As Flesh to mix with Flesh, or Soul with Soul. Beyond the Earth's green Cape and verdant Isles 630 Be ftrong, live happy, and love, but first of all His great command; take heed left Paffion fway 635 Thy Judgment to do ought, which else free Will I in thy perfevering shall rejoyce, And all the Bleft: stand fast; to ftand or fall 640 Free in thine own Arbitrement it lies, Perfect within, no outward aid require; So faying, he arofe; whom Adam thus 645 Thy condefcenfion, and shall be honour'd ever With grateful Memorie: thou to mankind 650 Be good and friendly still, and oft return. So parted they, the Angel up to Heav'n From the thick fhade, and Adam to his Bowre. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. The ARGUMENT. Satan having compaft the Earth, with me. ditated guile returns as amift by Night into Paradife, and enters into the Serpent sleep. ing. Adam and Eve in the Morning go forth to their labours, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each labouring apart: Adam confents not, alledging the danger left that Enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd fhould attempt her found alone: Eve, loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make tryal of her Strength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, firft gazing, then speaking, with much much flattery extolling Eve above all other Creatures. Eve wondring to hear the Serpent Speak, asks how he attain'd to ba man Speech and such understanding not 'till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain Tree in the Garden be attain'd both to Speech and Reafon, 'till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring ber to that Tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and agruments induces her at length to eat; fhe pleas'd with the tafte deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the Fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof : Adam at first amaz'd, but perceiving her löft, refolves through vehemence of love to perifh with her; and extenuating the tref pafs eats alfo of the Fruit: The Effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another. No N O more of talk where God or Angel Guest With Man, as with his Friend, familiar us'd To fit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repaft, permitting him the while Venial difcourfe unblam'd: I now must change Those Notes to Tragic: foul diftruft, and breach And difobedience: On the part of Heav'n Now alienated, diftance and distaste, Of my Celestial Patronefs, who deigns 10 IS And dictates to me,flumb'ring, or infpines With long and tedious havoc fabled Knights 30 35 Bales |