Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce Thus Eve with count'nance blithe her story told; The sacred fruit forbidd'n! Some cursed fraud 885 890 895 900 905 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! 910 Another rib afford, yet loss of thee Would never from my heart: no, no! I feel 915 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: 920 'Bold deed thou hast presum'd, advent'rous 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. 925 But past who can recall, or done undo? 930 Made common, and unhallow'd, ere our taste; Nor yet on him found deadly; he yet lives; Lives, as thou said'st, and gains to live, as man, Higher degree of life; inducement strong To us, as likely tasting to attain 935 Proportional ascent; which cannot be Though threat'ning, will in earnest so destroy 940 Not well conceiv'd of God, who, though his power 945 Triumph, and say: "Fickle their state whom God 950 955 The bond of nature draw me to my own; 960 Of thy perfection, how shall I attain, Adam? from whose dear side I boast me sprung, 965 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, 970 To undergo with me one guilt, one crime, If any be, of tasting this fair fruit; Whose virtue (for of good still good proceeds, This happy trial of thy love, which else 975 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 980 Pernicious to thy peace; chiefly assur'd Remarkably so late of thy so true, So faithful, love unequall'd; but I feel Far otherwise th' event; not death, but life Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys, 985 Taste so divine, that what of sweet before Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh. So saying, she embrac'd him, and for joy G 990 In recompense (for such compliance bad 995 1000 Sky lour'd; and, muttering thunder, some sad drops Original while Adam took no thought, Eating his fill; nor Eve to iterate 1005 Her former trespass fear'd, the more to sooth Him with her lov'd society; that now, As with new wine intoxicated both, They swim in mirth, and fancy that they feel Divinity within them breeding wings, 1010 Wherewith to scorn the earth: but that false fruit Far other operation first display'd, Carnal desire inflaming; he on Eve Began to cast lascivious eyes; she him As wantonly repaid; in lust they burn: 1015 Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move: 'Eve, now I see thou art exact of taste, And elegant, of sapience no small part; 1020 Yield thee, so well this day thou hast purvey'd. 1025 1030 So said he, and forbore not glance or toy Of amorous intent; well understood 1035 Of Eve, whose eye darted contagious fire. Her hand he seiz'd; and to a shady bank, Thick over-head with verdant roof imbow'r'd, He led her nothing loth; flow'rs were the couch, Pansies, and violets, and asphodel, 1040 And hyacinth, earth's freshest softest lap. There they their fill of love and love's disport Took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal, The solace of their sin; till dewy sleep Oppress'd them, wearied with their amorous play. 1045 Soon as the force of that fallacious fruit, That with exhilarating vapour bland About their spirits had play'd, and inmost powers Made err, was now exhal'd; and grosser sleep, 1050 1055 1060 Shorn of his strength; they destitute and bare Confounded, long they sat; as strucken mute: 1065 Till Adam, though not less than Eve abash'd, Our wonted ornaments now soil'd and stain'd, 1070 1075 Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store; Ev'n shame, the last of evils; of the first Be sure then. How shall I behold the face 1080 Henceforth of God or Angel, erst with joy And rapture so oft beheld? Those heav'nly shapes Will dazzle now this earthly with their blaze In solitude live savage; in some glade 1085 Obscur'd, where highest woods, impenetrable To star or sun-light, spread their umbrage broad And brown as evening: cover me, ye pines! Ye cedars, with innumerable boughs Hide me, where I may never see them more! What best may for the present serve to hide 1090 Some tree, whose broad smooth leaves together sew'd, 1095 Those middle parts; that this new-comer, shame, 1100 1105 Branching so broad and long, that in the ground 1115 With feather'd cincture; naked else, and wild Among the trees on isles and woody shores. Thus fenc'd, and, as they thought, their shame in part Cover'd, but not at rest or ease of mind, 1120 They sat them down to weep; nor only tears Rain'd at their eyes, but high winds worse within Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, Mistrust, suspicion, discord; and shook sore Their inward state of mind, calm region once 1125 1130 Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and staid With me, as I besought thee, when that strange I know not whence possess'd thee; we had then 1135 Let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve 1140 To whom, soon mov'd with touch of blame, thus Eve: 'What words have pass'd thy lips, Adam severe! Imput'st thou that to my default, or will 1145 Of wand'ring, as thou call'st it, which who knows But might as ill have happen'd, thou being by, Or here th' attempt, thou couldst not have discern'd Fraud in the serpent, speaking as he spake; 1150 No ground of enmity between us known, Why he should mean me ill, or seek to harm. 1155 |