Chapter 15 14

To whom the Angel with contracted brow. [ 560 ] Accuse not Nature, she hath don her part; Do thou but thine, and be not different Of Wisdom, she deserts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when most thou needst her night, By attributing overmuch to things [ 565 ] Less excellent, as thou thy self perceivst. For what admire thou, what transports thee so, An outside? fair no doubt, and worthy well Thy cherishing, thy honoring, and thy love, Not thy subjection: weigh with her thy self; [ 570 ] Then value: Oft times nothing profits more Then self esteem, grounded on just and right

Well managd; of that skill the more thou knowst, The more she will acknowledge thee her Head, And to realities yield all her shows: [ 575 ] Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honor thou maist love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. But if the sense of touch whereby mankind Is propagated seem such dear delight [ 580 ] Beyond all other, think the same voutsafe To Cattel and each Beast; which would not be To them made common and divulged, if aught Therein enjoyed were worthy to subdue The Soul of Man, or passion in him move. [585]

What higher in her society thou findst Attractive, human, rational, love still; In loving thou dost well, in passion not, Wherein true Love consists not; The thoughts, and heart enlarges, hath his seat [ 590 ] In Reason, and is judicious, is the scale By which to heavily Love thou maist ascend, Not sunk in carnal pleasure, for which cause Among the Beasts no Mate for thee was found. To whom thus half abasht Adam replied. [ 595 ]