"Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond

Compare above all living creatures dear!

230

Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts employed
How we might well fulfil the work which here
God hath assigned us, nor of me shalt pass
Unpraised; for nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to study household good
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed
Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse

Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow,
To brute denied, and are of love the food,
Love not the lowest end of human life:

235

240

For not to irksome toil, but to delight,

He made us, and delight to reason joined.

These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide

245

As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Assist us but if much converse perhaps
Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield;
For solitude sometimes is best society,
And short retirement urges sweet return.
But other doubt possesses me, lest harm

Befall thee severed from me; for thou know'st
What hath been warned us, what malicious foe,
Envying our happiness and of his own
Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame
By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
(His wish and best advantage) us asunder,
Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each
To other speedy aid might lend at need:
Whether his first design be to withdraw

228. Compare, comparison.

229. motioned, proposed.

250

255

260

Our fealty from God, or to disturb Conjugal love, than which perhaps no Enjoyed by us excites his envy more = Or this, or worse, leave not the faithfu That gave thee being, still shades thee The wife, where danger or dishonor lu Safest and seemliest by her husband st Who guards her, or with her the worst

To whom the virgin majesty of Eve, As one who loves and some unkindness With sweet austere composure thus rep

That such an enemy we have who seek
Our ruin, both by thee informed I learn
And from the parting angel overheard,
As in a shady nook I stood behind,
Just then returned at shut of evening flo
But that thou shouldst my firmness there
To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'st not, being such
As we, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receive or can repel.
His fraud is then thy fear, which plain in
Thy equal fear that my firm faith and lo
Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced;
Thoughts, which how found they har
breast,

Adam, misthought of her to thee so dear

To whom with healing words Adam re

265. Or this, or worse, whether this or worse than this be his design.

288. harbor, a re

66

Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve!

For such thou art, from sin and blame entire;
Not diffident of thee do I dissuade

Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid
The attempt itself, intended by our foe.

295

For he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonor foul, supposed
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof

Against temptation: thou thyself with scorn
And anger wouldst resent the offered wrong,
Though ineffectual found; misdeem not then
If such affront I labor to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,
Or daring, first on me the assault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could seduce
Angels; nor think superfluous others' aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue, in thy sight

300

305

310

More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were

Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or overreached,

Would utmost vigor raise, and raised unite.

Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel 315 When I am present, and thy trial choose

With me,

best witness of thy virtue tried ?"

So spake domestic Adam in his care
And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought
Less áttributed to her faith sincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed :

"If this be our condition, thus to dwell

292. entire, wholly free.
293. diffident. See VIII. 562.
296. asperses, stains; tarnishes.
308. others', if not other's.

320

310. Access, addition; increase. 314. unite, join in one the utmost vigor of all my powers. 320. Less, too little.

In narrow circuit straitened by a foe
Subtle or violent, we not endued
Single with like defence wherever me
How are we happy, still in fear of har
But harm precedes not sin only our
Tempting affronts us with his foul este
Of our integrity; his foul esteem
Sticks no dishonor on our front, but tu
Foul on himself; then wherefore shun:
By us? who rather double honor gain
From his surmise proved false, find pea
Favor from Heaven, our witness from t
And what is faith, love, virtue, unassay
Alone without exterior help sustained E
Let us not then suspect our happy stat
Left so imperfect by the Maker wise,
As not secure to single or combined.
Frail is our happiness, if this be so,
And Eden were no Eden thus exposed.

To whom thus Adam fervently replie "O woman, best are all things as the w Of God ordained them; his creating ha Nothing imperfect or deficient left

Of all that he created, much less man, Or aught that might his happy state sec Secure from outward force; within hims The danger lies, yet lies within his powe Against his will he can receive no harm But God left free the will, for what obey

324, 325. We, wherever we may be met, not being endued, separate from each other, with the same defence as if together.

330. front, forehead; brow. 334. from the event, from what ensues and proves our fidelity. 335. unassayed, untried; not put to the proof.

336. Alone, wE meaning is, Whe virtue, if it has the proof when without the aid C 339. As not to both, whether s gether.

347. Or aught, imperfect.

Reason is free, and reason he made right,
But bid her well be ware and still erect,
Lest by some fair-appearing good surprised
She dictate false, and misinform the will
To do what God expressly hath forbid.
Not then 'mistrust but tender love enjoins

That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,

Since reason not impossibly may meet

Some specious object by the foe suborned,

And fall into deception unaware,

355

360

Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warned.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
Were better, and most likely if from me
Thou sever not trial will come unsought.
Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve
First thy obedience; the other who can know,
Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?
But if thou think trial unsought may find

Us both securer than thus warned thou seem❜st,
Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, rely

On what thou hast of virtue, summon all;

365

370

374

For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine."

So spake the patriarch of mankind; but Eve Persisted; yet submiss, though last, replied:

"With thy permission then, and thus forewarned, Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words

Touched only, that our trial when least sought 380

353. ware, wary. erect, upright; on her guard.

358. mind, remind; put in

mind.

365. most likely, which is most likely to be avoided.

367. approve, prove.

368. the other, thy constancy. 369. attempted, tried. who attest, who can bear witness to it. 371. securer, less distrustful or watchful of ourselves; less prepared.-thou seem'st, thou seemest to be, or to consider thyself.