Perfpiciunt acie, & digno admirantur honore. Verùm hic defertis pecora inter inertia feptis, Obtufo tam corde, tuique expendere partem Nefcia vel mediam pretii, te nemo tuetur Interius, nifi vir folus; (tantæ-ne tuendæ Sufficiat virtuti unus ?) quæ dignius ipfos
Confpicerere deos inter dea, cincta catervâ
Calicolûm innumerâ & rutilis venerata miniftris.
Talis adulator ferpens exordia blanda
Molitus: facilem fermo quæfivit in Evæ
Mollia corda viam; at ftupefactâ mente moratur,
Voce novâ multum attonita, atque hæc dicta remittit: Hæc mihi quid portenta ferunt? brutum-ne referre Humanas voces humanaque prodere sensa?
Bruta equidem liquido diftinctæ munere vocis Rebar ego caruiffe, Deus quæ muta creavit Atque rudes iterare fonos et murmura tantùm Inftituit: num verò animi fenfa ardua jactant,
Where univerfally admir'd: but here
In this inclosure wild, these beasts among, (Beholders rude, and fhallow to difcern Half what in thee is fair) one man except, Who fees thee? and what is one! who shouldft be seen
A goddess among gods, ador'd and ferv'd By angels numberlefs, 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 marvelling: at length Not un-amaz'd, fhe thus in answer spake.
What may this mean? language of man pro- nounc'd
By tongue of brute, and human sense express'd! The first at least of these I thought deny'd To beafts; whom God on their creation-day, Created mute to all articulate found:
Addubito; vultu quoniam elucere videtur Vis auræ æthereæ, varioque patefcere gestu. Te nôram, ferpens, animantia cetera longè Ingenio viciffe, humanâ at voce carentem Credideram. Vox unde tibi fuperaddita muto est? Unde ita præ cunctis brutorum gentibus unus Te mihi tam blandum præbes? age fare; tenet me Hoc adeò attentam meritò mirabile monftrum.
Cui vafer infidians Tentator deinde remifit: O dulcem imperio mundum, spectabilis Eva, Quæ latè regina premis, tuus omne quod optas Explorare labor, mihi juffa capeffere fas eft. Olim ego talis eram, qualis quæ cetera turba Gramen edit calcatum, abjecto pectore pronus, Cognatoque cibis; nam fexum & pabula fola Callueram, angufti contracto limite fensûs, Nil altum fpirans: donec fpatiantis in agris
The latter I demur; for in their looks
Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears. Thee, ferpent, fubtil'ft beaft of all the field I knew; but not with human voice indu'd. Redouble then this miracle, and fay, How cam'ft thou speakable, of mute: and how To me fo friendly grown above the reft Of brutal kind, that daily are in fight? Say! for fuch wonder claims attention due.
To whom the guileful tempter thus reply'd:: Empress of this fair world, refplendent Eve! Easy to me it is to tell thee all
What thou command'ft; and right thou shouldft be obey'd.
I was at first as other beafts that graze
The trodden herb, of abject thoughts, and low, As was my food; nor ought but food discern'd, Or fex; and apprehended nothing high.
Fortè vagos pulcro longè fplendore trahebat Arbor honefta oculos, penderet plurima ramis Cui foboles, auro commixtum induta ruborem. Acceffi; narefque comis effufus adibat
Suavis, opimus odor; fragrans cui cederet herba Fœniculi, vel quæ manantia lacte recenti Ubera oves referunt primâ feu nocte capellæ, Ubera non jam agnæ ludenti admota, nec hædo. Continuò indomito fructûs redolentis amore Exarfique, morafque omnes abrumpere certus Conftitui; (tantum auctores fuafere potentes Efuriesque fitifque, unà dulcedine mirâ Correptæ) truncoque dedi mea corpora circum Mufcofo, afcendens; etenim contingere ramos A terrâ vix tu aerios, vix poffet Adamus. Cetera bruta inhiant, acrique cupidine fervent Invida; nec prenfare valent nec vincere faltu.
'Till on a day roving the field, I chanc'd A goodly tree far-distant to behold, Loaden with fruit of fairest colors mix'd, Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze; When from the boughs a favory odor blown, Grateful to appetite! more pleas'd my fenfe Than fmell of fweeteft fenel, or the teats Of ewe or goat, dropping with milk at ev`n, Unfuck'd of lamb or kid that tend their play. To fatisfy the fharp defire I had
Of tasting those fair apples, I refolv'd Not to defer: hunger and thirst at once, Pow'rful perfuaders! quicken'd at the scent Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me so keen. About the mofly trunk I wound me foon; (For high from ground the branches would requi Thy utmost reach, or Adam`s) round the tree All other beafts that faw with like defire Longing, and envying flood, but could not reach.
Jamque adeò mediâ dominatus in arbore, cinctus Luxurie ingenti pomorum opibufque profufis, Nec rapere, arreptas nec deglutire morabar Delicias, quales illa ufque ad tempora nunquam Expertus, fontem ad purum seu pascua læta. His demum expletus dapibus, fubitum inde vigorem Pectore, particulam divinæ mentis & hauftus
Perfenfi æthereos; caruit nec munere vocis
Lingua diu, licet ufque eadem mihi forma maneret. Jamque altum fapere & fublimia volvere rerum Incepi, & terras animo cœlumque capaci
Et medias speculari auras, quot et undique pulcrum Quodque bonum: at quicquid latè pulcrique bonique est, Omne tibi rutili radiis cœleftibus oris
Collectum intueor, divinæ & imagine formæ.
Nil tibi par ufquam afpexi, nil, Eva, fecundum. Hoc adeò tibi me (fors importunius) ultro Obtulit, ut propius te luftrem, ut lætus adorem,
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung Tempting fo 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, e'er-long I might perceive Strange alteration in me to degree
Of reason in my inward pow'rs; and speech Wanted not long; though to this shape retain'd. Thenceforth to fpeculations high, or deep, VOL. II.
I turn'd my thoughts; and with capacious mind, Confider'd all things vifible 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 beauty's heav'nly ray, United I beheld: no fair to thine Equivalent, or fecond! which compell'd Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come And gaze and worship thee, of right declar'd Te
Te rerum meritò dominam mundique potentem.
Sic vafer infernâ ferpens vi concitus. Eva Inde magis stupefacta incauto ita reddidit ore:
Scilicet his cœlo, ferpens, dum laudibus æquas, Virtutem fructus, quam tete expertus in uno es, Fert magis hinc dubitare animus. Sed da mihi, ramos Arbor ubi hæc tendit, quamque hinc procul: undique paffim, Prodiga enim variis Paradifi terra repletur
Arboribus, quæ nos latuere: ita copia dives
Pendet curvatis marcefcere nescia ramis,
Dum veniant nova gens hominum dextræque recentes, Fœcundamque levent partu uberiore parentem. Quàm deinde aftutus fic latior excipit hydrus:
En istuc, regina patet facilisque, brevifque Semita: trans virides myrtos arbuftaque odora, Haud procul hinc lævi fuper æquore, fontis ad undas, Stat quæfita arbos. Egomet, ni forte recuses,
Sov'reign of creatures, universal dame!
So talk'd the fpirited fly fnake: and Eve, Yet more amaz'd, unwary thus reply'd.
Serpent! thy over-praising leaves in doubt The virtue of that fruit, in thee firft prov'd. But fay, 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 fuch abundance lies our choice,
As leaves a greater ftore of fruit un-touch'd: Still hanging incorruptible, till men Grow up to their provifion, and more hands Help to dif-burden nature of her birth.
To whom the wily adder, blithe and glad. Emprefs! the way is ready, and not long Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat, Fast by a fountain, one fmall thicket paft Of blowing myrrh and balm: if thou accept
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