400 Her long with ardent look his eye pursu’d 410 To intercept thy way, or send thee back 420 He sought them both, but wish'd his hap might find Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood, 440 About her glow'd, oft stooping to support 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 430 Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while Herself, though fairest unsupported flower, From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh. Nearer he drew, and many a walk travérs'd Of stateliest covert, cedar, pine, or palm, Then voluble and bold, now hid, now seen 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, host of old Laertes' son, Or that, not mystic, where the sapient king Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse. Much he the place admir'd, the person more. As one who long in populous city pent, Where houses thick and sewers annoy the air, Forth issuing on a summer's morn to breathe Among thepleasant villages and farms Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight, The smell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine, 450 Or dairy', each rural sight, each rural sound; If chance with nymph-like step fair virgin pass, What pleasing seem'd, for her now pleases more, She most, and in her look sums all delight: Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold This flow'ry plat, the sweet recess of Eve Thus early, thus alone; her heav'nly form His malice, and with rapine sweet bereav'd Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge; 460 470 Thoughts, whither have ye led me? With what sweet Compulsion 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 480 To me is lost. Then let me not let pass Foe not informidable, exempt from wound, 490 500 So spake the enemy' of mankind, inclos'd In serpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve Address'd his way, not with indented wave, Prone on the ground, as since, but on his rear, Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd Fold above fold a surging maze, his head Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes; With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass Floated redundant: pleasing was his shape, And lovely; never since of serpent kind Lovelier, not those that in Illyria chang'd' Hermione and Cadmus, or the God In Epidaurus; nor to which transform'd Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline was seen, He with Olympias, this with her who bore Scipio the height of Rome. With tract oblique At first, as one who sought access, but fear'd 511 To interrupt, side-long he works his way. As when a ship by skilful steersman wrought Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail : So varied he, and of his tortuous train His fraudulent temptation thus began. 530 Wonder not, sov'reign Mistress, if perhaps Thou canst, who art sole wonder; much less arm Thy looks, the Heav'n of mildness, with disdain, Displeas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze Insatiate, I thus single, nor have fear'd Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd. Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine By gift, and thy celestial beauty' adore With ravishment beheld, there best beheld Where universally admir'd; but here In this inclosure wild, these beasts among, Beholders rude, and shallow to discern Half what in thee is fair, one man except, 540 |