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Of highest agents, deemed however wise.
Queen of this universe, do not believe
Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die:
How should ye? By the fruit? It gives you life
To knowledge; by the threat'ner? Look on me,
Me who have touch'd and tasted yet both live,
And life more perect have attain'd than fate
Meant me, by vent'ring higher than my lot
Shall that be shut to Man, which to the Beast
Is open? Or will God incense his ire
For such a petty trespass, and not praise
Rather your daunt ess virtue, whom the pain
Of death denounc'd, whatever thing death be,
Deterr'd not from achieving what might lead
To happier life, knowledge of good and evil;
Of good, how just? Of evil, if what is evil
Be real, why not known, since easier shunn'd?
God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just;
Not just, not God; not fear'd then, nor obey'd.
Your fear itself of death removes the fear.
Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe,
Why but to keep ye low and ignorant,
His worshippers; he knows that in the day
Ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear,
Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then
Open'd and clear'd, and ye shall be as Gods,
Knowing both good and evil as they know.
That ye shall be as Gods, since I as Man,
Internal Mau, is but proportion meet;
I of brute human, ye of human Gods.
So ye shall die perhaps, by putting off
Human, to put on Gods; death to be wish'd,
Though threaten'd, which no worse than this
can bring.

And what are Gods that Man may not become
As they, participating God-like food:
The Gods are first, and that advantage use
On our belief, that all from them proceeds;
1 question it, for this fair earth I see,
Warm'd by the sun, producing every kind,
Them nothing: if they all things, who inclos'd
Knowledge of good and evil in this tree,
That whoso cats thereof, forthwith attains
Wisdom without their leave? And wherein
lies
[know?
Th' offence, that Man should thus attain to
What can your knowledge hurt him, or this

tree

Impart against his will if all he bis?

Or is it envy, and cau envy dwell

In heav'nly breasts: These, these and many

more

Causes import your need of this fair fruit. Goddess bumane, reach then, and freely taste.

He ended, and his words replete with guile Into her heart too easy entrance won: Fix'd on the fruit she gaz'd, which to behold Might tempt alone, and in her cars the sound Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregn'd

With reason, to her seeming, and with truth; Mean while the hour of noon drew on, and wak'd

An eager appetite, rais'd by the smell
So savory of that fruit, which with desire,
Inclinable now grown to touch or taste,
Solicited her longing eye; yet first
Pausing a while, thus to herself she mus'd.
Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of
fruits,
[mir'd,
Though kept from man, and worthy to be ad-
Whose taste, too long forhorn, at first essay
Gave elocution to the mute, and taught
The tongue not made for speech to speak thy
praise:

Thy praise he also who forbids thy use,
Conceals not from us, naming thee the tree
Of knowledge, knowledge both of good and
evil;

Forb ds us then to taste, but his forbidding
Commends thee more, while it infers the good
By thee communicated, and our want;
For good unknown, sure is not had, or had
And yet unknown, is as not had at all.
In plain then, what forbids be but to know,
Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise?
Such prohibitions bind not. But if death
Bind us with after-bands, what profits
Our inward freedom? In the day we eat
Of this fair fruit, our doom is, we shall die.
How dies the Serpent? he hath eaten and lives,
And knows, and speaks, aud reasons, and dis-

cerns,

Irrational then. For us alone

Was death invented? Or to us deny'd
This intellectual food, for beasts reserv'd?
For beasts it seems: yet that one beast which
first

Hath tasted, envies not, but brings with joy
The good befall'n him, author unsuspect,
Friendly to man, far from deceit or guile.
What fear I then, rather what know to fear
Under this ignorance of good and evil,
Of God or death, of law or penalty?
Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine.
Fair to the eye, inviting to the taste,
Of virtue to make wise: What hinders then.
To reach, and feed at once both body and
mind?

So saying, her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she

eat:

Earth felt the wound, and nature from her seat Sighing through all her works, gave signs of

woe,

That all was lost. Back to the thicket slunk The guilty serpent, and well might, for Eve Intent now wholly on her taste, nought else Regarded, such delight till then, as seem'd,

In fruit she never tasted, whether true
Or fancy'd so, through expectation high
Of knowledge, nor was God-head from her
thought.

Greedily she ingorg'd without restraint,

And knew not eating death: satiate at length, And heighten'd as with wine, jocund and boon, Thus to herself she pleasingly began:

O sovran, virtuous, precious of all trees
In Paradise, of operation bless'd

To sapience, hitherto obscur'd, infam'd,
And thy fei, fruit let hang, as to no end
Created; but henceforth my early care,

Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill,
Misgave him; be the filtring measure felt;
And forth to meet her went, the way she took
That moru when first they parted, by the tree
Of knowledge he must pass, there he her met,
Scarce from the tree returning; in her hand
A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smit'd
New gather'd, and ambrosial smell diffus'd.
To him she hasted; in her face excuse
Came prologue, and apology too prompt,
Which with bland words at will she thus ad-
dress'd:

Hast thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my stay?

Not without song, each morning and due Thee have 1 miss'd, and thought it long, de

praise,

Shall tend thee, and the fertil burden ease
Of thy full branches offer'd free to all;
Till dieted by thee I grow mature
In knowledge, as the gods who all things know;
Though others enry what they cannot give;
For had the gift been theirs, it had not here
Thus grown. Experience, next to thee I owe,
Best guide; not following thee I had remain'd
In Ignorance; thou open'st wisdom's way,
And giv'st access, though secret she retice,
And I perhaps am secret; Heav'n is high,
High, and remote to see from thence distinct
Each thing on Earth; and other care perhaps
May have diverted from continual watch
Our great Forbidder, safe with all his spies
About him. But to Adam in what sort
Shall I appear? shall I to him make known
As yet my change, and give him to partake
Full happiness with me, or rather not,
But keep the odds of knowledge in my power
Without copartner; so to add what wants
In female sex, the more to draw his love,
And render me more equal, and perhaps,
A thing not undesirable, sometime
Superior; for inferior who is free?

This may be well: but what if God have scen,
And death ensue? then I shall be no more,
And Adam wedded to another Eve,
Shall live with her enjoying, I extinct;
A death to think. Confirm'd then I resolve,
Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could endure, without him live no life.

sap,

So saying, from the tree her step she turu'd
But first low reverence done, as to the power
That dwelt within, whose presence had infus'd
Into the plant sciential deriv'd
From nectar, drink of gods. Adam the while
Waiting desirous her return, had wove
Of choicest flowers a garland to adorn
Her tresses, and her rural labors crown,
As reapers oft are wont their harvest queen.
-Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new
Solace in her return, so long delay'd;

priv'd

Thy presence, agony of love till now

Not elt, nor shall be twice, for never more
Mean I to try, what rash untry'd I sought,
The pain of absence from thy sight. But
strange

Hath been the cause, and wonderful to hear:
This tree is not as we are told, a tree
Of danger tasted, nor to evil unknown
Opening the way, but of divine effect

To open eyes, and make them gods who taste;
And hath been tasted such; the serpent wise,
Or not restrain'd as we, or not obeying,
Hath eaten of the fruit, and is become,
Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but thenceforth
Indued with human voice and human sense
Reasoning to admiration, and with me
Persuasively hath so prevail'd, that I
Have also tasted, and have also found
Th' effects to correspond, opener mine eyes,
Dim erst, dilated spirits, ampler heart,
And growing up to Godhead; which for thee
Chiefly I sought, without thee can despise.
For bliss, if thou hast part, to me is bliss,
Tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious soon.
Thon therefore also taste, that equal lot
May join us, equal joy, as equal love;
Lest thou not tasting, different degree
Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce
Deity for thee, when Fate will not permit.

Thus Eve with count'nance blithe her story

told;

But in her cheek distemper flushing glow'd. On the other side, Adam, soon as he beard The fatal trespass done by Eve, amaz'd, Astonied stood and blank, while horror chill Ran through his viens, and all his joints re. lax'd; [Eve

From bis slick hand the garland wreath'd for Down dropt, and all the fa 'ed roses shed: Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length First to himself he inward silence broke:

O fairest of Creation, last and best Of all God's works creature in whom excell'd Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd,

Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,
Defac'd, deflower'd, and now to death devote?
Rather how hast thou yielded to trangress
The strict forbiddance, how to violate
The sacred fruit forbidden? some cursed fraud
Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,
And me with thee hath ruin'd, for with thee
Certain my resolution is to die;

How can I live without thee, how forego
Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly join'd,
To live again in these wild woods forlor
Should God create another Eve, and I
Another rio afford, yet loss of thee
Would never from my heart; no no, I feel
The link of Nature draw me: flesh of flesh,
Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state
Mine never shall be parted, hliss or woe.

So having said, as one from sad dismay
Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd
Submitting to what seem'd remediless,
Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd :
Bold deed thou hast presum'd, adventrous
Eve,

And peril great provok`d, who thus hast dar'd,
Bad it been only coveting to eye
That sacred fruit, sacred to abstinence,
Much more to taste it under ban to touch
But past who can recal, or done ando?
Nor God omnipotent, nor Fate; yet so
Perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the fact
Is not so heinous now, foretasted fruit,
Profan'd first by the serpent, by him first
Made common and unhallow'd ere our taste;
Nor yet on him found deadly, be yet lives,
Lives as thou saidst, and gains to live as inan
Higher degree of life, inducement strong
To us, as likely tasting to attain
Proportional ascent, which cannot be
But to be gods, or angel demi-gods.
Nor can I think that God, Creator wise,
Though threat'ning, wili in earnest so destroy
Us his prime creatures, dignify'd so high,
Set over all his works, which in our fall,
For us created, needs with us must fail,
Dependent made; so God shall uncreate,
Be frustrate, do, undo, and labor lose,

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So forcible within my heart I feel
The bond of Nature draw me to my own,
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;
Our state cannot be sever'd, we are one,
One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself.
So Adam, and thus Eve to him reply'd;
O glorious trial of exceeding love,
Illustrious evidence, example high!
Engaging me to emulate, but short
Of thy perfection, how shall I attain,
Adam? from whose dear side 1 boast me
sprung,

And gladly of our union hear thee speak,
Que heart, one soul in both; whereof good
proof

This day affords, declaring thee resolv'd,
Rather than death, or ought than death more

dread

Shall separate us, link'd in love so dear,
To undergo with me one guilt, one crime,
If any be, of tasting this fair fruit,
Whose virtue (for of good still good proceeds,
Direct, or by occasion) hath presented
This happy trial of thy love, which else
So eminently never had been known.
Were it I thought death menac'd would ensue
This my attempt, I would sustain alone
The worst, and not persuade thee, rather die
Deserted, than oblige thee with a fact
Pernicious to thy peace, chiefly assur'd
Remarkably so late of thy so true,
So faithful love unequal'd; but I feel
Far otherwise th' event, not death, but life
Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys,
Taste so divine, that what of sweet before
Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this, and
harsh.

On my experience, Adam, freely taste,
And fear of Death deliver to the winds.

So saying, she embrac'd him, and for joy
Tenderly wept, much won that he his love
Had so ennobled, as of choice to incur
Divine displeasure for her sake, or death.
In recompense (for such compliance bad
Such recompense best merits) from the bough
She gave him of that fair enticing fruit
With liberal hand: he scrupled not to eat

Not well conceiv'd of God, who though his Against his better knowledge, not deceiv'd,

power

Creation could repeat, yet would be loath
U's to abolish, lest the Adversary
Triumph and say; fickle their state whom God
Most favours; who can please hin long? Me
first

He ruin'd, now mankind; whom will he next?
Matter of scoru, not to be given the foe.
However I with thee have fix'd my lot,
Certain to undergo like doom; if death
Consort with thee, death is to me as life;

But fondly overcome with female charm.
Earth trembled from her entrails, as again
In pangs, and Nature gave a second groan,
Sky low'r'd, and muttering thunder, some sad
drops

Wept at completing of the mortal sin
Original; while Adam took no thought,
Eating his fill, nor Eve to iterate

Her former trespass fear'd, the more to sooth
Him with her lov'd society, that now
As with new wine intoxicated both

They swim in mirth, and fancy that they feel
Divinity within them breeding wings
Wherewith to scorn the earth: but that false Of Philistean Dalilah, and wak'd

Uncover'd more. So rose the Danite strong
Herculean Samson from the harlot's lap

fruit

Far other operation first display'd,
Carnal desire inflaming; he on Eve
Began to cast lascivious eyes, she him
As wantonly repaid; in lust they burn:
Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move.
Eve, now I see thou art exact of taste,
And elegant of sapience no small part,
Since to each meaning savour we apply,
And palate call judicious; I the praise
Yield thee, so well this day thou hast
vey'd.
[stained
Much pleasure we have lost, while we ab-
From this delightful fruit, nor known till now
True relish, tasting; if such pleasure be
In things to us forbidd'n, it might be wish'd,
For this one tree had been forbidden ten.
But come, so well refresh'd, now let us play,
As meet is, after such delicious fare;
For never did thy beauty since the day
I saw thee first and wedded thee, adorn'd
With all perfections so inflame my sense
With ardour to enjoy thee, fairer now
Than ever, bounty of this virtuous tree.

Shorn of his strength, they destitue and bare
Of all their virtue; silent, and in face
Confounded long they sat, as strucken mute,
Till Adam, though not less than Eve abash'd,
At length gave utterance to these words con-
strain'd.

O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear
To that false worm, of whomsover taught
To counterfeit man's voice, true in our fall,
False in our promised rising; since our eyes
pur-Open'd we find indeed, and find we know
Both good and evil, good lost, and evil got,
Bad fruit of knowledge, if this be to know,
Which leaves us naked thus, of honour void,
Of innocence, of faith, of purity,
Our wonted ornaments now soil'd and stain'd,
And in our faces evident the signs
Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store;
Ev'n shame, the last of evils: of the first
Be sure then. How shall I behold the face
Henceforth of God or Augel, erst with joy
And rapture so oft beheld? those heav'nly
shapes

So said he, and forbore not glance or toy
Of amorous intent, well understood
Of Eve, whose eye darted contagious fire.
Her hand he seiz'd, and to a shady bank,
Thick overhead with verdant roof imbow'r'd,
He led her nothing loath; flow'rs were the
couch,

Pansies, and violets, and asphodel,

And byacinth, Earth's freshest softest lap.
There they their full of love and love's dis-
port,

Took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal,
The solace of their sin, till dewy sleep
Oppress'd them, and wearied with their amo-
rous play.

Soon as the force of that fallacious fruit,
That with exbilirating vapour bland
About their spirits had play'd, and inmost
powers

Made err, was now exhal'd; and grosser sleep
Bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious

dreams

Incumber'd, now had left them; up they rose
As from unrest and each the other viewing,
Soon found their eyes how open'd, and their
mind

How darken'd; Innocence that as a veil
Had shadow'd them from knowing ill, was

gone,

Just confidence, and native righteousness,
And honour from about them, naked left
To guilty shame; he cover'd, but his robe
No. VII-N.S.

Will dazzle now this earthly with their blaze
Insufferably bright. O might I here,

In solitude live savage, in some glade
Obscur'd, where highest woods impenetrable
To star or sun-light, spread their umbrage
broad

And brown as evening: Cover me, ye Piues,
Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs
Hide me, where I may never see them more.
But let us now, as in bad plight, devise
What best may for the present serve to hide
The parts of each from other, that seem most
To shame obnoxious, and unseemliest seen;
Some tree, whose broad smooth leaves together
sew'd,

And girded on our loins, may cover round
Those middle parts, that this new comer,

Shame,

There sit not, and reproach us as unclean.

So counsel'd he, and both together went
Into the thickest wood: there soon they chose
The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd,
But such as at this day to Indians known
In Malabar or Decan, spread her arms
Branching so broad and long, that in the
ground

The bended twigs take root, and daughters
grow

About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade
High over-arch'd, and echoing walks be-

tween;

There oft the Indian herdsman shunning beat
Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds

M

At loopholes cut through thickest shade: those leaves

They gather'd, broad as Amazonian targe,
And with what skill they had, together sow'd,
To gird their waist, vain covering if to hide
Their guilt and dreaded shame; O how un-
like

To that first naked glory! Such of late
Columbus found th' American, so girt
With feather'd cincture, naked else and wild
Among the trees on isles and woody shores.
Thus fenc'd, and as they thought, their shame

in part

Cover'd, but not at rest or ease of mind,

They sat them down to weep; nor only tears Rain'd at their eyes, but high winds worse within

Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, Mistrust, suspicion, discord, and shook sore Their inward state of mind, calm region once And full of peace, now tost and turbulent: For understanding rul'd not, and the will Heard not her lore, both in subjection now To sensual appetite, who from beneath Usurping over sov'reign reason claim'd Superior sway: from thus distemper'd breast, Adam, estrang'd in look and alter'd style, Speech intermitted thus to Eve reuew'd.

Would thou hadst hearkeu'd to my words and stay'd

With me, as I besought thee, when that strange

Desire of wand'ring this unhappy morn,

I know not whence possess'd thee; we had

then

Remain'd still happy, not as now, despoil'd Of all our good, sham'd, naked, miserable. Let none henceforth seek needless cause to

approve

The faith they owe; when earnestly they seek Such proof, conclude, they then begin to fail. To whom soon mov'd with touch of blame thus Eve.

What words have pass'd thy lips, Adam, severe!

Imput'st thou that to my fault, or will

Of wand'ring, as thou call'st it, which who

knows

But might as ill have happen'd thou being by, Or to thyself perhaps? Hadst thou been there,

Or here th' attempt, thou could'st not have discern'd

Fraud in the serpent, speaking as he spake;
No ground of enmity between us known,
Why he should mean me ill, or seek to harm.
Was I to have never parted from thy side?
As good to have grown there still a lifeless
rib.

Being as I am, why didst not thou the head
Command me absolutely not to go,
Going into such danger as thou saidst?
Too facil then thou didst not much gainsay,
Nay didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Hadst thou been firm and fix'd in thy dissent,
Neither had I transgress'd, nor thou with

me.

To whom then first incens'd Adam reply'd.
Is this the love, is this the recompence
Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, express'd
Immutable when thou wert lost, not I,
Who might have liv'd and joy'd immortal
bliss,

Yet willingly chose rather death with thee?
And am I now upbraided as the cause
Of thy transgressing? not enough severe,
It seems, in thy restraint: what could I
more?

I warn'd thee, I admonsh'd thee, foretold
The danger, and the lurking enemy
That lay in wait; beyond this had been force,
And force upon free will hath here no place.
But confidence then bore thee on, secure
Either to meet no danger or to find
Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps

I also err'd in overmuch admiring

What seem'd in thee so perfect, that . thought

No evil durst attempt thee, but I rue
That error now, which is become my crime,
And thou the accuser. Thus it shall be fal
Him who to worth iu women overtrusting
Lets her will rule: restraint she will not
brook,

And left to herself, if evil then ensue,
She first his weak indulgence will accuse.
Thus they in mutual accusation spent
The fruitless hours, but neither self-con-
demning,

And of their vain contest appear'd no end.

END OF THE NINTH BOOK.

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