Down dropt, and all the faded roses shed:
Speechlefs he ftood and pale, till thus at length
Firft to himself he inward filence broke.
O fairest of creation, last and best
Of all God's works, Creature in whom excell'd
Whatever can to fight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or fweet!
How art thou loft, how on a fudden loft,
Defac'd, deflower'd, and now to death devote?
Rather how haft thou yielded to tranfgrefs
The ftrict forbiddance, how to violate
The facred fruit forbidd'n? fome curfed fraud
Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,
And me with thee hath ruin'd, for with thee
Certain my refolution is to die :
How can I live without thee, how forgo
Thy sweet converse and love so dearly join'd,
To live again in these wild woods forlorn?
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:
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 disturb'd
Submitting to what feem'd remedilefs,
Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd.
Bold deed thou haft prefum'd, adventrous Eve,
And peril great provok'd, who thus haft dar'd,
VOL. II.
Had it been only coveting to eye
That facred fruit, facred to abftinence,
Much more to tafte it under ban to touch.
But paft who can recall, or done undo?
Not God omnipotent, nor Fate; yet so
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 unhallow'd ere our tafte;
Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives,
Lives, as thou faidft, and gains to live as Man
Higher degree of life, inducement strong
To us, as likely tasting to attain
Proportional afcent, 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, dignified fo high,
Set over all his works, which in our fall,
For us created, needs with us muft fail,
Dependent made; fo God fhall uncreate,
Be fruftrate, do, undo, and labor lose,
Not well conceiv'd of God, who though his power 945 Creation could repeat, yet would be loath
Us to abolish, left the Adversary
Triumph and fay; Fickle their state whom God
Most favors; who can please him long? Me first
He ruin'd, now mankind; whom will he next?
Matter of fcorn not to be given the Foe.
However I with thee have fix'd my lot,
Certain to undergo like doom; if death
Confort with thee, death is to me as life;
So forcible within my heart I feel
The bond of nature draw me to my own,
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;
Our state cannot be fever'd, we are one,
One flesh; to lose thee were to lose myself.
So Adam, and thus Eve to him reply'd.
O glorious trial of exceeding love,
Illuftrious evidence, example high!
Engaging me to emulate, but short
Of thy perfection, how fhall I attain,
Adam? from whose dear fide I boast me sprung, 965 And gladly of our union hear thee speak,
One heart, one foul in both; whereof good proof
This day affords, declaring thee refolv'd,
Rather than death or ought than death more dread
Shall feparate us, link'd in love fo dear,
To undergo with me one guilt, one crime,
If any be, of tafting this fair fruit,
Whose virtue (for of good still good proceeds,
Direct, or by occasion) hath presented
This happy trial of thy love, which elfe
So eminently never had been known.
Were it I thought death menac'd would enfue
This my attempt, I would fuftain alone
The worst, and not perfuade thee, rather die
Deferted, than oblige thee with a fact
Pernicious to thy peace, chiefly affur'd
Remarkably so late of thy so true,
So faithful love unequal'd; but I feel
Far otherwife th' event, not death, but life
Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys, 985
Tafte fo divine, that what of fweet before
Hath touch'd my fenfe, flat feems to this, and harsh.
On my experience, Adam, freely tafte,
And fear of death deliver to the winds.
So faying, the embrac'd him, and for joy
Tenderly wept, much won that he his love
Had fo ennobled, as of choice to' incur
Divine displeasure for her fake, or death.
In recompenfe (for fuch compliance bad
Such recompenfe beft merits) from the bough
She gave him of that fair enticing fruit
With liberal hand: he fcrupled not to eat
Against his better knowledge, not deceiv'd,
But fondly overcome with female charm.
Earth trembled from her entrails, as again
In pangs, and Nature
gave a fecond groan,
Sky lour'd, and muttering thunder, fome fad drops
Wept at completing of the mortal fin
They fwim in mirth, and fancy that they feel
Divinity within them breeding wings,
Wherewith to fcorn the earth: but that falfe fruit
Far other operation first display'd,
Carnal defire inflaming; he on Eve
Began to caft lascivious eyes, she him
As wantonly repaid; in luft they burn:
Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move.
Eve, now I fee thou art exact of taste,
And elegant, of fapience no small part,
Since to each meaning favor we apply,
And palate call judicious; I the praise
Yield thee, fo well this day thou hast purvey'd.
Much pleasure we have loft, while we abftain'd
From this delightful fruit, nor known till now
True relish, tafting; if fuch pleasure be
In things to us forbidd'n, it might be wish'd,
For this one tree had been forbidden ten.
But come, fo well 'refresh'd, now let us play,
As meet is, after fuch delicious fare;
For never did thy beauty fince the day
I saw thee first and wedded thee, adorn'd
With all perfections, so inflame my fenfe
With ardor to enjoy thee, fairer now
Than ever, bounty of this virtuous tree.
So faid he, and forbore not glance or toy
Of amorous intent, well understood
Of Eve, whofe eye darted contagious fire.
Her hand he feiz'd, and to a fhady bank,
Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd,
He led her nothing loath; flow'rs were the couch,
Panfies and violets, and afphodel,
And hyacinth, earth's freshest foftest lap.
There they their fill of love and love's difport
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