Variously representing; yet, ftill free, Approve the best, and follow what I approvė. To love thou blam'ft me not, for love thou fay'st 610 Love not the heav'nly Spi rits, and how their love 615 Express they, by looks only, or do they mix Irradiance; virtual or immediate touch? To whom the Angel, with a fmile that glow'd Celestial rofy red, love's proper hue, Anfwer'd. Let it fuffice thee that thou know'ft 620 Us happy, and without love no happiness. (And pure thou wert created) we enjoy In eminence, and obftacle find none Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars; Total they mix, union of pure with pure Defiring; nor restrain'd conveyance need, As flesh to mix with flesh, or foul with foul. But I can now no more; the parting fun, Beyond the earth's green Cape, and verdant Iles, 625 630 Hefperian fets, my fignal to depart. Be strong, live happy, and love; but first of all His great command; take heed left paffion fway 635 Thy judgment to do ought, which else free will Would not admit; thine,and of all thy fons, The The weal or woe in thee is plac'd; beware. I in thy perfevering fhall rejoice, And all the Bleft: ftand faft; to ftand or fall 640 Free in thine own arbitrement it lies. So faying, he arofe; whom Adam thus 645 Thy condescension, and shall be honor'd ever 650 Be good and friendly ftill, and oft return. So parted they, the Angel up to Heaven From the thick fhade, and Adam to his bower. The end of the Eighth Book. Satan having compafs' d the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by night into Paradife, enters into the Serpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labors, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each laboring apart: Adam confents not, alledging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd, should attempt her found alone: Eve loath to be thought not circumSpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make trial of her ftrength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve wond'ring to hear the Serpent fpeak, afks how he attain'd to human speech and fuch understanding not till now; the Serpent anfwers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attain'd both to speech and reason, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; she pleas'd with the tafte deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof: Adam at first amaz'd, but perceiving her loft, refolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass eats also of the fruit: The effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. O more of talk where God, or Angel guest, With Man, as with his friend, familiar us'd To fit indulgent, and with him partake And disobedience; on the part of Heaven, woe, Anger, and just rebuke, and judgment given; Of my celeftial patronefs, who deigns M m 5 10 15 20 Her |