The Book of the Epic: The World's Great Epics Told in StoryGuerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
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The Book of the Epic: The World's Great Epics Told in Story
Guerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
Epic poetry -- Adaptations
In his turn, Adam entertains Raphael with a description of his
amazement when he awoke on a flowery hillside, to see the sky, the
woods, and the streams; his gradual acquaintance with his own person
and powers, the naming of the animals, and his awe when the divine
master led him into Paradise and warned him not to touch the central
tree. After describing his loneliness on discovering that all living
creatures went about in pairs, Adam adds that, after he had complained
to the Creator, a deep sleep fell upon him, during which a rib was
removed from his side from which to fashion Eve. Joined by the Creator
himself to this "bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh," Adam
declares since then they have enjoyed nuptial bliss, and artlessly
inquires whether angels marry and are given in marriage too. Whereupon
Raphael rejoins that in heaven love so refines the thoughts and
enlarges the heart that none save spiritual communion is necessary to
secure perfect bliss. Then, seeing the sun about to set, the angel
takes leave of Adam and wends his way back to heaven, while the father
of mankind rejoins his waiting wife.
Book IX. The poet warns us there will be no more question of talk
between man and angels, as his song must now change to a tragic note,
because vile distrust has entered Paradise. Then he describes how
Satan, driven away from Eden by Gabriel, circles around the earth
seven days and nights without rest, and at the end of that time
re-enters Paradise, by means of an underground river and in the guise
of a mist. Then, perched as a bird upon the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, Satan decides to approach our first parents in the guise of
a loathsome serpent and seek his revenge, although fully aware the
consequences will recoil upon himself. Next, finding a serpent asleep,
Satan enters it, and meanders along the paths of Paradise, hoping to
find Adam and Eve apart, for he deems it will be easier to work his
ends on one at a time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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