[Milton's] argument is (a) St. Augustine was wrong in thinking God's only purpose in giving Adam a female, instead of a male, companion, was copulation. For (b) there is a 'peculiar comfort' in the society of man and woman 'beside, (i.e. in addition to, apart from) the genial bed'; and (c) we know from Scripture that something analogous to 'play' or 'slackening the cords' occurs even in God. That is why the Song of Songs describes a thousand raptures...far on the hither side of carnal enjoyment.