Infeebl'd me, to what I was in Heav'n.

Shee fair, divinely fair, fit Love for Gods,

Not terrible, though terrour be in Love

And beautie, not approacht by stronger hate,

Hate stronger, under shew of Love well feign'd,

The way which to her ruin now I tend.

So spake the Enemie of Mankind, enclos'd

In Serpent, Inmate bad, and toward EVE

Address'd his way, not with indented wave,

Prone on the ground, as since, but on his reare,

Circular base of rising foulds, that tour'd

Fould above fould a surging Maze, his Head

Crested aloft, and Carbuncle his Eyes;

With burnisht Neck of verdant Gold, erect

Amidst his circling Spires, that on the grass

Floted redundant: pleasing was his shape,

And lovely, never since of Serpent kind

Lovelier, not those that in ILLYRIA chang'd

HERMIONE and CADMUS, or the God

In EPIDAURUS; nor to which transformd

AMMONIAN JOVE, or CAPITOLINE was seen,

Hee with OLYMPIAS, this with her who bore

SCIPIO the highth of ROME. With tract oblique

At first, as one who sought access, but feard

To interrupt, side-long he works his way.

As when a Ship by skilful Stearsman wrought

Nigh Rivers mouth or Foreland, where the Wind

Veres oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her Saile;

So varied hee, and of his tortuous Traine

Curld many a wanton wreath in sight of EVE,

To lure her Eye; shee busied heard the sound

Of rusling Leaves, but minded not, as us'd

To such disport before her through the Field,

From every Beast, more duteous at her call,

Then at CIRCEAN call the Herd disguis'd.

Hee boulder now, uncall'd before her stood;

But as in gaze admiring: Oft he bowd

His turret Crest, and sleek enamel'd Neck,

Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.

His gentle dumb expression turnd at length

The Eye of EVE to mark his play; he glad

Of her attention gaind, with Serpent Tongue

Organic, or impulse of vocal Air,

His fraudulent temptation thus began.

Wonder not, sovran Mistress, if perhaps

Thou canst, who art sole Wonder, much less arm

Thy looks, the Heav'n of mildness, with disdain,

Displeas'd that I approach thee thus, and gaze

Insatiate, I thus single; nor have feard

Thy awful brow, more awful thus retir'd.

Fairest resemblance of thy Maker faire,

Thee all living things gaze on, all things thine

By gift, and thy Celestial Beautie adore

With ravishment beheld, there best beheld

Where universally admir'd; but here

In this enclosure wild, these Beasts among,

Beholders rude, and shallow to discerne

Half what in thee is fair, one man except,

Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen

A Goddess among Gods, ador'd and serv'd

By Angels numberless, thy daily Train.

So gloz'd the Tempter, and his Proem tun'd;

Into the Heart of EVE his words made way,

Though at the voice much marveling; at length

Not unamaz'd she thus in answer spake.

What may this mean? Language of Man pronounc't

By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest?

The first at lest of these I thought deni'd

To Beasts, whom God on their Creation-Day

Created mute to all articulat sound;

The latter I demurre, for in thir looks

Much reason, and in thir actions oft appeers.

Thee, Serpent, suttlest beast of all the field

I knew, but not with human voice endu'd;

Redouble then this miracle, and say,

How cam'st thou speakable of mute, and how

To me so friendly grown above the rest

Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight?

Say, for such wonder claims attention due.

To whom the guileful Tempter thus reply'd.

Empress of this fair World, resplendent EVE,

Easie to mee it is to tell thee all

What thou commandst, and right thou shouldst be obeyd:

I was at first as other Beasts that graze

The trodden Herb, of abject thoughts and low,

As was my food, nor aught but food discern'd

Or Sex, and apprehended nothing high:

Till on a day roaving the field, I chanc'd

A goodly Tree farr distant to behold

Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mixt,

Ruddie and Gold: I nearer drew to gaze;

When from the boughes a savorie odour blow'n,

Grateful to appetite, more pleas'd my sense

Then smell of sweetest Fenel, or the Teats

Of Ewe or Goat dropping with Milk at Eevn,

Unsuckt of Lamb or Kid, that tend thir play.

To satisfie the sharp desire I had

Of tasting those fair Apples, I resolv'd

Not to deferr; hunger and thirst at once,

Powerful perswaders, quick'nd at the scent

Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keene.

About the Mossie Trunk I wound me soon,

For high from ground the branches would require

Thy utmost reach or ADAMS: Round the Tree

All other Beasts that saw, with like desire

Longing and envying stood, but could not reach.

Amid the Tree now got, where plentie hung

Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my fill

I spar'd not, for such pleasure till that hour

At Feed or Fountain never had I found.

Sated at length, ere long I might perceave

Strange alteration in me, to degree

Of Reason in my inward Powers, and Speech

Wanted not long, though to this shape retaind.

Thenceforth to Speculations high or deep

I turnd my thoughts, and with capacious mind

Considerd all things visible in Heav'n,

Or Earth, or Middle, all things fair and good;

But all that fair and good in thy Divine

Semblance, and in thy Beauties heav'nly Ray

United I beheld; no Fair to thine

Equivalent or second, which compel'd

Mee thus, though importune perhaps, to come

And gaze, and worship thee of right declar'd

Sovran of Creatures, universal Dame.

So talk'd the spirited sly Snake; and EVE

Yet more amaz'd unwarie thus reply'd.

Serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt

The vertue of that Fruit, in thee first prov'd:

But say, where grows the Tree, from hence how far?

For many are the Trees of God that grow

In Paradise, and various, yet unknown

To us, in such abundance lies our choice,

As leaves a greater store of Fruit untoucht,

Still hanging incorruptible, till men

Grow up to thir provision, and more hands

Help to disburden Nature of her Bearth.

To whom the wilie Adder, blithe and glad.

Empress, the way is readie, and not long,

Beyond a row of Myrtles, on a Flat,

Fast by a Fountain, one small Thicket past

Of blowing Myrrh and Balme; if thou accept

My conduct, I can bring thee thither soon.

Lead then, said EVE. Hee leading swiftly rowld

In tangles, and make intricate seem strait,

To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy

Bright'ns his Crest, as when a wandring Fire

Compact of unctuous vapor, which the Night

Condenses, and the cold invirons round,

Kindl'd through agitation to a Flame,

Which oft, they say, some evil Spirit attends,

Hovering and blazing with delusive Light,

Misleads th' amaz'd Night-wanderer from his way

To Boggs and Mires, & oft through Pond or Poole,

There swallow'd up and lost, from succour farr.

So glister'd the dire Snake and into fraud

Led EVE our credulous Mother, to the Tree

Of prohibition, root of all our woe;

Which when she saw, thus to her guide she spake.

Serpent, we might have spar'd our coming hither,

Fruitless to me, though Fruit be here to excess,

The credit of whose vertue rest with thee,

Wondrous indeed, if cause of such effects.

But of this Tree we may not taste nor touch;

God so commanded, and left that Command