Extracted; for this cause he shall forgo Father and mother, and to his wife adhere, And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.' "She heard me thus; and, though divinely brought, Yet innocence and virgin modesty, 500 Her virtue, and the conscience of her worth, That would be wooed, and not unsought be won, Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retired, Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought — Whispered it to the woods, and from their wings 510 Sung spousal, and bid haste the Evening-star 520 "Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought My story to the sum of earthly bliss Which I enjoy, and must confess to find In all things else delight indeed, but such As, used or not, works in the mind no change, Nor vehement desire these delicacies I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flowers, Walks, and the melody of birds: but here, Far otherwise, transported I behold, Transported touch; here passion first I felt, 530 549 His image who made both, and less expressing To whom the Angel, with contracted brow: "Accuse not Nature! she hath done her part; 550 560 Do thou but thine! and be not diffident Of Wisdom; she deserts thee not, if thou Dismiss not her, when most thou need'st her nigh, For, what admir'st thou, what transports thee so? 570 Well managed. Of that skill the more thou know'st, The more she will acknowledge thee her head, Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honour thou may'st love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise. Is propagated, seem such dear delight 580 The thoughts, and heart enlarges - hath his seat 590 In Reason, and is judicious, is the scale To whom thus, half abashed, Adam replied: "Neither her outside formed so fair, nor aught In procreation, common to all kinds (Though higher of the genial bed by far, From all her words and actions, mixed with love More grateful than harmonious sound to the ear. 600 610 Approve the best, and follow what I approve. To love thou blam'st me not-for Love, thou say'st, Leads up to Heaven, is both the way and guide; To whom the Angel, with a smile that glowed Love not the Heavenly Spirits, and how their love Celestial rosy-red, Love's proper hue, Answered: "Let it suffice thee that thou know'st 620 Us happy, and without Love no happiness. Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive bars. 630 Beyond the Earth's green Cape and verdant Isles Be strong, live happy, and love! but first of all The weal or woe in thee is placed; beware! I in thy persevering shall rejoice, And all the Blest. Stand fast; to stand or fall -: "Since to part, Thy condescension, and shall be honoured ever THE END OF THE EIGHTH BOOK. 640 650 PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT. Satan, having compassed the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by night into Paradise; enters into the Serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alleging the danger lest that enemy of whom they were forewarned should attempt her found alone. Eve, loth to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields. The Serpent finds her alone: his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the Serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding not till now; the Serpent answers that by tasting of a certain tree in the Garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: the Serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat. She, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit; relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her, and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another. To sit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repast, permitting him the while Venial discourse unblamed. I now must change And disobedience; on the part of Heaven, ΤΟ |