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Show The State of Irmocencej ani 6 i % - " 77 ui7« [Pinch"?, tl^ Fruit. ^\#*_^^^*^^ Perhaps, far hid in Heaven, he does not fpyj And none of all his Hymning Guards are nigh. To my dear Lord ^^^l^rt £$** haftily. He, to partake m y Blifs, my Crime inal mare. L J J luJr. She flew, andthank'd mc not, for hafte; was hard With no return fuch Counfel to reward. M y Work is done, or much the greater part 3 She's now the Tempter to enfnare his Heart. He whofe firm Faith no Reafon could remove, Will melt before that foft Seducer, Love. tr?' A C T V. S C E N E I. Paradice. ivc E V f , » « w » _v-g.» '" •»>•' - Ethinks I tread more lightly on the Ground 3 M y nimble Feet from unhurt Flowers rebound: • ._ J r _> *-K!^ TT-t*•*•!•* 1*r Coir- > Eve, with a Boitah in her Hand. M..., '...- "" I walk in Air, and fcorn this Earthly Seat 3 Heaven is m y Palace, this m y bale Retreat, Take m e not, Heav'n, too foon, 'twill be unkind To leave the Partner of "my Bed behind. I love the Wretch : But ftay, fhall I afford Him part? already he's too much m y Lord. 'Tis in m y Pow'r to be a Sov'reign now, And, knowing more, to make his Manhood bow. Empire is fweet 3 but how if Heav'n hasfpy'd? If I fhould die, and he above provide Some other Eve, and place her in m y ftead, Shall fhe poffefs his Love, when I am dead ? N o 3 he fliall eat and die with me, or live: Our equal Crimes fliall equal Fortune give. Enter Adam. Adam. What Joy, without your Sight, hath Earth inftore? While you were abfent, Eden was no more. Winds murmur'd through the Leaves, your long delay 3 And Fountains o'er their Pebbles chid your ftay. But with your Prefence cheer'd, they ceafe to mourn, And Walks wearfrefher Green, at your Return. Eve. Henceforth you never fhall have caufe to chide; N o future Abfence fliall our Joys divide: 'Twas a ftrange Death, m y Love ne're try'd before, And therefore ftrange 3 but yet the Caufe was more. Adam. M y trembling Heart forebodes fome 111: I fear To ask that Caufe which I defire to hear. What means that lovely Fruit? Whatmeans (alas!) That Blood, which flufhes guilty in your Face ? Speak do not yet, at laft I muft be told. Eve. Have Courage then 3 'tis Manly to be bold. This Fruit-why fhould'ft thou fhake, no Death is nigh 3 Tis what I raited firft, yet do not die. Adam. Is i t ? - (I dare not ask it all at firft 3 Doubt is fome eafe to thofe who fear the worft •) Say, 'Tis not. 'J ^°e'~s Tl? not what thou need'ft to fear -, What danger does in this fair Fruit appear > W e have been cozen'd, and had ftill been fo Had I not ventur'd boldly firft to know Yet not I firft, I almoft blufh to fay The Serpent eating taught me firft the way. The Serpent tafted, and the God-like Fruit Gave the D u m b Voice, gave Reafon to the Brute Adam. I FALL of MAN^ -- Adam. O faireft of all Creatures, laft and beft ' " Ot what Heaven made, h o w art thou difpofTeft Or all thy Native Glories! fall'n ! decay'd' (Pity fo rate a Frame fo frail was made!) N o w caufe of thine o w n Ruine! and with thine (Ah ! w h o can live without thee!) caufe of mine • Eve. Referve thy Pity till I want it more : I know m y felf much happier than before 3 More wife, more perfeft, all I wifh to be, W e r e I but fure, alas! of pleafing thee. Adam. Y'have fhown h o w much you may Content defign - Yet, ah ! would Heav'n's Difpleafure pafs like mine Muft 1 without you, then, in wild W o o d s dwell ? Think, and but think of what I lov'd fo well : Condemn d to live with Subje&s ever mute 3 A falvage Prince, unpleas'd, tho' abfolute. Eve. Pleafe th«n your felf with me, and freely tafte, Left I, without you, fhould to Godhead hafte; Left, differing in degree, you claim too late Unequal Love, when 'tis deny'd by Fate. Adam. Cheat not your felf with Dreams of Deity; Too well, but yet too late, your Crime I fee: Nor think the Fruit your Knowledge does improve; But you have Beauty ftill and I have Love. Not cozen'd, I with choice m y Life refign : Imprudence was your Fault, but Love is mine. [Takes th Fruit, and eats it. Eve embracing himl] O wond'rous pow'r of matchlefs Love expreft J W h y was this Trial thine of loving beft ? I envy thee that Lot 1 and, could it be, W o u l d venture fomething more than Death for thee: Not that I fear that Death th'Event can prove; W a r e both Immortal, while fo well w e love. Adam. Whate'er fhall be th'Event, the Lot is caft : Where Appetites are giv'n, what Sin to tafte ? Or if a Sin, 'tis but by Precept fuch : , Th'Offence fo fmall, the Punifhment's too much, To feek fo foon his new made World's decay: Nor we, nor that, were falhion'd for a Day. Eve. Give to the Winds thy fear of Death, or 111 ; And think us made but for each other's Will. Adam. I will, at leaft, defer that anxious Thought, And Death, by Fear, fhall not be nigher brought: If He will come, let Us to Joys make hafte 3 Then let him feize Us when our Pleafure's paft. We'll take up all before 3 and Death fliall find W e have drein'd Life, and left a Void behind. [Exeunt. Enter Lucifer. Lucifer. 'Tis done. Sick Nature, at that inftant, trembled round 3 And Mother-Earth figh'd as fhe felt the W;ound. Of h o w fhort durance was this new-made State ! H o w far more mighty than Heav'ns Love, Hell's Hate! His Project ruin'd, and his King of Clay: He form'd an Empire for his Foe to fway. Heav'n let him rule, which by his Arms he got; I'm pleas'd to have obtain'd the fecond Lot. This Earth is mine, whofe Lord I made m y Thrall, Annexing to m y Crown his conquer'd Ball. Loos'd from the Lakes m y Legions I will lead, And, o'er the dark'ned Air black Banners fpread: Contagious Damps, from hence, fhall mount above, And force him to his inmoft Heav'n's remove. -_./-'--_.. , He hears already, and I boaft too foon; \A Uup of Thunder k heard. It dread that Engine which fecur'd his Throne. |