Thou canft, who art fole wonder; much less arm
Thy looks, the Heav'n of mildness, with disdain,
Difpleas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze
Infatiate, I thus fingle, nor have fear'd
Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd.
Faireft refemblance of thy Maker fair,
Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine
By gift, and thy celestial beauty' adore
With ravishment beheld, there beft beheld
Where univerfally admir'd; but here
In this inclosure wild, thefe beafts among,
Beholders rude, and fhallow to difcern
Half what in thee is fair, one man except,
Who fees thee'? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen A Goddess among Gods, ador'd and ferv'd
By Angels numberlefs, thy daily train.
So gloz'd the Tempter, and his proem tun'd; Into the heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marveling; at length Not unamaz'd fhe thus in anfwer fpake.
What may this mean? language of man pronounc'd
By tongue of brute, and human fenfe exprefs'd?
The first at least of thefe I thought deny'd
To beafts, whom God on their creation-day
Created mute to all articulate found;
The latter I demur, for in their looks
Much reas'on, and in their actions oft appears.
Thee, Serpent, fubtleft beast of all the field
I knew, but not with human voice indued;
Redouble then this miracle, and fay,
How cam'ft thou fpeakable of mute, and how
To me fo friendly grown above the rest
Of brutal kind, that daily are in fight:
Say, for fuch wonder clames attention due.
To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd.
Emprefs of this fair world, refplendent Eve,
Eafy to me it is to tell thee all
What thou command'ft, and right thou fhouldft be'
I was at first as other beasts that graze
The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low,
As was my food; nor ought but food discern'd
Or fex, and apprehended nothing high:
Till on a day roving the field, I chanc'd
A goodly tree far diftant to behold
Loaden with fruit of faireft colors mix'd,
Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze;
When from the boughs a favory odor blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense
Than fmell of fweeteft fenel, or the teats
Of ewe or goat dropping with milk at even,
Unfuck'd of lamb or kid, that tend their play.
To fatisfy the fharp defire I had
Of tasting those fair apples, I resolv'd
Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once,
Pow'rful perfuaders, quicken'd at the scent
Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me fo keen.
About the moffy trunk I wound me foon,
For high from ground the branches would require 590
Thy utmost reach or Adam's: Round the tree
All other beasts that faw, with like defire
Longing and envying stood, but could not reach.
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung
Tempting fo nigh, to pluck and eat my fill
I fpar'd not, for such pleasure till that hour
At feed or fountain never had I found.
Sated at length, ere long I might perceive
Strange alteration in me, to degree
Of reafon in my inward pow'rs, and speech
Wanted not long, though to this shape retain'd.
Thenceforth to fpeculations high or deep
I turn'd my thoughts, and with capacious mind
Confider'd all things vifible in Heaven,
Or Earth, or Middle, all things fair and good; 605
But all that fair and good in thy divine
Semblance, and in thy beauty's heav'nly ray
United I beheld; no fair to thine
Equivalent or fecond, which compell'd
Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come
And gaze, and worship thee of right declar'd
Sovran of creatures, univerfal Dame.
So talk'd the fpirited fly Snake; and Eve
Yet more amaz'd unwary thus reply'd.
Serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt
The virtue of that fruit, in thee first prov'd
But fay, where grows the tree, from hence how far?
For many are the trees of God that grow
In Paradise, and various, yet unknown
To us, in fuch abundance lies our choice,
As leaves a greater ftore of fruit untouch'd,
Still hanging incorruptible, till men
Grow up to their provifion, and more hands
Help to disburden Nature of her birth.
To whom the wily Adder, blithe and glad.
Emprefs, the way is ready, and not long,
Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat,
Faft by a fountain, one small thicket past
Of blowing myrrh and balm; if thou accept
My conduct, I can bring thee thither foon.
Lead then, said Eve. He leading swiftly roll'd
In tangles, and made intricate seem strait,
To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy
Brightens his creft; as when a wand'ring fire,
Compact of unctuous vapor, which the night
Condenfes, and the cold environs round,
Kindled through agitation to a flame,
Which oft, they fay, fome evil Spi'rit attends,
Hovering and blazing with delufive light,
Misleads th' amaz'd night-wand'rer from his way 640
To bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool,
There swallow'd up and loft, from fuccour far.
So glifter'd the dire Snake, and into fraud
Led Eve our credulous mother, to the tree
Of prohibition, root of all our woe;
Which when she faw, thus to her guide she spake.
Serpent, we might have spar'd our coming hither,
Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to' excess,
The credit of whofe virtue reft with thee,
Wondrous indeed, if cause of such effects.
But of this tree we may not taste nor touch
God fo commanded, and left that command
Sole daughter of his voice; the rest, we live
Law to ourselves, our reafon is our law.
To whom the Tempter guilefully reply'd.
Indeed? hath God then faid that of the fruit
Of all these garden trees ye shall not eat,
Yet Lords declar'd of all in earth or air?
To whom thus Eve yet finless.
Of each tree in the garden we may eat,
But of the fruit of this fair tree amidst
The garden, God hath faid, Ye fhall not eat
Thereof, nor fhall ye touch it, left ye die.
She scarce had faid, though brief, when now more
The Tempter, but with fhow of zeal and love
To Man, and indignation at his wrong,
New part puts on, and as to passion mov'd,
Fluctuates difturb'd, yet comely and in act
Rais'd, as of fome great matter to begin.
As when of old fome orator renown'd
In Athens or free Rome, where eloquence
Florish'd, fince mute, to fome great cause addrefs'd
Stood in himself collected, while each part,
Motion, each act won audience ere the tongue,
Sometimes in highth began, as no delay
Of preface brooking through his zeal of right:
So ftanding, moving, or to highth up grown,
The Tempter all impaffion'd thus began.
O facred, wife, and wisdom-giving Plant,
Mother of science, now I feel thy power
Within me clear, not only to difcern
Things in their causes, but to trace the ways
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