So faying, her rash hand in evil hour
Forth reaching to the Fruit, fhe pluck'd, the eat:
Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her feat
Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,
That all was loft. Back to the Thicket flunk
The guilty Serpent, and well might, for Eve
Intent now wholly on her tafte, naught elfe
Regarded, fuch delight till then, as feem'd,
In Fruit the never tafted, whether true
Or fancy'd fo, through expectation high
Of knowledge, nor was God-head from her thought,
Greedily fhe ingorg'd without restraint,
And knew not eating Death: Satiate at length,
And heighten'd as with Wine, jocund and boon,
Thus to her felf the pleasingly began.
O Sov'reign, virtuous, precious of all Trees
In Paradife, of operation bleft
To Sapience, hitherto obfcur'd, infam'd,
And thy fair Fruit let hang, as to no end
Created; but henceforth my early care,
Not without Song, each Morning, and due praise
Shall tend thee, and the fertil burden cafe
Of thy full branches offer'd free to all;
Till dieted by thee I grow mature
In knowledge, as the Gods who all things know;
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,
Beft guide; not following thee, I had remain'd
In ignorance, thou op'nft Wisdoms way,
And giv`st access, though fecret she retire.
And I perhaps am fecret; Heav'n is h`gh,
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, fafe with all his Spies
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? fo to add what wants
In Female Sex, 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 feen,
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 refolve, 830
Adam fhall share with me in blifs or woe:
So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could endure, without him live no life.
So faying, from the Tree her step the turn'd,
But firft low reverence done, as to the power 835
That dwelt within, whofe prefence had infus'd
Into the plant fciential fap, deriv'd
From Nectar, drink of Gods. Adam the while
Waiting defirous her return, had wove
Of choiceft Flours a Garland to adorn
Her Treffes, and her rural labours crown,
As Reapers oft are wont their Harvest Queen. Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts, and new Solace in her return, fo long delay'd;
Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill,
Mifgave him; he the faultring 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 fairest fruit that downy smil'd,
New gather'd, and ambrofial smell diffus'd.
To him the hafted, in her face excufe
Came Prologue and Apology to prompt,
Which with bland words at will the thus addreft.
Haft thou not wonder'd, Adam, at my ftay?
Thee I have mifs'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 rash untry'd I fought,
The pain of abfence from thy fight. But ftrange
Hath been the caufe, and wonderful to hear:
This Tree is not as we are told, a Tree
Of danger tafted, nor to evil unknown
Op'ning the way; but of divine effect
To open Eyes, and make them Gods who tafte;.
And hath been tafted fuch: the Serpent wife,
Or not reftrain'd as we, or not obeying,
Hath eat'n of the fruit, and is become.
Not dead, as we are threaten'd, but thenceforth
Perfuafively hath fo prevail'd, that I
Have alfo tafted, and have also found
Th'effects to correfpond, opener mine Eyes,
Dim erft, dilated Spirits, ampler Heart,
And growing up to Godhead; which for thee
Chiefly I fought, without thee can despise.
For blifs, as thou haft part, to me is bliss,
Tedious, unshar'd with thee, and odious foon. 880
Thou therefore alfo tafte, that equal Lot
May joyn us, equal Joy, as equal Love;
Left thou not tasting, different degree
Disjoyn 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 Trefpafs 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 drop'd, and all the faded Roses shed:
Speechlefs he flood and pale, till thus at length
First to himself he inward filence broke.
O fairest of Creation, laft and beft
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 loft, how on a fudden loft,
Defac'd, deflour'd, and now to Death devote?
Rather how haft thou yielded to transgress
The ftrict forbiddance, how to violate
The facred Fruit forbidd'n! fome curfed fraud
Of Enemy hath beguil'd thee, yet unknown, ges
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 joyn'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 State 915 Mine never shall be parted, blifs or woe.
So having faid, as one from fad dismay
Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd
Submitting to what feem'd remedilefs,
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 hath dar'd
Had it been only coveting to Eye
That facred Fruit, facred to abstinence,
Much more to tafte it under bane to touch.
But paft who can recal, or done undo?
Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate, yet fo
Perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the Fact
Is not fo heinous now, foretafted Fruit,
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