But bid her well be ware, and still erect,
Left by fome fair appearing good furpris'd
She dictate false, and misinform the will
To do what God exprefly hath forbid.
Not then mistruft, but tender love injoins,
That I fhould mind thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to fwerve,
Since reason not impoffibly may meet
Some fpecious object by the foe fuborn'd,
And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping ftrictest 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 seeing thee attempted, who attest ?
But if thou think trial unsought may find
Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou feem'ft,
Go;
Go in thy native innocence, rely
for thy ftay, not free, abfents thee more;
On what thou hast 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 laft, reply'd.
With thy permiffion then, and thus forewarn'd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touch'd only, that our trial, when least fought, 380 May find us both perhaps far lefs prepar'd,
The willinger I go, nor much expect
A foe fo proud will first the weaker feek;
So bent, the more shall shame him his repulfe.
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 self
In gait surpass'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,
Likest she seem'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 purfued
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 repofe.
O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve,
Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse!
Thou never from that hour in Paradise
Found'ft either fweet repaft, or found repofe;
Such ambush hid among sweet flow'rs and fhades
Waited with hellifh rancor imminent
To intercept thy way, or send thee back
Defpoil'd of innocence, of faith, of bliss.
For now, and fince first break of dawn the Fiend,
Mere ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his quest, where likeliest 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
Of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay,
Their tendence or plantation for delight:
By fountain or by fhady rivulet
He fought them both, but wish'd his hap might find
Eve separate, he wish'd, but not with hope
Of what so seldom chanc'd, when to his wish,
Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,
Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood,
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 speck'd with gold,
Hung drooping unfuftain'd; them the upstays
Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while
Herself, though fairest unfupported flower,
From her beft prop fo 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 feen
Among thick-woven arborets and flowers
Imborder'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, host of old Laertes' fon,
Or that, not myftic, where the fapient king
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 smell 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 pleases more,
She most, and in her look fums all delight:
Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold
From his own ev'il, 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 mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what fweet Compulfion thus tranfported to forget
What hither brought us! hate, not love, nor hope
Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,
Save what is in destroying; 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 shun,
And ftrength, 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 stronger hate,
Hate ftronger, under fhow of love well feign'd,
The way which to her ruin now I tend.
So fpake the enemy' of mankind, inclos'd
In ferpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve
Addrefs'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
Crested 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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