Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn; Suttle he needs muft be, who could feduce Angels, nor think superfluous others aid. I from the influence of thy looks receave Accefs in every vertue, in thy fight
More wife, more watchful, stronger, if need were Of outward ftrength; while shame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or over-reacht
Would utmoft vigour raife, and rais'd unite. Why shouldst not thou like fense within thee feel When I am present, and thy trial choose With me, best witness of thy virtue tri'd. So fpake domeftic Adam in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought Lefs attributed to her faith facere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd.
If this be our condition, thus to dwell
In narrow circuit strait'n'd by a foe, Suttle or violent, we not endu'd Single with like defence, wherever met, How are we happie, ftill in fear of harm? But harm precedes not fin: only our foe Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integritie: his foul efteem
Sticks no difhonour on our front, but turns Foul on himself; then wherefore shun'd or fear'd By us? who rather double honour gain
From his furmife prov'd falfe, find peace within, Favour from heav'n, our witness from th'event, And what is faith, love, vertue unaffaid
Alone, without exterior help sustain’d ?
Let us not then suspect our happie state Left so imperfect by the maker wise, As not fecure to fingle or combin'd. Frail is our happiness, if this be so, And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd.
To whom thus Adam fervently repli'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 less man, Or aught that might his happie state secure, Secure from outward force; within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his power: Against his will he can receave no harm. But God left free the will, for what obeys Reason, is free, and reafon he made right, But bid her well beware, and ftill erect, Leaft by fome fair appeering good furpris'd She dictate falfe, and mifinform the will To do what God exprefly hath forbid.
Not then mistrust, but tender love enjoines, 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 strictest watch, as she was warn'd. Seek not temptation then, which to avoid Were better, and most likelie if from me Thou fever not: trial will come unfought. Wouldft thou approve thy constancie, approve
First thy obedience; th'other who can know, Nor feeing thee attempted, who atteft? But if thou think, trial unsought may find Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou seemst, Go; for thy ftay, not free, absents thee more; Go in thy native innocence, relie
On what thou haft of virtue, summon all,
For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. So fpake the patriarch of mankind, but Eve Perfifted, yet fubmifs, though last, repli'd.
With thy permission then, and thus forwarn'd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touch'd only, that our trial, when least fought, May find us both perhaps far less prepar'd, 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 husband's hand her hand 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 gate furpafs'd and goddess-like deport, Though not as she with bow and quiver arm'd, 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, Likelieft the feem'd, Pomona when she fed 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 return Repeated, the to him as oft engag'd To be return'd by noon amid the bowre, And all things in best order to invite Noontide repast, or afternoon's repose.
O much deceav'd, much failing, hapless Eve, Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse ! Thou never from that hour in Paradise Foundft either fweet repaft, or found repofe ; Such ambush hid among sweet flours and shades Waited with hellifh rancour imminent
To intercept thy way, or fend thee back Despoil❜d of innocence, of faith, of bliss.
For now, and fince first break of dawne the fiend, Meer ferpent in appearance, forth was come, And on his quest, where likelieft he might find The only two of mankind, but in them The whole included race, his purpos'd prey. In bowre and field he fought, where any tuft Of grove or garden plot more pleasant lay, Their tendance or plantation for delight, By fountain or by fhadie rivulet
He fought them both, but with'd his hap might find Eve separate, he wish'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 she stood, Half fpi'd, fo thick the rofes bushing round
About her glow'd, oft stooping to fupport Each flour of flender ftalk, whofe head though gay Carnation, purple, azure, or fpect with gold,
Hung drooping unsustain'd, them the upstaies Gently with mirtle band, mindless the while, Herself, though fairest unsupported flour, From her best prop so far, 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 feen Among thick woven arborets and flours Emborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve: Spot more delicious than thofe gardens feign'd Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes fon,
- Or that, not mystic, where the sapient king Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse. Much he the place admir'd, the person 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 breath Among the pleasant villages and farmes Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceaves delight, The smell of grain, or tedded-grass, or kine, Or dairie, each rural fight, each rural found; If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass, What pleasing feem'd, for her now pleases more, She moft, and in her look fumms all delight, Such pleasure took the ferpent to behold This flourie plat, the sweet recefs of Eve Thus earlie, thus alone; her heav'nly form Angelic, but more foft, and feminine, Her graceful innocence, her every air Of gefture or least action overaw'd
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