Still hanging incorruptible, till men To whom the wily Adder, blithe and glad : Fast by a fountain, one small thicket pass'd 625 Lead then, said Eve. He, leading, swiftly ro.l'd 630 In tangles, and made intricate seem straight, To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy Brightens his crest; as when a wandering fire, Compact of unctuous vapour, which the night Condenses, and the cold environs round; Kindled through agitation to a flame, 635 Which oft, they say, some evil Spirit attends, So glister'd the dire Snake, and into fraud Led Eve, our credulous mother, to the tree 644 Which when she saw, thus to her guide she spake : Serpent, we might have spared our coming hither, Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess, The credit of whose virtue xest with thee; Wondrous indeed, if cause of such effects. But of this tree we may not taste nor touch; God so commanded, and left that command Sole daughter of his voice; the rest, we live Law to ourselves; our reason is our law. 650 To whom the Tempter guilefully replied: Indeed! hath God then said that of the fruit Of all these garden-trees ye shall not eat, Yet Lords declared of all in earth or air? 655 To whom thus Eve, yet sinless Of the fruit Of each tree in the garden we may eat; 660 The garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat Thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [bold She scarce had said, though brief, when now more The Tempter, but with show of zeal and love To Man, and indignation at his wrong, 665 New part puts on; and, as to passion moved, 670 Flourish'd, since mute! to some great cause address'd, 675 Of preface brooking, through his zeal of right : O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving Plant, 680 Things in their causes, but to trace the ways Of highest agents, deem'd however wise. Queen of this universe! do not believe Those rigid threats of death: ye shall not die : 690 How should you? by the fruit? it gives you life 685 695 Of good how just? of evil, if what is evil Be real, why not known, since easier shunn'd? Not just; not God; not fear'd then, nor obey'd: 700 Why then was this forbid? Why, but to awe? 705 710 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 715 As they, participating Godlike food? The Gods are first, and that advantage use On our belief, that all from them proceeds. I question it; for this fair earth I see, 720 Wisdom without their leave? and wherein lies Or is it envy? and can envy dwell 730 In heavenly breasts?-These, these, and many more He ended; and his words, replete with guile, Into her heart too easy entrance won; Might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound 735 Meanwhile the hour of noon drew on, and waked So savoury of that fruit, which with desire, 740 Inclinable now grown to touch or taste, Solicited her longing eye; yet first Pausing awhile, thus to herself she mused. Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, Though kept from man, and worthy to be admired; Whose taste, too long forborne, at first essay Gave elocution to the mute, and taught 746 750 The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise 755 760 Of this fair fruit, our doom is, we shall die! How dies the Serpent? he hath eaten, lives, And knows, and speaks, and reasons, and discerns, 765 Was death invented? or to us denied This intellectual food, for beasts reserved ? For beasts it seems: yet that one beast which first Hath tasted envies not, but brings with joy The good befallen him, author unsuspect, 770 Under this ignorance of good and evil, Of virtue to make wise: What hinders then To reach, and feed at once both body and mind? 775 Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she eat! 780 785 Or fancied so, through expectation high Of knowledge; nor was Godhead from her thought. Greedily she ingorged without restraint, 790 And knew not eating death; Satiate at length, And heighten'd as with wine, jocund and boon, O sov'reign, virtuous, precious of all trees In Paradise! of operation bless'd 795 To sapience, hitherto obscured, infamed, And thy fair fruit let hang, as to no end Created; but henceforth my early care, Not without song, each morning, and due praise, 800 Of thy full branches offer'd free to ali; Till, dieted by thee, I grow mature In knowledge, as the Gods, who all things know: 805 810 |