Consort with thee, death is to me as life: Of thy perfection, how shall I attain, 955 060 Adam? from whose dear side I boast me sprung, 965 And gladly of our union hear thee speak, One heart, one soul in both; whereof good proof This day affords, declaring thee resolved, Rather than death or aught than death more dread Shall separate us, link'd in love so dear, 970 To undergo with me one guilt, one crime, If any be, of tasting this fair fruit, Whose virtue (for of good still good proceeds, The worst, and not persuade thee: rather die 980 Deserted, than oblige thee with a fact So faithful love, unequal'd; but I feel Far otherwise th' event; not death, but life Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys, 985 Taste so divine, that what of sweet before Hath touch'd my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh. On my experience, Adam, freely taste; And fear of death deliver to the winds. So saying, she embraced him, and for joy 990 990. There is great beauty and the truest passion in this picture of Eve. It well prepares the mind for the fall of Adam, who is represented as sinning more through the intoxication of love and fondness than any ignorance of his danger. What a magnificent scene has the poet for the first act of the fearful tragedy! The great theatre of the universe filled with darkness and horror, and the earth and elements suffering with a mysterious conscious ness of ruin. Tenderly wept; much won that he his love 995 1000 pangs; and Nature gave a second groan; Sky lour'd, and, muttering thunder, some sad drops Wept at completing of the mortal sin Original; while Adam took no thought, Eating his fill; nor Eve to iterate 1005 Her former trespass fear'd, the more to sooth Him with her loved society, that now, As with new wine intoxicated both, They swim in mirth, and fancy that they feel Divinity within them breeding wings 1010 Wherewith to scorn the earth: but that false fruit Far other operation first display'd; Carnal desire inflaming: he on Eve Began to cast lascivious eyes; she him As wantonly repaid. In lust they burn: 1015 Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move: Eve, now I see thou art exact of taste, 1020 1025 1000. A commentator has expressed his wonder that Adam shewed no astonishment at these convulsions.-Had he been ignorant of his guilt he would have done so, but he was aware of the crime he was committing, and the same fascination which made him break the known command of his Creator, prevented his re garding these signs of his wrath. It may also be conjectured that, awful as they were, the confusion of thought and passion with which he was agitated might hinder his giving them their proper and terrible interpretation. છુ But come, so well refresh'd, now let us play, 1030 So said he; and forbore not glance or toy Of amorous intent: well understood 1035 Of Eve, whose eye darted contagious fire. Her hand he seized, and to a shady bank, Thick overhead with verdant roof imbower'd, He led her, nothing loth. Flow'rs were the couch, Pansies, and violets, and asphodel, And hyacinth, earth's freshest softest lap. There they their fill of love and love's disport 1040 Oppress'd them, wearied with their amorous play. 1046 About their spirits had play'd, and inmost pow'rs Had shadow'd them from knowing ill, was gone; Just confidence, and native righteousness, 1056 And honour from about them, naked left To guilty shame; he cover'd, but his robe Shorn of his strength. They destitute and bare 1060 1029. The passage following is principally copied from Homer. and would be exceptionable did it not form part of the moral of the poem: what a contrast, it has been weil observed, is the love scene here described to that in the eighth book. 1058. He, refers to shame, which is personified. 1065 Till Adam, though not less than Eve abash'd, O Eve in evil hour thou didst give ear To that false worm, of whomsoever taught False in our promised rising! Since our eyes 1070 1075 Our wonted ornaments now soil'd and stain'd, 1080 1085 Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store; So counsel'd he; and both together went 1090 1096 Into the thickest wood; there soon they chose 1100 In Malabar or Deccan, spreads her arms Branching so broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow 1105 About the mother-tree, a pillar'd shade 1103. Malabar, a part of the East Indies, in which is the king dom of Deccan." 1111 High over-arch'd, and echoing walks between: 1115 Thus fenced, and as they thought, their shame in part Cover'd, but not at rest or ease of mind, 1120 They sat them down to weep; nor only tears Rain'd at their eyes, but high winds worse within Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, Mistrust, suspicion, discord, and shook sore Their inward state of mind: calm region once 1125 1130 [stay'd Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and With me, as I besought thee, when that strange 1135 I know not whence, possess'd thee; we had then 1145 To whom, soon moved with touch of blame, thus What words have pass'd thy lips, Adam, severe ! Imput'st thou that to my default, or will Of wand'ring, as thou call'st it, which who knows But might as ill have happen'd thou being by, Or to thyself perhaps? Hadst thou been there, 1112. Together sew'd; this, which is taken from our translation of the passage in Genesis, means in the original, wove or plaited. |