To hide me, and the dark intent I bring.
O foul descent! that I,who erst contended
With Gods to fit the high eft, am now constrain'd
Into a beast, and mix'd with bestial flime,
This effence to incarnate and imbrute,
That to the highth of deity aspir'd;
But what will not ambition and revenge
Descend to? who aspires must down as low
As high he foar'd; obnoxious first or last,
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 short, 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 fearch, where foonest he might find
The serpent: him fast sleeping soon he found
In labyrinth of many a round self-roll'd,
His head the midft, well ftor'd with fubtle wiles:
yet in horrid shade, or difmal den,
Nor nocent yet, but on the graffy herb
Fearless, unfear'd, he flept: in at his mouth
The Devil enter'd, and his brutal fenfe,
In heart or head, poffeffing,foon inspir'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 incense, when all things that breathe,
From th'earth's great altar fend up filent praise 195
To the Creator, and his nostrils fill
With grateful fmell, forth came the human pair,
And join'd their vocal worship to the quire
Of creatures wanting voice; that done, partake
The season, prime for sweetest sents and airs:
Then commune how that day they beft may ply
Their growing work: for much their work outgrew
The hands dispatch of two, gard'ning so wide.
And Eve firft to her husband thus began.
Adam, well may we labor ftill to dress
This garden, still 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 present;
Let us divide our labors, thou where choice
Leads thee, or where most needs; whether to wind
The woodbine round this arbor, or direct
The clasping ivy where to climb, while I,
In yonder spring of roses intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redress till noon:
For while so near each other thus all day
Our task we choose, what wonder if so near
Looks intervene, and fmiles, or object new
Casual discourse draw on, which intermits
Our day's work, brought to little, though begun
Early, and th' hour of supper comes unearn'd.
To whom mild answer 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 best fulfil the work which here
'God hath affign'd us, nor of me shalt pass
Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to study houshold good,
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not fo ftrictly 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 sweet intercourse
Of looks and fmiles, for fmiles from reason 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 society,
And fhort 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, feeks to work us woe and shame
By fly affault; and fomewhere 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 feälty 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 fide
That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects.
The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks,
Safest and seemlieft by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst indures.
To whom the virgin majefty of Eve,
As one who loves, and some unkindness meets, With sweet auftere composure thus reply'd, Ofspring 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 shouldft my firmnefs 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 seduc'd;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, mifthought of her to thee fo dear?
To whom,with healing words, Adam reply'd. 290 Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,
For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire:
Not diffident of thee do I diffuade
Thy abfence from my fight, but to avoid
Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe,
For he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses The tempted with dishonor foul, suppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Against temptation: thou thyfelf with fcorn
And
Though ineffectual found: mifdeem not then, -
wouldft refent the offer'd wrong,
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