Build in her loveliest, and create an awe About her, as a guard angelic placed." To whom the Angel, with contracted brow :— 560 Do thou but thine! and be not diffident "Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part; Of Wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou Less excellent, as thou thyself perceiv'st. 570 For, what admir'st thou, what transports thee so? And to realities yield all her shows— Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honour thou may'st love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. Is propagated, seem such dear delight In loving thou dost well; in passion not, 580 The thoughts, and heart enlarges-hath his seat 590 By which to Heavenly Love thou may'st ascend, Among the beasts no mate for thee was found." To whom thus, half abashed, Adam replied :- More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear. Approve the best, and follow what I approve. To whom the Angel, with a smile that glowed Celestial rosy-red, Love's proper hue, Answered :-"Let it suffice thee that thou know'st 62c Us happy, and without Love no happiness. Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st But I can now no more: the parting Sun Hesperean sets, my signal to depart. Be strong, live happy, and love! but first of all 630 His great command; take heed lest passion sway Stand fast; to stand or fal! 640 Free in thine own arbitrement it lies. So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus Thy condescension, and shall be honoured ever 650 THE END OF THE EIGHTH BOOK. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT. Satan, having compassed the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by night into Paradise; enters into the Serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alleging the danger lest that enemy of whom they were forewarned should attempt her found alone. Eve, loth to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at lasts yields. The Serpent finds her alone: his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the Serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding not till now; the Serpent answers that by tasting of a certain tree in the Garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden; the Serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat. She, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit; relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her, and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another. [O more of talk where God or Angel Guest N° With Man, as with his friend, familiar used To sit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repast, permitting him the while Venial discourse unblamed. I now must change Those notes to tragic-foul distrust, and breach And disobedience; on the part of Heaven, Now alienated, distance and distaste, Of my celestial Patroness, who deigns And dictates to me slumbering, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse, Since first this subject for heroic song Pleased me, long choosing and beginning late, Wars, hitherto the only argument 10 20 Heroic deemed, chief mastery to dissect With long and tedious havoc fabled knights The skill of artifice or office mean; Not that which justly gives heroic name That name, unless an age too late, or cold 30 4C |