Regarded; fuch delight till then, as feem'd,
In fruit she never tasted, whether true
Or fancy'd so, through expectation high
Of knowledge; nor was God-head from her
thought.
Greedily fhe ingorg'd without restraint,
And knew not eating death.
Satiate at length, And highten'd as with wine, jocund and boon Thus to herself she pleasingly began.
O fov'reign, virtuous, precious of all
In Paradife! of operation bleft
To fapience! hitherto obfcurd, infam'd,
And thy fair fruit let hang, as to no end
Created but henceforth my early care,
Not without fong, each morning, and due
Shall tend thee, and the fertil burden cafe
Of thy full branches offer'd free to all:
Till dieted by thee, I grow mature
In knowledge, as the Gods who all things
Though others envy, what they cannot give; 805
For had the gift been theirs, it had not here
Thus grown. Experience, next to thee I owe,
Beft guide; not following thee, I had remain'd
In ignorance, thou open'ft wildom's way,
And giv❜ft accefs, though fecret she retire. 810
And I perhaps am fecret: Heav'n is high,
High, and remote to see from thence diftinct Each thingh on earth; and 'other care, perhaps,
May have diverted from continual watch
Our great forbidder, fafe with all his spies 815
About him. But, to Adam in what fort
Shall I appear? fhall 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
Without copartner? fo to add what wants
In female fex, the more to draw his love,
And render me more equal, and perhaps,
A thing not undefirable, sometime
Superior: for inferior who is free?
This may be well.
And death enfue? Then I fhall be no more,
And Adam wedded to another Eve,
Shall live with her injoying, I extinct;
A death to think! Confirm'd then I refolve, 830 Adam fhall share with me blifs or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him, all deaths I could indure; without him live no life.
So faying, from the tree her step she
But firft low reverence done, as to the
That dwelt within, whofe presence had in
Into the plant fciential fap, deriv'd
From nectar, drink of Gods.
Waiting defirous her return,
Of choiceft flow'rs a garland, to adorn
Her trelles, and her trual labors crown:
As reapers oft are wont their harvest queen.
Great joy he promis'd to his toughts, and new
Solace in her return, fo long delay'd:
Yet oft his heart, divine of fomething ill, 845
Mifgave him; he the faltring measure felt;
And forth to meet her went, the way fhe took
That morn, when first they parted. By the
Of knowledge he muft pafs; there be her met,
Scarce from the tree returning: in her hand 850
A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smil'd,
New gather'd, and ambrofial fmell diffus'd.
To him fhe hafted; in her face excufe
Came prologue, and apology too prompt;
Which with bland words at will fhe thus ad-
Haft thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my ftay? Thee I have mifs'd, and thought it long, depriv'd
Thy prefence, agony of love till now
Not felt, nor fhall be twice; for never more
Mean I to try, what rafh untry'd I fought, 860
The pain of abfence from thy fight. 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
Op'ning the way; but of divine effect, 865
To open eyes, and make them Gods who tafte;
And hath been tafted fuch. The ferpent wife,
Or not refirain'd as we, or not obeying,
Hath eaten of the fruit; and is become
Not dead, as we are threaten'd; but thence
870 Indued with human voice, and human sense, Reasoning to admiration: and with me. Perfuafively hath fo prevail'd, that I Have allo tafted, and have alfo found Th' effects to correfpond: opener mine eyes, 875 Dim erft; dilated fpirits, ampler heart, And growing up to Godhead; which for thee Chiefly I fought, without thee can despise: For blifs, as thou haft part, to me is blifs: Tedious, unfhar'd with thee, and odious foon.
Thou therefore allo tafte, that equal lot
May join us; equal joy, as equal love:
Left, thou not tafting, different degree
Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce
Deity for thee, when fate will not permit. 885
Thus Eve with count'nance blithe her ftory
But in her cheek diftemper flufhing glow'd. On th' other fide, Adam, foon as he heard The fatal trefpafs done by Eve, amaz'd, Aftonied stood and blank; while horror chill 890 Ran through his veins, and all his joints relax'd: From his flack hand the garland wreath'd for Eve Down dropt, and all the faded Rofes fhed: Speechless he stood and pale! till thus at length First to himself he inward filence broke.
O faireft of creation, laft and best
Of all God's works! Creature in whom excell'd
Whatever can to fight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or [weet!
How art thou loft, how on a fudden loft, 900
Defac'd, deflowr'd, and now to death devote?
Rather how haft thou yielded to tranfgrefs
The ftrict forbiddance! how, to violate
The facred fruit forbidd'n! fome cursed fraud
Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown; 905
And me with thee hath ruin'd; for with thee
Certain my refolution is to die!
How can I live without thee! how forgo
Thy fweet converfe and love, fo dearly join'd,
To live again in thefe wild woods forlorn! gio
Should God create another Eve, and I
Another rib afford, yet lofs 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 ftate 915
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