On what thou haft of vertue, fummon all, For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine.
So fpake the Patriarch of Mankinde, but Eve Perfifted, yet fubmifs, though laft, repli'd.
With thy permiffion then, and thus forewarnd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touchd onely, that our trial, when leaft fought, May finde us both perhaps farr less prepar'd, 381 The willinger I goe, nor much expect
A Foe fo proud will first the weaker seek; So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse. Thus faying, from her Husbands hand her hand Soft she withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's Traine,
Betook her to the Groves, but Delia's felf In gate surpass'd and Goddess-like deport, Though not as fhee with Bow and Quiver armd, But with fuch Gardning Tools as Art yet rude, Guiltless of fire had formd, or Angels brought. To Pales, or Pomona, thus adornd, Likeft she seemd, Pomona when she fled Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her Prime, Yet Virgin of Proferpina from Jove. Her long with ardent look his Eye purfu'd Delighted, but defiring more her stay. Oft he to her his charge of quick returne Repeated, fhee to him as oft engag'd To be returnd by Noon amid the Bowre, And all things in best order to invite Noontide repaft, or Afternoons repofe. O much deceav'd, much failing, hapless Eve, Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse !
Thou never from that houre in Paradife
Foundft either sweet repaft, or found repofe; Such ambush hid among fweet Flours and Shades Waited with hellish rancor imminent
To intercept thy way, or fend thee back Defpoild of Innocence, of Faith, of Bliss. For now, and fince first break of dawne the Fiend, Meer Serpent in appearance, forth was come, And on his Quest, where likelieft he might finde The onely two of Mankinde, but in them The whole included Race, his purpofd prey. In Bowre and Field he fought, where any tuft Of Grove or Garden-Plot more pleasant lay, Thir tendance or Plantation for delight, By Fountain or by fhadie Rivulet
He fought them both, but wish'd his hap might find Eve feparate, he wish'd, but not with hope Of what fo feldom chanc'd, when to his wish, Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,
Veild in a Cloud of Fragrance, where she stood, Half spi'd, so thick the Roses bushing round About her glowd, oft stooping to support
Each Flour of flender stalk, whofe head though gay Carnation, Purple, Azure, or spect with Gold, Hung drooping unsustaind, them she upstaies 430 Gently with Mirtle band, mindless the while, Her felf, though fairest unfupported Flour, From her best prop so farr, and storm so nigh. Neerer he drew, and many a walk travers'd Of statelieft Covert, Cedar, Pine, or Palme, Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen Among thick-wov'n Arborets and Flours
Imborderd on each Bank, the hand of Eve: Spot more delicious then those Gardens feign'd Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renownd Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes Son,
Or that, not Myftic, where the Sapient King Held dalliance with his faire Egyptian Spouse. Much hee the Place admir'd, the Perfon more. As one who long in populous City pent, Where Houses thick and Sewers annoy the Aire, Forth iffuing on a Summers Morn to breathe Among the pleasant Villages and Farmes Adjoynd, from each thing met conceaves delight, The smell of Grain, or tedded Grafs, or Kine, 450 Or Dairie, each rural fight, each rural found; If chance with Nymphlike step fair Virgin pass, What pleasing seemd, for her now pleases more, She most, and in her look fumms all Delight. Such Pleasure took the Serpent to behold This Flourie Plat, the sweet recess of Eve Thus earlie, thus alone; her Heav'nly forme Angelic, but more foft, and Feminine,
Her graceful Innocence, her
Of gefture or left action overawd
His Malice, and with rapine sweet bereav'd His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought: That space the Evil one abstracted stood From his own evil, and for the time remaind Stupidly good, of enmitie difarm'd,
Of guile, of hate, of envie, of revenge;
But the hot Hell that alwayes in him burnes, Though in mid Heav'n, foon ended his delight, And tortures him now more, the more he fees
Of pleasure not for him ordain'd: then foon Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me, with what Compulfion thus transported to forget [sweet What hither brought us, hate, not love, nor hope Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy, Save what is in deftroying, other joy To me is loft. Then let me not let pass Occafion which now fmiles, behold alone The Woman, opportune to all attempts, Her Husband, for I view far round, not nigh, Whose higher intellectual more I shun, And strength, of courage hautie, and of limb Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould, Foe not informidable, exempt from wound, I not; fo much hath Hell debas'd, and paine Infeebl❜d me, to what I was in Heav'n. Shee fair, divinely fair, fit Love for Gods, Not terrible, though terrour be in Love And beautie, not approacht by stronger hate, Hate stronger, under fhew of Love well feign'd, The way which to her ruin now I tend.
So fpake the Enemie of Mankind, enclos'd In Serpent, Inmate bad, and toward Eve Addrefs'd his way, not with indented wave, Prone on the ground, as fince, but on his reare, Circular base of rifing foulds, that tour'd Fould above fould a furging Maze, his Head Crested aloft, and Carbuncle his Eyes; With burnifht Neck of verdant Gold, erect
Amidst his circling Spires, that on the grass Floted redundant: pleafing was his shape, And lovely, never fince of Serpent kind Lovelier, not those that in Illyria chang'd Hermione and Cadmus, or the God In Epidaurus; nor to which transformd Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline was seen, Hee with Olympias, this with her who bore Scipio the highth of Rome. With tract oblique At first, as one who fought access, but feard To interrupt, fide-long he works his way. As when a Ship by skilful Stearsman wrought Nigh Rivers mouth or Foreland, where the Wind Veres oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her Saile; So varied hee, and of his tortuous Traine Curld many a wanton wreath in fight of Eve, To lure her Eye; shee bufied heard the found Of rufling Leaves, but minded not, as us'd To such disport before her through the Field, 520 From every Beast, more duteous at her call, Then at Circean call the Herd disguis'd. Hee boulder now, uncall'd before her stood; But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bowd His turret Creft, and fleek enamel'd Neck, Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod. His gentle dumb expreffion turnd at length The Eye of Eve to mark his play; he glad Of her attention gaind, with Serpent Tongue Organic, or impulse of vocal Air,
His fraudulent temptation thus began.
Wonder not, fovran Mistress, if perhaps
Thou canft, who art fole Wonder, much less arm
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