A foe fo proud will first the weaker seek;
So bent, the more shall shame him his repulfe.
Thus faying, from her husband's hand her hand 385 Soft the withdrew, and like a Wood-Nymph light, Oread or Dryad, or of Delia's train,
Betook her to the groves, but Delia's self
In gait furpafs'd, and Goddess-like deport,
Though not as fhe with bow and quiver arm'd,
But with fuch gard'ning tools as art yet rude,
Guiltless of fire, had form'd, or Angels brought.
To Pales, or Pomona, thus adorn'd,
Likeft the feem'd, Pomona when she fled
Vertumnus, or to Ceres in her prime,
Yet virgin of Proferpina from Jove.
Her long with ardent look his eye pursued
Delighted, but defiring more her stay.
Oft he to her his charge of quick return
Repeated, the to him as oft engag'd
To be return'd by noon amid the bower,
And all things in beft order to invite
Noontide repaft, or afternoon's repofe.
O much deceiv'd, much failing, hapless Eve,
Of thy prefum'd return! event perverfe!
Thou never from that hour in Paradife
Found'ft either fweet repaft, or found repofe;
Such ambush hid among fweet flow'rs and fhades
Waited with hellifh rancor imminent
To intercept thy way, or fend thee back
Defpoil'd of innocence, of faith, of blifs.
For now, and fince firft break of dawn the Fiend,
Mere ferpent in appearance, forth was come,
And on his quest, where likelieft he might find
The only two of mankind, but in them
The whole included race, his purpos'd prey.
In bow'r and field he fought, where any tuft
Of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay,
Their tendence or plantation for delight:
By fountain or by shady rivulet
He fought them both, but wifh'd his hap might find
Eve feparate, he wifh'd, but not with hope
Of what so seldom chanc'd, when to his wish,
Beyond his hope, Eve feparate he fpies,
Veil'd in a cloud of fragrance, where the stood,
Half fpy'd, fo thick the rofes blufhing round
About her glow'd, oft ftooping to fupport
Each flow'r of flender stalk, whofe head though gay
Carnation, purple', azure, or speck'd with gold,
Hung drooping unfuftain'd; them fhe upftays
Gently with myrtle band, mindlefs the while
Herfelf, though faireft unfupported flower,
From her beft prop fo far, and storm so nigh.
Nearer he drew, and many a walk travérs'd
Of ftatelieft covert, cedar, pine, or palm,
Then voluble and bold, now hid, now feen
Among thick-woven arborets and flowers
Imborder'd on each bank, the hand of Eve :
Spot more delicious than those gardens feign'd
Or of reviv'd Adonis, or renown'd
Alcinous, hoft of old Laertes' fon,
Or that, not myftic, where the fapient king
VOL. II.
Held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse.
Much he the place admir'd, the perfon more.
As one who long in populous city pent,
Where houses thick and fewers annoy the air,
Forth iffuing on a fummer's morn to breathe
Among the pleasant villages and farms
Adjoin'd, from each thing met conceives delight,
The fmell of grain, or tedded grafs, or kine,
Or dairy', each rural fight, each rural found;
If chance with nymphlike step fair virgin pass,
What pleasing feem'd, for her now pleases more,
She moft, and in her look fums all delight:
Such pleasure took the Serpent to behold
This flow'ry plat, the sweet recefs of Eve
Thus early, thus alone; her heav'nly form
Angelic, but more foft, and feminine,
Her graceful innocence, her every air
Of gefture or least action overaw'd
His malice, and with rapin sweet bereav'd
His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought :
That space the Evil-one abstracted stood
From his own ev'il, and for the time remain'd
Stupidly good, of enmity difarm'd,
Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge;
But the hot Hell that always in him burns,
Though in mid Heav'n, foon ended his delight,
And tortures him now more, the more he fees
Of pleasure not for him ordain'd: then foon
Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts
Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what fweet Compulfion thus tranfported to forget
What hither brought us! hate, not love, nor hope
Of Paradife for Hell, hope here to tafte
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,
Save what is in destroying; other joy
To me is loft. Then let me not let pafs
Occasion which now fmiles; behold alone
The woman, opportune to all attempts,
Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh,
Whofe higher intellectual more I fhun,
And ftrength, of courage haughty, and of limb
Heroic built, though of terreftrial mold,
Foe not informidable, exempt from wound,
I not; fo much hath Hell debas'd, and pain
Infeebled me, to what I was in Heaven.
She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods,
Not terrible, though terror be in love
And beauty, not approach'd by ftronger hate,
Hate stronger, under fhow of love well feign'd,
The way which to her ruin now I tend.
So fpake the enemy' of mankind, inclos'd
In ferpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve
Addrefs'd his way, not with indented wave,
Prone on the ground, as fince, but on his rear,
Circular base of rifing folds, that tower'd
Fold above fold a furging maze, his head
Crefted aloft, and carbuncle his eyes ;
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling fpires, that on the grafs
Floted redundant: pleafing was his shape
And lovely; never fince of ferpent kind
Lovelier, not thofe that in Illyria chang'd
Hermione and Cadmus, or the God
In Epidaurus; nor to which transform'd
Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline was feen,
He with Olympias, this with her who bore
Scipio the highth of Rome. With tract oblique 510
At first, as one who fought accefs, but fear'd
To interrupt, fide-long he works his way.
As when a fhip by skilful steerfman wrought
Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind
Veers oft, as oft fo fteers, and fhifts her fail :
So varied he, and of his tortuous train
Curl'd many a wanton wreath in fight of Eve,
To lure her eye; the bufied heard the found
Of rufling leaves, but minded not, as us'd
To fuch difport before her through the field,
From every beaft, more duteous at her call,
Than at Circean call the herd disguis'd.
He bolder now, uncall'd before her ftood,
But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd
His turret creft, and fleek enamel'd neck,
Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon fhe trod.
His gentle dumb expreffion turn'd at length
The eye of Eve to mark his play; he glad
Of her attention gain'd, with ferpent tongue
Organic, or impulfe of vocal air,
His fraudulent temptation thus began.
Wonder not, fovran Miftrefs, if perhaps
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