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Show Not yet defcry'd. But, fee, the W o m a n here Alone! Beyond m y Hopes! no Guardian near; Good Omen that: I muft retire unfeen, . ^ ^ And with m y borrow'd Shape, the W o r k begin. «- Enter Eve. Eve. Thus far, at leaft, with leave; nor can it be A Sin to look on this Cceleftial Tree.: I would not more; to touch, a Crime may prove : Touching is a remoter Tafte in Love. Death may be there, or Poyfon in the Smell, (If Death in any thing fo fair can dwell 3 ; But Heav'n forbids: I could be fatisfy'd, Were every Tree but this, but this deny d. r A Serpent enters on th Stage, and makes direcTly to the Tree of Knowledge ;on which 1 winding himfelf, he plucks an Apple; then defends, and comes tt away. Strange Sight! Did then our great Creator grant That Privilege, which we their Mafters want, To thefe inferiour Beings? Or was it Chance? And was he bleft with bolder Ignorance ? I law his curling Creft the Trunk infold: The ruddy Fruit diftinguifh'd o'er with Gold, And fmiling in its native Wealth, was tern From the rich Bough, and then in Triumph born: The vent'rous Victor march'd unpuniffi'd hence, And feem'd to boaft his fortunate Offence. To her Lucifer in a humane Shape. Lucifer. Hail, Sovereign of this Orb! form'd to poffefs The World, and, with one Look, all Nature blefs. Nature is thine 3 Thou, Emprefs, doft beftow On Fruits, to Bloffbm 3 and on Flowers to blow. They happy, yet infenfible to boaft Their Blifs: More happy they w h o know the moft. Then happieft I, to Humane Reafon rais'd, And Voice, with whofe firft Accents thou art prais'd. Eve. W h a t artthon?Orfrom whence? For on this Ground, Befide m y Lord's, ne'er heard I Humane Sound. Art thou fome other Adam form'd from Earth, And com'ft to claim on equal Share, by Birth, In this fair Field ? Or fprung of Heavenly Race? Lucifer. An humble Native of this happy Place. Thy VaiTal born, and late of loweft Kind, W h o m Heaven neglecting made, and fcarce defign'd, But threw me in, for Number, to the reft, Below the mounting Bird, and grazing Beaft ; By Chance, not Prudence, now Superiour grown. Eve. To make thee fuch, what Miracle was fhown? Lucif. W h o would not tell what thou vouchfaf'ft to hear > Saw ft thou not late a fpeckled Serpent rear His gilded Spires to climb on yon' fair Tree ? Before this happy Minute I was he. Eve. Thou fpeak'ft of Wonders: Make thy Story plain. Lucif. Not wifhing. then, and thoughtlefs to obtain So great a Blifs; but led by Senfe of Good, In-born to all, I fought m y needful Food: Then, on that Heavnly Tree m y Sight I caft; The Colour urg'd m y Eye, the Scent m y Tafte. Not to detain thee long, I took, did eat: Scarce had m y Palate touch'd th'Immortal Meat, But on a fudden turn'd to what I am, God like, and next to thee, I fair became: Thought, fpake, and reafon'd; and by Reafon found Thee, Natures Queen, with all her Graces aown'd. FALL of MAN 6 1 1 . * Eve. Happy thy Lot ; but far unlike is mine. Forbid to eat, not daring to repine. Twas Heav'ns Command, and fhould w e difobey, W h a t rais'd thy Beings, ours muft take aWay^. Lucifer. Sure you miftake the Precept, or the Tree : Heav'n cannot envious of his Blelfings be. Some chance-born Plant he might forbid your life, As wild, or guilty of £ deadly Juice : Not this, whofe Colour, Scent Divine, and Tafte, Proclaim the thoughtfol Maker not in ffififte. Eve. By all thefe figns too well I know the Fruit, And dread a Power fevere and abfolute. Lucifer. Severe indeed, ev'n to Injuftice hard, If Death, for knowing more, be your Reward: Knowledge of Good, is good; and therefore fit; And to know 111, is good, for fhunning it 3 Eve. What, but our Good, could he defign in this, W h o gave us all, and plac'd in perfect Blifs? Lucifer. Excufe m y Zeal, fair Sov'reign in your Caufe, Which dares to tax his arbitary Laws: 'Tis all his aim to keep you blindly low, That fervile Fear from Ignorance may flow: W e fcorn to worfhip w h o m too well w e know. He knows that eating, you fhall God-like be 3 As wife, as fit to be ador'd as he. For his o w n Int'reft he this L a w has given 3 Such Beauty may raife Factions in his Heaven. By awing you, he does Poffeflion keep, And is too wife to hazard Partnerfhip. Eve. Alas, w h o dares difpute with him that Right? The Power which form'd us muft be infinite. Lucifer. W h o told you how your Form was firft defign'd ? The Sun and Earth produce of ev'ry kind 3 Grafs, Flowers, and Fruits3 nay, living Creatures too: Their Mould was bafe3 'twas more refin'd in you 3 Wlaere Vital Heat in purer Organs wrought, Produc'd a Nobler Kind, rais'd up to Thought; And that, perhaps, might his Begining be : Something was firft, I queftion if 'twere He. But grant him firft, yet ftill fuppofe him good, Not envying thofe he made, immortal Food. Eve. But Death our Difobedience muft purfue. Lucifer. Behold in me, what fliall arrive to you. I tafted, yet I live 3 nay, more, have got A ftate more perfect than m y Native Lot. Nor fear this petty Fault his Wrath fhould raife3 Heaven rather will your dauntlcfs Virtue praife, That fought, through threatned Death, immortal Good: Gods are immortal only by their Food. Tafte, and remove. W h a t difference does 'twixt them and you remain: As I gain'd Reafon, you fhall Godhead gain. Eve afide"] He eats and lives, in Knowledge greater grown: W a s Death invented then for us alone? Is Intellectual Food to M a n deny'd, W;hich Brutes have, with fo much advantage, try'd3 Nor only try'd themfelves, but, frankly, more To me have offer'd their unenvy'd ftore. Lucifer. Be bold, and all your needlefs Doubts remove: View well this Tree, (the Queen of all the Grove) H o w vaft her Bole, h o w wide her Arms are fpread ! H o w high above the reft fhe fhoots her Head, Plac'd in the midft! Would Heaven his Works difgrace, By planting Poyfon in thc happieft Place ? I i i i 2 Hafte |