In silence I conceal my gift of speech
Among these leaves embower'd

SCENE THE SIXTH.

EVE, SERPENT, and VAIN GLORY.

I ought, the servant of a Mighty Lord,
A servant low, and humble,

With reverential knee bending to earth,

I ought to praise the boundless love of him, Since he has made me queen

Of all the sun delights to view on earth. But if to heav'n I raise my eyes, and heart,

Clearly can Eve not see

She was created for these great, eternal,

Celestial miracles?

So that in spirit, or in mortal frame,

She ever must enjoy or earth, or heav'n.
Hence this fair flowering tree

Wreathing abroad its widely branching arms,
As if desirous to contend with heav'n,

Seems willing in my locks

To spread a shining heav'n of verdant leaves;

And if I pass among the herbs, and flow'rs

Those, I behold, that by my step are press'd,
Arise more beautiful; the very buds
Expand, to form festoons

To decorate the grassy scene around;
Other new flow'rs with freshest beauty fair,
That stand from me sequester'd,

Form'd into groups, or scatter'd in the vale,
Seem with delight to view me, and to say,
The neighbouring flow'rs rejoice
To give thy foot support,

But we, aspiring Eagles,

From far behold thy visage,

Mild portraiture of the almighty form;

While other plants, and flow'rs,

Wishing that I may form my seat among them,

Above their native growth

So seem to raise themselves, that of sweet flow'rs A fragrant hedge they form,

And others in a thousand tender ties,

Form on the ground so intricate a snare,
That the incautious hand which aims to free
The captive foot, must be itself insnar'd ;
If food I wish, or draft,

Lo various fruit, lo honey, milk, and manna,
Behold, from many a fount, and many a rill,

The crystal beauty of the cooling stream.

If melody, behold the tuneful birds,

Behold angelic bands!

If welcome day,

Or mild, and wish'd for night,

Behold the sun, behold the moon, and stars!
If I a friend require,

Adam, sweet friend, replies,

And if my God in heav'n, th' Eternal Maker
Dwells not unmindful but regards my speech.
If creatures subject to my will I wish,

Lo at my side all subject to my will :

What more can I desire, what more obtain ?
Now nothing more my Sovereign

Eve is with honour loaded.

But what's before me? do I wake or dream?
Among these boughs I see

A human visage fair; what! are there then
More than myself and Adam,

Who view the glorious sun?

O marvellous tho' I am distant far,

I yet discern the truth; with arms, with hands,

A human breast it has,

The rest is Serpent all:

O, how the sun emblazing with his rays

These gorgeous scales with glowing colours bright O'erwhelms my dazzled eyes!

I would approach it.

Serpent. Now then, at length you see I have precisely ta'en the semblance fit, To overcome this woman.

Eve. The nearer I approach, more and more

lovely

His semblance seems of emerald and saphire

Now ruby and now amethyst, and now

Of jasper, pearl, and flaming chrysolite
Each fold it waving forms around the trunk
Of this fair flow'ring tree!

Serpent. I will assail my foe,

Come to survey me better,
Thou dazzler of the eye,
Enchantress of the soul,
Soft idol of the heart,

Fair nymph approach; Lo, I display myself,
Survey me all, now satisfy thine eyes,

View me attentive, paragon of beauty,

Thou noblest ornament of all the world,

Thou lovely pomp of nature,

Thou little paradise,

To whom all things do homage:

Where lonely from thy friend, thy Adam, far
Where art thou? now advancing where

The numerous bands of Angels,

Become such fond admirers of thy beauty!

Happy I deem myself, supremely happy,

Since 'tis my blessed lot,

With two fond eyes alone to gaze on that,

Which with unnumber'd eyes, heav'n'scarce surveys.

Trust me if all the loveliness of heav'n

Would wrap itself within a human veil,
Nought but thy beauteous bosom,

Could form a mansion worthy such a guest.
How well I see, full well

That she above with thy light agile feet,
Imprints her step in heav'n, and there she smiles
With thy enchanting lip,

To scatter joy around those blessed spheres,
Yes with thy lips above,

She breathes, she speaks, she pauses,

And with thine eyes communicates a lustre
To all that's fair in heaven, or fair on earth.
Eve. And who art thou, so eager

To lavish praise on me?

Yet never did mine eyes see form like thine.
Serpent. Can I be silent now?

Too much, too much, I pant,

To please the lovely model of all grace;

Know when the world was fashion'd out of nought, And this most fruitful garden,

I was ordain'd to dwell a gard'ner here,

By him who cultivates

The fair celestial fields;

Here joyful I ascend,

To watch that no voracious bird

may

seize

On such delicious fruit;

Here it is my delight,

Tho' all be marvellously fair around,