With gentle voice; I thought it thine: it said,

Why sleep'st thou, Eve! now is the pleasant time,

The cool, the silent, save where silence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labour'd song; now reigns
Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard; heaven wakes with all his eyes,
Whom to behold but thee, nature's desire?
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty, still to gaze. -

« I rose as at thy call, but found thee not: To find thee I directed then my walk;

And on, methought, alone I pass'd through ways
That brought me on a sudden to the tree
Of interdicted knowledge; fair it seem'd,
Much fairer to my fancy than by day:
And, as I wondering look'd, beside it stood
One shap'd and wing'd like one of those from heaven
By us oft seen; his dewy locks distill'd

Ambrosia; on that tree he also gaz'd;

And, O fair plant, (said he) with fruit surcharg'd, Deigns none to case thy load, and taste thy sweet; Nor God, nor man? Is knowlegde so despis'd? Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer thy offer'd good; why else set here? This said; he paus'd not, but with venturous arm He pluck'd, he tasted; me damp horror chill'd, At such bold words vouch'd with a deed so bold: But he thus, overjoy'd: O fruit divine! Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropt,

Con gentil voce, tua sembrommi, e dire:

Eva, che dormi tu! Or piacente è l'ora
Fresca e cheta, fuorchè ù il silenzio rompe
Notturno augel cantor che desto arieggia
Dolcissimo amorose note; or splende
Piena la luna, e con più grato lume
Sparso la faccia delle cose abbella;

Ma invan, se dorme ognun; non volge il cielo.
Suoi guardi a te sol, gioia di natura?
Col tuo sembiante tutte cose allieti

Rapite attratte e in tua beltade affisse.

<< M'alzai come a tua voce, e te non vidi : A te trovare io mossi allor miei passi ;

E su, mi parve, sola andar per vie
Che di presente mi menaro all'albero
Del vietato saper: bello ei pareva,

E a mente mia, che non nel dì, più bello:
Mentre io stupia mirando, eccomi a fianco
Chi in forme e in ali que' celesti imita
Che usan con noi; suo crin rorato ambrosia
Stillava, e su quell'alber gli occhi avea.

O bella pianta (ei disse) ricca in frutta,
Niun degna te alleviar, saggiar tuo dolce,
Nè Dio, nè uom? Sapere è sì dispetto?
O invidia, o qual cauzion ne victa il gusto ?
Vieti chi vuol, più a lungo a me niun tardi
Tuo bene offerto; a che sè tu qui posto? ·
Disse, nè stè, ma con audace mano
Colse, gusto; ghiacciato orror mi strinse
Ai baldi detti in peggiori opre accolti:
Pur ei così, esultante: O divin frutto!
Dolce per te, ma dolce più si côlto,

Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit

For Gods, yet able to make Gods of men:
And why not Gods of men; since good, the more
Communicated, more abundant grows,

The author not impair'd, but honour'd more?
Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve!
Partake thou also; happy though thou art,
Happier thou may'st be, worthier canst not be:
Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Thyself a goddess, not to earth confin'd,

But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes
Ascend to heaven, by merit thine, and see.
What life the Gods live there, and such live thou. -
"So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Even to my mouth, of that same fruit, held part
Which he had pluck'd; the pleasant savoury smell
So quicken'd appetite, that I, methought,

Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretch'd immense, a prospect wide
And various. Wondering at my flight and change
To this high exaltation; suddenly

My guide was gone, and I, methought, sunk down,
And fell asleep; but O, how glad I wak'd

To find this but a dream! >>

Thus Eve her night,

Related, and thus Adam answer'd sad:

"Best image of myself, and dearer half,

The troubles of thy thoughts this night in sleep
Affects me equally; nor can I like

This uncouth dream, of evil sprung, I fear;

Yet evil whence! in thee can harbour none,

Vietato qui, qual par, come sol fatto
Per Dei, pure atto a far degli uomin Dei:
E perchè non degli uomin Dei, se il bene
Più si comuna, più abbondevol cresce,
Non stremato l'autor ma più onorato?
Qua, bella creatura, angelich' Eva!
Togli tu pur; benchè tu sii felice,
Più felice esser puoi, non già più degna:
Lo gusta; e quindi poi fra Dei cammina
Diva tu ancor, non alla terra avvinta,
Ma or su nell'aria come noi ti leva,
Ed ora al ciel per merto tuo, e qual vita
I Dei là vivan mira, e tal tu vivi.-

"Cosi dicendo, s' appresso, e mi porse
Alla bocca porzion del frutto istesso
Ch' egli avea côlto; il caro odor gustoso
Si m'adesco la voglia, ch' io, mi parve,
Non potei non gustar. Tosto alle nubi
Con lui volai, e vedea la terra sotto
Dilargamisi immensa, vario ed ampio
Spettacolo. Al mio volo e mutamento

Stupiva, e a tanta altezza mia; ma a un tratto!
Spari mia guida, ed io, sembrommi, caddi,
E ridornii; ma oh quanto or desta godo
Trovar che solo un sogno fu! »>>

Sua notte

Narrò così Eva, e mesto Adam rispose:
« Viva imagin di me e metà più cara,
L'affanno del tao sogno d'esta notte
Ange me pur; nè posso amar siffatto
Strano sognar, da male uscito, io temo ;

Ma donde il male? In te niun mal può accorsi,

32

Created pure. But know, that in the soul
Are many lesser faculties, that serve
Reason as chief; among these fancy next
Her office holds; of all external things,
Which the five watchful senses represent,
She forms imaginations, aery shapes,
Which reason, joining or disjoining, frames
All what we affirm or what deny, and call
Our knowledge or opinion; then retirès
Into her private cell, when nature rests.
Oft in her absence mimic fancy wakes
To imitate her; but, misjoining shapes,
Wild works produces oft, and most in dreams;
Il matching words and deeds long past or late.
Some such resemblances, methink, I find

Of our last evening's talk, in this thy dream,
But with addition strange; yet be not sad.
Evil into the mind of God or man

May come and go, so unapprov'd, and leave
No spot or blame behind which gives me hope
That what in sleep thou didst abhor to dream
Waking thou never wilt consent to do

Be not dishearten'd then, nor cloud those looks,
That wont to be more cheerful and serene,
Than when fair morning first smiles on the world;
And let us to our fresh employments rise
Among the groves, the fountains, and the flowers
That open now their choicest bosom'd smells,
Reserv'd from night, and kept for thee in store. »

So cheer'd he his fair spouse, and she was cheer'd; But silently a gentle tear let fall

From either eye, and wip'd them with her hair;