BOOK IV. PARADISE LOST; Leaps o'er the fence with eafe into the fold : Or as a thief bent to unhoard the cafh Of fame rich burgher, whole fubflantial doors, Crofs-barr'd and bolted faft, fear no affault, 190 In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles : So clomb this firft grand thief into God's fold; (So fince into his Church lewd hirelings climb.) Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life, (The middle tree, and higheft there that grew) 195 Sat like a cormorant ; yet not true life, Thereby regain'd, but fat devifing death To them who liv'd : nor on the virtue thought Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd For profped, what well us'd had been the pledge 200 Of immortality. (So little knows Any, but God alone, to value right The good before him, but perverts belt things To wurft abufe, or to their meaneft ufe.) Beneath him with new wonder now he views, 2o5 To all delight of human fenfe expos'd In narrow room, nature's whole wealth, yea more, A heav'n on earth ! for blifsful Paradife Of God the garden was, by him in th' eaft Of Eden planted ; Eden firetch'd her line 210 From Auran eaftward to the royal tow'rs Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings, Or where the fons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telaffar. In this pleafant foil His far more pleafant garden God ordain'd 215 Out of the fertile ground he caus'd to grow All trees of nobleft kind for fight, fmell, tafte ; And all amid them flood the Tree of Life, High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit Of vegetable gold : and next to life, 220 Our death, the Tree of Knowledge, grew fait by ; Knowledge 95
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