Till, dieted by thee, I grow mature
In knowledge, as the Gods who all things know. poison 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 remained In ignorance; thou open'st Wisdom's way, And giv'st access, though secret she retire. 810 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 820 Without copartner? so to add what wants In female sex, the more to draw his love, 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! Confirmed, then, I resolve Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe. 831 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 turned, But first low reverence done, as to the Power That dwelt within, whose presence had infused
Eve Into the plant sciential sap, derived tempts From nectar, drink of Gods. Adam the while, Adam Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flowers a garland, to adorn Her tresses, and her rural labours crown, As reapers oft are wont their harvest-queen. Great joy he promised to his thoughts, and new Solace in her return, so long delayed; 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 850 A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smiled, New gathered, and ambrosial smell diffused. To him she hasted; in her face excuse Came prologue, and apology too prompt, Which, with bland words at will, she thus ad- dressed :- :-
'Hast thou not wondered, Adam, at my stay? Thee I have missed, and thought it long, deprived Thy presence-agony of love till now Not felt, nor shall be twice; for never more Mean I to try, what rash untried I sought, 860 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 restrained as we, or not obeying, Hath eaten of the fruit, and is become
Not dead, as we are threatened, but thenceforth His Endued with human voice and human sense, 871 horror Reasoning to admiration, and with me
Persuasively hath so prevailed 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, unshared 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.' Thus Eve with countenance blithe her story told;
But in her cheek distemper flushing glowed. On the other side, Adam, soon as he heard The fatal trespass done by Eve, amazed, Astonied stood and blank, while horror chill Ran through his veins, and all his joints relaxed. From his slack hand the garland wreathed 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 excelled Whatever can to sight or thought be formed, Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! How art thou lost! how on a sudden lost, Defaced, deflowered, and now to death devote!
Adam Rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress persuades The strict forbiddance, how to violate
The sacred fruit forbidden? Some cursed fraud Of enemy hath beguiled thee, yet unknown, And me with thee hath ruined; for with thee Certain my resolution is to die.
How can I live without thee; how forgo Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly joined, To live again in these wild woods forlorn? 910 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 disturbed, Submitting to what seemed remediless, Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turned :- 'Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous Eve, And peril great provoked, who thus hast dared Had it been only coveting to eye
That sacred food, 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 Is not so heinous now-foretasted fruit, Profaned first by the Serpent, by him first 930 Made common and unhallowed ere your 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, 940 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 labour lose- Not well conceived of God; who, though his
Creation could repeat, yet would be loth Us to abolish, lest the Adversary
Most favours; who can please him long? Me first
He ruined, now Mankind; whom will he
Matter of scorn not to be given the Foe. However, I with thee have fixed 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
The bond of Nature draw me to my own-- My own in thee; for what thou art is mine. Our state cannot be severed; 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,
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