The only two of mankind, but in them The whole included race, his purposed prey. In bower and field he sought where any tuft Of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay, Their tendance, or plantation for delight; By fountain or by shady rivulet
He sought them both, but wish'd his hap might find Eve separate; he wish'd, but not with hope Of what so seldom chanced; when to his wish, Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,
Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood, Half spied, so thick the roses blushing round About her glow'd, oft stooping to support
Each flower of tender stalk, whose head, though gay Carnation, purple, azure, or speck'd with gold, Hung drooping, unsustain'd; them she upstays Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while Herself, though fairest unsupported flower, From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh. Nearer he drew, and many a walk traversed Of stateliest covert, cedar, pine, or palm ; Then voluble and bold; now hid, now seen, Among thick-woven arborets, and flowers Imborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve: Spot more delicious than those gardens feign'd Or of revived Adonis, or renown'd
Alcinous, host of old Laertes' son;
Or that, not mystic, where the sapient king Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse. Much he the place admired, the person more: As one who, long in populous city pent, Where houses thick and sewers annoy the air, Forth issuing on a summer's morn, to breathe Among the pleasant villages and farms
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight; The smell of grain, or tedded grass, or kine, Or dairy, each rural sight, each rural sound ; If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass, What pleasing seem'd, for her now pleases more; She most, and in her look sums all delight: Such pleasure took the serpent to behold This flowery plat, the sweet recess of Eve Thus early, thus alone: her heavenly form Angelic, but more soft, and feminine, Her graceful innocence, her every air Of gesture, or least action, overawed His malice, and with rapine sweet bereaved His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought : That space the evil one abstracted stood From his own evil, and for the time remain'd Stupidly good; of enmity disarm'd, Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge. But the hot hell that always in him burns, Though in mid heaven, soon ended his delight, And tortures him now more, the more he sees Of pleasure, not for him ordain'd: then soon Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites :
Thoughts, whither have ye led me? With what sweet Compulsion, thus transported, to forget
What hither brought us ? hate, not love; nor hope Of Paradise for hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure; but all pleasure to destroy, Save what is in destroying; other joy To me is lost. Then, let me not let pass Occasion which now smiles; behold alone The woman, opportune to all attempts, Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh,
Whose higher intellectual more I shun,
And strength, of courage haughty, and of limb Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould; Foe not informidable, exempt from wound, I not; so much hath hell debased, and pain Enfeebled me, to what I was in heaven. She fair, divinely fair, fit love for gods! Not terrible, though terror be in love And beauty, not approach'd by stronger hate, Hate stronger, under show of love well feign'd, The way which to her ruin now I tend."
So spake the enemy of mankind enclosed In serpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve Address'd his way: not with indented wave, Prone on the ground, as since; but on his rear, Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd Fold above fold, a surging maze; his head Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes; With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass Floated redundant: pleasing was his shape, And lovely; never since of serpent-kind Lovelier; not those that in Illyria changed Hermione and Cadmus, or the god In Epidaurus; nor to which transform'd Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline was seen; He, with Olympias; this, with her who bore Scipio, the height of Rome. With tract oblique At first, as one who sought access, but fear'd To interrupt, sidelong he works his way. As when a ship, by skilful steersman wrought, Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail : So varied he, and of his tortuous train
Curl'd many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve, To lure her eye; she, busied, heard the sound Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as used To such disport before her through the field, From every beast; more duteous at her call, Than at Circean call the herd disguised. He, bolder now, uncall'd before her stood, But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd His turret crest, and sleek enamell'd neck,
Fawning; and lick'd the ground whereon she trod. His gentle dumb expression turn'd at length The eye of Eve to mark his play; he, glad Of her attention gain'd, with serpent tongue Organic, or impulse of vocal air,
His fraudulent temptation thus began:
"Wonder not, sovereign mistress, if, perhaps, Thou canst, who art sole wonder; much less arm Thy looks, the heaven of mildness, with disdain, Displeased that I approach thee thus, and gaze Insatiate, I thus single; nor have fear'd Thy awful brow, more awful thus retired. Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair, Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine By gift, and thy celestial beauty adore, With ravishment beheld! there best beheld, Where universally admired; but here, In this enclosure wild, these beasts among, Beholders rude, and shallow to discern Half what in thee is fair, one man except,
Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen A goddess among gods, adored and served
By angels numberless, thy daily train."
So glozed the tempter, and his proem tuned: Into the heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marvelling at length, Not unamazed, she thus in answer spake :
"What may this mean? language of man, pronounced By tongue of brute, and human sense express'd? The first, at least, of these, I thought denied To beasts; whom God, on their creation-day, Created mute to all articulate sound:
The latter I demur; for in their looks
Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears.
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