The hands dispatch of two gard'ning fo wide.
And Eve first to her husband thus began.

Adam, well may we labor ftill to dress

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This garden, ftill to tend plant, herb, and flower,
Our pleasant task injoin'd, but till more hands
Aid us, the work under our labor grows,
Luxurious by restraint; what we by day
Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,
One night or two with wanton growth derides
Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise,
Or bear what to my mind first thoughts prefent;
Let us divide our labors, thou where choice
Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind 215
The woodbine round this arbor, or direct
The clasping ivy where to climb, while I
In yonder spring of roses intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redress till noon :
For while fo near each other thus all day
Our task we choofe, what wonder if so near
Looks intervene and fmiles, or object new
Casual discourse draw on, which intermits

Our day's work brought to little, though begun
Early, and th' hour of fupper comes unearn'd.

To whom mild answer Adam thus return'd.
Sole Eve, affociate fole, to me beyond

Compare above all living creatures dear,

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Well haft thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd

How we might best fulfil the work which here
God hath affign'd us, nor of me fhalt pass
Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found

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In woman, than to study houshold good,
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not fo ftrictly hath our Lord impos'd
Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse

Of looks and fmiles, for fmiles from reafon flow,
To brute deny'd, and are of love the food,

Love not the loweft end of human life.

For not to irksome toil, but to delight

He made us, and delight to reason join'd.

These paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long

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Affift us: but if much converse perhaps

Thee fatiate, to short abfence I could yield:
For folitude fometimes is beft fociety,

And short retirement urges fweet return.
But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm

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Befall thee fever'd from me; for thou know'ft
What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
Despairing, feeks to work us woe and shame
By fly affault; and fomewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and best advantage, us asunder,
Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each
To other speedy aid might lend at need;
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our feälty from God, or to disturb

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Conjugal

Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;

Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful fide

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That gave thee be'ing, still shades thee and protects.
The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks,
Safeft and feemlieft by her husband stays,

Who guards her, or with her the worst indures.
To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,

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As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,

With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.

Offspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earth's Lord, That such an enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn, And from the parting Angel over-heard, As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,

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Just then return'd at shut of evening flowers.

But that thou shouldft my firmness therefore doubt

To God or thee, because we have a foe

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May tempt it, I expected not to hear.

His violence thou fear'st not, being fuch
As we, not capable of death or pain,

Can either not receive, or can repel.

His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers

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Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love

Can by his fraud be shaken or seduc'd ;

Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, mis-thought of her to thee so dear?

To whom with healing words Adam reply'd. 290 Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,

For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire:

Not

Not diffident of thee do I diffuade

Thy abfence from my fight, but to avoid

Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe.

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For he who tempts, though' in vain, at least asperses

The tempted with dishonor foul, fuppos'd

Not incorruptible of faith, not proof

Against temptation: thou thyself with scorn
And anger wouldft refent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: mifdeem not then,
If fuch affront I labor to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,
Or daring, first on me th' affault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could feduce
Angels, nor think fuperfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue, in thy fight

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More wife, more watchful, ftronger, if need were

Of outward ftrength; while fhame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or over-reach'd

Would utmost vigor raise, and rais'd unite.

Why shouldft not thou like sense within thee feel 315 When I am prefent, and thy trial choose

With me,

best witness of thy virtue try'd?

So fpake domestic Adam in his care

And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought

Lefs attributed to her faith fincere,

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Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd.

If this be our condition, thus to dwell

In narrow circuit ftraiten'd by a foe,

Subtle or violent, we not indued
Single with like defense, wherever met,
How are we happy, still in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not fin: only our foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem
Of our integrity: his foul efteem

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Sticks no dishonor on our front, but turns

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Foul on himself; then wherefore fhunn'd or fear'd

By us? who rather double honor gain

From his furmife prov'd false, find peace within,

Favor from Heav'n, our witness from th' event.

And what is faith, love, virtue unaffay'd

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Alone, without exterior help sustain’d?
Let us not then suspect our happy state
Left fo imperfect by the Maker wise,
As not secure to single or combin'd.
Frail is our happiness, if this be fo,
And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd.

To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd.

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 ought 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
Reafon, is free, and reafon he made right,

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But