For had the gift been theirs, it had not here
Thus grown. Experience, next to thee I owe,
Beft guide; not following thee, I had remain'd
In ignorance; thou open'st wisdom's way,
And giv'ft access, though secret she retire.
And I perhaps am fecret; Heav'n is high,
High, and remote to fee from thence diftinct
Each thing on earth; and other care perhaps
May have diverted from continual watch
Our great forbidder, safe with all his fpies
About him. But to Adam in what fort
Shall I appear? fhall I to him make known
As yet my change, and give him to partake
Full happiness with me, or rather not,
But keep the odds of knowledge in my power, 820
Without copartner? so to add what wants
In female fex, the more to draw his love,
And render me more equal, and perhaps,
A thing not undefirable, fometime
Superior; for inferior who is free?
This may be well: but what if God have seen,
And death enfue? then I fhall be no more,
And Adam wedded to another Eve,
Shall live with her enjoying, I extinct;
A death to think. Confirm'd then I resolve,
Adam fhall share with me in blifs or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could indure, without him live no life.
4 Bari IX. PARADISE LOST. 299
Bw reverence done, as to the Power
cg, from the tree her step fhe turn'd,
eva within, whofe prefence had infus'd
ina de zini fciential fap, deriv'd
From er drink of Gods. Adam the while,
Warmer defrous her return, had wove
Of choice! Sow'rs a garland to adorn
Her refes, and her rural labors crown,
As reapers of are wont their harvest queen.
Great voy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new
Solace in her return, fo long delay'd;
Yet of his heart, divine of fomething ill,
Miigave him; he the faltring measure felt;
And forth to meet her went, the way she took
That morn when firft they parted; by the tree
Of knowledge he must pass; there he her met,
Scarce from the tree returning; in her hand
A bough of faireft fruit, that downy fmil'd,
New gather d, and ambrofial fmell diffus'd.
To him fne hafted; in her face excufe
Came prologue, and apology too prompt,
Which with bland words at will, she thus address'd.
Haft thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my stay?
Thee I have miss'd, and thought it long, depriv'd
Thy prefence, agony of love till now
Not felt, nor fhall be twice; for never more
Mean I to try, what rafh untry'd I fought,
The pain of abience from thy fight. But ftrange
Hath been the cause, and wonderful to hear:
This tree is not, as we are told, a tree
Of danger tasted, nor to evil unknown
Opening the way, but of divine effect
To open eyes, and make them Gods who tafte;
And hath been tafted fuch: the serpent wise,
Or not restrain'd as we, or not obeying,
Hath eaten of the fruit, and is become,
Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but thenceforth 870
Indued with human voice, and human sense,
Reasoning to admiration; and with me
Persuasively hath fo prevail'd, that I
Have also tafted, and have also found
Th'effects to correfpond; opener mine eyes,
Dim erft, dilated fpirits, ampler heart,
And growing up to Godhead; which for thee
Chiefly I fought, without thee can despise.
For bliss, as thou haft part, to me is bliss,
Tedious, unfhar'd with thee, and odious foon. 880
Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot
May join us, equal joy, as equal love;
Left thou not tasting, different degree
Disjoin us; and I then too late renounce
Deity for thee, when fate will not permit.
Thus Eve with count'nance blithe her story told;
But in her cheek diftemper flushing glow'd.
On th' other fide, Adam, foon as he heard
The fatal trespass done by Eve, amaz’d,
Aftonied flood and blank; while horror chill
Ran through his veins, and all his joints relax'd.
From his flack hand the garland wreath'd for Eve
Down dropt, and all the faded rofes fhed:
Speechlefs he flood and pale, till thus, at length,
First to himself he inward filence broke.
O fairest of creation, last and best
Of all God's works, Creature in whom excell'd
Whatever can to fight or thought be form'd,
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,
Defac'd, deflowr'd, and now to death devote?
Rather how halt thou yielded to tranfgrefs
The ftrict forbiddance, how to violate
The facred fruit forbidd'n? fome curfed fraud
Of enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown,
And me with thee hath ruin'd, for with thee
Certain my refolution is to die;
How can I live without thee, how forgo
Thy sweet converfe and love fo dearly join'd,
To live again in these wild woods forlorn?
Should God create another Eve, and I
Another rib afford, yet lofs of thee
Would never from my heart; no no, I feel
The link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh,
Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy ftate
Mine never shall be parted, blifs or woe.
So having faid, as one from fad difmay
Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd
Submitting to what feem'd remediless,
Thus,in calm mood, his words to Eve he turn'd. 920
Bold deed thou haft prefum'd, adventrous Eve,
And peril great provok'd, who thus haft dar'd,
Had it been only coveting to eye
That facred fruit, facred to abftinence,
Much more to taste it under ban to touch.
But paft who can recall, or done undo?
Not God omnipotent, nor Fate; yet fo
Perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the fact
Is not fo hainous now, foretasted fruit,
Profan'd first by the Serpent, by him first
Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives,
Made common and unhallow'd ere our taste;
Lives, as thou saidft, and gains to live, as Man,
Higher degree of life; inducement strong
To us, as likely tasting to attain
Proportional afcent; which cannot be
But to be Gods, or Angels, Demi-Gods.
Nor can I think that God, Creator wife,
Though threatning, will in earnest so destroy
Us his prime creatures, dignify'd so high,
Set over all his works, which in our fall,
For us created, needs with us must fail,
Dependent made; fo God fhall uncreate,
Be fruftrate, do, undo, and labor lose;
Not well conceiv'd of God, who though his power
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