Well manag'd; of that skill the more thou know'st, The more she will acknowledge thee her Head, And to realities yield all her shows; Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honour thou may'st love Is propagated seem such dear delight To Cattle and each Beast; which would not be By which to heav'nly Love thou may'st ascend, Harmony to behold in wedded pair More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear. Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose What inward thence I feel, not therefore foil'd, Who meet with various objects, from the sense Variously representing; yet still free Approve the best, and follow what I approve. To love thou blam'st me not, for love thou say'st Leads up to Heav'n, is both the way and guide; Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask; Love not the heav'nly Spirits, and how thir Love Express they, by looks only, or do they mix Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch? To whom the Angel with a smile that glow'd Celestial rosy red, Love's proper hue, Answer'd. Let it suffice thee that thou know'st Be strong, live happy, and love, but first of all His great command; take heed lest Passion sway Thy Judgement to do aught, which else free Will Would not admit; thine and of all thy Sons And all the Blest: stand fast; to stand or fall So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus So parted they, the Angel up to Heav'n From the thick shade, and Adam to his Bow'r. The End of the Eighth Book. SATA PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT. ATAN having compast 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 thir 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 forewarn'd, 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 wond'ring to hear the Serpent speak, asks how he attain'd to human speech and such understanding not till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain Tree in the Garden he attain'd 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 pleas'd 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 amaz'd, but perceiving her lost, resolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass, eats |