Of his adorers: he to be aveng'd,
And to repair his numbers thus impair'd, Whether fuch virtue spent of old now fail'd More Angels to create, if they at least Are his created, or to fpite us more, Determin'd to advance into our room
A creature form'd of earth, and him endow, Exalted from so base original,
With heav'nly spoils, our spoils: What he decreed
He' effected; Man he made, and for him built Magnificent this world, and earth his seat, Him lord pronounc'd, and, O indignity! Subjected to his fervice Angel wings,. And flaming minifters to watch and tend Their earthly charge: Of these the vigilance I dread, and to elude, thus wrapt in mist Of midnight vapor glide obfcure, and pry In every bush and brake, where hap may find The ferpent sleeping, in whofe mazy folds To hide me, and the dark intent I bring.
O foul descent! that I who erft contended
With Gods to fit the high'eft, am now constrain'd
Into a beast, and mix'd with bestial slime,
To baseft things. Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long back on itself recoils;
Let it; I reck not, so it light well aim'd, Since higher I fall fhort, on him who next Provokes my envy, this new favorite Of Heav'n, this man of clay, fon of despite, Whom us the more to spite his Maker rais'd From duft: fpite then with spite is best repaid.
So faying, through each thicket dank or dry, Like a black mist low creeping, he held on His midnight search, where soonest he might find The serpent: him fast fleeping foon he found In labyrinth of many a round self-roll'd,
His head the midft, well ftor'd with fubtle wiles : Not yet in horrid shade or dismal den,
Nor nocent yet, but on the graffy herb Fearless unfear'd he slept in at his mouth The Devil enter'd, and his brutal fenfe, In heart or head, poffeffing foon infpir'd With act intelligential; but his fleep
Disturb'd not, waiting close th' approach of morn. Now when as facred light began to dawn
In Eden on the humid flow'rs, that breath'd
Their morning incenfe, when all things that breathe,' From th' earth's great altar fend up filent praise To the Creator, and his noftrils fill
With grateful smell, forth came the human pair, And join'd their vocal worship to the quire Of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake The seafon, prime for sweetest scents and airs : Then commune how that day they best may ply Their growing work: for much their work outgrew
The hands difpatch of two gard'ning fo wide. And Eve first to her husband thus began.
Adam, well may we labor ftill to dress
This garden, ftill to tend plant, herb, and flower, Our pleasant task injoin'd, but till more hands Aid us, the work under our labor grows, Luxurious by restraint; what we by day Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, One night or two with wanton growth derides Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise, Or bear what to my mind first thoughts prefent; Let us divide our labors, thou where choice Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind 215 The woodbine round this arbor, or direct The clasping ivy where to climb, while I In yonder fpring of rofes intermix'd With myrtle, find what to redress till noon : For while fo near each other thus all day Our talk we choose, what wonder if fo near Looks intervene and fmiles, or object new Cafual difcourfe draw on, which intermits
Our day's work brought to little, though begun Early, and th' hour of fupper comes unearn'd. To whom mild anfwer Adam thus return'd. Sole Eve, affociate fole, to me beyond
Compare above all living creatures dear,
Well haft thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd
How we might beft fulfil the work which here God hath allign'd us, nor of me fhalt pass Unprais'd; for nothing lovelier can be found
than to ftudy houshold good, And good works in her husband to promote. Yet not so strictly hath our Lord impos'd Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between, Food of the mind, or this fweet intercourfe
Of looks and fmiles, for fmiles from reafon flow, To brute deny'd, and are of love the food,
Love not the lowest end of human life.
For not to irksome toil, but to delight
He made us, and delight to reason join'd.
These paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Affift us: but if much converse perhaps
Thee fatiate, to short absence I could yield: For folitude fometimes is best fociety,
And short retirement urges fweet return.
But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm
Befall thee fever'd from me; for thou know'st What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe Envying our happiness, and of his own Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame By fly affault; and somewhere nigh at hand Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find His with and best advantage, us afunder, Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each To other speedy aid might lend at need ; Whether his first design be to withdraw Our feälty from God, or to disturb
Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;
Or this, or worfe, leave not the faithful fide
That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee and protects. The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks, Safeft and feemliest by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst indures. To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,
As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets, With fweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.
Offspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earth's Lord, That fuch an enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn, And from the parting Angel over-heard, As in a fhady nook I stood behind,
Just then return'd at shut of evening flowers.
But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'ft not, being fuch As we, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receive, or can repel.
His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love
Can by his fraud be shaken or feduc'd;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, mis-thought of her to thee fo dear?
To whom with healing words Adam reply'd.
Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve, For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire:
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