Or bear what to my mind first thoughts prefent :
Let us divide our labours; thou where choice
Leads thee, or where moft needs, whether to wind 215
The woodbine round this arbour, or direct
The clafping ivy where to climb; while I
In younder spring of roles intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redress till noon:
For while fo near each other thus all day
Our task we choofe, what wonder if fo near
Looks intervene, and fmiles, or object new
Casual discourse draw on, which intermits
Our day's work, brought to little, though begun
Early, and th' hour of fupper comes unearn'd?
To whom mild anfwer Adam thus return'd:
Sole Eve, affociate fole, to me beyond
Compare, above all living creatures dear !
Well haft thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd,
How we might beft fulfil the work which here
God hath affign'd us; nor of me shalt pass
Unprais'd; for nothing lovelier can be found.
In woman than to ftudy household good,
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not fo ftrictly hath our Lord impos'd.
Labour, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this fweet intercourfe
Of looks and fmiles; for fmiles from reafon flow,
To brute deny'd, and are of love the food;
Love, not the lowelt end of human life.
For not to irksome toil, but to delight
He made us, and delight to reason join'd..
Thefe paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide
As we need walk; till younger hands ere long
Affift us.
But if much converfe perhaps
Thee fatiate, to fhort abfence 1 could yield:
For folitude fometimes is beft fociety,
And short retirement urges fweet return.
But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm
Befal thee fever'd from me; for thou know'st
What hath been warn'd us; what malicious foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
Defpairing, feeks to work us wo and fhame,
By fly affault; and somewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wifh and beft advantage, us afunder;
Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each
To other speedy aid might lend at need :
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our fealty from God, or to disturb
Conjugal love; than which perhaps no bliss
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more ;
Or this, or worfe, leave not the faithful fide
That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee, and protects.. The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,
Safeft and feemlieft by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worft endures.
To whom the virgin majefty of Eve,
As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,
With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd:
Offspring of heav'n and earth, and all earth's lord!'
That fuch an enemy we have, who feeks
Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn,
And from the parting angel overheard,
As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,
Just then return'd at fhut of ev'ning flow'rs.
But that thou shouldft my firmness therefore doubt
To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'ft not, being fuch
As we, not capable of death or pain,.
Can either not receive, or can repel.
His fraud is then thy fear; which plain infers
Thy equal fear, that my firm faith and love
Can by his fraud be shaken or feduc'd:
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast,
Adam, mifthought of her to thee fo dear?
To whom with healing words Adam reply'd :
Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve!
For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire
Not diffident of thee do I diffuade
Thy absence from my fight, but to avoid
Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe.
For he who tempts, though' in vain, at leaft afperfes
The tempted with difhonour foul, fuppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Againft temptation: thou thyfelf with scorn
And
anger wouldft refent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,
If fuch affront 1 labour to avert
From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare;
Or daring, firft on me th' affault fhall light.
Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn;
Subtle he needs muft be, who could feduce
Angels: nor think fuperfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Accefs in every virtue, in thy fight
More wife, more watchful, ftronger, if need were
Of outward ftrength; while fhaine, thou looking on,
Shame to be overcome, or over-reach'd,
Would utmost vigour raise, and rais'd unite.
Why shouldt not thou like fense within thee feel 315 When I am present, and thy trial choose
With me, beft witnefs of thy virtue try'd?
So fpake domeftick Adam in his care
And matrimonial love but Eve, who thought
Lefs attributed to her faith fincere,
Thus her reply with accent fweet renew❜d:
If this be our condition, thus to dwell
In narrow circuit, ftraiten'd by a foe,
Subtle or violent, we not endu'd
Single with like defence, where-ever met,
How are we happy, ftill in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not fin: only our foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul efteem
Of our integrity: his foul efteem
Sticks no difhonour on our front, but turns
Foul on himself; then wherefore fhunn'd or fear'd
By us? who rather double honqur gain.
From his furmife prov'd falfe; find peace within,
Favour from heav'n, our witness, from th' event.
And what is faith, love, virtue unaffay'd
Alone, without exterior help fustain❜d ?
Let us not then fufpect our happy ftate
Left fo imperfect by the Maker wife,
As not fecure to fingle or combin'd:
Frail is our happiness, if this be fo,
And Eden were no Eden, thus expos'd.
To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd :
O woman! best are all things as the will
Of God ordain'd them': his creating hand
Nothing imperfect or deficient left
Of all that he created; much lefs man,
Or ought that might his happy ftate fecure,
Secure from outward force; within himfelf
L. 342. To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd:
woman!] What Eve had just now faid required fome reprimand from Adam, and it was neceffary to defcribe him as in fome degree difpleafed: but what extreme delicacy has our author fhown, in choofing the word fervently to exprefs it by! a term, which, though it implies fome emotion, yet carries nothing in its idea inconsistent with that fubferviency of the paffions which fubfifted before the fall. Thyer.
The danger lies, yet lies within his pow'r :
Against his will he can receive no harın.
But God left free the will; for what obeys
Reafon, is free; and reafon he made right,
But bid her well beware, and ftill erect,
Left by fome fair appearing good furpris'd,
She dictate falfe, and misinform the will
To do what God exprefsly hath forbid.
Not then miftruft, but tender love, injoins,
That 1 fhould mind thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to fwerve;
Since reason not impoffibly may meet
Some fpecious object by the foe fuborn'd,
And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping ftrictest watch, as she was warn'd.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
Were better, and moft likely if from me
Thou fever not trial will come unfought.
Wouldst thou approve thy conftancy, approve
First thy obedience; th' other who can know,
Not feeing thee attempted? who attest?
But if thou think, trial unfought may find
Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou feem'ft,
Go; for thy stay, not free, abfents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, rely
On what thou haft of virtue, fummon all,
For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine.
So fpake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve
Perfifted, yet fubmifs, though laft, reply'd:
With thy permiffion then, and thus forewarn'd,
Chiefly by what thy own latt reafoning words
Touch'd only, that our trial, when least fought, 380
May find us both perhaps far lefs prepar'd,
The willinger I go; nor much expect
A foe fo proud will firft the weaker feek;
So bent, the more fhall fhame him his repulfe.
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