Such pleasure took the ferpent to behold
This flow'ry plat, the sweet recess of EVE
Thus early, thus alone. Her heav'nly form
Angelic, (but more foft, and feminine)
Her graceful innocence, her every air
Of gesture, or least action, over-aw'd
His malice, and with rapine sweet, bereav'd
His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought.
That space the Evil. One abstracted stood
From his own evil, and for the time remain'd
Stupidly good; of enmity difarm'd,
Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge.
But the hot hell that always in him burns,
Though in mid-heav'n, foon ended his delight;
And tortures him no more, the more he fees
Of pleasure not for him ordain'd: then foon
Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts
Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet Compulfion thus transported, to forget
What hither brought us! hate, not love; nor hope
Of Paradife for hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure; but all pleafure to destroy,
Save what is in deftroying; other joy
To me is loft! Then let me not let pafs
Occafion, which now fmiles. Behold alone
The woman, opportune to all attempts !
Her husband (for I view far round) not nigh,
Whofe higher intellectual more I fhun,
And ftrength, of courage haughty, and of limb
Heroic built, though of terrestrial mold;
Fce not informidable! exempt from wound:
I not: (fo much hath hell debas'd, and pain
Infeebled me, to what I was in heav'n !
She fair, divinely fair! fit love for Gods!
Not terrible though terror be in love,
And beauty, not approach'd by stronger hate;
Hate, ftronger under fhew of love well feign'd;
The way which to her ruin now I tend.
So fpake the enemy of mankind, inclos'd
In ferpent, inmate bad! and toward EVE
Addrefs'd his way: not with indented wave,
Prone on the ground, as fince; but on his rear,
Circular bafe of rifing folds, that tower'd
Fold above fold, a furging maze! His head
Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes;
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling fpires, that on the grafs
Floated redundant: pleafing was his shape,
And-lovely! Never fince of ferpent-kind
Lovelier; not those that in ILLYRIA chang'd
HERMIONE, and CADMUS; or the God
In EPIDAURUs: nor, to which transform'd
AMMONIAN JOVE, or CAPITOLINE was feen;
He, with OLYMPIAS; this, with her who bore
SCIPIO the height of ROME. With tract oblique
At first, (as one who fought accefs, but fear'd
To interrupt) fide-lorg he works his way:
As when a fhip, by fkilful fteers-man wrought
Nigh river's mouth, or fore land, where the wind
Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her fail :
So vary'd he, and of his tortuous train
Curl'd many a wanton wreath, in fight of Eve,
To lure her eye. She bufied, heard the found
Of rufling leaves, but minded not, as us'd,
To fuch difport before her through the Field,
From every beaft; more duteous at her call,
Than at CIRCEAN call the herd disguis'd.
He, bolder now, un-call'd before her food;
But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd
His turret creft, and fleek-enamel'd neck,
Fawning; and lick'd the ground whereon fhe trod.
His gentle dumb expreffion turn'd at length
The eye of EvE, to mark his play: he glad
Of her attention gain'd, (with ferpent-tongue
Organic, or impulfe of vocal air)
His fraudulent temptation thus began.
Wonder not, fov'reign mistress! if perhaps
Thou canft, who art fole wonder; much less arm
Thy looks, the heav'n of mildness, with difdain,
Difpleas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze
Infatiate; I thus fingle; nor have fear'd
Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd,
Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair!
Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine
By gift, and thy cœleftial beauty adore,
With ravishment beheld! there beft beheld,
Where univerfally admir'd: but here
In this inclofure wild, thefe beafts among,
(Beholders rude, and fhallow to difcern
Half what in thee is fair) one man except,
Who fees thee? and, what is one! who fhouldst be seen
A Goddess among Gods, ador'd and ferv'd
By Angels numberlefs, thy daily train.
So gloz'd the tempter, and his proem tun'd : Into the heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marvelling: at length, Not un amaz'd, fhe thus in answer spake.
What may this mean? Language of man pronounc'd By tongue of brute, and human fense express'd! The firit, at least, of thefe I thought deny'd To beafts whom Gop on their creation-day, Created mute to all articulate found:
The latter I demur; for in their looks
Much reafon, and in their actions, oft appears.
Thee, ferpent, fubtil'ft beaft of all the field
I knew; but not with human voice indu'd.
Redouble then this miracle, and fay,
How cam'st thou fpeakable of mute; and how
To me fo friendly grown above the reft
Of brutal kind, that daily are in fight?
Say! for fuch wonder claims attention due.
To whom the guileful tempter thus reply'd:
Emprefs of this fair world, refplendent EVE!
Eafy to me it is to tell thee all
What thou command'ft; and right thou shouldst be obey'd.
I was at first as other beafts that graze
The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low,
As was my food; nor ought, but food difcern'd,
Or fex; and apprehended nothing high.
'Till on a day roving the field, I chanc'd
A goodly tree far-distant to behold,
Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mix'd,
Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze;
When from the boughs a favoury odour blown,
Grateful to appetite! more pleas'd my fenfe
Than fmell of fweeteft fenel, or the teats
Of ewe or goat, dropping with milk at ev'n,
Unfuck'd of lamb, or kid, that tend their play.
To fatisfy the sharp defire I had
Of tafting those fair apples, I refolv'd
Not to defer: hunger and thirst at once,
Pow'rful perfuaders! quicken'd at the fcent
Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me fo keen.
About the moffy trunk I wound me foon;
(For, high from ground, the branches would require Thy utmost reach, or ADAM's) round the tree
All other beafts that faw, with like defire
Longing and envying flood, but could not reach.
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung
Tempting fo nigh, to pluck and eat my fill
I fpar'd not; for fuch pleasure till that hour,
At feed, or fountain, never had I found!
Sated at length, ere-long I might perceive
Strange alteration in me, to degree
Of reafon in my inward pow'rs; and fpeech
Wanted not long; though to this shape retain'd.
Thenceforth to fpeculations, high or deep,
I turn'd my thoughts; and with capacious mind,
Confider'd all things vifible in heav'n,
Or earth, or middle; all things fair, and good:
But all that fair, and good, in Thy divine
Semblance, and in Thy beauty's heav'nly ray,
United I beheld: no Fair to Thine
Equivalent or fecond! which compell'd
Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come
And gaze, and worship Thee, of right declar'd
Sov'reign of creatures, univerfal dame!
So talk'd the fpirited fly fnake: and EVE, Yet more amaz'd, unwary thus reply'd.
Serpent! thy over-praifing leaves in doubt The virtue of that fruit, in thee first prov'd.
But fay, where grows the tree? from hence how far?
For many are the trees of GOD that grow
In Paradise, and various, yet unknown
in fuch abundance l'es our choice,
As leaves a greater ftore of fruit untouch'd:
Still hanging incorruptible, till men
Grow up to their provifion, and more hands
Help to difburden nature of her birth.
To whom the wily adder, blithe and glad.
Emprefs! the way is ready and not long;
Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat,
Faft by a fountain, one fmall thicket paft
My conduct, I can bring thee thither foon.
Of blowing myrrh and balm: if thou accept
Brightens his Creft: as when a wand'ring fire,
Comp &t of unctuous vapour, which the nigt
Condenfes, and the cold invirons round,
Kindled through agitation to a flame,
(Which oft, they fay, fome evil fpirit attends)
Hovering and blazing with delufive light,
Misleads th' amaz'd night-wanderer from his
Lead then, faid EVE. IIe leading swiftly rowl'd
In tangles, and made intricate feem straight,
To mifchief fwift: hope elevates, and joy
Through bogs and mires, and oft thro' pond or pool;
There swallow'd up and loft, from succour far!
So glifter'd the dire fnake, and into fraud
Led EVE, our credulous mother, to the tree
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