The latter I demur; for in their looks

Much reason, and in their actions oft appears.
Thee, Serpent, subtlest beast of all the field,
I knew, but not with human voice endued.
Redouble then this miracle, and say,

How cam'st thou speakable of mute; and how
To me so friendly grown above the rest
Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight!
Say! for such wonder claims attention due.
To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd:
Empress of this fair world, resplendent Eve,
Easy to me it is to tell thee all

505

[obey'd

What thou command'st; and right thou should'st be I was at first as other beasts that graze

571

The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low,

As was my food: nor aught but food discern'd,
Or sex, and apprehended nothing high;
Till on a day roving the field, I chanced
A goodly tree far distant to behold,
Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mix'd,
Ruddy and gold. I nearer drew to gaze;

575

When from the boughs a savoury odour blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleased my sense
Than smell of sweetest fennel, or the teats
Of ewe or goat dropping with milk at ev'n,

580

Unsuck'd of lamb or kid, that tend their play.
To satisfy the sharp desire I had

Of tasting those fair apples, I resolved
Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once

585

(Pow'rful persuaders) quicken'd at the scent

Of that alluring fruit, urged me so keen.

About the mossy trunk I wound me soon,

For high from ground the branches would require 59€ Thy utmost reach or Adam's: Round the tree

All other beasts that saw, with like desire

Longing and envying stood, but could not reach.
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung
Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill

595

I spared not; for such pleasure till that hour
At feed or fountain never had I found.
Sated at length, ere long I might perceive
Strange alteration in me, to degree

Of reason in my inward pow'rs, and speech

600

Wanted not long, though to this shape retain❜d.
Thenceforth to speculations high or deep

I turn'd my thoughts, and, with capacious mind,
Consider'd all things visible in Heav'n,

Or Earth, or Middle; all things fair and good: 605
But all that fair and good in thy divine

Semblance, and in thy beauty's heav'nly ray
United I beheld. No fair to thine
Equivalent or second; which compell'd

Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come
And gaze, and worship thee, of right declared
Sov'reign of creatures, universal Dame.

So talk'd the spirited sly Snake; and Eve,
Yet more amazed, unwary, thus reply'd:
Serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt

610

615

The virtue of that fruit, in thee first proved.

But say, where grows the tree? from hence how far?

For many are the trees of God that grow

In Paradise, and various, yet unknown
To us, in such abundance lies our choice,
As leaves a greater store of fruit untouch'd,
Still hanging incorruptible, till men
Grow up to their provision, and more hands
Help to disburden Nature of her birth.

To whom the wily adder, blithe and glad:
Empress, the way is ready, and not long;
Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat,
Fast by a fountain, one small thicket past
Of blowing myrrh and balm. If thou accept
My conduct, I can bring thee thither soon.

Lead then, said Eve. He leading swiftly roll'd
In tangles, and made intricate seem straight,
To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy
Brightens his crest; as when a wand'ring fire,
Compact of unctuous vapour, which the night
Condenses, and the cold environs round,
Kindled through agitation to a flame,
Which oft, they say, some evil Spirit attends,

612. Dame, formerly a term of great respect.

620

625

630

635

613. Warburton says, Milton has shewn more skill in the theology of this part of the poem than in any other. His answer to the objections against the Mosaic history are of his own invention. 634. The description of the serpent in this passage is remark. able for its fidelity and force.

Hov'ring and blazing with delusive light,

Misleads th' amazed night-wand'rer from his way To bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool, 640 There swallow'd up and lost, from succour far.

So glister'd the dire Snake, and into fraud

Led Eve, our credulous mother, to the tree

Of prohibition, root of all our woe!

645

650

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 rest 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.

To whom the Tempter guilefully reply'd:
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:
But of the fruit of this fair tree amidst
The garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat
Thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

660

[bold 666

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, New part puts on, and as to passion moved, Fluctuates disturb'd, yet comely, and in act Raised, as of some great matter to begin. As when of old some orator renown'd In Athens or free Rome, where eloquence Flourish'd, since mute, to some great cause address'd Stood in himself collected, while each part,

643. Fraud, hurt or damage.

670

644. The tree of prohibition, an Hebraism for the prohibited

tree.

653. Another Hebraism; the expression signifies among the Jews, a voice from heaven,' or any mysterious revelation by signs or dreanis.

673. There is a similar Italian expression, in se raccolto. A new reading is proposed by Bentley, thus,

Stood in himself collected whole, while each
Motion, each air:

But the best commentators prefer the presenttext.

Motion, each act won audience, ere the tongue,
Sometimes in highth began, as no delay
Of preface brooking through his zeal of right:
So standing, moving, or to highth up grown,
The Tempter, all impassion'd, thus began:

675

680

685

690

O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving Plant, Mother of science, now I feel thy pow'r Within me clear, not only to discern 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. How should ye? by the fruit? It gives you life To knowledge; by the threat'ner? Look on me, Me who have touch'd and tasted, yet both live, And life more perfect have attain'd than fate Meant me, by venturing higher than my lot. Shall that be shut to Man, which to the Beast Is open? or will God incense his ire For such a petty trespass, and not praise Rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain Of death denounced, whatever thing death be, 695 Deterr'd not from achieving what might lead To happier life, knowledge of good and evil! Of good, how just! of evil, if what is evil Be real, why not known, since easier shunn'd? God therefore cannot hurt ye and be just: Not just, not God; not fear'd then, nor obey'd: Your fear itself of death removes the fear. Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe, Why but to keep ye low and ignorant, His worshippers. He knows that in the day Ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear, Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then Open'd and clear'd, and ye shall be as Gods, Knowing both good and evil as they know. That ye shall be as Gods, since I as Man, Internal Man, is but proportion meet; I of brute human, ye of human Gods. So

ye shall die perhaps, by putting off Human, to put on Gods; death to be wish'd,

705. Gen. iii. 5.

714. To put on Gods; to become divine instead of human.

700

705

710

Tho' threaten'd, which no worse than this can bring.
And what are Gods, that Man may not become 71€
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,
Warm'd by the sun, producing ev'ry kind;
Them nothing. If they all things, who inclosed
Knowledge of good and evil in this tree,

That whoso eats thereof, forthwith attains

720

Wisdom without their leave? and wherein lies 725 Th' offence, that Man should thus attain to know? What can your knowledge hurt him, or this tree Impart against his will, if all be his?

Or is it envy? And can envy dwell

In heav'nly breasts? These, these and many more 730
Causes, import your need of this fair fruit.
Goddess humane, reach then, and freely taste.

He ended, and his words, replete with guile,
Into her heart too easy entrance won.
Fix'd on the fruit she gazed, which to behold
Might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound
Yet rung of his persuasive words, impregn'd
With reason, to her seeming, and with truth:
Meanwhile the hour of noon drew on, and waked
An eager appetite, raised by the smell

So savoury of that fruit, which with desire,
Inclinable now grown to touch or taste,
Solicited her longing eye: yet first,

Pausing a while, thus to herself she mused:

735

749

Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, 745 Though kept from man, and worthy to be admired, Whose taste, too long forborn, at first assay Gave elocution to the mute, and taught

The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise. Thy praise he also, who forbids thy use,

750

738. This is one of the few instances of bad taste really affecting the beauty of the narrative, to be found in the poem. The whole of Satan's speech had tended to inspire spiritual pride and a bold desire of knowledge; all the following reflections of Eve are in correspondence with the address of the tempter. The idea, therefore, here introduced of her sharpened appetite, and of the savoriness of the fruit, is in bad keeping with the general tone of the passage; and I am not a little surprised that any of Milton's commentators could have attempted to find a beauty in its introduction.