by John Milton
So saying, through each Thicket Danck or Drie,
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Like a black mist low creeping, he held on
His midnight search, where soonest he might find
The Serpent: him fast sleeping soon he found
In Labyrinth of many a round self-rowl’d,
His head the midst, well stor’d with suttle wiles:
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Not yet in horrid Shade or dismal Den,
Nor nocent19 yet, but on the grassie Herb
Fearless unfeard he slept: in at his Mouth
The Devil enterd, and his brutal sense,
In heart or head, possessing soon inspir’d
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With act intelligential; but his sleep
Disturb’d not, waiting close20 th’ approach of Morn.
Now when as sacred Light began to dawn
In Eden on the humid Flowrs, that breath’d
Thir morning incense, when all things that breath,
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From th’ Earths great Altar send up silent praise
To the Creator, and his Nostrils fill
With grateful Smell, forth came the human pair
And joynd thir vocal Worship to the Quire
Of Creatures wanting voice, that done, partake
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The season, prime for sweetest Scents and Aires:
Then commune how that day they best may ply
Thir growing work: for much thir work outgrew
The hands dispatch of two Gardning so wide.
And Eve first to her Husband thus began.
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Adam, well may we labour still to dress
This Garden, still to tend Plant, Herb and Flowr,
Our pleasant task enjoyn’d, but till more hands
Aid us, the work under our labour grows,
Luxurious by restraint; what we by day
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Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,
One night or two with wanton growth derides
Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise
Or hear what to my mind first thoughts present,
Let us divide our labours, thou where choice
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Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind
The Woodbine round this Arbour, or direct
The clasping Ivie where to climb, while I
In yonder Spring of Roses21 intermixt
With Myrtle, find what to redress till Noon:
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For while so near each other thus all day
Our task we choose, what wonder if so near
Looks intervene and smiles, or object new
Casual discourse draw on, which intermits
Our dayes work brought to little, though begun
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Early, and th’ hour of Supper comes unearn’d.
To whom mild answer Adam thus return’d.
Sole Eve, Associate sole, to me beyond
Compare above all living Creatures dear,
Well hast thou motion’d, well thy thoughts imployd
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How we might best fulfill the work which here
God hath assign’d us, nor of me shalt pass
Unprais’d: for nothing lovelier can be found
In Woman, then to studie houshold good,
And good works in her Husband to promote.
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Yet not so strictly hath our Lord impos’d
Labour, as to debarr us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse
Of looks and smiles, for smiles from Reason flow,
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To brute deni’d, and are of Love the food,
Love not the lowest end of human life.
For not to irksom toil, but to delight
He made us, and delight to Reason joyn’d.
These paths and Bowers doubt not but our joynt hands
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Will keep from Wilderness with ease, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Assist us: But if much converse perhaps
Thee satiate, to short absence I could yeild.
For solitude somtimes is best societie,
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And short retirement urges sweet return.
But other doubt possesses me, least harm
Befall thee sever’d from me; for thou knowst
What hath bin warn’d us, what malicious Foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
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Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame
By sly assault; and somwhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and best advantage, us asunder,
Hopeless to circumvent us joynd, where each
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To other speedie aid might lend at need;
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our fealtie from God, or to disturb
Conjugal Love, then which perhaps no bliss
Enjoy’d by us excites his envie more;
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Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side
That gave thee being, still shades thee and protects.
The Wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,
Safest and seemliest by her Husband staies,
Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.
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To whom the Virgin22 Majestie of Eve,
As one who loves, and some unkindness meets,
With sweet austeer composure thus reply’d.
Ofspring of Heav’n and Earth, and all Earths Lord,
That such an Enemie we have, who seeks
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Our ruin, both by thee informd I learn,
And from the parting Angel over-heard
As in a shadie nook I stood behind,
Just then returnd at shut of Evening Flowrs.
But that thou shouldst my firmness therfore doubt
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To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fearst not, being such,
As wee, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receave, or can repell.
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His fraud is then thy fear, which plain inferrs
Thy equal fear that my firm Faith and Love
Can by his fraud be shak’n or seduc’t;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy brest,
Adam, misthought of her to thee so dear?
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To whom with healing words Adam reply’d.
Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,
For such thou art, from sin and blame entire:23
Not diffident of thee do I dissuade
Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid
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Th’ attempt it self, intended by our Foe.
For hee who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonour foul, suppos’d
Not incorruptible of Faith, not prooff
Against temptation: thou thy self with scorn
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And anger wouldst resent the offer’d wrong,
Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,
If such affront I labour to avert
From thee alone, which on us both at once
The Enemie, though bold, will hardly dare,
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Or daring, first on mee th’ assault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;
Suttle he needs must be, who could seduce
Angels, nor think superfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receave
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Access24 in every Vertue, in thy sight
More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were
Of outward strength;
while shame, thou looking on,
Shame to be overcome or over-reacht
Would utmost vigor raise, and rais’d unite.
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Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel
When I am present, and thy trial choose
With me, best witness of thy Vertue tri’d.
So spake domestick Adam in his care
And Matrimonial Love; but Eve, who thought
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Less attributed to her Faith sincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renewd.
If this be our condition, thus to dwell
In narrow circuit strait’n’d by a Foe,
Suttle or violent, we not endu’d
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Single with like defence, wherever met,
How are we happie, still in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not sin: onely our Foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem
Of our integritie: his foul esteem
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Sticks no dishonor on our Front,25 but turns
Foul on himself; then wherfore shund or feard
By us? who rather double honour gain
From his surmise prov’d false, find peace within,
Favour from Heav’n, our witness from th’ event.
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And what is Faith, Love, Vertue unassaid
Alone, without exterior help sustaind?
Let us not then suspect our happie State
Left so imperfet by the Maker wise,
As not secure to single or combin’d.
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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
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Nothing imperfet 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:
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Against his will he can receave no harm.
But God left free the Will, for what obeys
Reason, is free, and Reason he made right,
But bid her well beware, and still erect,26
Least by some fair appeering good surpris’d
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She dictate false, and misinform the Will
To do what God expresly hath forbid.
Not then mistrust, but tender love enjoyns,
That I should mind27 thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,
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Since Reason not impossibly may meet
Some specious object by the Foe subornd,
And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warnd.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
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Were better, and most likelie if from mee
Thou sever not: Trial will come unsought.
Wouldst thou approve28 thy constancie, approve
First thy obedience; th’ other who can know,
Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?
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But if thou think, trial unsought may find
Us both securer29 then thus warnd thou seemst,
Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, relie
On what thou hast of vertue, summon all,
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For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine.
So spake the Patriarch of Mankind, but Eve
Persisted, yet submiss, though last, repli’d.
With thy permission then, and thus forewarnd
Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words
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Touch’d onely, that our trial, when least sought,
May find us both perhaps farr less prepar’d,
The willinger I goe, not much expect
A Foe so proud will first the weaker seek,
So bent, the more shall shame him his repulse.
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Thus saying, from her Husbands hand her hand
Soft she withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light
Oread or Dryad, or of Delia’s30 Train,
Betook her to the Groves, but Delia’s self
In gate surpass’d and Goddess-like deport,
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Though not as shee with Bow and Quiver armd,
But with such Gardning Tools as Art yet rude,
Guiltless of fire had formd, or Angels brought.
To Pales, or Pomona31 thus adornd,
Likest she seemd, Pomona when she fled
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Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her Prime,
Yet Virgin of Proserpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his Eye pursu’d
Delighted, but desiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
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Repeated, shee to him as oft engag’d
To be returnd by Noon amid the Bowr,
And all things in best order to invite
Noontide repast, or Afternoons repose.
O much deceav’d, much failing, hapless Eve,
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Of thy presum’d return I event perverse!
Thou never from that hour in Paradise
Foundst either sweet repast, or sound repose;
Such ambush hid among sweet Flowrs and Shades
Waited with hellish rancour imminent
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To intercept thy way, or send thee back
Despoild of Innocence, of Faith, of Bliss.
For now, and since first break of dawn the Fiend,
Meer Serpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his Quest, where likeliest he might find
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The onely two of Mankind, but in them
The whole included Race, his purpos’d prey.
In Bowr and Field he sought, where any tuft
Of Grove or Garden-Plot more pleasant lay,
Thir tendance or Plantation for delight,
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By Fountain or by shadie Rivulet
He sought them both, but wish’d his hap might find
Eve separate, he wish’d, but not with hope
Of what so seldom chanc’d, when to his wish,
Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,
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Veild in a Cloud of Fragrance, where she stood,
Half spi’d, so thick the Roses bushing round
About her glowd, oft stooping to support
Each Flowr of slender stalk, whose head though gay
Carnation, Purple, Azure, or spect with Gold,
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Hung drooping unsustaind, them she upstaies
Gently with Mirtle band, mindless the while,
Her self, though fairest unsupported Flowr,
From her best prop so farr, and storm so nigh.
Neerer he drew, and many a walk travers’d
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Of stateliest Covert, Cedar, Pine, or Palm,
Then voluble32 and bold, now hid, now seen
Among thick-wov’n Arborets and Flowrs
Imborderd on each Bank, the hand33 of Eve:
Spot more delicious then those Gardens feign’d
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Or of reviv’d Adonis, or renownd
Alcinous, host of old Lærtes Son,34
Or that, not Mystic,35 where the Sapient King
Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian Spouse.
Much hee the Place admir’d, the Person more.
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As one who long in populous City pent,
Where Houses thick and Sewers annoy36 the Air,
Forth issuing on a Summers Morn to breathe
Among the
pleasant Villages and Farmes
Adjoynd, from each thing met conceaves delight,
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The smell of Grain, or tedded Grass,37 or Kine,
Or Dairie, each rural sight, each rural sound;
If chance with Nymphlike step fair Virgin pass,
What pleasing seemd, for her now pleases more,
She most, and in her look summs all Delight.
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Such Pleasure took the Serpent to behold
This Flowrie Plat, the sweet recess of Eve
Thus earlie, thus alone; her Heav’nly form
Angelic, but more soft, and Feminine,
Her graceful Innocence, her every Air
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Of gesture or lest action overawd
His Malice, and with rapine sweet bereav’d
His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought:
That space the Evil one abstracted stood
From his own evil, and for the time remaind
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Stupidly good, of enmitie disarm’d,
Of guile, of hate, of envie, of revenge;
But the hot Hell that alwayes in him burns,
Though in mid Heav’n, soon ended his delight,
And tortures him now more, the more he sees
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Of pleasure not for him ordain’d: then soon
Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts
Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me, with what sweet
Compulsion thus transported to forget
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What hither brought us, hate, not love, nor hope
Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,
Save what is in destroying, other joy
To me is lost. Then let me not let pass
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Occasion which now smiles, behold alone
The Woman, opportune to all attempts,
Her Husband, for I view far round, not nigh,
Whose higher intellectual more I shun,
And strength, of courage hautie, and of limb
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