Thou great Theanthropos, that giv'st and ground st
Thy gifts in dust, and from our dunghill crown'st
Reflecting honour, taking, by retail,

What thou hast giv'n in gross, from lapsed, frail,
And sinful man that drink'st full draughts, wherein
Thy children's leprous fingers, scurf'd with sin,
Have paddled; cleanse, O cleanse my crafty soul,
From secret crimes, and let my thoughts controul
My thoughts: O teach me stoutly to deny
Myself, that I may be no longer I :
Enrich my fancy, clarify my thoughts,
Refine my dross; O wink at human faults;
And, through the slender current of my quill,

Convey thy current, whose clear streams may fill
The hearts of men with love, their tongues with praise:
Crown me with glory, take who list, the bays.

1.

JAMES i. 14.

Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

SERPENT.

EVE.

Serp. Upon the fruit of this fair tree? And why?

TOT eat? not taste? not touch? not cast an eye

Why eat'st thou not what Heav'n ordain'd for food?
Or canst thou think that bad which Heav'n call'd good?
Why was it made, if not to be enjoy'd?
Neglect of favours makes a favour void:
Blessings unus'd, pervert into a waste,
As well as surfeits; woman, do but taste:
See how the laden boughs make silent suit
To be enjoy'd; look how their bending fruit
Meet thee half way: observe but how they crouch
To kiss thy hand; coy woman, do but touch:

Mark

rk what a pure vermilion blush has dy'd

eir swelling cheeks; and how for shame they hide eir palsy heads, to see themselves stand by

glected: Woman, do but cast an eye.

at bounteous Heav'n ordain'd for use, refuse not :
me, pull and eat: y' abuse the thing ye use not.
Eve. Wisest of beasts, our great Creator did
erve this tree, and this alone forbid;

rest are freely ours, which doubtless are
pleasing to the taste; to th' eye as fair:
touching this, his strict commands are such,
death to taste, no less than death to touch.
erp. Pish; death's a fable: did not Heav'n inspire
ur equal elements with living fire,

wn from the spring of life? Is not that breath
nortal? Come; ye are as free from death
he that made you. Can the flames expire
ich he has kindled? Can ye quench his fire?
not the great Creator's voice proclaim
ate'er he made (from the blue spangled frame
the poor leaf that trembles) very good?
ss'd he not both the feeder and the food?
, tell me, then, what danger can accrue
m such blest food, to such half gods as you?
b needless fears, and let no fond conceit
ise your freedom: woman, take and eat.
ve. 'Tis true, we are immortal; death is yet
born, and, till rebellion make it debt,
due; I know the fruit is good, until
sumptuous disobedience make it ill.
lips that open to this fruit's a portal
let in death, and make immortal mortal.

erp. You cannot die; come, woman, taste, and fear not. ve. Shall Eve transgress? I dare not, I dare not. erp. Afraid? Why draw'st thou back thy tim'rous

arm?

rm only falls on such as fear a harm.

B 2

Hear'n

Heav'n knows and fears the virtue of this tree?
"Twill make you perfect gods as well as He,
Stretch forth thy hand, and let thy fondness never
Fear death: do, pull, and eat, and live for ever.
Eve. 'Tis but an apple; and it is as good
To do, as to desire. Fruit's made for food :
I'll pull, and taste, and tempt my Adam too
To know the secrets of this dainty.

S. CHRYS. sup. Matth.

Serp. Do.

He forced him not he touched him not: only sa Cast thyself down; that we may know, that whosoe obeyeth the devil, casteth himself down: for the de may suggest, compel he cannot.

S. BERN. in Ser.

It is the devil's part to suggest; ours, not to conse As oft as we resist him, so often we overcome him: often as we overcome him, so often we bring joy to angels, and glory to God: who opposeth us, that wem contend; and assisteth us, that we may conquer.

EPIG. I.

Unlucky parliament! wherein, at last,
Both houses are agreed, and firmly past
An act of death confirm'd by higher powers;
O had it had but such success as ours!

JAME

II.

JAMES i. 15.

en when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

1.

AMENT, lament, look, look, what thou hast done: Lament the world's, lament thine own estate : ok, look, by doing, how thou art undone ; Lament thy fall, lament thy change of state: y faith is broken, and thy freedom gone, See, see too soon, what thou lament'st too late. O thou that wert so many men, nay, all Abridg'd in one! how has thy desp'rate fall estroy'd thy unborn seed, destroy'd thyself withal!

2.

orious Adam, whom thy Maker made Equal to angels that excel in pow'r,

at hast thou done? O why hast thou obey'd Thy own destruction? Like a new-cropt flow'r, ow does the glory of thy beauty fade!

How are thy fortunes blasted in an hour!

How art thou cow'd, that had'st the pow'r to quell The spite of new-fall'n angels, baffle hell,

d vie with those that stood, and vanquish those that fell!

3.

how the world (whose chaste and pregnant womb Of late conceiv'd, and brought forth nothing ill) now degenerated, and become

A base adultress, whose false births do fill
e earth with monsters, monsters that do roam
And rage about, and make a trade to kill :

Now

Now glutt'ny paunches; lust begins to spawn; Wrath takes revenge, and avarice a pawn; Pale envy pines, pride swells, and sloth begins to yaw

4.

The air that whisper'd, now begins to roar ;
And blust'ring Boreas blows the boiling tide;
The white-mouth'd water now usurps the shore,
And scorns the pow'r of her tridental guide;
The fire now burns, that did but warm before,
And rules her ruler with resistless pride :

Fire, water, earth, and air, that first were made
To be subdu'd, see how they now invade;

They rule whom once they serv'd, command where or obey'd.

5.

Behold, that nakedness, that late bewray'd

Thy glory, now's become thy shame, thy wonder; Behold, those trees, whose various fruits were made For food, now turn'd a shade to shrowd thee under; Behold, that voice (which thou hast disobey'd), That late was music, now affrights like thunder: Poor man! are not thy joints grown sore w shaking

To view th' effect of thy bold undertaking,

That in one hour didst mar what Heav'n six days va making?

S. AUGUST. lib. i. de Lib. Arbit.

It is a most just punishment, that man should lose ta freedom which man could not use, yet had power to ke if he would; and that he who had knowledge to do wit was right, and did not, should be deprived of the kno ledge of what was right and that he who would not righteously when he had the power, should lose the pou to do it when he had the will.