Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers, His praise, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow, Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise. To hill or valley, fountain, or fresh shade, THE DISOBEDIENCE OF OUR FIRST PARENTS ADAM, first of men, to first of women, Eve: "Sole partner and sole part of all these joys, Dearer thyself than all, needs must the Power That made us, and for us this ample World, Be infinitely good, and of his good As liberal and free as infinite; That raised us from the dust, and placed us here In all this happiness, who at his hand Have nothing merited, nor can perform Aught whereof he hath need; he who requires From us no other service than to keep This one, this easy charge of all the trees In Paradise that bear delicious fruit So various, not to taste that only Tree Of Knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life; So near grows Death to Life, whate'er Death is- Among so many signs of power and rule Over all other creatures that possess Earth, Air, and Sea. Then let us not think hard One easy prohibition, who enjoy Free leave so large to all things else, and choice Unlimited of manifold delights; But let us ever praise him, and extol His bounty, following our delightful task, To prune these growing plants, and tend these flowers; Which, were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet." To whom thus Eve replied:-"O thou for whom This Garden, still to tend plant, herb, and flower, To whom mild answer Adam thus returned:- Well hast thou motioned, well thy thoughts imployed Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow Love, not the lowest end of human life. For not to irksome toil, but to delight, He made us, and delight to reason joined. These paths and bowers doubt not but our joint hands Assist us. But, if much converse perhaps I S not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite? This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. They were all bound together with one chain of darkness. If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, through thy forsaking the Lord thy God, while he was leading thee on the right way? Ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. Be sure your sin will find you out. Even so are the ways of all that forget God. For whereas wickedness is fearful, it beareth witness of its condemnation: for a troubled conscience always forecasteth grievous things. For fear is nothing else but a yielding up of the succours from thought. And while there is less expectation from within, the greater doth it count the ignorance of that cause which bringeth the torment. Because fear hath torment. Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield; And short retirement urges sweet return. But other doubt possesses me, lest harm Befall thee, severed from me; for thou know'st 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 stays, Who guards her, or with her the worst endures." To whom the virgin majesty of Eve, As one who loves, and some unkindness meets, With sweet austere composure thus replied: "Offspring of Heaven and Earth, and all Earth's lord! That such an Enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee informed I learn, And from the parting Angel overheard, As in a shady nook I stood behind, Just then returned at shut of evening flowers. But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt To God or thee, because we have a foe May tempt it, I expected not to hear. His violence thou fear'st not, being such As we, not capable of death or pain, Can either not receive, or can repel. His fraud is, then, thy fear; which plain infers Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love Can by his fraud be shaken or seduced: Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam! misthought of her to thee so dear?" To whom, with healing words, Adam replied:"Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve! For such thou art, from sin and blame entire Not diffident of thee do I dissuade Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid The attempt itself, intended by our Foe. For he who tempts, though in vain, at least asperses The tempted with dishonour foul, supposed Not incorruptible of faith, not proof |