Into a beast, and, mixed with bestial slime, This essence to incarnate and imbrute, That to the highth of deity aspired! But what will not ambition and revenge Descend to? Who aspires must down as low As high he soared, obnoxious, first or last, 170 To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long back on itself recoils.
Let it; I reck not, so it light well aimed, Since higher I fall short, on him who next Provokes my envy, this new favourite Of Heaven, this Man of Clay, son of despite, Whom, us the more to spite, his Maker raised From dust: spite then with spite is best repaid.'
So saying, through each thicket, dank or dry, Like a black mist low-creeping, he held on 180 His midnight search, where soonest he might find The Serpent. Him fast sleeping soon he found, In labyrinth of many a round self-rolled, His head the midst, well stored with subtle wiles : Not yet in horrid shade or dismal den, Nor nocent yet, but on the grassy herb, Fearless, unfeared, he slept. In at his mouth The Devil entered, and his brutal sense, In heart or head, possessing soon inspired With act intelligential; but his sleep
Disturbed not, waiting close the approach of
Now, whenas sacred light began to dawn In Eden on the humid flowers, that breathed Their morning incense, when all things that
From the Earth's great altar send To the Creator, and his nostrils fill
Eve With grateful smell, forth came the hunian pair, proposes And joined their vocal worship to the quire to work of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake apart The season, prime for sweetest scents and airs; 200 Then commune how that day they best may ply Their growing work-for much their work out
The hands' dispatch of two gardening so wide: And Eve first to her husband thus began :-
'Adam, well may we labour still to dress This Garden, still to tend plant, herb, and flower, Our pleasant task enjoined; but, till more hands Aid us, the work under our labour grows, Luxurious by restraint: what we by day Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, 210 One night or two with wanton growth derides, Tending to wild. Thou, therefore, now advise, Or hear what to my mind first thoughts present. Let us divide our labours-thou where choice Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind
The woodbine round this arbour, or direct The clasping ivy where to climb; while I In yonder spring of roses intermixed With myrtle find what to redress till noon. For, while so near each other thus all day Our task we choose, what wonder if so near Looks intervene and smiles, or objects new Casual discourse draw on, which intermits Our day's work, brought to little, though begun Early, and the hour of supper comes unearned!'
To whom mild answer Adam thus returned :'Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond Compare above all living creatures dear!
Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts Adam
employed How we might best fulfil the work which here 230 God hath assigned us, nor of me shalt pass Unpraised; for nothing lovelier can be found In woman than to study household good, And good works in her husband to promote. Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed Labour as to debar us when we need Refreshment, whether food or talk between, Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow To brute denied, and are of love the food- 240 Love, not the lowest end of human life. For not to irksome toil, but to delight, He made us, and delight to reason joined. These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide As we need walk, till younger hands ere long Assist us. But, if much converse perhaps Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield; For solitude sometimes is best society, And short retirement urges sweet return. But other doubt possesses me, lest harm Befall thee, severed from me; for thou know'st What hath been warned us- -what malicious foe, Envying our happiness, and of his own Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame By sly assault, and somewhere nigh at hand Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find His wish and best advantage, us asunder, Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each To other speedy aid might lend at need.
fears the foe may
assault
them
singly
Eve is Whether his first design be to withdraw hurt that Our fealty from God, or to disturb her firm. Conjugal love-than which perhaps no bliss doubted Enjoyed by us excites his envy more
Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side
That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects.
The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks, Safest and seemliest by her husband stays, Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.' To whom the virgin majesty of Eve, As one who loves, and some unkindness meets, With sweet austere composure thus replied:- 'Offspring of Heaven and Earth, and all Earth's lord!
That such an enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee informed I learn, And from the parting Angel overheard, As in a shady nook I stood behind, Just then returned at shut of evening flowers. But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt To God or thee, because we have a foe May tempt it, I expected not to hear. His violence thou fear'st not, being such As we, not capable of death or pain, Can either not receive, or can repel.
His fraud is, then, thy fear; which plain infers Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced : Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast,
Adam! misthought of her to thee so dear?' To whom, with healing words, Adam re- plied:-
'Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve! For such thou art, from sin and blame entir Not diffident of thee do I dissuade
Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid The attempt itself, intended by our foe.
For he who tempts, though in vain, at least
The tempted with dishonour foul, supposed Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Against temptation. Thou thyself with scorn And anger wouldst resent the offered wrong, 300 Though ineffectual found; misdeem not, then, If such affront I labour to avert
From thee alone, which on us both at once 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 others' aid. I from the influence of thy looks receive Access in every virtue-in thy sight More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need
Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking
Shame to be overcome or overreached,
Would utmost vigour raise, and raised 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 áttributed to her faith sincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed
Not doubt, but to prevent the
assault
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