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Memory of heaven on earth,

Which thou mayst do by feeding on such fruit.
A heavenly seat alone is fit for man,

For that's the seat of beauty;

Since thou art partly man, and partly brute,

'Tis just thou dwell on earth;

The world was made for various beasts to dwell in,

He added, nor canst thou esteem it hard,

Serpent and man, to dwell on earth for ever,

Since thou already in thy human portion
Most fully hast enjoyed thy bliss above.
Thus I eternal live,

Forming my banquet of this savoury fruit,
And Paradise is open to my eyes,

By the intelligence, through me transfused

From this delicious viand.

Eve. Alas! what should I do? to whom apply?

My heart, what is thy counsel ?

Serpent. 'Tis true, thy sovereign has imposed upon thee, Under the pain of death,

To taste not of this fruit;

And to secure from thee

A dainty so delightful,

The watchful guard he made me

Of this forbidden tree;

So that if I consent, both man and thou,

His beautiful companion,

May rise to equal God in happiness.
'Tis but too true that to participate

In food and beverage with savage beasts,
Gives us in this similitude to them;
It is not just you both,

Works of a mighty Maker,

Great offspring of great God,

Should in a base condition,

Among these groves and woods,
Lead a life equal to the lowest beast.

Eve. Ah! why art thou so eager

That I should taste of this forbidden food?
Serpent. Wouldst thou that I should tell?
Eve. 'Tis all my wish.

Serpent. Now lend thine ear, now arch
With silent wonder, both thy beauteous brows!
For two proud joys of mine,

Not for thy good alone, I wish to make thee
This liberal overture, and swear to keep

Silence while thou shalt seize the fruit denied.
First to avenge that high unworthy wrong
Done me by God, in fashioning my shape;
For I was deemed the refuse of his heaven,
For these my scaly parts,

That ever like a snake I trail behind;

And then, because he should to me alone

Have given this world, and o'er the numerous beasts
Have made me lord, not wholly of their kind;
But this my empire mighty and supreme,

O'er all these living things,

While man is doomed

To breathe on vital air,

Must seem but low and servile vassalage;

Since man, and only man

Was chosen high and mighty lord of all

This wondrous scene, and he thus raised to grandeur Was newly formed of nought.

But when the fairest of all Eden's fruits

Is snatched and tasted, when you rise to Gods, 'Tis just that both ascending from this world, Should reach the higher spheres:

So that on earth to make me

Of every creature lord,

Of human error I my virtue make:

Know, that command is grateful even to God,
Grateful to man, and grateful to the serpent.

Eve. I yield obedience, ah! what is't I do?
Serpent. Rather what do you not? Ah, boldly taste,
Make me a god on earth, thyself in heaven.

Eve. Alas, how I perceive

A chilling tremour wander through my bones,
That turns my heart to ice!

Serpent. It is thy mortal part that now begins
To languish, as o'ercome by the divine,
Which o'er its lowly partner

In excellence ascends.
Behold the pleasant plant,

More lovely and more rich

Than if it raised to heaven branches of gold,
And bore the beauteous emerald as leaves,
With roots of coral and a trunk of silver.
Behold this jewelled fruit,

That gives enjoyment of a state divine!
How fair it is, and how

It takes new colours from the solar rays,

Bright as the splendid train

Of the gay peacock, when he whirls it round

Full in the sun, and lights his thousand eyes!
Behold how it invites !

'Tis all delicious, it is sweetness all;

Its charms are not deceitful,

Thine eye can view them well.

Now take it! Now I watch

e?

If any angel spy thee! Dost thou pause i
Up! for once more I am thy guide; at last
The victory is thine!

Eve. At length behoid me the exalted mistress

Of this most lovely fruit !

But why, alas, does my cold brow distil
These drops that overwhelm me?

Serpent. Lovely Virgin,
Will not our reason tell us

Supreme felicity is bought with pain?
Who from my brow will wipe

These drops of keener pain?

Who dissipate the dread that loads my heart?

Eve. Tell me what wouldst thou? tell me who afflicts thee?

Serpent. The terror of thy Lord; and hence I pray thee? That when thou hast enjoyed

That sweet forbidden fruit,

When both of you become eternal gods,

That you would guard me from the wrath of heaven;

Since well indeed may he,

Whom we call God, kindle his wrath against me

Having to you imparted

Taste of this fruit against his high command.

But tell him, my desire

To make me lord of this inferior world,

Like man a god in heaven,

Rendered me mute while Eve attained the apple.

Eve. The gift I owe thee, Serpent, well deserves That I should ne'er forget thee.

Serpent. Now in these verdant leaves I hide myself Till thou with sounds of joy

Shalt call and re-assure me.

Eve. Now then conceal thyself, I promise thee To be thy shield against the wrath of God.

O what delicious odour! 'tis so sweet

That I can well believ

That all the lovely flowers

From this derive their fragrance.

These dewy leaves to my conception seem
Moistened with manna, rather than with dew.

Ah, it was surely right

That fruit so exquisite

Should flourish to impart new life to man,

Not waste its sweets upon the wind and sun.
Nothing for any ill

To man could spring from God's creative hand :
Since he for man assuredly has felt

Such warmth of love unbounded, I will taste it.
How sweet it is! how far

Surpassing all the fruits of every kind,
Assembled in this soil!

But where is Adam now? Oh, Adam! Adam!
He answers not; then thou with speed depart
To find him; but among these flowers and leaves
Conceal this lovely apple, lest the angels,
Descrying it, forbid

Adam to taste its sweets,

And so from man be made a mighty God.

Serpent. Extinguish in the waves thy rays, O sun!

No more distribute life!

Thus Lucifer ordains, and thus the apple!

Man, man is now subdued!

Vain Glory. O joyous day! O day

To Hell of triumph, and of shame to Heaven!
Eve has enjoyed the apple,

And now contrives that man may taste it too.
Now see by direst fate

Life is exchanged for death!

Now I exulting sing,

And hence depart with pride,

Since man's high boast is crushed,

And his bright day now turned to hideous night!

ACT. III.

SCENE I.-ADAM and EVE.

Oн, my beloved companion!

Oh thou of my existence,

The very heart and soul !

Hast thou, with such excess of tender haste,

With ceaseless pilgrimage,

To find again thy Adam,

Thus solitary wandered?

Behold him! Speak! what are thy gentle orders?
Why dost thou pause? what ask of God? what dost thou?

Eve. Adam, my best beloved!

My guardian and my guide!

Thou source of all my comfort, all my joy!

Thee, thee alone I wish,

And in these pleasing shades

Thee only have I sought.

Adam. Since thou hast called thy Adam,

(Most beautiful companion),

The source and happy fountain of thy joy ;

Eve, if to walk with me

It now may please thee, I will show thee love,

A sight thou hast not seen;

A sight so lovely, that in wonder thou

Wilt arch thy graceful brow.

Look thou, my gentle bride, towards that path,
Of this so intricate and verdant grove,

Where sit the birds embowered;

Just there, where now, with soft and snowy plumes,
Two social doves have spread their wings for flight,
Just there, thou shalt behold, (oh pleasing wonder),
Springing amid the flowers,

A living stream, that with a winding course

Hence to new Music of the eternal Lyre
Add richer harmony and praise to praise;
For him who now his wondrous might displays,
And shows the Universe its awful Sire.

O Thou who ere the World or Heaven was made,
Didst in thyself, that World, that Heaven enjoy,
How does thy bounty all its powers employ;
What inexpressive good hast thou displayed!
O Thou of sovereign love almighty source,
Who knowest to make thy works thy love express,
Let pure devotion's fire the soul possess,
And give the heart and hand a kindred force.
Then shalt thou hear how, when the world began,
Thy life-producing voice gave myriads birth,
Called forth from nothing all in Heaven and Earth,
Blessed in thy light as Eagles in the Sun.

ACT I.

SCENE I.-GOD THE FATHER—Chorus of Angel

RAISE from this dark abyss thy horrid visage,
O Lucifer! aggrieved by light so potent,
Shrink from the blaze of these refulgent planets
And pant beneath the rays of no fierce sun;

Read in the sacred volumes of the sky,

The mighty wonders of a hand divine.
Behold, thou frantic rebel,

How easy is the task,

To the great Sire of Worlds,

To raise his empyrean seat sublime :

Lifting humility

Thither whence pride hath fallen.

From thence with bitter grief,

Inhabitant of fire, and mole of darkness,

Let the perverse behold,

Despairing his escape and my compassion,

His own perdition in another's good,

And Heaven now closed to him, to others opened;

And sighing from the bottom of his heart,

Let him in homage to my power exclaim,

Ah, this creative Sire,

(Wretch as I am) I see,

Hath need of nothing but himself alone

To re-establish all.

THE SERAPHIM SING.

O scene worth heavenly musing,

With sun and moon their glorious light diffusing;

Where to angelic voices,

Sphere circling sphere rejoices,

How dost thou rise, exciting

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