Henceforth of God or angel, earft with joy
And rapture so oft beheld? those heav'nly shapes
Will dazle 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, spread their umbrage broad,
And brown as eevening: cover me ye pines,
Ye cedars, with innumerable boughs
Hide me, where I may never see them more.
But let us now, as in bad plight, devife
What beft may for the present serve to hide
The parts of each from other, that seem most
To shame obnoxious, and unfeemliest seen,
Some tree Whofe broad smooth leaves together fow'd,
And girded on our loyns, may cover round
Those middle parts, that this new comer, shame,
There fit not, and reproach us as unclean.
So counsel'd he, and both together went
Into the thickest wood, there foon they chose
The figtree, not that kind for fruit renown'd,
But fuch as at this day to Indians known
In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms
Branching fo broad and long, that in the ground
The bending twigs take root, and daughters grow
About the mother-tree, a pillar'd shade
High overarch't, and echoing walks between ;
There oft the Indian herdsman shunning heat
Shelters in coole, and tends his pafturing herds
At loopholes cut through thickeft fhade: thofe leaves
They gather'd, broad as Amazonian targe,
* Ift. edition. 2d. and 3d. from
And with what skill they had, together fow'd,
To gird their waste, vain covering, if to hide
Their guilt and dreaded shame; O how unlike
To that first naked glorie. Such of late
Columbus found th’American so girt
With feather'd cincture, naked elfe and wild
Among the trees on ifles and woodie fhores.
Thus fenc't, and as they thought, their shame in part
Cover'd, but not at rest or ease of mind,
They fat them down to weep, nor only tears
Rain'd at their eyes, but high winds worse within
Began to rife, high passions, anger, hate,
Miftruft, fufpicion, difcord, and shook fore
Their inward ftate of mind, calm region once
And full of peace, now toft and turbulent :
For understanding rul'd not, and the will
Heard not her lore, both in fubjection now
To sensual appetite, who from beneath
Ufurping over sovran reason claim'd
Superior sway: from thus distemper'd breast,
Adam, estrang'd in look and alter'd stile,
Speech intermitted thus to Eve renew`d.
Would thou hadst heark'n'd to my words, and stai'd With me, as I befought thee, when that strange Defire of wandring this unhappie morn,
I know not whence poffefs'd thee; we had then
Remain'd still happie, not as now, defpoil'd
Of all our good, fham'd, naked, miserable.
Let none henceforth feek needlefs caufe to approve
The faith they owe; when earnestly they seek
Such proof, conclude, they then begin to fail.
To whom foon mov'd with touch of blame thus Eve.
What words have past thy lips, Adam severe,
Imput'ft thou that to my default, or will
Of wandring, as thou callft it, which who knows
But might as ill have happen'd thou being by,
Or to thyself perhaps : hadft thou been there,
Or here th'attempt, thou couldst not have difcern'd
Fraud in the ferpent, fpeaking as he spake.;
No ground of enmitie between us known,
Why he should mean me ill, or feek to harme.
Was I to have never parted from thy fide ?
As good have grown there still a lifeless-rib.
Being as I am, why didst not thou the head
Command me abfolutely not to go,
Going into fuch danger as thou faidft?
Too facil then thou didft not much gainsay,
Nay, didft permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Hadft thou been firm and fixt in thy diffent,
Neither had I tranfgrefs'd, nor thou with me.
To whom then first incenft Adam repli'd.
Is this the love, is this the recompence
Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, exprest
Immutable when thou wert loft, not I,
Who might have liv'd and joy'd immortal bliss,
Yet willingly chofe rather death with thee:
And am I now upbraided, as the cause
Of thy tranfgreffing? not enough severe,
It seems, in thy restraint: what could I more?
I warn'd thee, I admonish'd thee, foretold
The danger, and the lurking enemie
That lay in wait; beyond this had been force,
And force upon free will hath here no place.
But confidence then bore thee on, fecure
Either to meet no danger, or to find
Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps
I also err'd in overmuch admiring
What seem'd in thee so perfect, that I thought
No evil durft attempt thee, but I rue
That errour now, which is become my crime,
And thou th'accufer. Thus it fhall befall
Him who to worth in women overtrusting
Lets her will rule; restraint fhe will not brook
And left to herself, if evil thence enfue,
She first his weak indulgence will accufe.
Thus they in mutual accufation spent
The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning,
And of their vain contest appeer'd no end.
The End of the Ninth Book,
EANWHILE the hainous and defpightful att
Of Satan done in Paradife, and how
He in the ferpent, had perverted Eve, ???
Her husband the, to tafte the fatal fruit,
Was known in heav'n; for what can fcape the eye
Of God all-feeing, or deceave his heart
Omniscient, who in all things wife and juft,
Hinder'd not Satan to attempt the mind
Of man, with ftrength entire, and free will arm'd,
Complete to have discover'd and repulst
Whatever wiles of foe or feeming friend.
For ftill they knew, and ought to have still remember'
The high injunction not to tafte that fruit,
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying,
Incurr'd, what could they lefs, the penaltie,
And manifold in fin, deserv'd to fall.
Up into heav'n from Paradise in haste
Th'angelic guards afcended, mute and fad
For man, for of his ftate by this they knew,
Much wondring how the futtle fiend had ftoin
Entrance unfeen. Soon as th'unwelcome news
From earth arriv'd at heav'n gate, difpleas'd
All were who heard, dim sadness did not spare
That time celestial visages, yet mixt
With pitie, violated not their blifs.
About the new-arriv`d, in multitudes
|