Though at the voice much marvelling; at length:
Not unamaz'd she thus in answer spake.
What may this mean? Language of Man pronounc'd By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest? The first at least of these I thought deny'd To Beafts, whom God on their Creation-day Created mute to all articulate found; The latter I demur, for in their looks
Much reason, and in their actions oft appears.
Thee, Serpent, futtleft beaft of all the field
I knew, but not with human voice endu'd ;
Redouble then this miracle, and say,
How cam'ft thou speakable of mute, and how
To me fo friendly grown above the reft
The trodden Herb, of abject thoughts and low,
As was my food, nor aught but food difcern'd
Or Sex, and apprehended nothing high :
Till on a Day roving the Field, I chanc'd
A goodly Tree far diftant to behold
Loaden with fruit of faireft colours mixt,
Ruddy and Gold: Inearer drew to gaze;
When from the boughs a favoury odour blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense
Than fmell of sweetest Fenel or the Teats
Of Ewe or Goat dropping with Milk at Eevn,
Unfuckt of Lamb or Kid, that tend their play.
To fatisfie the sharp defire I had
Oftafting those fair Apples, I refolv'd
Not to defer; hunger and thirft at once,
Powerful perfuaders, quicken'd at the scent
Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me fo keen.
About the moffie Trunk I wound me foon,
For high from ground the branches would require 590
Thy utmost reach or Adam's: Round the Tree
All other Beafts that faw, with like defire
Longing and envying ftood, 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 Reason in my inward Powers, and Speech
Wanted not long, though to this shape retain❜d.
Thenceforth to Speculations high or deep
Iturn'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 Beauties 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 spirited fly Snake; and Eve
Yet more amaz'd unwary thus reply'd.
Serpent, thy overpraising 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 Paradife, and various, yet unknown
To us, in fuch abundance lyes our choice,
Aş leaves a greater ftore of Fruit untouch'd,
Still hanging incorruptible, till men
Grow up to their provision, and more hands
Help to disburden Nature of her Birth.
To whom the wily Adder, blithe and glad.
Empress, the way is ready, and not long,
Beyond a row of Myrtles, on a Flat,
Faft by a Fountain, one small Thicket paft
Of blowing Myrrh and Balm; if thou accept
My conduct, I can bring thee thither foon.
Lead then, faid Eve. He leading fwiftly rowl'd
In tangles, and made intricate feem strait,
To mischieffwift. Hope elevates, and joy
Brightens his Creft. As when a wandring Fire,
Compact of unctuous vapour, which the Night
Condenses, and the cold environs round,
Kindled through agitation to a Flame,
Which oft, they say, fome evil Spirit attends,
Hovering and blazing with delufive Light,
Misleads th' amaz'd Night-wanderer from his way 640
Through Bogs and Mires, and oft thro' Pond or Pool,
There fwallow'd up and loft, from fuccour far:
So glifter'd the dire Snake, and into fraud
Led Eve our credulous Mother, to the Tree
Of prohibition, root of all our woe;
Which when she saw, thus to her Guide she spake.
Serpent, we might have fpar'd our coming hither
Fruitless to me, though Fruit be here to excess,
The credit of whofe virtue reft with thee,
Wondrous indeed, if cause of such effects.
Iit of this Tree we may not tafte nor touch,
God fo commanded, and left that Command
Sole Daughter of his voice: the reft, we live
Law to our felves, our Reafon is our Law,
To whom the Tempter guilefully reply'd.
Indeed hath God then said that of the Fruit
Of all thefe Garden Trees ye fhall not eat,
Yet Lords declar'd of all in Earth or Air?
To whom thus Eve yet finlefs. Of the Fruit
Of each Tree in the Garden we may eat,
But of the Fruit of this fair Tree amidst
The Garden, God hath faid, Ye shall not eat
Thereof, nor fhall ye touch it, left ye die.
She scarce had said, tho' brief, when now more bold The Tempter, but with fhew of Zeal and Love
To Man, and Indignation at his wrong,
New part puts on, and as to paffion mov❜d,
Fluctuates difturb'd, yet comely, and in act
Rais'd, as of fome great matter to begin.
As when of old fome Orator renown'd
In Athens or free Rome, where Eloquence
Flourish'd, fince mute, to fome great cause addreft,
Stood in himself collected, while each part,
Motion, each act won audience ere the tongue,
Sometimes in heighth began, as no delay
Of Preface brooking through his Zeal of Right:
So ftanding, moving, or to heighth up-grown
The Tempter all impassion'd thus began.
O Sacred, Wife, and Wisdom-giving Plant,
Mother of Science, Now I feel thy Power
Within me clear, not only to difcern
Things in their Caufes, but to trace the ways
Of higheft Agents, deem'd however wife.
Queen of this Univerfe, do not believe
Those rigid threats of Death; ye shall not die :
How fhould ye? by the Fruit? it gives you Life
To Knowledge! By the Threatner? look on me,
Me who have touch'd and tafted, yet both live,
And Life more perfect have attain'd than Fate
Meant me, by venturing higher than my Lot.
Shall that be shut to Man, which to the Beaft
Is open? or will God incenfe his ire
For fuch a petty trefpafs, and not praise
Rather your dauntlefs virtue, whom the pain
Of Death denounc'd, whatever thing Death be,
Deterr'd not from atchieving what might lead
To happier life, knowledge of Good and Evil;
Of good, how juft of evil, if what is evil
Be real, why not known, fince easier fhunn'd?
God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just ;
Not juft, not God; not fear'd then, nor obey'd:
Your fear it felf of Death removes the fear.
Why then was this forbid ? Why but to awe,
Why but to keep ye low and ignorant,
His worshippers; he knows that in the day
Ye eat thereof, your Eyes that feem fo clear,
Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then
Open'd and clear'd, and ye shall be as Gods,
Knowing both Good and Evil, as they know.
That ye shall be as Gods, fince las Man,
Internal Man, is but proportion meet,
I of brute human, ye of human Gods.
So ye fhall die perhaps, by putting off
Human, to put on Gods: death to be wifht,
Tho' threaten'd, which no worse than this can bring.
And what are Gods that Man may not become
As they, participating God-like food?
The Gods are firft, and that advantage ufe
On our belief, that all from them proceeds;
I queftion it, for this fair Earth I fee,
Warm'd by the Sun, producing every kind,
Them nothing: If they all things, who enclos'd
Knowledge of Good and Evil in this Tree,
That whofo eats thereof, forthwith attains
Wisdom without their leave? and wherein lyes
Th' offence, that Man fhould thus attain to know?
What can your knowledge hurt him, or this Tree
Impart against his Will, if all be his?
Or is it envy, and can envy dwell
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