But bid her well be ware, and ftill erect,
Left by fome fair appearing good furpris'd
She dictate falfe, and mifinform the will

355

To do what God exprefly hath forbid.

Not then miftruft, but tender love injoins,

That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.

Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to fwerve,

Since reason not impoffibly may meet

360

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

365

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 unfought may find

370

Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou feem'ft,

Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, rely

On what thou haft of virtue, fummon all,

For God tow'ards 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 laft 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 fhe 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 fhe 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,
Likeft fhe feem'd, Pomona when the fled
Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his eye pursued
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated, fhe to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bower,
And all things in beft order to invite

390

395

400

Noontide repast, or afternoon's repose.

O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve,

Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse!

405

Thou never from that hour in Paradife

Found'ft either fweet repaft, or found repofe;

Such ambush hid among sweet flow'rs and shades
Waited with hellish rancor imminent

To intercept thy way, or fend thee back

410

Defpoil'd of innocence, of faith, of blifs.

For now, and since first break of dawn the Fiend,

Mere

Mere ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his queft, 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

tuft

415

420

425

He fought them both, but wish'd his hap might find
Eve feparate, he wish'd, but not with, hope
Of what fo feldom chanc'd, when to his wifh,
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 slender stalk, whose head though gay
Carnation, purple', azure, or speck'd with gold,
Hung drooping unsustain'd; them she upstays
Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while
Herfelf, though faireft unfupported flower,

From her beft prop fo far, and storm fo nigh.
Nearer he drew, and many a walk travérs’d
Of stateliest 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 those gardens feign'd
Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd

Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes' fon,

Or that, not myftic, where the fapient king
VOL. II.

C

430

435

440

Held

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 houfes 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 finell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine,
Or dairy', each rural fight, each rural found;
If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass,
What pleasing feem'd, for her now pleases more,
She most, and in her look fums all delight:
Such pleafure took the Serpent to behold

445

450

455

This flow'ry plat, the fweet recefs of Eve

Thus early, 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

460

His malice, and with rapin sweet bereav'd

His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought :

That space the Evil-one abstracted stood

From his own ev'il, and for the time remain'd

Stupidly good, of enmity difarm'd,

465

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.

470

Thoughts,

Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet Compulfion thus transported 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,

480

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,

485

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

490

And beauty, not approach'd by stronger hate, Hate stronger, under show of love well feign'd, way which to her ruin now I tend.

The

So fpake the enemy' of mankind, inclos'd

In ferpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve

495

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
C 2

500

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