Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn;
Suttle he needs muft be, who could feduce
Angels, nor think superfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receave
Accefs in every vertue, in thy fight

More wife, more watchful, stronger, if need were
Of outward ftrength; while shame, thou looking on,
Shame to be overcome or over-reacht

Would utmoft vigour raife, and rais'd unite.
Why shouldst not thou like fense within thee feel
When I am present, and thy trial choose
With me, best witness of thy virtue tri'd.
So fpake domeftic Adam in his care
And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought
Lefs attributed to her faith facere,

Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd.

If this be our condition, thus to dwell

In narrow circuit strait'n'd by a foe,
Suttle or violent, we not endu'd
Single with like defence, wherever met,
How are we happie, ftill in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not fin: only our foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem
Of our integritie: his foul efteem

Sticks no difhonour on our front, but turns
Foul on himself; then wherefore shun'd or fear'd
By us? who rather double honour gain

From his furmife prov'd falfe, find peace within,
Favour from heav'n, our witness from th'event,
And what is faith, love, vertue unaffaid

Alone, without exterior help sustain’d ?

Let us not then suspect our happie state
Left so imperfect by the maker wise,
As not fecure to fingle or combin'd.
Frail is our happiness, if this be so,
And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd.

To whom thus Adam fervently repli'd.
O woman, best are all things as the will
Of God ordain'd them, his creating hand
Nothing imperfect or deficient left

Of all that he created, much less man,
Or aught that might his happie state secure,
Secure from outward force; within himself
The danger lies, yet lies within his power:
Against his will he can receave no harm.
But God left free the will, for what obeys
Reason, is free, and reafon he made right,
But bid her well beware, and ftill erect,
Leaft by fome fair appeering good furpris'd
She dictate falfe, and mifinform the will
To do what God exprefly hath forbid.

Not then mistrust, but tender love enjoines,
That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.

Firm we fubfift, yet poffible to fwerve,

Since reafon not impoffibly may meet
Some fpecious object by the foe fuborn'd,
And fall into deception unaware,

Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn'd.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
Were better, and most likelie if from me
Thou fever not: trial will come unfought.
Wouldft thou approve thy constancie, approve

First thy obedience; th'other who can know,
Nor feeing thee attempted, who atteft?
But if thou think, trial unsought may find
Us both fecurer than thus warn'd thou seemst,
Go; for thy ftay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, relie

On what thou haft of virtue, summon all,

For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. So fpake the patriarch of mankind, but Eve Perfifted, yet fubmifs, though last, repli'd.

With thy permission then, and thus forwarn'd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touch'd only, that our trial, when least fought, May find us both perhaps far less prepar'd, The willinger I goe, nor much expect A foe fo proud will first the weaker seek; So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse. Thus faying, from her husband's hand her hand Soft she withdrew, and like a wood-nymph light Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train

Betook her to the groves, but Delia's felf

In gate furpafs'd and goddess-like deport,
Though not as she with bow and quiver arm'd,
But with fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude,
Guiltless of fire had form'd, or angels brought.
To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,
Likelieft the feem'd, Pomona when she fed
Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his eye purfu'd
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.

Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated, the to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bowre,
And all things in best order to invite
Noontide repast, or afternoon's repose.

O much deceav'd, much failing, hapless Eve,
Of thy prefum'd return! event perverse !
Thou never from that hour in Paradise
Foundft either fweet repaft, or found repofe ;
Such ambush hid among sweet flours and shades
Waited with hellifh rancour imminent

To intercept thy way, or fend thee back
Despoil❜d of innocence, of faith, of bliss.

For now, and fince first break of dawne the fiend,
Meer ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his quest, where likelieft he might find
The only two of mankind, but in them
The whole included race, his purpos'd prey.
In bowre and field he fought, where any tuft
Of grove or garden plot more pleasant lay,
Their tendance or plantation for delight,
By fountain or by fhadie rivulet

He fought them both, but with'd his hap might find
Eve separate, he wish'd, but not with hope

Of what fo feldom chanc'd, when to his wish,

Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,

Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood,
Half fpi'd, fo thick the rofes bushing round

About her glow'd, oft stooping to fupport
Each flour of flender ftalk, whofe head though gay
Carnation, purple, azure, or fpect with gold,

Hung drooping unsustain'd, them the upstaies
Gently with mirtle band, mindless the while,
Herself, though fairest unsupported flour,
From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh.
Neerer he drew, and many a walk travers'd
Of statelieft covert, cedar, pine, or palme,
Then voluble and bold, now hid, now feen
Among thick woven arborets and flours
Emborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve:
Spot more delicious than thofe gardens feign'd
Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd
Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes fon,

- Or that, not mystic, where the sapient king
Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse.
Much he the place admir'd, the person more.
As one who long in populous city pent,

Where houses thick and fewers annoy the air,
Forth iffuing on a fummer's morn to breath
Among the pleasant villages and farmes
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceaves delight,
The smell of grain, or tedded-grass, or kine,
Or dairie, each rural fight, each rural found;
If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass,
What pleasing feem'd, for her now pleases more,
She moft, and in her look fumms all delight,
Such pleasure took the ferpent to behold
This flourie plat, the sweet recefs of Eve
Thus earlie, thus alone; her heav'nly form
Angelic, but more foft, and feminine,
Her graceful innocence, her every air
Of gefture or least action overaw'd