The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare; Or daring, first on me the assault shall light. Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn; Subtle he needs must be, who could seduce Angels; nor think superfluous other's aid. 1 from the influence of thy looks receive Access in every virtue; in thy sight
More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were, Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or over-reach'd, Would utmost vigor raise, and rais'd, unite. Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel When I am present, and thy trial choose With me, best witness of thy virtue tried?"
So spake domestic Adam in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought Less attribúted to her faith sincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd. "If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straiten'd by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued Single with like defence, wherever met; How are we happy, still in fear of harm? But harm precedes not sin: only our foe, Tempting, affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integrity: his foul esteem
Sticks no dishonor on our front, but turns
On what thou hast of virtue; summon all! For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine." So spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve Persisted; yet submiss, though last, replied.
"With thy permission then, and thus forewarn'd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touch'd only; that our trial, when least sought, May find us both perhaps far less prepar'd, The willinger I go, nor much expect
A foe so proud will first the weaker seek; So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse."
Thus saying, from her husband's hand her hand Soft she withdrew; and, like a wood-nymph light, Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train,
Betook her to the groves; but Delia's self In gait surpass'd, and goddess-like deport, Though not as she with bow and quiver arm'd, But with such gardening tools as art yet rude, Guiltless of fire, had form'd, or angels brought. To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd, Likest she seem'd, Pomona when she fled Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime, Yet virgin of Proserpina from Jove. Her long with ardent look his eye pursued Delighted, but desiring more her stay. Oft he to her his charge of quick return Repeated; she to him as oft engag'd
Foul on himself; then wherefore shunn'd or fear'd To be return'd by noon amid the bower,
By us? who rather double honor gain
From his surmise prov'd false; find peace within, Favor from Heaven, our witness, from the event. And what is faith, love, virtue, unassay'd Alone, without exterior help sustain'd? Let us not then suspect our happy state Left so imperfect by the Maker wise, As not secure to single or combin❜d. Frail is our happiness, if this be so, And Eden were no Eden, thus expos'd."
To whom thus Adam fervently replied. 'O Woman, best are all things as the will Of God ordain'd them: his creating hand Nothing imperfect or deficient left Of all that he created, much less Man, Or aught that might his happy state secure, Secure from outward force; within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his power: Against his will he can receive no harm. But God left free the will; for what obeys Reason, is free; and reason he made right, But bid her well beware, and still erect; Lest, by some fair-appearing good surpris'd, She dictate false; and misinform the will To do what God expressly hath forbid. Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins, That I should mind thee oft: and mind thou me. Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve, Since reason not impossibly may meet Some specious object by the foe suborn'd, And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd. Seek not temptation then, which to avoid Were better, and most likely if from me Thou sever not: trial will come unsought. Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve First thy obedience; the other who can know, Not seeing thee attempted, who attest? But if thou think, trial unsought may find Us both securer than thus warn'd thou seem'st, Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; Go in thy native innocence, rely
And all things in best order to invite Noontide repast, or afternoon's repose. O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve, Of thy presum'd return! event perverse! Thou never from that hour in Paradise Found'st either sweet repast, or sound repose; Such ambush, hid among sweet flowers and shades, Waited with hellish rancor imminent
To intercept thy way, or send thee back Despoil'd of innocence, of faith, of bliss!
For now, and since first break of dawn, the fiend, Mere serpent in appearance, forth was come; And on his quest, where likeliest he might find The only two of mankind, but in them The whole included race, his purpos'd prey. In bower and field he sought where any tuft Of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay, Their tendance, or plantation for delight; By fountain or by shady rivulet
He sought them both, but wish'd his hap might find Eve separate; he wish'd, but not with hope Of what so seldom chanc'd; when to his wish, Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spics, Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood, Half spied, so thick the roses blushing round About her glow'd, oft stooping to support
Each flower of slender stalk, whose head, though gay Carnation, purple, azure, or speck'd with gold, Hung drooping unsustain'd; them she upstays Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while Herself, though fairest unsupported flower, From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh. Nearer he drew, and many a walk travérs'd Of stateliest covert, cedar, pine, or palm; Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen, Among thick-woven arborets, and flowers Imborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve: Spot more delicious than those gardens feign'd Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd Alcinous, host of old Laertes' son; Or that, not mystic, where the sapient king Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse.
Much he the place admir'd, the person more. As one who long in populous city pent, Where houses thick and sewers annoy the air, Forth issuing on a summer's morn, to breathe Among the pleasant villages and farms Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight; The smell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine, Or dairy, each rural sight, each rural sound; If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass, What pleasing seem'd, for her now pleases more, She most, and in her look sums all delight: Such pleasure took the serpent to behold This flowery plat, the sweet recess of Eve Thus early, thus alone: her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft, and feminine, Her graceful innocence, her every air Of gesture, or least action, overaw'd His malice, and with rapine sweet bereav'd His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought : That space the evil-one abstracted stood From his own evil, and for the time remain'd Stupidly good; of enmity disarm'd, Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge. But the hot Hell that always in him burns, Though in mid Heaven, soon ended his delight, And tortures him now more, the more he sees Of pleasure, not for him ordain'd: then soon Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
As when a ship, by skilful steersman wrought Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail : So varied he, and of his tortuous train Curl'd many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve, To lure her eye; she, busied, heard the sound Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as us'd To such disport before her through the field, From every beast; more duteous at her call, Than at Circean call the herd disguis'd. He, bolder now, uncall'd before her stood, But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd His turret crest, and sleek enamell'd neck, Fawning; and lick'd the ground whereon she trod His gentle dumb expression turn'd at length The eye of Eve, to mark his play; he, glad Of her attention gain'd, with serpent-tongue Organic, or impulse of vocal air,
His fraudulent temptation thus began.
"Wonder not, sovran mistress, if perhaps Thou canst who art sole wonder! much less arm Thy looks, the Heaven of mildness, with disdain, Displeas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze Insatiate; I thus single; nor have fear'd Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd. Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine By gift, and thy celestial beauty adore With ravishment beheld! there best beheld,
Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what Where universally admir'd; but here
Compulsion thus transported, to forget
In this inclosure wild, these beasts among, Beholders rude, and shallow to discern
What hither brought us! hate, not love; nor hope Half what in thee is fair, one man except,
Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste Of pleasure; but all pleasure to destroy, Save what is in destroying; other joy To me is lost. Then, let me not let pass Occasion which now smiles; behold alone The woman, opportune to all attempts, Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh, Whose higher intellectual more I shun, And strength, of courage haughty, and of limb Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould; Foe not informidable! exempt from wound, I not; so much hath Hell debas'd, and pain Enfeebled me, to what I was in Heaven. She fair, divinely fair, fit love for gods! Not terrible, though terror be in love And beauty, not approach'd by stronger hate, Hate stronger, under show of love well feign'd; The way which to her ruin now I tend."
So spake the enemy of mankind, inclos'd In serpent, inmate bad! and toward Eve Address'd his way: not with indented wave, Prone on the ground, as since; but on his rear, Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd Fold above fold, a surging maze! his head Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes; With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass Floated redundant: pleasing was his shape And lovely; never since of serpent-kind Lovelier, not those that in Illyria chang'd Hermione and Cadmus, or the god In Epidaurus; nor to which transform'd Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline was seen; He with Olympias; this with her who bore Scipio, the height of Rome. With tract oblique At first, as one who sought access, but fear'd To interrupt, sidelone he works his way.
Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who should be A goddess among gods, ador'd and serv'd By angels numberless, thy daily train." So gloz'd the tempter, and his proem tun'd: Into the heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marvelling; at length, Not unamaz'd, she thus in answer spake. [nounc'd "What may this mean? language of man pro- By tongue of brute, and human sense express'd? The first, at least, of these I thought denied To beasts; whom God, on their creation-day, Created mute to all articulate sound: The latter I demur; for in their looks Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears Thee, serpent, subtlest beast of all the field I knew, but not with human voice endued; Redouble then this miracle, and say, How cam'st thou speakable of mute, and how To me so friendly grown above the rest Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight? Say, for such wonder claims attention due."
To whom the guileful tempter thus replied. Empress of this fair world, resplendent Eve! Easy to me it is to tell thee all [obey'd: What thou command'st; and right thou shouldst be I was at first as other beasts that graze The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low, As was my food; nor aught but food discern'd Or sex, and apprehended nothing high: Till, on a day roving the field, I chanc'd A goodly tree far distant to behold Loaden with fruit of fairest colors mix'd, Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze; When from the boughs a savory odor blown, Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense Than smell of sweetest fennel, or the teats Of ewe or goat, dropping with milk at even
Unsuck'd of lamb or kid, that tend their play. To satisfy the sharp desire I had
Of tasting those fair apples, I resolv'd Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once, Powerful persuaders, quicken'd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keen. About the mossy trunk I wound me soon; For, high from ground, the branches would require Thy utmost reach or Adam's: round the tree All other beasts that saw, with like desire Longing and envying stood, but could not reach. Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill I spar'd not; for, such pleasure till that hour, At feed or fountain, never had I found. Sated at length, ere long I might perceive Strange alteration in me, to degree
Of reason in my inward powers; and speech Wanted not long; though to this shape retain'd. Thenceforth to speculations high or deep I turn'd my thoughts, and with capacious mind Consider'd all things visible in Heaven, Or Earth, or Middle; all things fair and good: But all that fair and good in thy divine Semblance, and in thy beauty's heavenly ray, United I beheld; no fair to thine Equivalent or second: which compell'd
Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come And gaze, and worship thee of right declar'd Sovran of creatures, universal dame!"
So talk'd the spirited sly snake; and Eve,
Yet more amaz'd, unwary thus replied.
Serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt
The virtue of that fruit, in thee first prov'd:
God so commanded, and left that command Sole daughter of his voice; the rest, we live Law to ourselves; our reason is our law."
To whom the tempter guilefully replied. Indeed! hath God then said that of the fruit Of all these garden-trees ye shall not eat, Yet lords declar'd of all in Earth or Air?" To whom thus Eve, yet sinless. Of each tree in the garden we may eat; But of the fruit of this fair tree amidst The garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat Thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die."" She scarce had said, though brief, when now more bold
The tempter, but with show of zeal and love To Man, and indignation at his wrong, New part puts on; and, as to passion mov'd, Fluctuates disturb'd, yet comely and in act Rais'd, as of some great matter to begin. As when of old some orator renown'd, In Athens or free Rome, where eloquence Flourish'd, since mute! to some great cause ad dress'd,
Stood in himself collected; while each part, Motion, each act, won audience ere the tongue ; Sometimes in height began, as no delay
Of preface brooking, through his zeal of right: So standing, moving, or to height up grown, The tempter, all impassion'd, thus began.
"O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant, Mother of science! now I feel thy power Within me clear; not only to discern Things in their causes, but to trace the ways Of highest agents, deem'd however wise.
But say, where grows the tree? from hence how far? Queen of this universe! do not believe
For many are the trees of God that grow In Paradise, and various, yet unknown To us; in such abundance lies our choice, As leaves a greater store of fruit untouch'd, Still hanging incorruptible, till men Grow up to their provision, and more hands Help to disburden Nature of her birth."
To whom the wily adder, blithe and glad. Empress, the way is ready, and not long; Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat, Fast by a fountain, one small thicket past Of blowing myrrh and balm: if thou accept My conduct, I can bring thee thither soon.' "Lead then," said Eve. He, leading, swiftly roll'd In tangles, and made intricate seem straight, To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy Brightens his crest; as when a wandering fire Compact of unctuous vapor, which the night Condenses, and the cold environs round, Kindled through agitation to a flame, Which oft, they say, some evil spirit attends, Hovering and blazing with delusive light, Misleads the amaz'd night-wanderer from his way To bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool; There swallow'd up and lost, from succor far: So glister'd the dire snake, and into fraud Led Eve, our credulous mother, to the tree Of prohibition, root of all our woe;
Which when she saw, thus to her guide she spake. "Serpent, we might have spar'd our coming hither,
Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess, The credit of whose virtue rest with thee; Wondrous indeed if cause of such effects. But of this tree we may not taste nor touch;
Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die: How should you? by the fruit? it gives you life To knowledge; by the threatener? look on me, Me, who have touch'd and tasted; yet both live, And life more perfect have attain'd than Fate Meant me, by venturing higher than my lot. Shall that be shut to man, which to the beast Is open? or will God incense his ire For such a petty trespass? and not praise Rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain Of death denounc'd, whatever thing death be, Deterr'd not from achieving what might lead To happier life, knowledge of good and evil; Of good, how just? of evil, if what is evil Be real, why not known, since easier shunn'd? God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just; Not just, not God: not fear'd then, nor obey'd: Your fear itself of death removes the fear. Why then was this forbid? Why, but to awe; Why, but to keep ye low and ignorant, His worshippers? He knows that in the day Ye eat thereof, your eyes, that seem so clear, Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then Open'd and clear'd, and ye shall be as gods, Knowing both good and evil, as they know. That ye shall be as gods, since I as Man, Internal Man, is but proportion meet; I, of brute, human; ye, of human, gods. So ye shall die, perhaps, by putting off Human, to put on gods; death to be wish'd, Though threaten'd, which no worse than this can bring.
And what are gods, that man may not become As they, participating godlike food? The gods are first, and that advantage use
On our belief, that all from them proceeds: I question it; for this fair Earth I see, Warm'd by the Sun, producing every kind; Them, nothing: if they all things, who inclos'd Knowledge of good and evil in this tree, That whoso eats thereof forthwith attains Wisdom without their leave? and wherein lies The offence, that man should thus attain to know? What can your knowledge hurt him, or this tree Impart against his will, if all be his ?
Or is it envy? and can envy dwell
Or fancied so, through expectation high Of knowledge; nor was godhead from her thought. Greedily she engorg'd without restraint, And knew not eating death; satiate at length, And heighten'd as with wine, jocund and boon, Thus to herself she pleasingly began.
“O sovran, virtuous, precious of all trees In Paradise! of operation blest
To sapience, hitherto obscur'd, infam'd, And thy fair fruit let hang, as to no end Created; but henceforth my early care,
In heavenly breasts?-These, these, and many more Not without song, each morning, and due praise, Causes import your need of this fair fruit. Goddess humane, reach then, and freely taste."
He ended; and his words, replete with guile, Into her heart too easy entrance won: Fix'd on the fruit she gaz'd, which to behold Might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregn'd With reason, to her seeming, and with truth; Meanwhile the hour of noon drew on, and wak'd An eager appetite, rais'd by the smell
So savory of that fruit, which with desire, Inclinable now grown to touch or taste, Solicited her longing eye; yet first Pausing awhile, thus to herself she mus'd.
"Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, Though kept from man, and worthy to be admir'd; Whose taste, too long forborne, at first assay Gave elocution to the mute, and taught
The tongue not made for speech, to speak thy praise: Thy praise he also, who forbids thy use, Conceals not from us, naming thee the tree
Shall tend thee, and the fertile burden ease Of thy full branches offer'd free to all; Till, dieted by thee, I grow mature
In knowledge, as the gods, who all things know, Though others envy what they cannot give. For, had the gift been theirs, it had not here Thus grown. Experience, next, to thee I owe, Best guide: not following thee, I had remain'd In ignorance; thou open'st wisdom's way, And giv'st access, though secret she retire. And I perhaps am secret: Heaven is high, High, and remote to see from thence distinct Each thing on Earth; and other care perhaps May have diverted from continual watch Our great Forbidder, safe with all his spies About him. But to Adam in what sort Shall I appear? shall I to him make known As yet my change, and give him to partake Full happiness with me, or rather not, But keep the odds of knowledge in my power Without copartner? so to add what wants
Of knowledge, knowledge both of good and evil; In female sex, the more to draw his love,
Forbids us then to taste! but his forbidding Commends thee more, while it infers the good By thee communicated, and our want: For good unknown sure is not had; or, had And yet unknown, is as not had at all. In plain then, what forbids he but to know, Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise? Such prohibitions bind not. But, if death Bind us with after-bands, what profits then Our inward freedom? In the day we eat Of this fair fruit, our doom is, we shall die! How dies the serpent? he hath eat'n and lives, And knows, and speaks, and reasons, and discerns, Irrational, till then. For us alone
Was death invented? or to us denied This intellectual food, for beasts reserv'd?
For beasts it seems: yet that one beast which first Hath tasted envies not, but brings with joy The good befall'n him, author unsuspect, Friendly to man, far from deceit or guile. What fear I then? rather, what know to fear Under this ignorance of good and evil, Of God or death, of law or penalty? Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine, Fair to the eye, inviting to the taste, Of virtue to make wise: what hinders then To reach, and feed at once both body and mind?" So saying, her rash hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she eat! Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat, Sighing through all her works, gave signs of woe, That all was lost. Back to the thicket slunk The guilty serpent; and well might; for Eve, Intent now wholly on her taste, nought else Regarded; such delight till then, as seem'd, In fruit she never tasted, whether true
And render me more equal; and perhaps, A thing not undesirable, sometime Superior: for, inferior, who is free?
This may be well: but what if God have seen, And death ensue? then I shall be no more! And Adam, wedded to another Eve, Shall live with her enjoying, I extinct; A death to think! Confirm'd then I resolve, Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe: So dear I love him, that with him all deaths I could endure, without him live no life."
So saying, from the tree her step she turn'd; But first low reverence done, as to the Power That dwelt within, whose presence had infus'd Into the plant sciential sap, deriv'd From nectar, drink of gods. Adam the while Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flowers a garland, to adorn Her tresses, and her rural labors crown; As reapers oft are wont their harvest-queen. Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new Solace in her return, so long delay'd: Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, Misgave him; he the faltering measure felt; And forth to meet her went, the way she took That morn when first they parted: by the tree Of knowledge he must pass; there he her met, Scarce from the tree returning; in her hand A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smil'd, New gather'd, and ambrosial smell diffus'd. To him she hasted; in her face excuse Came prologue, and apology too prompt; Which, with bland words at will, she thus address'd "Hast thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my stay? Thee I have miss'd, and thought it long, depriv'd Thy presence; agony of love till now
Not felt, nor shall be twice; for never more Mean I to try, what rash untried The pain of absence from thy sight. But strange Hath been the cause, and wonderful to hear: This tree is not, as we are told, a tree Of danger tasted, nor to evil unknown Opening the way, but of divine effect
To open eyes, and make them gods who taste; And hath been tasted such: the serpent wise, Or not restrain❜d as we, or not obeying, Hath eaten of the fruit; and is become, Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but thenceforth Endued with human voice and human sense, Reasoning to admiration; and with me Persuasively hath so prevail'd, that I Have also tasted, and have also found The effects to correspond; opener mine eyes Dim erst, dilated spirits, ampler heart, And growing up to godhead; which for thee Chiefly I sought, without thee can despise. For bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss; Tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious soon. Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot May join us, equal joy, as equal love; Lest, thou not tasting, different degree Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce Deity for thee when Fate will not permit."
Is not so heinous now, foretasted fruit, Profan'd first by the serpent, by him first Made common, and unhallow'd, ere our taste: Nor yet on him found deadly; he yet lives; Lives, as thou saidst, and gains to live, as Man, Higher degree of life: inducement strong To us, as likely tasting to attain Proportional ascent; which cannot be But to be gods, or angels, demi-gods. Nor can I think that God, Creator wise, Though threatening, will in earnest so destroy Us his prime creatures, dignified so high, Set over all his works; which in our fall, For us created, needs with us must fail, Dependent made; so God shall uncreate, Be frustrate, do, undo, and labor lose; Not well conceiv'd of God, who, though his power Creation could repeat, yet would he loth Us to abolish, lest the adversary
Triumph, and say; Fickle their state whom God Most favors; who can please him long? Me first He ruin'd, now Mankind; whom will he next?" Matter of scorn, not to be given the foe. However I with thee have fix'd my lot, Certain to undergo like doom: if death
Consort with thee, death is to me as life; So forcible within my heart I feel
Thus Eve with countenance blithe her story told; The bond of Nature draw me to my own;
But in her cheek distemper flushing glow'd. On the other side, Adam, soon as he heard The fatal trespass done by Eve, amaz'd, Astonied stood and blank, while horror chill Ran through his veins, and all his joints relax'd; From his slack hand the garland wreath'd for Eve Down dropt, and all the faded roses shed: Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length First to himself he inward silence broke.
"O fairest of creation, last and best Of all God's works, creature in whom excell'd Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd, Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! How art thou lost! how on a sudden lost, Defac'd, deflower'd, and now to death devote! Rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress The strict forbiddance, how to violate The sacred fruit forbidden! Some cursed fraud Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown, And me with thee hath ruin'd; for with thee Certain my resolution is to die :
How can I live without thee! how forego Thy sweet convérse, and love so dearly join'd, To live again in these wild woods forlorn! Should God create another Eve, and I Another rib afford, yet loss of thee Would never from my heart: no, no! I feel The link of Nature draw me: flesh of flesh, Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe."
So having said, as one from sad dismay Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd Submitting to what seem'd remediless,
Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd.
Bold deed thou hast presum'd, adventurous Eve,
And peril great provok'd, who thus hast dar'd,
Had it been only coveting to eye
That sacred fruit, sacred to abstinence, Much more to taste it under ban to touch. But past who can recall, or done, undo? Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate; yet so Perhaps thou shalt not die. perhaps the fact
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine: Our state cannot be sever'd; we are one,
One flesh to lose thee were to lose myself." So Adam; and thus Eve to him replied.
O glorious trial of exceeding love, Illustrious evidence, example high! Engaging me to emulate; but, short Of thy perfection, how shall I attain,
Adam? from whose dear side I boast me sprung, And gladly of our union hear thee speak, One heart, one soul in both; whereof good proof This day affords, declaring thee resolv'd,
Rather than death, or aught than death more dread Shall separate us, link'd in love so dear, To undergo with me one guilt, one crime, If any be, of tasting this fair fruit; Whose virtue, (for of good still good proceeds; Direct, or by occasion,) hath presented This happy trial of thy love, which else So eminently never had been known. Were it I thought death menac'd would ensue This my attempt, I would sustain alone The worst, and not persuade thee, rather die | Deserted, than oblige thee with a fact Pernicious to thy peace; chiefly, assur'd Remarkably so late of thy so true, So faithful, love unequall'd: but I feel Far otherwise the event; not death, but life Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys, Taste so divine, that what of sweet before Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh. On my experience, Adam, freely taste, And fear of death deliver to the winds."
Tenderly wept; much won, that he his love So saying, she embrac'd him, and for joy Had so ennobled, as of choice to incur Divine displeasure for her sake, or death. In recompense (for such compliance bad Such recompense best merits) from the bough She gave him of that fair enticing fruit With liberal hand: he scrupled not to eat, Against his better knowledge; not deceiv'd,
« PreviousContinue » |