By which to heavenly love thou mayst ascend, To whom thus, half abash'd, Adam replied: 595 600 From all her words and actions mix'd with love And sweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd 605 More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear. What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd, 610 To love thou blamest me not; for Love, thou say'st, Leads up to Heaven, is both the way and guide : Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask : Love not the heavenly Spirits, and how their love 615 Express they? by looks only? or do they mix Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch? To whom the Angel, with a smile that glow'd Answer'd: Let it suffice thee that thou know'st 620 625 But I can now no more; the parting sun Be strong, live happy, and love! But, first of all, 630 His great command: take heed lest passion sway 635 I in thy persevering shall rejoice, And all the bless'd: Stand fast; to stand or fall 640 So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus 645 650 PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. Satan, having compassed the Earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mist, by night into Paradise; 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 Venial discourse unblamed. I now must change 5 Those notes to tragic; foul distrust, and breach And disobedience: on the part of Heaven, 10 15 Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage 20 Of my celestial patroness, who deigns And dictates to me slumbering; or inspires In battles feign'd; the better fortitude 35 Served up in hall with sewers and seneshals; Not that which justly gives heroic name That name, unless an age too late, or cold the earth, short arbiter 40 45 50 Of Gabriel out of Eden, now improved In meditated fraud and malice, bent On Man's destruction, maugre what might hap 755 60 That kept their watch; thence full of anguish driven, He circled; four times cross'd the car of night. 65 On the eighth return'd; and, on the coast averse Now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change, Where Tigris, at the foot of Paradise, 71 Into a gulf shot under ground, till part Rose up a fountain by the tree of life: In with the river sunk, and with it rose Satan, involved in rising mist; then sought 75 Where to lie hid; sea he had search'd, and land, From Eden over Pontus and the pool Mæotis, up beyond the river Ob; Downward as far antarctic; and in length, 80 At Darien; thence to the land where flows Ganges and Indus: Thus the orb he roam'd With narrow search; and with inspection deep Most opportune might serve his wiles; and found 85 Him after long debate, irresolute Of thoughts revolved, his final sentence chose 90 |