Beneath him, with new wonder, now he views, To all delight of human sense exposed, In narrow room Nature’s 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 stretched her line From Auran eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the sons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telassar. In this pleasant soil His far more pleasant garden God ordained. Out of the fertile ground he caused 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 changed his course, but through the shaggy hill Passed underneath engulfed; for God had thrown That mountain as his garden-mould, high raised Upon the rapid current, which, through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst up-drawn,