Without Copartner? fo to add what wants
In Femal Sex, the more to draw his Love,
And render me more equal, and perhaps,
A thing not undefireable, fomtime
Superior for inferior who is free ?
This may be well: but what if God have seen,
And Death enfue? then I fhall be no more,
And Adam wedded to another Eve,
Shall live with her enjoying, I extinct;
A death to think. Confirm'd then I refolve, 830
Adam fhall share with me in blifs or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could endure, without him live no life.
So faying, from the Tree her step she turnd, But first low Reverence don, as to the power That dwelt within, whose presence had infus'd Into the plant fciential sap, deriv'd
From Nectar, drink of Gods. Adam the while
Waiting defirous her return, had wove
Of choiceft Flours a Garland to adorne
Her Treffes, and her rural labours crown
As Reapers oft are wont thir Harvest Queen.
Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new
Solace in her return, fo long delay'd;
Yet oft his heart, divine of fomthing ill,
Mifgave him; hee the faultring measure felt;
And forth to meet her went, the way she took
That Morn when first they parted; by the Tree
Of Knowledge he must pass, there he her met,
Scarfe from the Tree returning; in her hand 850
A bough of faireft fruit that downie fmil'd,
New gatherd, and ambrofial smell diffus'd.
To him she hasted, in her face excuse
Came Prologue, and Apologie to prompt,
Which with bland words at will fhe thus addreft. Haft thou not wonderd, Adam, at my stay? Thee I have misst, and thought it long, depriv'd Thy prefence, agonie of love till now
Not felt, nor fhall be twice, for never more
Mean I to trie, what rash untri'd I fought,
The paine of absence from thy fight. But strange
Hath bin the cause, and wonderful to heare:
This Tree is not as we are told, a Tree
Of danger tafted, nor to evil unknown
Op'ning the way, but of Divine effect
To open Eyes, and make them Gods who taste;
And hath bin tafted fuch: the Serpent wife,
Or not restraind as wee, or not obeying,
Hath eat❜n of the fruit, and is become,
Not dead, as we are threatn'd, but thenceforth 870
Endu'd with human voice and human fenfe,
Reasoning to admiration, and with mee
Perfwafively hath so prevaild, that I
Have also tafted, and have also found
Th' effects to correfpond, opener mine Eyes,
Dimm erft, dilated Spirits, ampler Heart,
And growing up to Godhead; which for thee
Chiefly I fought, without thee can despise.
For blifs, as thou haft part, to me is blifs,
Tedious, unfhar'd with thee, and odious foon. 880
Thou therfore alfo tafte, that equal Lot
May joyne us, equal Joy, as equal Love ;
Least thou not tafting, different degree
Disjoyne us, and I then too late renounce
Deitie for thee, when Fate will not permit.
Thus Eve with Countnance blithe her storie told; But in her Cheek diftemper flushing glowd. On th' other fide, Adam, foon as he heard The fatal Trefpafs don by Eve, amaz'd, Aftonied ftood and Blank, while horror chill 890 Ran through his veins, and all his joynts relax'd; From his flack hand the Garland wreath'd for Eve Down drop'd, and all the faded Roses shed: Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length First to himself he inward filence broke.
O fairest of Creation, last and best
Of all Gods Works, Creature in whom excell'd
Whatever can to fight or thought be formd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou loft, how on a fudden loft,
Defac't, deflourd, and now to Death devote?
Rather how haft thou yeelded to transgress
The ftrict forbiddance, how to violate
The facred Fruit forbidd'n! fom curfed fraud
Of Enemie hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,
And mee with thee hath ruind, for with thee
Certain my refolution is to Die;
How can I live without thee, how forgoe
Thy sweet Converse and Love so dearly joyn'd,
To live again in these wilde Woods forlorn? 910
Should God create another Eve, and I
Another Rib afford, yet loss of thee
Would never from my heart; no no, I feel
The Link of Nature draw me: Flesh of Flesh,
Bone of my Bone thou art, and from thy State
Mine never shall be parted, blifs or woe.
So having faid, as one from fad dismay Recomforted, and after thoughts disturbd Submitting to what seemd remediless,
Thus in calme mood his Words to Eve he turnd.
Bold deed thou haft prefum'd, adventrous Eve,
And peril great provok't, who thus hast dar’d
Had it bin onely coveting to Eye
That facred Fruit, facred to abstinence,
Much more to taste it under banne to touch.
But past who can recall, or don undoe?
Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate, yet fo
Perhaps thou shalt not Die, perhaps the Fact
Is not fo hainous now, foretafted Fruit,
Profan'd first by the Serpent, by him first
Made common and unhallowd ere our taste;
Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives,
Lives, as thou faidft, and gaines to live as Man
Higher degree of Life, inducement strong
To us, as likely tafting to attaine
Proportional ascent, which cannot be
But to be Gods, or Angels Demi-gods.
Nor can I think that God, Creator wife,
Though threatning, will in earnest so destroy
Us his prime Creatures, dignifi'd fo high,
Set over all his Works, which in our Fall,
For us created, needs with us must faile,
Dependent made; fo God fhall uncreate,
Be frustrate, do, undo, and labour loose,
Not well conceav'd of God, who though his Power
Creation could repeate, yet would be loath
Us to abolish, least the Adversary
Triumph and fay; Fickle their State whom God
Moft Favors, who can please him long? Mee first
He ruind, now Mankind; whom will he next?
Matter of fcorne, not to be given the Foe.
However I with thee have fixt my Lot,
Certain to undergoe like doom, if Death
Confort with thee, Death is to mee as Life;
So forcible within my heart I feel
The Bond of Nature draw me to my owne,
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;
Our State cannot be feverd, we are one,
One Flesh; to loose thee were to loose
So Adam, and thus Eve to him repli'd.
O glorious trial of exceeding Love,
Illuftrious evidence, example high!
Ingaging me to emulate, but short
Of thy perfection, how fhall I attaine,
Adam, from whose deare fide I boast me sprung,
And gladly of our Union heare thee speak,
One Heart, one Soul in both; whereof good prooff
This day affords, declaring thee resolvd,
Rather then Death or aught then Death more dread
Shall separate us, linkt in Love fo deare,
To undergoe with mee one Guilt, one Crime,
If any be, of tafting this fair Fruit,
Whose vertue, for of good still good proceeds,
Direct, or by occafion hath presented
This happie trial of thy Love, which else
So eminently never had bin known.
Were it I thought Death menac't would enfue
This my attempt, I would fustain alone
The worst, and not perfwade thee, rather die
Deserted, then oblige thee with a fact
|