Another Rib afford, yet lofs of Thee
Would never from my heart; no, no, I feel
The Link of Nature draw me: Flesh of Flesh,
Bone of my Bone thou art, and from thy Sate
Mine never shall be parted, blifs or woe.

So having faid, as one from fad difmay
Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd
Submitting to what seem'd remedilefs,

Thus in calm mood his Words to Eve he turn'd.

Bold deed thou hast presum'd, adventrous Eve, And peril great provok'd, who thus haft dar'd : Had it been only coveting to Eye

915

920

That facred Fruit, facred to abstinence,

Much more to Tafte it, under bane to touch.

But paft who can recal, or done undo?

Not GodOmnipotent, nor Fate: yet fo

Perhaps thou shalt not Die, perhaps the Fact
I's not fo heinous now, foretafted Fruit,

Profan'd first by the Serpent, by him first

930

Made common and unhallow'd ere our tafte;

Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives,

Lives, as thou faid'ft, and gains to live as Man
Higher degree of Life, inducement ftrong

935

To us, as likely tafting to attain
Proportional afcent, which cannot be
But to be Gods, or Angels Demi-gods.
Nor can I think that God, Creator wife,
Though threatning, will in earneft fo deftroy
Us his Prime Creatures, dignify'd so high,
Set over all his Works, which in our Fall,
For us created, needs with us must fail,
Dependent made; fo God fhall uncreate,'
Be fruftrate, do, undo, and labour lofe,

940

Not well conceiv'd of God, who tho' his Power
Creation could repeat, yet would be loath
Usto abolish, left the Adversary

945

Triumph and say, Fickle their State whom God
Moft Favours, who can please him long? Me first

He ruin'd, now Mankind, whom will he next?
Matter of fcorn,not to be given the Foe.
However I with thee have fixt my Lot,
Certain to undergo like doom, if Death
Confort with thee, Death is to me as Life;
So forcible within my heart I feel

950

955

The Bond of Nature draw me to my own,

My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;

Our State cannot be lever'd, we are one,

One Flesh; to lose thee were to lose my self.

So Adam, and thus Eve to him reply'd.
O glorious trial of exceeding Love,
Illuftrious evidence, example high!
Ingaging me to emulate, but short
Of thy perfection, how shall I attain ?

960

Adam, from whose dear fide I boast me sprung,

965

And gladly of our Union hear thee speak,

One Heart, one Soul in both; whereof good proof
This day affords, declaring thee resolv'd,

Rather than Death or aught than Death more dread

Shall feparate us, linkt in Love so dear,

970

To undergo with me one Guilt, one Crime,

If any be, oftafting this fair Fruit;

Whofe virtue, for of good ftill good proceeds,
Direct, or by occafion hath presented

This happy trial of thy Love, which elfe

975

So eminently never had been known.

Were it I thought Death menac'd would enfue

This my attempt, I would fuftain alone

The worst, and not persuade thee, rather die

Deferted, than oblige thee with a fact

980

pernicious to thy peace, chiefly affur'd Remarkably fo late of thy so true

So faithful Love unequal'd; but I feel

Far otherwife th' event, nor Death, but Life

Aug

Augmented, open'd Eyes, new Hopes, new Joys, 985 Tafte fo divine that what of fweet before

Hath touch'd my sense, flat feems to this, and harsh. On my experience, Adam, freely taste,

And fear of Death deliver to the Winds.

So faying, the embrac'd him, and for joy
Tenderly wept, much won that he his Love
Had fo ennobl'd, as of choice to incur
Divine difpleafure for her fake, or Death.
In recompence (for fuch compliance bad
Such recompence beft merits) from the bough
She gave him of that fair enticing Fruit
With liberal hand: he fcrupl'd not to eat
Against his better Knowledge, not deceiv'd,
But fondly overcome with Female charm.
Earth trembl'd from her entrails, as again
In pangs, and Nature gave a fecond groan.

995

1000

Sky lowr'd, and muttering Thunder, fome fad drops

Wept at compleating of the mortal Sin

Original; while Adam took no thought,

Eating his fill, nor Eve to iterate

ICOS

Her former trespass fear'd, the more to sooth

Him with her lov'd fociety, that now

As with new Wine intoxicated both

They fwim in mirth, and fancy that they feel

Divinity within them breeding wings

ΙΟΙΟ

Wherewith to fcorn the Earth: but that falfe Fruit

Eve, now I fee thou art exact of taste, And elegant, of Sapience no small part, Since to each meaning favour we apply, And Palate call judicious; I the praise

1020 Yiel

Yield thee, fo well this day thou haft purvey'd.
Much pleasure we have loft, while we abstain'd
From this delightful Fruit, nor known till now
True relish, tafting; if such pleasure be
In things to us forbidden, it might be wish'd,
For this one Tree had been forbidden ten.

But come, fo well refresh'd, now let us play,
As meet is, after fuch delicious Fare;
For never did thy Beauty since the day
I faw thee firft and wedded thee, adorn'd
With all perfections, fo inflame my sense
With ardour to enjoy thee, fairer now
Than ever, bounty of this virtuous Tree.

1025

1030

So faid he, and forbore not Glance or toy

Of amorous intent, well understood

1035

Of Eve, whofe Eye darted contagious Fire.

Her hand he feiz'd, and to a fhady bank,

Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd

He led her nothing loath; Flours were the Couch,
Panfies, and Violets, and Asphodel,

104

And Hyacinth, Earth's freshest softest lap.

There they their fill of Love and Loves difpost
Took largely; of their mutual guilt the Seal,
The folace of their fin, till dewy fleep

Opprefs'd them, wearied with their amorous play.
Soon as the force of that falacious Fruit,

1045

1050

That with exhilarating vapour bland
About their spirits had plaid, and inmoft powers
Made err, was now exhal'd, and groffer fleep
Bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams
Encumber'd, now had left them; up they rose
As from unreft, and each the other viewing,
Soon found their Eyes how open'd, and their Minds
How darken'd. Innocence, that as a veil
Had fhadow'd them from knowing ill, was gone,
Just confidence, and native righteousness

And honour from about them, naked left

1055

ΤΟ

To guilty fhame: He cover'd, but his Robe
Uncover'd more: So rose the Danite strong
Herculean Sampfon from the Harlot-lap
Of Philiftean Dalilah, and wak’d

Shorn of his ftrength. They deftitute and bare
Of all their virtue; filent, and in face.
Confounded long they fate, as ftrucken mute,
Till Adam, though no less than Eve abash'd,

At length gave utterance to these words constrain'd.

O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give car
To that falfe Worm, of whomsoever taught
To counterfeit Man's voice, true in our Fall,
False in our promis'd Rising; fince our Eyes
Open'd we find indeed, and find we know
Both Good and Evil, Good loft, and Evil got,
Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know,
Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void,
Of Innocence, of Faith, of Purity,
Our wonted Ornaments now foil'd and ftain'd,
And in our Faces evident the figns

Of foul concupifcence, whence evil store ;
Even fhame, the laft of evils; of the firft
Be fure then. How fhall I behold the face
Henceforth of God or Angel, erft with joy
And rapture so oft beheld? those heav'nly shapes
Will dazle now this earthly, with their blaze
Infufferably bright. Omight I here

1060

1665

In folitude live favage, in fome glade
Obfcur'd, where highest Woods impenetrable

To Star, or Sun-light, fpread their umbrage broad
And brown as Evening: Cover me ye Pines,

Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs

Hide me, where I may never fee them more..
But let us now, as in bad plight, devise
What beft for th

may the prefent ferve to hide

1085

1090

The Parts of each from other, that feem mo

To shame obnoxious, and unseemlieft feen,

Some