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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,

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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,

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And render me more equal, and perhaps,
A thing not undesirable, sometime

Superior; for inferior who is free?

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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,

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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

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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,

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Which with bland words at will she thus address'd. 855 Hast thou not wonder'd Adam, at my stay?

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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,

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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

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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,

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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;

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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:

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Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length
First to himself he inward silence broke.
"O fairest of creation, last and best

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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

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The sacred fruit forbidd'n? some cursed fraud

Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,

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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!

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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."

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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,

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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,
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BOOK IX.

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"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,

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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,

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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

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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

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Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys,

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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."

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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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