To my relentlefs thoughts; and him deftroy'd,
Or won to what may work his utter lofs,
For whom all this was made; all this will foon
Follow, as to him link'd in weal or woe :
In woe then; that deftruction wide may range :
To me fhall be the glory fole among
The infernal powers, in one day to have marr'd
What he Almighty ftyl'd, fix nights and days
Continu'd making, and who knows how long
Before had been contriving, though perhaps
Not longer than fince I in one night freed
From fervitude inglorious well nigh half
Th' angelic name, and thinner left the throng
Of his adorers: he, to be avenge'd,
And to repair his numbers thus impair'd,
Whether fuch virtue spent of old now fail'd
More angels to create, if they at least
Are his created, or, to fpite us more,
Determin'd to advance into our room
A creature form'd of earth, and him endow,
Exalted from fo bafe original,
With heavenly fpoils, our fpoils: what he decreed,
He' effected; man he made, and for him built
Magnificent this world, and earth his feat,
Him Lord pronounce'd, and, O indignity!
Subjected to his fervice angel-wings,
And flaming ministers to watch and tend
Their earthly charge. Of thefe the vigilance
I dread, and to elude, thus wrapt in mist
Of midnight-vapour glide obfcure, and pry
In
every bush and brake, where hap may find
The serpent sleeping, in whofe mazy folds
To hide me, and the dark intent I bring.
O foul descent ! that I who erft contended
With gods to fit the high'eft, am now constrain'd
Into a beaft, and mix'd with beftial flime,
This effence to incarnate and imbrute,
That to the height of deity afpir'd.
But what will not ambition and revenge
Defcend to? Who afpires, must down as low
As high he foar'd, obnoxious, firft or laft,
To bafeft things. Revenge, at firft though fweet,
Bitter ere long, back on itself recoils :
Let it; I reck not, fo it light well aim'd,
Since higher I fall fhort, on him who next
Provokes my envy, this new favourite
Of heaven, this man of clay, fon of defpite,
Whom us the more to fpite his Maker rais'd
From duft fpite then with fpite is best repaid.
So faying, through each thicket, dank or dry,
Like a black mift low creeping, he held on
His midnight-fearch, where fooneft he might find
The ferpent him falt fleeping foon he found
In labyrinth of many a round felf-roll'd,
His head the midft, well ftor'd with fubtle wiles:
Not yet in horrid fhade or dismal 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 the approach of morn.
Now when as facred light began to dawn
In Eden on the humid flowers, that breath'd
Their morning-incenfe, when all things that breathe;
From th' earth's great altar fend up filent praise 195
To the Creator, and his noftrils fill
With grateful fimell, 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 scents 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 fo wide.
And Eve first to her husband thus began.
Adam, well may we labour ftill to drefs
This garden, ftill to tend plant, herb, and flower,
Our pleasant task injoin'd; but till more hands
Aid us; the work under our labour grows,
Luxurious by reftraint; 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 prefent:
Let us divide our labours; thou where choice
Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind 2155
The woodbine round this arbour, or direct
The clafping ivy where to climb; while I
In yonder fpring of rofes intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redress till noon :
For while fo near each other thus all day.
Our talk we chufe, what wonder if fo near
Looks intervene, and fmiles, or object new
Cafual difcourfe draw on, which intermits
Our day's work, brought to little, though begun
Early, and th' hour of fupper comes unearn'd.
To whom mild anfwer 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 beft fulfil the work which here
God hath affign'd us; nor of me fhalt pafs
Unprais'd: for nothing lovlier can be found
In woman, than to ftudy household good,
And good works in her husband to promote..
Yet not fo ftrictly hath our Lord impos'd.
Labour, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this fweet intercourse
Of looks and smiles; for fmiles from reafon 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 reafon join'd.
These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with eafe, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long,
Affift us.
But if much converse perhaps
Thee fatiate, to fhort abfence I could yield::
For folitude fometimes is best fociety,
And short 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
Defpairing, feeks to work us woe and fhame
By fly affault; and somewhere nigh at hand ́
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and beft advantage, us afunder;
Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each-
To other speedy aid might lend at need:
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our feälity from God, or to disturb
Conjugal love, than which perhaps no blifs
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;
Or this, or worfe, leave not the faithful fide
That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee, and protects.
The wife, where danger or difhonour lurks,
Safeft and feemlieft by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst endures,
To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,
As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,
With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.
Offspring of heaven 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 overheard, As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,
Juft then return'd at fhut of ev'ning-flowers.
But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt,
To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'ft not, being fuch
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 fhaken or feduce'd;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breaft, 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, tho' in vain, at least afperies.
The tempted with difhonour foul, fuppos'd..
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof.
Against temptation: thou thyself with fcorn
And wouldft resent the offer'd wrong,
anger
Though ineffectual found: mifdeem not then,
If fuch affront I labour to avert
From thee alone, which on us both at once,
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare;
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