Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue,

Answer'd: « Let it suffice thee that thou ko
Us happy, and without love no happiness.
Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st,
(And pure thou wert created) we enjoy
In eminence; and obstacle find none
Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusiv
Easier than air with air, if spirits emb
Total they mix, union of pure with
Desiring; nor restrain'd conveyanc
As flesh to mix with flesh, or soul
But I can now no more; the part
Beyond the earth's green cape a
Hesperian sets, my signal to de
Be strong, live happy, and lov
Him, whom to love is to obe
His great command; take h

uile returns, as De serpent sleep

to their labours, aces, each labouring anger, lest that enemy, uld attempt her found rcumspect or firm enough, desirous to make trial of her The serpent finds her alone; his ben speaking, with much flattery creatures. Eve, wondering to hear be attained to human speech, and now; the serpent answers, that by garden he attained both to speech both. Eve requires him to bring to be the tree of knowledge forgrown bolder, with many wiles and ength to eat: she, pleased with the hether to impart thereof to Adam or fruit, relates what persuaded her rst amazed, but perceiving her lost, of love, to perish with her; and, also of the fruit: the effects thereof y cover their nakedness; then fall to of one another.

Thy judgment to do aught
Would not admit: thine,
The weal or woe in thee
I in thy persevering sha
And all the blest : stan
Free in thine own art
Perfect within, no o
And all temptation
So saying, he ar
Follow'd with ben
Go, heavenly gues
Sent from whose s
Gentle to me and ai

Thy condescension,

bere

God or angel guest friend, familiar us'd

BOOK THE NINTH.

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan, having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mist, by night into paradise; and enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. Eve, loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech, and such understanding, not till now; the serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden. The serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments, induces her at length to eat: she, pleased with the taste, deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof: Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her; and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another.

No more of talk where God or angel guest With man, as with his friend, familiar us'd

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