WHO from my dark abyss
Calls me to gaze on this excess of light?
What miracles unseen
Shew'st thou to me, O God?
Art thou then tired of residence in Heav'n?
Why hast thou raised on earth
This lovely paradise,
And wherefore placed in it
Two earthly demi-gods of human mould?
Say, thou vile architect,
Forming thy works of dust,
What will befal this naked helpless man,
The sole inhabitant of glens and woods ?
Does he then dream of treading on the stars ?
Heav'n is impoverish'd, and I, alone
The cause, enjoy the ruin I produced :
Let him unite above
Star upon star, moon, fun,
And let his Godhead toil
To re-adorn and re-illume his heav'n;
Since in the end derision
Shall prove his works, and all his efforts, vain;
For Lucifer alone was that full light,
Which scatter'd radiance o'er the plains of
Heav'n.

But

Ma queste faci hor sue son ombre e fumi,
O de' gran lumi miei, bastardi lumi
Il ciel che che si sia saper non voglio,
Che che si sia quest' huom' saper non curo,
Troppo ostinato e duro,
E' 'l mio forte pensiero,
In mostrarmi implacabile, e severo,
Contra il ciel, contra l' huom, l'angelo, e Dio.

ATTO

But these his present fires are shade and smoke,
Base counterfeits of my more potent beams;
I reck not what he means to make his heav'n,
Nor care I what this creature man may be,
Too obstinate and firm
Is my undaunted thought
In proving that I am implacable,
'Gainst heav'n, 'gainst man, the angels, and their

God.

ACT

AT TO TER Z A.

SCE NA PRIM A.

AD A MO, E V A.

OMIA compagna amata,
O di questa mia vita
Vero cor, cara vita ;
Si frettolosa a dunque ali vibrando
Peregrina incessante
Per ritrovar Adamo,
Solinga andavi errando?
Eccolo; che l' imponi ? Parla homai
Tanto indugi ? deh chiede; o Dio, che fai?

EVA.

O carissimo Adamo,
O mia scorta, o mio duce
Ch' à rallegrar ch' a solazzar m’induce;
Sol' io 'te desiava,
E tra fi grati horrori,
Solo te ricercava.

O MY beloved companion,
O thou of

my

existence The very heart and soul, Haft thou, with such excess of tender haste, With ceaseless pilgrimage, To find again thy Adam Thus solitary wandered? Behold him, speak, what are thy gentle orders ? Why dost thou pause? O God, what art thou

doing ?

EVE.

Adam, my best beloved,
My guardian and my guide,
Thou source of all my comfort, all my joy,
Thee, thee alone I wilh,
And in these pleasing horrors
Thee only have I fought.

ADAM.

Since thou may'st call thy Adam (Most beautiful companion)