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 reason flow,
To brute deny'd, and are of love the food,
Love not the lowest end of human life:

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For not to irksome toil, but to delight,

He made us, and delight to reafon join'd.

Thefe paths and bow'rs 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 short abfence I could yield;
For folitude fometimes is best society,
And short retirement urges fweet return.
But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm

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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 shame
By fly affault, and fomewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His with 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 feälty from God, or to difturb
Conjugal love, than which perhaps no blifs
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;

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Or this, or worfe, leave not the faithful fide

265

That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee, and protects, The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,

Safeft and feemlieft by her husband stays,

Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.

To

To whom the virgin majefty of Eve,

As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,
With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.

270

Offspring of heav'n and earth, and all earth's lord, That fuch an enemy we have, who feeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn, And from the parting angel overheard, As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,

Just then return'd at fhut of ev'ning-flowers:

275

But that thou fhouldt 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'ft not, being fuch
As we, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receive, or can repel.

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28'5

[breaft:

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 feduc'd;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy
Adam, misthought of her to thee so 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 afperfes
The tempted with difbonour foul, fuppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Against temptation: thou thyfelf with fcorn
And anger wouldst resent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,
If fuch affront 1 labour to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,

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305

Or daring, first on me th' affault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could feduce
Angels; nor think fuperfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Accefs in every virtue, in thy fight

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More wife, more watchful, ftronger, if need were

Of outward ftrength; while fhame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome, or over-reach'd,

Would utmost vigour raise, and rais’d unite.

Why shouldft not thou like sense within thee feel 315 When I am prefent, and thy trial chufe

With me, beft witnefs of thy virtue try'd?

So fpake domeftic Adam in his care

And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought

Lefs attribúted to her faith fincere,

320

Thus her reply with accent fweet renew'd.

If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit ftraiten'd by a foe, Subtle or violent, we not endu’d

Single with like defence, where-ever met,
How are we happy, ftill in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not fin: only our foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem

325

Of our integrity: his foul efteem

Sticks no difhonour on our front, but turns

330

Foul on himself; then wherefore fhunn'd or fear'd

By us who rather double honour gain

From his furmife prov'd falfe, find peace within,

Favour from heav'n, our witness from th' event.

And what is faith, love, virtue unaffay'd

335

Alone, without exterior help fuftain'd?
Let us not then fufpect our happy state,
Left fo imperfect by the Maker wife,
As not fecure to fingle or combin'd,

340

Frail is our happinefs, if this be so,
And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd.

To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd.

O woman, belt are all things as the will

Of God ordain'd them; his creating hand
Nothing imperfect or deficient left

Of all that he created; much less man,
Or ought that might his happy state secure,
Secure from outward force; within himself
The danger lies, yet lies within his power:
Against his will he can receive no harm.
But God left free the will; for what obeys
Reafon, is free; and reafon he made right,
But bid her well be ware, and still erect,
Left by fome fair appearing good furpris'd
She dictate falfe, and misinform the will

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355

To do what God expressly hath forbid.

Not then mistrust, but tender love, injoins,

That I fhould mind thee oft, and mind thou me.

Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to swerve;

Since reafon not impoffibly may meet

360

Some fpecious object by the foe fuborn'd,

And fall into deception unaware,

Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd.

Seek not temptation then, which to avoid

Were better, and most likely, if from me
Thou fever not: trial will come unfought.
Wouldst thou approve thy conftancy? approve
First thy obedience; th' other who can know,
Not feeing thee attempted? who atteft?

365

But if thou think, trial unfought may find

370

Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou seem'st,

Go; for thy ftay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, rely

On what thou hast of virtue, summon all,

For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. So fpake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve 376 Perfifted, yet fubmifs, though laft, reply'd.

With thy permiffion then, and thus forewarn'd, Chiefly by what thy own laft reasoning words Touch'd only, that our trial, when leaft fought, 380 May find us both perhaps far lefs prepar'd, The willinger I go; nor much expect

A foe fo proud will firft the weaker feek;

So bent, the more thall shame him his repulfe. 384 Thus faying, from her husband's hand her hand Soft the withdrew, and like a wood-nymph light, Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train,

Betook her to the groves; but Delia's self

395

In gait furpafs'd, and goddefs-like deport;
Though not, as she, with bow and quiver arm'd, 390
But with fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude,
Guiltless of fire, had form'd, or angels brought.
To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,
Likeft fhe feem'd, Pomona when she fled
Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his eye purfu'd
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated; fhe to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bow'r,
And all things in best order to invite

400

Noontide repast, or afternoon's repofe.

O much deceiv'd, much failing, haplefs Eve,

Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse !

405

Thou never from that hour in Paradife
Found't either fweet repaft, or found repofe ;
Such ambush hid among fweet flow'rs and shades,
Waited with hellish rancour imminent

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