From all her words and actions, mix'd with love To whom the Angel, with a smile, that glow'd Be strong, live happy, and love; but first of all, 605 610 615 620 625 630 635 And all the Blessed: stand fast; to stand, or fall, 640 Free, in thine own arbitrement it lies. So saying, he arose whom Adam thus Follow'd with benediction. "Since to part, Go heavenly guest, ethereal messenger, Sent from whose sovereign goodness I adore. Gentle to me, and affable, hath been 645 Thy condescension; and shall be honour'd ever, 650 THE END OF BOOK VI. THE ARGUMENT. Satan, having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist, by night, into Paradise, and enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. Eve, loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding, not till now: the serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden. The serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; she pleased with the taste, deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love to perish with her, and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another. |