To whom mild answer Adam thus return'd. "Sole Eve, associate sole, to me, beyond Compare, above all living creatures dear; Well hast thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd How we might best fulfil the work, which here God hath assign'd us, nor of me shalt pass Unpraised for nothing lovelier can be found In woman, than to study household good, And good works in her husband to promote, Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed Labour, as to debar us, when we need, Refreshment, whether food, or talk, between, Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow, To brute denied, 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. The paths & bowers, doubt not, but our joint hands Will keep from wilderness, with ease, as wide As we need walk, till younger hands ere long, Assist us but if much converse, perhaps, Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield: For solitude sometimes is best society, And short retirement urges sweet return. But other doubt possesses me, lest harm Befal thee severed 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 sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand Watches no doubt, with greedy hope, to find His wish, and best advantage, us asunder; Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each To other speedy aid might lend at need: Whether his first design be to withdraw Our fealty from God, or to disturb Conjugal love; than which, perhaps, no bliss Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more; Or this, or worse; leave not the faithful side That gave thee. being, still shades thee, & protects. The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks, Safest, and seemliest, by her husband stays; Who guards her, or with her worse endures.'
To whom the virgin majesty of Eve, As one who loves, & some unkindness meets, With sweet austere composure, thus replied.
Offspring of Heaven and Earth, & all Earth's Lord, That such an enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd, I learn, And from the parting angel overheard, As in a shady 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'st not, being such 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 seduced; [breast, Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy Adam, misthought of her, to thee so dear?"
To whom, with healing words, Adam replied. "Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve, For such thou art, from sin and blame entire : Not diffident of thee, do I dissuade Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid The attempt itself, intended by our foe. [perses For he who tempts, though in vain, at least as- The tempted with dishonour foul, supposed Not incorruptible of faith, not proof Against temptation: thou thyself with scorn And anger, wouldst resent the offer'd wrong, Though ineffectual found; misdeem not then, If such affront I labour to avert
From thee, alone, which on us both at once, The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare; Or daring, first on me the assault shall light. Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn : Subtle he needs must be, who could seduce Angels; nor think superfluous others' aid. I, from the influence of thy looks, receive Access in every virtue; in thy sight More wise, more watchful, stronger if need were Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking Shame to be overcome or overreach'd, Would utmost vigour raise, and raised unite. Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel When I am present, and thy trial choose With me, best witness of thy virtue tried!" So spake domestic Adam, in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought
Less attributed to her faith sincere, Thus her reply, with accent sweet, renew'd. "If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit, straiten'd by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued, Single, with like defence, wherever met, How are we happy, still in fear of harm? But harm precedes not sin; only our foe, Tempting, affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integrity; his foul esteem Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns Foul on himself: then wherefore shunn'd or fear'd By us? who rather double honour gain From his surmise, proved false; find peace within, Favour from Heaven, our witness from the even* And what is faith, love, virtue, unassay'd, Alone, without exterior help sustain❜d? Let us not then suspect our happy state, Left so imperfect by the Maker wise, As not secure, to single, or combined. Frail is our happiness if this be so, And Eden were no Eden thus exposed."
To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd. "O Woman! best are all things as the will Of God ordain'd them; his creating hand Nothing imperfect or deficient left
Of all that he created, much less Man, Or ought that might his happy state secure Secure from outward force; within himself The danger lies, yet lies within his power: Against his will, he can receive no harm But God left free the will; for what obeys Reason, is free, and reason he made right But bid her well beware, and still erect Lest, by some fair appearing good surprised, She dictate false, and misinform the will, To do what God expressly hath forbid. Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins That I should mind thee oft, & mind thou me. Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve; Since reason not impossibly may meet Some specious object, by the foe suborn'd, And fall into deception unaware, Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd. Seek not temptation then, which to avoid Were better, and most likely, if from me Thou sever not trial will come unsought.
Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve First thy obedience; the other who can know ? Not seeing thee attempted, who attest? But if thou think, trial unsought may find Us both securer, than thus warn'd thou seem'st, Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; Go, in thy native innocence; rely On what thou hast of virtue, summon all; For God towards thee hath done his part; do thine." So spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve Persisted, yet submiss, though last, reply'd. "With thy permission then, & thus forwarned, Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touch'd only, that our trial, when least sought, May find us both perhaps far less prepared; The willinger I go; nor much expect A foe so proud, will first the weaker seek; So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse.'
Thus saying, from her husband's hand, her hand Soft she withdrew; and like a Wood-Nymph light, Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train, Betook her to the groves; but Delia's self In gait surpass'd, and goddess-like deport; Though not, as she, with bow & quiver armed, But with such gardening tools, as art, yet rude, Guiltless of fire, had form'd, or angels brought. To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,
Likest she seem'd; Pomona, when she fled Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime, Yet virgin of Proserpina, from Jove. Her long, with ardent look, his eye pursu'd, Delighted, but desired more her stay. Oft he to her his charge of quick return Repeated; she to him as oft engaged To be return'd by noon, amid the bower, And all things in best order, to invite Noontide repast, or afternoon's repose. O much deceived, much failing, hapless Eve, Of thy presumed return! event perverse! Thou never, from that hour, in Paradise Found'st either sweet repast, or sound repose; Such ambush, hid among sweet flowers & shades, Waited, with hellish rancour imminent, To intercept thy way, or send thee back Despoil'd of innocence, of faith, of bliss. For now, & since first break of dawn, the fiend, Mere serpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his quest, where likeliest he might find 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, [find He sought them both; but wish'd his hap might 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 spy'd, so thick the roses, blushing round About her, glow'd, oft stooping to support [gay, Each flower of slender stalk, whose head, though 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, Imbordered on each bank, the hand of Eve : Spot more delicious than those gardens feign'd Or of reviv'd 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, over-awed
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