She ever must enjoy or earth or heaven.
Hence this fair flowering tree

Wreathing abroad its widely branching arms,
As if desirous to contend with heaven,
Seems willing in my locks

To spread a shining heaven of verdant leaves;
And if I pass among the herbs and flowers,
Those, I behold, that by my step are press'd,
Arise more beautiful; the very buds
Expand, to form festoons

To decorate the grassy scene around.
Other new flowers with freshest beauty fair,
That stand from me sequester'd,

Form'd into groups or scatter'd in the vale,
Seem with delight to view me, and to say,
The neighbouring flowers rejoice
To give thy foot support,

But we, aspiring eagles,

From far behold thy visage,

Mild portraiture of the almighty form;
While other plants and flowers,

Wishing that I may form my seat among them, Above their native growth

So seem to raise themselves, that of sweet flowers
A fragrant hedge they form;

And others in a thousand tender ties,
Form on the ground so intricate a snare,
That the incautious hand which aims to free
The captive foot, must be itself ensnared.
If food I wish, or draught,

Lo! various fruit, lo! honey, milk, and manna;
Behold from many a fount and many a rill,
The crystal beauty of the cooling stream!
If melody, behold the tuneful birds,
Behold angelic bands!

If welcome day,

Or mild and wish'd-for night,

Behold the sun, behold the moon and stars!
If I a friend require,

Adam, sweet friend, replies;

And if my God in heaven, the Eternal Maker
Dwells not unmindful, but regards my speech.
If creatures subject to my will I wish,
Lo! at my side all subject to my will.
What more can I desire, what more obtain ?
Now nothing more, my Sovereign;
Eve is with honour loaded.

But what's before me? do I wake or dream?
Among these boughs I see

A human visage fair; what! are there then
More than myself and Adam,

Who view the glorious sun?

O marvellous, though I am distant far,

I yet discern the truth; with arms, with hands,

A human breast it has,

The rest is serpent all :

O, how the sun, emblazing with his rays

SERPENT. I will assail my foe.
Come to survey me better,
Thou dazzler of the eye,
Enchantress of the soul,
Soft idol of the heart,

Fair nymph, approach! Lo, I display myself,
Survey me all; now satisfy thine eyes!
View me attentive, paragon of beauty,
Thou noblest ornament of all the world,
Thou lovely pomp of nature,

Thou little paradise,

To whom all things do homage!

Where lonely from thy friend, thy Adam, far Where art thou? now advancing where

The numerous bands of Angels

Become such fond admirers of thy beauty? Happy I deem myself, supremely happy,

Since 'tis my blessed lot,

With two fond eyes alone to gaze on that,

[veys.

Which with unnumber'd eyes, heaven scarce sur-
Trust me if all the loveliness of heaven
Would wrap itself within a human veil,
Nought but thy beauteous bosom

Could form a mansion worthy such a guest.
How well I see, full well

That she above with thy light agile feet,
Imprints her step in heaven, and there she smiles
With thy enchanting lip,

To scatter joy around those blessed spheres ;
Yes, with thy lips above,

She breathes, she speaks, she pauses,
And with thine eyes communicates a lustre
To all that's fair in heaven or fair on earth.
EVE. And who art thou, so eager

To lavish praise on me?

Yet never did mine eyes see form like thine.
SERPENT. Can I be silent now?

Too much, too much, I pant

To please the lovely model of all grace.

Know when the world was fashion'd out of nought,
And this most fruitful garden,

I was ordain'd to dwell a gardener here,
By him who cultivates

The fair celestial fields;
Here joyful I ascend,

To watch that no voracious bird may seize
On such delicious fruit ;
Here it is my delight,

Though all be marvellously fair around,
Lily to blend with lily, rose with rose,
And now the fragrant hedge

To form, and now between the groups of flowers,
And o'er the tender herb

To guide the current of the crystal stream.
Oh what sweet scenes to captivate the eye
Of such a lovely virgin,

Will I disclose around!

O'erwhelms my dazzled eyes!

I would approach it.

SERPENT. Now, then, at length you see

I have precisely ta'en the semblance fit,

To overcome this woman.

EVE. The nearer I approach, more and more lovely

His semblance seems of emerald and sapphire,
Now ruby and now amethyst, and now
Of jasper, pearl, and flaming chrysolite
Each fold it waving forms around the trunk
Of this fair flowering tree!

To this alluring spot,

And ever with fresh myrtle and new flowers, More beauteous thou shalt find it;

This wondrous faculty I boast infused

By thy supernal Maker,

To guard in plant and flower their life and fragrance.
EVE. Since I have found thee courteous
No less than wise, reveal to me thy name;
Speak it to me, unless

I seek to know too much.

SERPENT. Wisdom, I name myself, Sometimes I Life am call'd,

[God

SERPENT. I will inform thee; when the sovereign On nothing resting, yet gave force to all, To balance all things in an even scale The sage of heaven desired,

And not from opposite extremities

To pass without a medium justly founded:
Hence 'tween the brute and man

It pleased him to create this serpent kind;
And even this participates in reason,

And with a human face has human speech.
But what can fail to honour with submission
The demi-god of earth?

Oh! if proportion'd to thy charms, or equal
To the desert of man,

You had high knowledge, doubt not but in all
Ye would be reckon'd as immortal gods;
Since the prime power of lofty science is
One of the first and greatest

Of attributes divine; Oh, could this be,
Descending from the base

Of this engaging plant,

How as a goddess should I here adore thee!

EVE. What, dost thou think so little then the sum

Of knowledge given to man? does he not know

Of every living herb and flower and plant,

Of minerals and of unnumber'd gems,

Of fish, of fowl, and every animal,

In water or on earth, of fire, of air,
Of this fair starry heaven,

And of the moon and sun,

The virtues most conceal'd?

SERPENT. Ah, this is nothing; since it only serves To make the common things of nature known; And I, although I am

Greatly inferior in my rank to man,

Yet, one by one, even I can number these.
More worthy it would be

To know both good and ill;

This, this is the supreme

Intelligence, and mysteries most high,

That on the earth would make you like to God.
EVE. That which hath power sufficient to impart
This knowledge so sublime of good and ill,
(But mixt with mortal anguish)

Is this forbidden tree, on which thou sittest.
SERPENT. And tell me why a law

So bitter rises from a fruit so sweet?

Where then, where is the sense

That you so lately boasted as sublime?
Observe, if it be just,

That man so brave, so lovely, man that rules
The world with skilful hand, man that so much
Pleased his creating God, when power almighty
Fashion'd the wonders both of earth and heaven,
That man at last a little fruit should crush,
And all be form'd for nothing, or at best
But for a moment's space?

No, no, far from thee, far be such a doubt!
Let colour to thy cheek, and to thy lip

The banish'd rose return!

Say, but I know-thy heart

Within thee speaks the language that I speak!

EVE. The Lord commanded me I should not taste

This fruit; and to obey him is my joy.

SERPENT. If 'tis forbidden thee

To taste a fruit so fair,

Heaven does not chuse that man should be a god.
But thou with courtesy, to my kind voice
Lend an attentive ear: say, if your Maker
Required such strict obedience, that you might
Depend but on his word to move and guard you;
Was there not power sufficient in the laws
Sublime of hope, of faith, and charity?
Why then, fair creature, why, without occasion
Thus should he multiply his laws for man,
For ever outraging with such a yoke
Your precious liberty, and of great lords
Making you slaves, nay, in one point inferior
Even to the savage beasts,

Whom he would not reduce to any law?
Who does not know that loading you so much
With precepts, he has lessen'd the great blessing
Of joyous being, that your God first gave you?
Perchance he dreaded that ye soon might grow
His equals both, in knowledge, and be gods?
No, for though like to God you might become
By such experiment, the difference still
Between you must be great, since this your know-
And acquisition of divinity,

Could be but imitation, and effect

Of the first cause divine that dwells above.

And can it then be true,

That such a vital hand

Can do a deadly deed?

[ledge

Oh hadst thou tasted this, how wouldst thou gain Advantage of the Lord, how then with him Would thy conversing tongue

Accuse the latent mysteries of heaven!

Far other flowers and other plants, and fields,
And elements, and spheres,

Far different suns, and different moons, and stars
There are above, from those thou viewest here
Buried below these; all to thee are near,
Observe how near! but at the very distance
This apple is from thee. Extend thy hand,
Boldly extend it,-ah! why dost thou pause?
EVE. What should I do? Who counsels me, O
God?

Hope bids me live, and fear at once destroys me.
But say, how art thou able

To know such glorious things exist above,
And that on earth, one thus may equal God,
By feeding on this apple,

If thou in heaven wert never,

And ne'er permitted of the fruit to taste?
SERPENT. Ah! is there ought I can deny to her
Whose happiness I wish? Now listen to me.
When of this garden I was made the keeper,
By him who fashion'd thee,

All he has said to thee, to me he said;
And opening to me heaven's eternal bosom,
With all his infinite celestial pomp,
He satiated my eyes, and then thus spake:
Thy paradise thou hast enjoy'd, O Serpent,
No more thou shalt behold it; now retain
Memory of heaven on earth,

Which thou may'st do by feeding on such fruit.
A heavenly seat alone is fit for man,

For that's the seat of beauty;

Since thou art partly man, and partly brute, 'Tis just thou dwell on earth;

The world was made for various beasts to dwell in,

He added, nor canst thou esteem it hard,

Serpent and man, to dwell on earth for ever,
Since thou already in thy human portion

Most fully hast enjoy'd thy bliss above.
Thus I eternal live,

Forming my banquet of this savoury fruit,
And Paradise is open to my eyes,

By the intelligence, through me transfused From this delicious viand.

EVE. Alas! what should I do? to whom apply? My heart, what is thy counsel ?

SERPENT. 'Tis true, thy sovereign has imposed Under the pain of death,

To taste not of this fruit;

And to secure from thee

A dainty so delightful,

The watchful guard he made me

Of this forbidden tree;

[upon thee,

So that if I consent, both man and thou,
His beautiful companion,

May rise to equal God in happiness.
"Tis but too true that to participate

In food and beverage with savage beasts,
Gives us in this similitude to them;
It is not just you both,
Works of a mighty Maker,
Great offspring of great God,

Should in a base condition,

Among these groves and woods,

Lead a life equal to the lowest beast.

EVE. Ah! why art thou so eager

That I should taste of this forbidden food?
SERPENT. Wouldst thou that I should tell?
EVE. 'Tis all my wish.

SERPENT. Now lend thine ear, now arch, With silent wonder, both thy beauteous brows! For two proud joys of mine,

Not for thy good alone, I wish to make thee
This liberal overture, and swear to keep
Silence while thou shalt seize the fruit denied.
First to avenge that high unworthy wrong
Done me by God, in fashioning my shape;
For I was deem'd the refuse of his heaven,
For these my scaly parts,

That ever like a snake I trail behind;
And then, because he should to me alone

Have given this world, and o'er the numerous beasts
Have made me lord, not wholly of their kind;
But this my empire mighty and supreme,
O'er all these living things,

While man is doom'd

To breathe on vital air,

Must seem but low and servile vassalage;

Since man, and only man

Was chosen high and mighty lord of all

This wondrous scene, and he thus raised to grandeur Was newly form'd of nought.

But when the fairest of all Eden's fruits

Is snatch'd and tasted, when you rise to gods, "Tis just that both ascending from this world Should reach the higher spheres ;

So that on earth to make me

Of every creature lord,

Of human error I my virtue make:
Know, that command is grateful even to God,
Grateful to man, and grateful to the serpent.

EVE. I yield obedience: ah! what is't I do? SERPENT. Rather what do you not? Ah, boldly taste,

Make me a god on earth, thyself in heaven.
EVE. Alas, how I perceive

A chilling tremour wander through my bones,
That turns my heart to ice!

SERPENT. It is thy mortal part that now begins
To languish, as o'ercome by the divine,
Which o'er its lowly partner

In excellence ascends.
Behold the pleasant plant,
More lovely and more rich

Than if it raised to heaven branches of gold,
And bore the beauteous emerald as leaves,
With roots of coral and a trunk of silver.
Behold this jewel'd fruit,

That gives enjoyment of a state divine!
How fair it is, and how

It takes new colours from the solar rays
Bright as the splendid train

Of the gay peacock, when he whirls it round
Full in the sun, and lights his thousand eyes!
Behold how it invites !

'Tis all delicious, it is sweetness all :
Its charms are not deceitful,
Thine eye can view them well.
Now take it! Now I watch

If any angel spy thee! Dost thou pause ?
Up! for once more I am thy guide; at last
The victory is thine!

EVE. At length behold me the exalted mistress Of this most lovely fruit!

But why, alas, does my cold brow distil
These drops, that overwhelm me ?

SERPENT. Lovely Virgin,

Will not our reason tell us
Supreme felicity is bought with pain?
Who from my brow will wipe

These drops of keener pain?

Who dissipate the dread that loads my heart? EVE. Tell me what wouldst thou tell me who

Oh thou of my existence,

The very heart and soul!

Hast thou, with such excess of tender haste,
With ceaseless pilgrimage,
To find again thy Adam,
Thus solitary wander'd?

Behold him! Speak! what are thy gentle orders? Why dost thou pause? what ask of God? what dost thou ?

EVE. Adam, my best beloved!
My guardian and my guide!

Thou source of all my comfort, all my joy!
Thee, thee alone I wish,

And in these pleasing shades
Thee only have I sought.

ADAM. Since thou hast call'd thy Adam, (Most beautiful companion!)

The source and happy fountain of thy joy;
Eve, if to walk with me

It now may please thee, I will show thee love,
A sight thou hast not seen;

A sight so lovely, that in wonder thou

Wilt arch thy graceful brow.

Look thou, my gentle bride, towards that path
Of this so intricate and verdant grove,
Where sit the birds embower'd;

Just there, where now, with soft and snowy plumes,
Two social doves have spread their wings for flight,
Just there, thou shalt behold, (oh pleasing wonder!)
Springing amid the flowers,

A living stream, that with a winding course
Flies rapidly away;

And as it flies, allures

And tempts you to exclaim, sweet river, stay!
Hence eager in pursuit

You follow, and the stream, as if it had
Desire to sport with you,

Through many a florid, many a grassy way,
Well known to him, in soft concealment flies:
But when at length he hears,

You are afflicted to have lost his sight,

He rears his watery locks, and seems to say,
Gay with a gurgling smile,

"Follow! ah follow still my placid course!
If thou art pleased with me, with thee I sport."
And thus with sweet deceit he leads you on
To the extremest bound

Of a fair flowery meadow; then at once
With quick impediment,

Says, "Stop! Adieu! for now, yes, now I leave

you :"

Then down a rock descends:

There, as no human foot can follow farther,
The eye alone must follow him, and there,
In little space you see a mass of water
Collected in a deep and fruitful vale,
With laurel crown'd and olive,
With cypress, oranges and lofty pines.
The limpid water in the sun's bright ray
A perfect crystal seems;
Hence in its deep recess,
In the translucent wave,

You see a precious glittering sand of gold,
And bright as moving silver
Innumerable fish;

Here with melodious notes

The snowy swans upon the shining streams
Form their sweet residence ;

And seem in warbling to the wind to say,
"Here let those rest who wish for perfect joy!"
So that, my dear companion,

To walk with me will please thee.

EVE. So well thy language to my sight has brought What thou desirest to show me,

I see thy flying river as it sports,
And hear it as it murmurs.

And beauteous also is this scene, where now
Pleased we sojourn; and here, perhaps, even here
The lily whitens with the purest lustre,
And the rose reddens with the richest hue.
Here also bathed in dew
Plants of minutest growth
Are painted all with flowers.
Here trees of amplest leaf
Extend their rival shades,
And stately rise to heaven.

ADAM. Now by these cooling shades,
The beauty of these plants,
By these delightful meadows,
These variegated flowers,

By the soft music of the rills and birds,
Let us sit down in joy!

EVE. Behold then I am seated!

How I rejoice in viewing not alone

These flowers, these herbs, these high and graceful plants.

But Adam, thou, my lover,

Thou, thou art he, by whom the meadows seem

With all their flowery tribute cannot equal
Those lovelier flowers, that with delight I view
In the fair garden of your beauteous face.
Be pacified, you flowers,

My words are not untrue;

You shine besprinkled with ethereal dew,
You give the humble earth to glow with joy
At one bright sparkle of the blazing sun;
But with the falling sun ye also fall:
But these more living flowers
Of my dear beauteous Eve
Seem freshen'd every hour
By soft devotion's dew,

That she with pleasure sheds
Praising her mighty Maker:

And by the rays of two terrestrial suns

In that pure heaven, her face,
They rise, and not to fall,

Decking the paradise

Of an enchanting visage.

EVE. Dear Adam, do not seek

With tuneful eloquence

To soothe my ear by speaking of thy love!
The heart is confident,

That fondly flames with pure and hallow'd ardour.
In sweet exchange accept, my gentle love,
This vermeil-tinctured gift, you know it well;
This is the fruit forbidden,

This is the blessed apple.

ADAM. Alas! what see I! ah! what hast thou

done,

Invader of the fruit,

Forbidden by thy God?

EVE. It would be long to tell thee

The reason that induced me

To make this fruit my prey: let it suffice

I gain'd thee wings to raise thy flight to heaven.

ADAM. Ne'er be it true, ah never,

That to obtain thy favour,

I prove to heaven rebellious and ungrateful,
And to obey a woman,

So disobey my Maker and my God!

Then did not death denounced

With terror's icy paleness blanch thy cheek?

EVE. And think'st thou, if the apple

Were but the food of death,

The great producer would have raised it there, Where being is eternal?

Think'st thou, that if of error

This fruit-tree were the cause,
In man's delighted eye

So fertile and so fair,

He would have form'd it flourishing in air!

Ah! were it so, he would indeed have given

A cause of high offence;

Since nature has ordain'd,

(A monitress sagacious)

That to support his being, man must eat,

And trust in what looks fair, as just and good. ADAM. If the celestial tiller,

Who the fair face of heaven

Has thickly sown with stars,

Amidst so many plants fruitful and fair,
Placed the forbidden apple,
The fairest and most sweet,
"Twas to make proof of man,

As a wise keeper of his heavenly law,

And to afford him scope for high desert; For he alone may gain the name of brave, Who rules himself and all his own desires. Man might indeed find some excuse for sin, If scantily with fruits

This garden were supplied;

But this abounding in so many sweets,
Man ought not to renounce

The clear command of heaven.

EVE. And is it thus you love me?
Ne'er be it true, ah never,

That I address you as my heart, my life!
From you I'll only wander,

Bathed in my tears, and sighing,

And hating even myself,

I'll hide me from the sun.

ADAM. Dear Eve! my sweetest love!

My spirit and my heart!

Oh haste to dry thine eyes;

For mine are all these tears

That bathe thy cheek, and stream upon thy bosom.
EVE. Ah, my unhappy state!

I that so much have said, so much have done
To elevate this man

Above the highest heaven, and now so little
Can he or trust or love me!

ADAM. Ah, do not grieve, my life!
Too much it wounds my soul
To see thee in affliction.

EVE. I know your sole desire

Is to be witness to my sighs and tears;
Hence to the winds and seas

I pay this bitter tribute.

ADAM. Alas! my heart is splitting.
What can I do? When I look up to heaven,
I feel an icy tremour

Even to my bones oppress me,

Anxious alone to guard the heavenly precept:
If I survey my partner,

I share her tears and echo back her sighs.

"Tis torture and distraction

To wound her with refusal: my kind heart

Would teach my opening hand to seize the apple, But in my doubtful breast

My spirit bids it close.

Adam! thou wretch! how many

Various desires besiege thy trembling heart!

One prompts thee now to sigh,

Another to rejoice; nor canst thou know

Which shall incline thee most,

Or sighs, or joyous favour,

From woman, or from God.

EVE. Yet he reflects, and wishes

That Eve should now forsake

Her hope of being happy

In elevating man,

Even while I hold the fruit of exaltation!

ADAM. Though mute, yet eloquent

Are all your looks, my love!

Alas! whate'er you ask

You're certain to obtain;

And my heart grants before your tongue can speak. Eyes, that to me are suns,

The heaven of that sweet face

No more, no more obscure!

Return! alas! return

To scatter radiance o'er that cloudy cheek!
Lift up, O lift thy brow

From that soft mass of gold that curls around it,
Locks like the solar rays,