780 "Here grows the cure of all, this fruit divine, "Of virtue to make wise! What hinders then Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd-she ate! 795 And knew not eating death! Satiate at length, "O sovran, virtuous, precious of all trees "To sapience! hitherto obscur'd, infam'd; 66 Created; but henceforth my early care, 800 "Not without song, each morning, and due praise, "Shall tend thee, and the fertile burden ease "Till, dieted by thee, I grow mature "In knowledge, as the gods, who all things know; 805 "Though others envy what they cannot give : "For, had the gift been theirs, it had not here "Thus grown. Experience, next, to thee I owe, "Best guide! not following thee, I had remain'd "In ignorance; thou open'st wisdom's way, "And giv'st access, though secret she retire. "And I perhaps am secret: heaven is high, 810 66 'High, and remote to see from thence distinct "Each thing on earth; and other care, perhaps, 815 "May have diverted from continual watch "Shall I appear? Shall I to him make known "As yet my change, and give him to partake "Full happiness with me? or rather not, 820"But keep the odds of knowledge in my power, "Without copartner? so to add what wants "In female sex, the more to draw his love, "And render me more equal; and perhaps, "A thing not undesirable, sometime 825 830 "Superior; for, inferior, who is free? "This may be well. But what if God have seen, "Shall live with her enjoying, I extinct; So saying, from the tree her step she turn'd; 835 But first low reverence done, as to the power That dwelt within, whose presence had infus'd Into the plant sciential sap, deriv'd From nectar, drink of gods. Adam the while, Waiting desirous her return, had wove 840 Of choicest flowers a garland, to adorn Her tresses, and her rural labours crown; 845 Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, Misgave him he the falt'ring measure felt; And forth to meet her went, the way she took That morn when first they parted: by the tree Of knowledge he must pass; there he her met, 850 Scarce from the tree returning; in her hand A bough of fairest fruit, that downy smil'd, New gather'd, and ambrosial smell diffus'd. Came prologue, and apology too prompt; 855 Which, with bland words at will, she thus address'd: "Hast thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my stay? "Thee I have miss'd, and thought it long, depriv'd 66 Thy presence; agony of love till now "Not felt, nor shall be twice; for never more 860"Mean I to try, what rash untried I sought, "To open eyes, and make them gods who taste; 870"Not dead, as we are threaten'd; but thenceforth "Endued with human voice, and human sense; 66 Reasoning to admiration! and with me "Persuasively hath so prevail'd, that I "Have also tasted, and have also found 875"The effects to correspond-opener mine eyes, "Dim erst-dilated spirits-ampler heart— "And growing up to godhead; which for thee "Chiefly I sought, without thee can despise. "For bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss; 880"Tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious soon. "Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot 66 May join us-equal joy, as equal love; "Lest, thou not tasting, different degree 66 Disjoin us, and I then too late renounce 885"Deity for thee, when fate will not permit." Thus Eve with count'nance blithe her story told; 890 Astonied stood, and blank! while horror chill Speechless he stood and pale; till thus, at length, 895 First to himself he inward silence broke : 900 "O fairest of creation! last and best "Of all God's works! creature, in whom excell'd 66 Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! "How art thou lost! how on a sudden lost, "The sacred fruit forbidden! Some cursed fraud 905 "Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown, "And me with thee hath ruin'd; for with thee "Certain my resolution is to die. "How can I live without thee-how forego 66 'Thy sweet convérse, and love so dearly join'd, "Would never from my heart: no, no! I feel 915 "Bone of my bone, thou art; and from thy state 920 Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd: 925 "Bold deed thou hast presum'd, adventurous Eve! "That sacred fruit-sacred to abstinence, "Not God omnipotent, nor fate. Yet so 66 Perhaps thou shalt not die; perhaps the fact "Is not so heinous now,-foretasted fruit,930 "Profan'd first by the serpent,-by him first "Made common, and unhallow'd, ere our taste, 66 Lives, as thou saidst, and gains to live, as man, "Higher degree of life; inducement strong 935"To us, as likely tasting to attain 66 Proportional ascent; which cannot be "But to be gods, or angels-demi-gods. "Nor can I think that God, Creator wise, "Though threat'ning, will in earnest so destroy 940 "Us his prime creatures, dignified so high, "Set over all his works; which, in our fall, "For us created, needs with us must fail, "Dependent made: so God shall uncreate"Be frustrate-do-undo, and labour lose; 945"Not well conceiv'd of God, who, though his power "Creation could repeat, yet would be loth "Us to abolish, lest the adversary "Triumph, and say, 'Fickle their state whom God "Most favours! who can please him long? Me first 950"He rüin'd, now mankind; whom will he next?" "Matter of scorn, not to be given the foe. "However, I with thee have fix'd my lot, "Certain to undergo like doom: if death "Consort with thee, death is to me as life; 955 "So forcible within my heart I feel 960 965 "The bond of nature draw me to my own My own in thee, for what thou art is mine; "Adam? from whose dear side I boast me sprung; |