This my attempt, I would sustain alone
The worst, and not persuade thee-rather die Deserted than oblige thee with a fact
Pernicious to thy peace, chiefly assured
Remarkably so late of thy so true, So faithful, love unequalled. But I feel Far otherwise the event-not death, but life
Augmented, opened eyes, new hopes, new joys, Taste so divine that what of sweet before
Hath touched my sense flat seems to this and harsh. On my experience, Adam, freely taste, And fear of death deliver to the winds."
So saying, she embraced him, and for joy Tenderly wept, much won that he his love Had so ennobled as of choice to incur Divine displeasure for her sake, or death. In recompense (for such compliance bad Such recompense best merits), from the bough She gave him of that fair enticing fruit With liberal hand. He scrupled not to eat, Against his better knowledge, not deceived, But fondly overcome with female charm. Earth trembled from her entrails, as again In pangs, and nature gave a second groan;
Sky loured, and, muttering thunder, some sad drops Wept at completing of the mortal sin
Original; while Adam took no thought,
Eating his fill, nor Eve to iterate
Her former trespass feared, the more to soothe
Him with her loved society; that now,
As with new wine intoxicated both,
They swim in mirth, and fancy that they feel
Divinity within them breeding wings Wherewith to scorn the earth.
Far other operation first displayed, Carnal desire inflaming. He on Eve Began to cast lascivious eyes; she him
As wantonly repaid; in lust they burn, Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move :— 66 Eve, now I see thou art exact of taste And elegant-of sapience no small part; Since to each meaning savour we apply, And palate call judicious. I the praise Yield thee; so well this day thou hast purveyed. Much pleasure we have lost, while we abstained From this delightful fruit, nor known till now True relish, tasting. If such pleasure be In things to us forbidden, it might be wished For this one tree had been forbidden ten. But come; so well refreshed, now let us play, As meet is, after such delicious fare; For never did thy beauty, since the day I saw thee first and wedded thee, adorned With all perfections, so inflame my sense With ardour to enjoy thee, fairer now Than ever-bounty of this virtuous tree!"
So said he, and forbore not glance or toy Of amorous intent, well understood Of Eve, whose eye darted contagious fire. Her hand he seized, and to a shady bank,
Thick overhead with verdant roof embowered,
He led her, nothing loth; flowers were the couch, Pansies, and violets, and asphodel,
And hyacinth-earth's freshest, softest lap. There they their fill of love and love's disport Took largely, of their mutual guilt the seal, The solace of their sin, till dewy sleep
Oppressed them, wearied with their amorous play. Soon as the force of that fallacious fruit,
That with exhilarating vapour bland
About their spirits had played, and inmost powers Made err, was now exhaled, and grosser sleep, Bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams Encumbered, now had left them, up they rose
As from unrest, and, each the other viewing,
Soon found their eyes how opened, and their minds How darkened: innocence, that as a veil
Had shadowed them from knowing ill, was gone; Just confidence, and native righteousness, And honour, from about them, naked left To guilty shame: he covered, but his robe Uncovered more. So rose the Danite strong, Herculean Samson, from the harlot-lap Of Philistean Dalilah, and waked
Shorn of his strength; they destitute and pare Of all their virtue: silent, and in face Confounded, long they sat, as stricken mute; Till Adam, though not less than Eve abashed,
At length gave utterance to these words constrained :- "O Eve, in evil hour thou didst give ear To that false worm, of whomsoever taught To counterfeit man's voice-true in our fall, False in our promised rising; since our eyes Opened we find indeed, and find we know Both good and evil, good lost and evil got: Bad fruit of knowledge, if this be to know, Which leaves us naked thus, of honour void, Of innocence, of faith, of purity,
Our wonted ornaments now soiled and stained, And in our faces evident the signs
Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store, Even shame, the last of evils; of the first Be sure then. How shall I behold the face Henceforth of God or angel, erst with joy
And rapture so oft beheld? Those heavenly shapes Will dazzle now this earthly with their blaze Insufferably bright. Oh, might I here In solitude live savage, in some glade Obscured, where highest woods, impenetrable To star or sunlight, spread their umbrage broad, And brown as evening! 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, devise What best may, for the present, serve to hide The parts of each from other that seem most To shame obnoxious, and unseemliest seen- Some tree, whose broad smooth leaves, together sewed, And girded on our loins, may cover round Those middle parts, that this new comer, shame, There sit not, and reproach us as unclean."
So counselled he, and both together went Into the thickest wood. There soon they chose The fig-tree-not that kind for fruit renowned, But such as, at this day, to Indians known, In Malabar or Deccan spreads her arms, Branching so broad and long that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillared shade High overarched, and echoing walks between : There oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat, Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds At loop-holes cut through thickest shade. Those leaves They gathered, broad as Amazonian targe, And with what skill they had together sewed, To gird their waist-vain covering, if to hide Their guilt and dreaded shame! Oh, how unlike To that first naked glory! Such of late Columbus found the American, so girt
With feathered cincture, naked else and wild, Among the trees on isles and woody shores.
Thus fenced, and, as they thought, their shame in part Covered, but not at rest or ease of mind,
They sat them down to weep. Nor only tears
Rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within
Began to rise, high passions—anger, hate, Mistrust, suspicion, discord and shook sore Their inward state of mind, calm region once
And full of peace, now tossed and turbulent: For understanding ruled not, and the will Heard not her lore, both in subjection now To sensual appetite, who, from beneath Usurping over sovereign reason, claimed Superior sway. From thus distempered breast Adam, estranged in look and altered style,
Speech intermitted thus to Eve renewed :—
"Would thou hadst hearkened to my words, and stayed With me, as I besought thee, when that strange Desire of wandering, this unhappy morn,
I know not whence possessed thee! We had then Remained still happy-not, as now, despoiled Of all our good, shamed, naked, miserable!
Let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve The faith they owe; when earnestly they seek
Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail.”
To whom, soon moved with touch of blame, thus Eve :"What words have passed thy lips, Adam, severe? Imput'st thou that to my default, or will
Of wandering, as thou call'st it, which who knows But might as ill have happened thou being by, Or to thyself perhaps? Hadst thou been there,
Or here the attempt, thou couldst not have discerned Fraud in the serpent, speaking as he spake; No ground of enmity between us known Why he should mean me ill or seek to harm. Was I to have never parted from thy side? As good have grown there still, a lifeless rib. Being as I am, why didst not thou, the head, Command me absolutely not to go, Going into such danger, as thou saidst? Too facile then, thou didst not much gainsay, Nay, didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss. Hadst thou been firm and fixed in thy dissent, Neither had I transgressed, nor thou with me."
To whom, then first incensed, Adam replied :
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