Might tempt alone; and in her ears the sound So savoury of that fruit, which with desire, 735 740 Pausing awhile, thus to herself she mused: Great are thy virtues, doubtless, best of fruits, Though kept from man, and worthy to be admired; Whose taste, too long forborne, at first essay Gave elocution to the mute, and taught 746 The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise: Thy praise he also, who forbids thy use, Conceals not from us, naming thee the tree Of knowledge, knowledge both of good and evil; 750 755 760 Of this fair fruit, our doom is, we shall die! How dies the Serpent? he hath eaten, lives, And knows, and speaks, and reasons, and discerns, 765 Was death invented? or to us denied This intellectual food, for beasts reserved? For beasts it seems: yet that one beast which first' Hath tasted envies not, but brings with joy The good befallen him, author unsuspect, 770 Under this ignorance of good, and evil, Of virtue to make wise: What hinders then 775 Forth reaching to the fruit, she pluck'd, she eat! 780 Cr fancied so, through expectation high 785 Of knowledge; nor was Godhead from her thought. Greedily she ingorged without restraint, 790 And knew not eating death; Satiate at length, And heighten'd as with wine, jocund and boon, O sov'reign, virtuous, precious of all trees In Paradise! of operation bless'd 795 To sapience, hitherto obscured, infamed, And thy fair fruit let hang, as to no end Created; but henceforth my early care, Not without song, each morning, and due praise, Shall tend thee, and the fertile burden ease 800 Of thy full branches offer'd free to ali; Till, dieted by thee, I grow mature In knowledge, as the Gods, who all things know; 805 810 High, and remote to see from thence distinct But keep the odds of knowledge in my power 815 820 And render me more equal; and perhaps, A thing not undesirable, sometime Superior; for inferior, who is free? This may be well: But what if God have seen, 825 And death ensue? Then I shall be no more! And Adam, wedded to another Eve, 830 So saying, from the tree her step she turn'd; But first low reverence done, as to the Power That dwelt within, whose presence had infused Into the plant sciential sap, derived 835 From nectar, drink of Gods. Adam the while, Waiting desirous her return, had wove Of choicest flowers a garland, to adorn Her tresses, and her rural labours crown; 840 As reapers oft are wont their harvest-queen. Great joy he promised to his thoughts, and new Yet oft his heart, divine of something ill, Misgave him; he the faltering measure felt; 843 Scarce from the tree returning; in her hand 850 855 Came prologue and apology, too prompt; Not felt, nor shall be twice; for never more Mean I to try, what rash untried I sought, The pain of absence from thy sight. But strange 860 Of danger tasted, or to evil unknown To open eyes, and make them Gods who taste; 865 870* Persuasively hath so prevail'd that I Have also tasted, and have also found The effects to correspond; opener mine eyes, 875 Dim erst, dilated spirits, ampler heart, 880 Thus Eve, with countenance blithe her story told; But in her cheek distemper flushing glow’d. 886. On the other side Adam, soon as he heard Ran through his veins, and all his joints relax'd; 890 From his slack hand the garland wreathed for Eve Down dropp'd, and all the faded roses shed; Speechless he stood and pale, till thus at length First to himself he inward silence broke : O fairest of Creation, last and best 895 Of all God's works, Creature in whom excell'd Whatever can to sight or thought be form'd, Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet! 900 The sacred fruit forbidden! Some cursed fraud 905 How can I live without thee! how forego 910 -Another rib afford, yet loss 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 state 915 So having said, as one from sad dismay Recomforted, and after thoughts disturb'd Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turn'd: Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous Eve, 920 And peril great provoked, who thus hast dared, That sacred fruit, sacred to abstinence, Much more to taste it under ban to touch. |