Seems wifeft, virtuoufeft, difcreetest, beft;
All higher knowledge in her prefence falls
Degraded; wisdom in difcourfe with her
Lofes discount'nance'd, and like folly fhows;
Authority and reafon on her wait,

550

As one intended first, not after made
Occafionally; and to confummate all,

555

Greatness of mind, and nobleness, their seat
Build in the lovelieft, and create an awe
About her, as a guard angelic place'd..

560

565

To whom the angel, with contracted brow. Accufe not nature, the hath done her part; Do thou but thine; and be not diffident Of Wisdom; fhe deferts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when most thou need'ft her nigh, By attribúting overmuch to things Lefs excellent, as thou thyself perceiv'ft. For what admir'ft thou, what tranfports thee fo, An outfide? fair no doubt, and worthy well Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love, Not thy fubjection. Weigh with her thyfelf; Then value: ofttimes nothing profits more Than felf esteem, grounded on just and right Well manage'd; of that skill the more thou know'st, The more she will acknowledge thee her head, And to realities yield all her shows:

570

575

Made fo adorn for thy delight the more,

So awful, that with honour thou mayst love

Thy mate, who fees when thou art feen leaft wife.
But if the fenfe of touch whereby mankind

Is propagated feem fuch dear delight

Beyond all other, think the fame vouchfaf'd
To cattle and each beaft; which would not be
To them made common, and divulge'd, if aught
Therein enjoy'd were worthy to fubdue

580

The foul of man, or paffion in him move,
What high'er in her fociety thou find'ft
Attractive, human, rational, love ftill;

585

In loving thou doft well, in paffion not;
'Wherein true love confifts not: love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges; hath his feat 590
In reas'on, and is judicious; is the fcale
By which to heavenly love thou mayft afcend;
Not funk in carnal pleasure; for which cause
Among the beafts no mate for thee was found.
To whom thus half abash'd Adam reply'd.
Neither her outside form'd fo fair, nor aught
In procreation common to all kinds
(Though higher of the genial bed by far,
And with myfterious reverence I deem),

So much delights me, as thofe graceful acts,
Those thousand decencies that daily flow
From all her words and actions mix'd with love
And fweet compliance, which declare unfeign'd
Union of mind, or in us both one foul;
Harmony to behold in wedded pair
More grateful than harmonious found to th' ear.
Yet thefe fubject not: I to thee disclose
What inward thence I feel; not therefore foil'd,
Who meet with various objects, from the sense
Varioufly representing; yet ftill free

595

600

605

610

Approve the best, and follow what I approve.
To love thou blam'ft me not; for love thou fay'st
Leads up to heaven, is both the way and guide:
Bear with me then, if lawful what I afk;'
Love not the heavenly fpi'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 smile 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.
Whatever pure thou in thy body' enjoy'st,
(And pure thou wert created), we enjoy

In eminence, and obstacle find none

Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars;
Easier than air with air, if spi'rits embrace,
Total they mix, union of pure with pure
Defiring; nor reftrain'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 ifles
Hefperian fets, my signal to depart.

625

630

Be ftrong, live happy', and love; but first of all
Him whom to love is to obey, and keep
His great command; take heed left paffion fway
Thy judgement to do aught, which elfe free will
Would not admit; thine, and of all thy fons,
The weal or woe in thee is place'd; beware.
I in thy perfevering fhall rejoice,

And all the blefs'd: stand fast; to ftand or fall
Free in thine own arbitrement it lies.
Perfect within, no outward aid require ;
And all temptation to tranfgrefs repel.

635

640

So faying, he arofe; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction. Since to part,
Go heavenly gueft, ethereal meffenger,
Sent from whofe fov'reign goodness I adore.
Gentle to me, and affable, hath been

645

Thy condefcenfion, and shall be? honour'd ever
With grateful memory: thou to mankind

-6.50

1

Be good and friendly still, and oft return.
So parted they; the angel up to heaven.

From the thick fhade, and Adam to his bower.

END of the EIGHTH BOOK.

ARGUMENT of Book IX.

Satan having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by night into Paradife, and enters into the ferpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours; which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each labouring apart: Adam confents not, alleging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, fhould attempt her, found alone: Eve, loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make trial of her ftrength; Adam at laft yields. The ferpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then Speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the ferpent Speak, afks how he attained to human speech and such understanding not till now; the ferpent answers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to fpeech and reafon, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it te be the tree of knowledge forbidden: the ferpent nɔw grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces ber at length to eat; she, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at laft brings him of the fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof: Adam at firft amazed, but perceiving her loft, refolves through vehemence of love. to perish with her; and extenuating the trefpafs, eats alfo of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both: they. feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance, and accufation of one another.