Mine never fhall be parted, blifs or woe.
So having faid, as one from fad difmay
Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd
Submitting to what feem'd remedilefs,

Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd.
Bold deed thou haft prefum'd, adventrous Eve,
And peril great provok'd, who thus haft dar'd,
Had it been only coveting to eye

That facred fruit, facred to abstinence,

Much more to tafte it, under ban to touch.
But past who can recal, or done undo?
Not God omnipotent, nor Fate; yet fo
Perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the fact
Is not fo hainous now, foretasted fruit,
Profan'd first by the serpent, by him first
Made common and unhallow'd ere our taste;
Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives,
Lives, as thou faidft, and gains to live as Man
Higher degree of life, inducement strong
To us, as likely tafting to attain
Proportional afcent, which cannot be
But to the Gods, or Angels Demi-Gods,
Nor can I think that God, Creator wife,
Though threat'ning, will in earnest so destroy
Us his prime creatures, dignify'd fo 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,
Not well conceiv'd of God, who though his power
Creation could repeat, yet would be loath
Us to abolish, left the Adversary

Triumph, and say, Fickle their ftate whom God
Moft favours; who can please him long? Me first
He ruin'd, now mankind; whom will he next?

Matter

Matter of fcorn, not to be giv'n the foe.
However I with thee have fix'd 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

The bond of nature draw me to my own,
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;
Our state cannot be fever'd, we are one,
One flesh; to lofe thee were to lose myself.
So Adam, and thus Eve to him reply'd.
O glorious trial of exceeding love,
Illuftrious evidence, example high !
Engaging me to emulate, but short.

Of thy perfection, how shall I attain,

Adam? from whofe dear fide I boaft me fprung,
And gladly of our union hear thee speak,

One heart, one foul in both; whereof good proof
This day, affords, declaring thee refolv'd,
Rather than death, or ought than death more dread.
Shall feparate us, link'd in love fo dear,

To undergo with me one guilt, one crime,
If any be, of tasting this fair fruit,

Whofe virtue (for of good ftill good proceeds,
Direct, or by occasion) hath presented
This happy trial of thy love, which else.
So eminently never had been known.

Were it I thought death menac'd would enfue :
This my attempt, I would fustain alone

The worst, and not perfuade thee, rather die.
Deferted, than oblige thee with a fact.
Pernicious to thy peace, chiefly affur'd..
Remarkably fo late of thy fo true,
So faithful love unequal'd; but I feel.
Far otherwife th' event, not death, but life-
Augmented, open'd eyes, new hopes, new joys,

Tafte

Taste fo divine, that what of sweet before

Hath touch'd my fenfe, flat seems 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 ennobled, as of choice to incur
Divine displeasure for her fake, or death.
In recompence (for fuch compliance bad
Such recompence best merits) from the bough
She gave him of that fair inticing fruit
With liberal hand he fcrupled not to eat
Against his better knowledge, not deceiv'd,
But fondly overcome with female charm.
Earth trembled from her entrails, as again
In pangs, and Nature gave a fecond groan.
Sky lowr'd, and muttering thunder, fome fad drops.
Wept at compleating of the mortal fin

Original; while Adam took no thought,
Eating his fill, nor Eve to iterate

Her former trefpafs fear'd, the more to footh
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

Wherewith to fcorn the earth: but that false fruit

Far other operation firft difplay'd,.

Carnal defire inflaming; he on Eve
Began to caft lafcivious eyes, fhe him
As wantonly repaid; in luft they burn :
Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move.
Eve, now I fee thou art exact of taste,
And elegant, of fapience no fmall part,
Since to each meaning favour we apply,
And palate call judicious; I the praise

Yield thee, fo well this day thou hast purvey'd.
Much pleasure we have loft, while we abftain'd
From this delightful fruit, nor known till now
True relish, tafting; if fuch pleasure be
In things to us forbidd'n, it might be wifh'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 fince 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.
So faid he, and forbore not glance or toy
Of amorous intent, well understood
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; flow'rs were the couch,
Panfies, and violets, and afphodel,

And hyacinth, earth's fresheft softeft lap.
There they their fill of love and love's difport
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 fallacious fruit,
That with exhilerating vapour bland

About their spirits had play'd, and inmoft powers.
Made err, was now exhal'd; and groffer fleep
Bred of unkindly fumes, with confcious dreams
Incumber'd, now had left them; up they rofe
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,

Juft

Just confidence, and native righteousness,
And honour from about them, naked left
To guilty fhame; he cover'd, but his robe
Uncover'd more. So rofe the Danite strong,
Herculean Samfon, from the harlot lap
Of Philiftean Dalilah, and wak'd

Shorn of his strength. They deftitute and bare
Of all their virtue: filent, and in face
Confounded long they fat, as ftrucken mute,
Till Adam, though not less than Eve abash'd,
At length gave utterance to thefe words conftrain'd.
O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear
To that falfe worm, of whom foever taught
To counterfeit Man's voice, true in our fall,
Falfe in our promis'd rifing; 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 stain❜d,
And in our faces evident the figns

Of foul concupifcence; whence evil ftore;
Ev'n 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 fo oft beheld? thofe heav'nly thapes.
Will dazzle now this earthly with their blaze
Infufferably bright. O might I here

In folitude live favage, in fome glade
Obfcur'd, where highest woods impenetrable
To ftar or fun light, fpread their umbrage broad
And brown as evening: Cover me ye pines,
Ye cedars with innumerable boughs

Hide me where I may never see them more.

But