Though others envy what they cannot give; For had the gift been theirs, it had not here Thus grown. Experience, next to thee l'owe, Best guide; not following thee I had remain'd In ignorance; thou open'st wisdom's way, And giv'st access, though secret she retire. And I perhaps am secret; Heav'n 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 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. Confirm'd then I resolve,
Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe: 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 turn'd, But first low reverence done, as to the Power That dwelt within, whose presence had infus'd Into the plant sciential sap, deriv'd From necter, drink of Gods. Adam the while, Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flow'rs a garland to adorn
Her tresses, and her rural labours crown, As reapers oft are wont their harvest queen.
Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new
Solace in her return, so long delay'd; Yet oft his heart divine of something ill, Misgave him; he the falt'ring 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 A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smil'd, New gather'd, and ambrosial smell diffus'd. To him she hasted; in her face excuse Came prologue, and apology too prompt,
Which with bland words at will she thus address'd. 855 Hast thou not wonder'd Adam, at my stay?
Thee I have miss'd, and thought it long, depriv'd
Thy presence, agony of love till now
Not felt, nor shall be twice, for never more
Mean I to try, what rash untry'd I sought,
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 restrain'd as we or not obeying, Hath eaten of the fruit, and is become,
Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but henceforth Endued with human voice and human sense, Reasoning to admiration, and with me Persuasively hath so prevail'd, that I Have also tasted, and have also found Th' 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, unshar'd 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 count'nance blithe her story told ; But in her cheek distemper flushing glow'd. On th' other side, Adam, soon as he heard The fatal trespass done by Eve, amaz'd, Astonied stood and blank, while horror chill Ran through his veins, and all his joints relax'd; From his slack hand the garland wreath'd 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 excell'd
Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd, Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost, Defac'd, deflow'r'd, and now to death devote? Rather how hast thou yielded to transgress The strict forbiddance, how to violate
The sacred fruit forbidd'n? some cursed fraud
Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,
And me with thee hath ruin'd, for with thee Certain my resolution is to die.
How can I live without thee, how forego
Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly join'd,
To live again in these wild woods forlorn!
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 disturb'd, Submitting to what seem'd remediless, Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd.
"Bold deed thou hast presum'd, advent'rous Eve,
And peril great provok'd, who thus hast dar'd, Had it been only coveting to eye
That sacred fruit, 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, Profan'd first by the serpent, by him first Made common and unhallow'd ere our taste; Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives, Lives as thou said'st, 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 threat'ning, will in earnest so destroy Us his prime creatures, dignify'd so high, 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 conceiv'd of God, who through his power 945 Creation could repeat, yet would be loth
Us to abolish, lest the Adversary
Triumph and say,' Fickle their state whom God
Most favours; who can please him long? Me first
He ruin'd, now Mankind; whom will he next?' Matter of scorn, not to be giv'n the Foe. However I with thee have fix'd 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 sever'd, we are one, One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself." So Adam, and thus Eve to him reply'd, U 2
"O glorious trial of exceeding love, Illustrious evidence, example high! Engaging me to emulate, but short
Of thy perfection, how shall I attain,
Adam? from whose dear side I boast me sprung,
And gladly of our union hear thee speak,
One heart, one soul in both; whereof good proof
This day affords, declaring thee resolv'd,
Rather than death, or ought than death may dread,
Shall separate us, link'd in love so dear,
To undergo with me one guilt, one crime, If any be, of tasting this fair fruit,
Whose virtue (for of good still proceeds, Direct, or by occasion) hath presented This happy trial of thy love, which else So eminently never had been known. Were it I thought death menac'd would ensue This my attempt, I would sustain alone
The worst, and not persuade thee rather die
Deserted, than oblige thee with a fact Pernicious to thy peace, chiefly assur'd Remarkably so late of thy so true, So faithful love unequall'd; but I feel Far otherwise th' event, not death but life
Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys,
Taste so divine, that what of sweet before
Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh.
On my experience, Adam, freely taste,
And fear of death, deliver to the winds."
So saying, she embrac'd him, and for joy Tenderly wept, much won that he his love Had so ennobled, as of choice to' incur Divine displeasure for her sake, or death. In recompense (for such compliance bad Such recompense best merits) from the bough She gave him of that fair enticing truit With liberal hand: he scrupled not to eat Against his better knowledge, not deceiv'd, But fondly overcome with female charm.
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