Attractive, human, rational, love still; In loving thou dost well, in passion not, Wherein true love consists not; love refines The thoughts, and heart enlarges, hath his seat 590 By which to heavenly love thou may'st ascend; To whom thus half-abash'd, Adam replied: "Neither her outside form'd so fair, nor ought In procreation common to all kinds, Though higher of the genial bed by far More grateful than harmonious sound to th' ear. 595 600 605 610 616 To whom the angel, with a smile that glow'd Celestial rosy red, love's proper hue, Us happy, and without love no happiness. Answer'd: "Let it suffice thee that thou know'st Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st 621 625 But I can now no more; the parting sun Be strong, live happy, and love; but first of all, 630 His great command; take heed lest passion sway Thy judgment to do ought, which else free will 636 Would not admit: thine and of all thy sons The weal or wo in thee is plac'd; in thy persevering shall rejoice, beware! And all the bless'd: stand fast; to stand or fall 640 So saying, he arose; whom Adam thus Thy condescension, and shall be honour'd ever So parted they; the angel up to heaven From the thick shade, and Adam to his bower. 645 650 END OF BOOK EIGHTE. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT. Satan having compassed the earth, witn me ktated guile returns as a mist by night into Paradise, and enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. Eve, loth to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather testous to make trial of her strength: Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much Aattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding not till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden. The Serpent, now grown boider, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat: she, pleased with the taste, deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her; and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another 16 No more of talk, where God or angel guest Venial discourse unblam'd: I now mus, change And disobedience; on the part of heaven, เจ 15 20 Of my celestial patroness, who deigns And dictates to me slumb'ring, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse: Since first this subject for heroic song Pleas'd me, long choosing, and beginning late; Wa.s, hitherto the only argument Heroic deem'd, chief mast'ry to dissect Or tilting furniture, emblazon'd shields, Impresses quaint, caparisons, and steeds; Bases and tinsel trappings, gorgeous knights At joust and tournament; then marshall'd feast Not that which justly gives heroic name That name, unless an age too late, or cold Depress'd, and much they may, if all be mine, The sun was sunk, and after him the star "Twixt day and night; and now from end to end 50 55 60 : On man's destruction, maugre what might hap change, Where Tigris at the foot of Paradise 65 70 Into a gulf shot under ground, till part Rose up a fountain by the tree of life: In with the river sunk, and with it rose Satan involv'd in rising mist, then sought 75 Where to lie hid; sea he had search'd, and land From Eden over Pontus, and the pool Mæotis, up beyond the river Ob;' Downward as far antarctic; and in length West from Orontes to the ocean barr'd 80 At Darien, thence to the land where flows Ganges and Indus. Thus the orb he rcam'd With narrow search, and with inspection deep Consider'd every creature which of all Most opportune might serve his wiles, and found 85 The serpent subtlest beast of all the field. Him, after long debate, irresolute Of thoughts revolv'd, his final sentence chose |