But bid her well be ware, and still erect,
Left by fome fair appearing good furpris'd
She dictate falfe, and misinform the will
To do what God exprefly hath forbid.
Not then mistrust, but tender love injoins,
That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to fwerve,
Since reafon not impoffibly may meet
Some fpecious object by the foe fuborn'd,
And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping stricteft watch, as she was warn'd.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
Were better, and most 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 atteft?
But if thou think trial unfought may find
Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou feem'ft,
Go; for thy ftay, 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 spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve
Perfifting, yet fubmifs, though last, reply'd.
With thy permiffion then, and thus forewarn'd
Chiefly by what thy own laft reafoning words
Touch'd only, that our trial, when leaft fought, 380
May find us both perhaps far lefs prɛpar'd,
The willinger I go, nor much expe&
A foe fo proud will firft the weaker feek;
So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse.
Thus faying, from her husband's hand her hand 385 Soft she withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light, Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train,
Betook her to the groves, but Delia's felf
In gait surpass'd, and Goddess-like deport,
Though not as fhe with bow and quiver arm'd, 390
But with fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude,
Guiltless of fire, had form'd, or Angels brought.
To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,
Likeft the feem'd, Pomona when she fled
Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his eye pursued
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated, the to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bower,
And all things in best order to invite
Noontide repaft, or afternoon's repose.
O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve,
Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse !
Thou never from that hour in Paradife
Found'ft either sweet repast, or found repose;
Such ambush hid among sweet flow'rs and shades
Waited with hellish rancor imminent
To intercept thy way, or fend thee back
Defpoil'd of innocence, of faith, of blifs.
For now, and fince first break of dawn the Fiend,
Mere ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his queft, where likelieft he might find
The only two of mankind, but in them
The whole included race, his purpos'd prey.
In bow'r and field he fought, where any tuft
Of grove or garden-plot more pleafant lay,
Their tendence or plantation for delight:
By fountain or by shady rivulet
He fought them both, but wish'd his hap might find
Eve feparate, he wifh'd, but not with hope
Of what fo feldom chanc'd, when to his wish,
Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,
Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where the ftood, 425
Half spy'd, fo thick the roses blushing round
About her glow'd, oft ftooping to fupport
Each flow'r of flender ftalk, whofe head though gay
Carnation, purple', azure, or fpeck'd with gold,
Hung drooping unfuftaip'd; them fhe upftays
Gently with myrtle band, mindlefs the while
Herself, though faireft unfupported flower,
From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh.
Nearer he drew, and many a walk travérs'd
Of statelieft covert, cedar, pine, or palm,
Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen
Among thick-woven arborets and flowers
Imborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve:
Spot more delicious than those gardens feign'd
Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd
Alcinous, host of old Laertes' fon,
Or that, not myftic, where the fapient king
VOL. XI.
Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse.
Much he the place admir'd, the perfon more.
As one who long in populous city pent,
Where houses thick and fewers annoy the air,
Forth iffuing on a fummer's morn to breathe
Among the pleasant villages and farms
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight,
The fmell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine,
Or dairy', each rural fight, each rural found;
If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass,
What pleafing feem'd, for her now pleafes more,
She moft, and in her look fums all delight:
Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold
This flow'ry plat, the fweet recefs of Eve
Thus early, thus alone; her heav'nly form
Angelic, but more foft, and feminine,
Her graceful innocence, her every air
Of gefture or leaft action overaw'd
His malice, and with rapin fweet bereav'd
His fiercenefs of the fierce intent it brought :
That space the Evil-one abstracted stood
From his own evil, and for the time remain'd
Stupidly good, of enmity difarm'd,
Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge;
But the hot Hell that always in him burns,
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 mifchief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet Compulfion thus tranfported to forget
What hither brought us! hate, not love, nor hope 475
Of Paradife for Hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to deftroy,
Save what is in deftroying; other joy
To me is loft. Then let me not let pafs
Occafion which now fmiles; behold alone
The woman, opportune to all attempts!
Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh,
Whofe higher intellectual more I fhun,
And strength, of courage haughty, and of limb
Heroic built, though of terreftrial mold,
Foe not informidable, exempt from wound,
I not; fo much hath Hell debas'd, and pain
Infeebled me, to what I was in Heaven.
She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods,
Not terrible, though terror be in love
And beauty, not approach'd by ftronger hate,
Hate ftronger, under fhow of love well feign'd,
way which to her ruin now I tend.
So fpake the enemy' of mankind, inclos'd
In ferpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve
Address'd his way, not with indented wave,
Prone on the ground, as fince, but on his rear,
Circular base of rifing folds, that tower'd
Fold above fold a furging maze, his head
Crefted aloft, and carbuncle his eyes;
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling fpires, that on the grafs
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