Perchance thou may'st suppose, enjoying love,
That thou must therefore lead a savage life,
A lover of the brutes.

No, no, adorning all thy form with flow'rs,
And wearing on thy locks a wreath of palm,
Thou shalt enjoy a vest of gold and silver
Such as I wear, and such as high in heav'n
The radiant tissue shines, when sun and moon
Weave their united rays;

Thine eyes shall sparkle with resplendent fire,
On thy warm cheek a graceful blush shall glow,
And when in extacy, thy lip is press'd

Its richer hue shall make the coral pale.
Say at the very sound dost thou not feel
Thy heart dissolve in amorous joy? I see
Thou art delighted Adam.

Adam. I love, in truth I love,
But only burn with love

For my almighty Maker.

The Flesh.

The soul alone can love,

Can love this heav'nly lord:

But in these sublunary woodland scenes,

Love has delights of a corporeal kind.

Adam. The love thou speak'st of it is mine to prove

With my beloved consort.

The Flesh.

Yes! that is true, yet only sons of death

Can spring from your affection.

Ad. Sad fruit of

my

offence!

The Flesh.

Ah, but immortal children

From me shall spring, if thou wilt yield to me, Amidst these herbs and flow'rs

Bours sublimest love.

Simple extend thy hand,

Behold, and touch my breast, that thou wilt find Fr

r di terent from the breast of mortal Eve. If thou wilt love, shall I not make thee worthy Of the unbounded joy

To steal thee from thyself? ah come, ah come, To this pure bosom, that I shew thee Adam, Oh say to me, I love thee;

Perchance thou may'st believe,

Each man to spring from thee,

Ought to be happy with a single woman:
Each woman too contented

To love one man alone!

Simple, if such thy thought:

For all the sweets of love

Become more poignant by the change of lovers.

See how each animal, that dwells on earth
Leads a delicious life,

By changing its affection,

And thou, sole sovereign of each living creature,

Shalt thou content thee with a single lover?

Adam. Let sorrow's flame convert my heart to

ashes,

Rather than it may burn with double love!

Hence then! depart! for a blind mole am I

To all thy proffer'd beauty:
And truly in thy presence,

I feel no touch of love.

The Flesh.

O thou most icy heart!

Now kindle with the flame of my affection.
Behold this ample cavern of the earth;
Lo it was made for love; whate'er it holds
Within its spacious circuit

Of love perceives the fire.

Love rules the earth, the sea, the air, and fire,

With endless love a hundred genial stars

Not moving from their sphere,

Scatter their flames thro' heav'n,

And other wand'ring planets

Thro' those exalted regions

Direct their golden steps.

What river, fount, or stream,

Unconscious flows, and destitute of love?

What frozen sea does love not penetrate
With his imperious ardour?

What glowing ocean does not oft discover
A visage pale, and wan,

As if infirm with love?

What flow'r, what plant, or stone,
Wishes for love in vain, of love depriv'd?
Whate'er inhabits heav'n, or earth, or sea,
Burns in the flame of love.

Behold that sportive bird of painted wing,

That goes with flutt'ring joy from bough to bough, And in his song declares he sings of love:

Behold the sweet, and oft repeated kisses

Of those two doves, what dost thou think of them? Of love they are the kisses.

The beauteous peacock see

That gaily fondles his attractive mate;

He whirls the plume of love:

Hear you that nightingale, does she not mourn?

Now does she not exult? now tis her joy

With her melodious warble

To stun the vallies, and make glad the hills.
Simple what dost thou think?

Tis love that makes her tuneful:

Behold that river with its banks of flow'rs,

Its stream of purest silver,

And of fine gold its sand,

Behold dost thou not see within its bosom

A thousand fishes glide?

They lead the dance of love:

Behold that sportive goat, that butting runs

Exulting o'er the plain,

His conflicts are from love:

Look there, and see amidst a thousand folds

Those close entwisted snakes,

That in a single being seem combin❜d:

Coy Adam, even these

Weave the close web of love.

Behold, at length where yonder clustring vine

Her amorous arms around the elm extends,
She also burns with love:

Even that flow'r, that ever courts the sun,
Thus in its glances speaks

I dart the glance of love!

And thou unmelting soul! wilt thou alone

Wilt thou disdain to feel

That which all creatures prove?

Nought can resist my golden, pungent dart,

Nor air, nor fire, nor sea, nor earth, nor heav'n.

SCENE THE SECOND.

LUCIFER, THE FLESH, and ADAM.

Now burn with love, and bless the fond desire

Of her, whom the creator

Made blazing all with love.