a Thief bent to unhoord the cash Of some rich Burgher, whose substantial dores, Cross-barrd and bolted fast, fear no assault, In at the window climbes, or o're the tiles;

So clomb this first grand Thief into Gods Fould:

So since into his Church lewd Hirelings climbe.

Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life, The middle Tree and highest there that grew, Sat like a Cormorant; yet not true Life Thereby regaind, but sat devising Death To them who liv'd; nor on the vertue thought Of that life-giving Plant, but only us'd For prospect, what well us'd had bin the pledge Of immortalitie. So little knows Any, but God alone, to value right The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to thir meanest use.

Beneath him with new wonder now he views To all delight of human sense expos'd In narrow room Natures whole wealth, yea more, A Heaven on Earth, for blissful Paradise Of God the Garden was, by him in the East Of EDEN planted; EDEN stretchd her Line From AURAN Eastward to the Royal Towrs Of great SELEUCIA, built by GRECIAN Kings, Or where the Sons of EDEN long before Dwelt in TELASSAR: in this pleasant soile His farr more pleasant Garden God ordaind;

Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow All Trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste;

And all amid them stood the Tree of Life, High eminent, blooming Ambrosial Fruit Of vegetable Gold; and next to Life Our Death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by, Knowledge of Good bought dear by knowing ill.

Southward through EDEN went a River large, Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggie hill Pass'd underneath ingulft, for God had thrown That Mountain as his Garden mould high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which through veins Of porous Earth with kindly thirst up drawn, Rose a fresh Fountain, and with many a rill Waterd the Garden; thence united fell Down the steep glade, and met the neather Flood, Which from his darksom passage now appeers, And now divided into four main Streams, Runs divers, wandring many a famous Realme And Country whereof here needs no account, But rather to tell how, if Art could tell, How from that Saphire Fount the crisped Brooks, Rowling on Orient Pearl and sands of Gold, With mazie error under pendant shades Ran Nectar, visiting each plant, and fed Flours worthy of Paradise which not nice Art In Beds and curious Knots, but Nature boon Powrd forth profuse on Hill and Dale and Plaine, Both where the morning Sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierc't shade Imbround the noontide Bowrs: Thus was this place, A happy rural seat of various view;

Groves whose rich Trees wept odorous Gumms and Balme, Others whose fruit burnisht with Golden Rinde Hung amiable, HESPERIAN Fables true, If true, here onely, and of delicious taste:

Betwixt them Lawns, or level Downs, and Flocks Grasing the tender herb, were interpos'd, Or palmie hilloc, or the flourie lap Of som irriguous Valley spread her store, Flours of all hue, and without Thorn the Rose:

Another side, umbrageous Grots and Caves Of coole recess, o're which the mantling Vine Layes forth her purple Grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; mean while murmuring waters fall Down the slope hills, disperst, or in a Lake, That to the fringed Bank with Myrtle crownd, Her chrystall mirror holds, unite thir streams.

同类推荐
  • 佛说差摩婆帝授记经

    佛说差摩婆帝授记经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 寄李輈侍郎

    寄李輈侍郎

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 悦生随抄

    悦生随抄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 太上三生解冤妙经

    太上三生解冤妙经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 素问入式运气论奥

    素问入式运气论奥

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 雪黎皇后2

    雪黎皇后2

    她5岁的时候被带到了皇宫,被独断霸道的皇帝喜欢上是幸还是不幸?长大的她看到了外面的世界,她喜欢上了那个穷苦却才华横溢的人,而皇上却百般阻拦。她该怎么办?
  • 艺术与生活

    艺术与生活

    《艺术与生活》是周作人所有作品中一篇长篇的论文集,它确立了其人道主义的思想基调。在《艺术与生活》中,周作人此次以思想家的立场,讨论文学与生活的关系,其关注的角度不再局限于文学本身的思考,还涉及妇女、儿童、异国的民间文学对现实生活的影响。
  • 校园故事

    校园故事

    无数事实、经验和理性已经证明:好故事可以影响人的一生。而以我们之见,所谓好故事,在内容上讲述的应是做人与处世的道理,在形式上也应听得进、记得住、讲得出、传得开,而且不会因时代的变迁而失去她的本质特征和艺术光彩。为了让更多的读者走进好故事,阅读好故事,欣赏好故事,珍藏好故事,传播好故事,我们特编选了一套“故事会5元精品系列”以飨之。其选择标准主要有以下三点:一、在《故事会》杂志上发表的作品。二、有过目不忘的艺术感染力。三、有恒久的趣味,对今天的读者仍有启迪作用。愿好故事伴随你的一生!
  • 老实老三

    老实老三

    在某个古代的年代,老李头家有三个儿子。只有三儿子,李老三忠厚孝顺。父亲去世后,李老三听从了遗言,经历了一段奇遇,得到了一份良缘。诠释了一段神话故事,我来写,由你来读。?????????
  • 青云归

    青云归

    架空、探案(慢热了点),无CP,看官可自行脑补。旁人说:你的平步青云可都是踩着众生的鲜血一路爬上来,你怎么这么心安理得?左仪嗤之以鼻:我这个百姓口中的好官,难道遇见命案不闻不问?从新手县令,到京中要员,一场由皇权较量开始的科考案,引出无数变故,最终是否拨云见日,且听下回分解...
  • 大星术师1:恶魔之花蓝焰火

    大星术师1:恶魔之花蓝焰火

    史上最不靠谱的小队集结!蠢萌逗比巨兀大人VS秀逗星光小队,与黑灵军团的冲突首次开启!小队成员奇葩身份逐渐揭开。原来,我的同学都是怪物……
  • 味道之人民公社

    味道之人民公社

    这是梁文道笔下的“饮食社会学”——“吃”是联结社会的纽带,是构成“人民公社”的基石。本书为梁文道食评文集《味道》系列之一,主要谈论“吃”的社会意涵,挖掘不同场合、不同人群、不同社会、不同时代人们“吃”的不同内容与逻辑,引出“吃”作为不可或缺的社会纽带的意义,正是“吃”联结或区隔了不同的个人与群体。
  • 拽上我的复仇公主

    拽上我的复仇公主

    10岁之前的两姐妹,是慕容家族的千金小姐,可是因为一个天大的阴谋,父亲不认,母亲因为证明自己的清白自杀,同父异母的妹妹更是出言恶毒,她带着妹妹从家里逃出来,还被追杀,又被人拐骗卖到美国做女佣,她们发誓,一定要活下去,要回来报仇。经过7年的蜕变,她们回到中国,回来报复所有该报复的人,殊不知这背后还有着一个更大的阴谋。
  • 血性

    血性

    太阳还没有露面,白军就发起了第一波进攻。白军炮兵用榴弹炮和山炮还有迫击炮向红军阵地狂轰乱炸,这个美好的清晨被炸得支离破碎。在炮火的掩护下,白军朝我们阵地发起冲锋。我把盒子枪插在了腰间的皮带上,端起了一支三八步枪,对着冲上来的白军瞄准。白军离我们越来越近,我看着差不多了,就开出了第一枪,高喊了一声:“弟兄们,给我打!”我那一枪洞穿了一个白军小军官的额头,算他运气不好,碰上了我这个神枪手。战士们喊叫着朝冲过来的白军发射出愤怒的子弹。白军士兵一排排地倒下,阵地前丢下了一具具尸体。
  • 军士小姐的故事

    军士小姐的故事

    一个从战场上下来的少女一个对这个世界一无所知的灵魂一具没有感情只为杀戮而存在的身体。在失去所有归宿之后,在这战争纷乱的年代里,一步一步的找回那被称作情感,作为人所应该拥有的东西,以及自己活下去的意义。