Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 48

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So faithful Love unequald; but I feel

Farr otherwise th' event, not Death, but Life

Augmented, op'nd Eyes, new Hopes, new Joyes,

Taste so Divine, that what of sweet before

Hath toucht my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh.

On my experience, ADAM, freely taste,

And fear of Death deliver to the Windes.

So saying, she embrac'd him, and for joy

Tenderly wept, much won that he his Love

Had so enobl'd, as of choice to incurr

Divine displeasure for her sake, or Death.

In recompence (for such compliance bad

Such recompence best merits) from the bough

She gave him of that fair enticing Fruit

With liberal hand: he scrupl'd not to eat

Against his better knowledge, not deceav'd,

But fondly overcome with Femal charm.

Earth trembl'd from her entrails, as again

In pangs, and Nature gave a second groan,

Skie lowr'd, and muttering Thunder, som sad drops

Wept at compleating of the mortal Sin

Original; while ADAM took no thought,

Eating his fill, nor EVE to iterate

Her former trespass fear'd, the more to soothe

Him with her lov'd societie, that now

As with new Wine intoxicated both

They swim in mirth, and fansie that they feel

Divinitie within them breeding wings

Wherewith to scorn the Earth: but that false Fruit

Farr other operation first displaid,

Carnal desire enflaming, hee on EVE

Began to cast lascivious Eyes, she him

As wantonly repaid; in Lust they burne:

Till ADAM thus 'gan EVE to dalliance move.

EVE, now I see thou art exact of taste,

And elegant, of Sapience no small part,

Since to each meaning savour we apply,

And Palate call judicious; I the praise

Yeild thee, so well this day thou hast purvey'd.

Much pleasure we have lost, while we abstain'd

From this delightful Fruit, nor known till now

True relish, tasting; if such pleasure be

In things to us forbidden, it might be wish'd,

For this one Tree had bin forbidden ten.

But come, so well refresh't, now let us play,

As meet is, after such delicious Fare;

For never did thy Beautie since the day

I saw thee first and wedded thee, adorn'd

With all perfections, so enflame my sense

With ardor to enjoy thee, fairer now

Then ever, bountie of this vertuous Tree.

So said he, and forbore not glance or toy

Of amorous intent, well understood

Of EVE, whose Eye darted contagious Fire.

Her hand he seis'd, and to a shadie bank,

Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd

He led her nothing loath; Flours were the Couch,

Pansies, and Violets, and Asphodel,

And Hyacinth, Earths freshest softest lap.

There they thir fill of Love and Loves disport

Took largely, of thir mutual guilt the Seale,

The solace of thir sin, till dewie sleep

Oppress'd them, wearied with thir amorous play.

Soon as the force of that fallacious Fruit,

That with exhilerating vapour bland

About thir spirits had plaid, and inmost powers

Made erre, was now exhal'd, and grosser sleep

Bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams

Encumberd, now had left them, up they rose

As from unrest, and each the other viewing,

Soon found thir Eyes how op'nd, and thir minds

How dark'nd; innocence, that as a veile

Had shadow'd them from knowing ill, was gon,

Just confidence, and native righteousness,

And honour from about them, naked left

To guiltie shame hee cover'd, but his Robe

Uncover'd more. So rose the DANITE strong

HERCULEAN SAMSON from the Harlot-lap

Of PHILISTEAN DALILAH, and wak'd

Shorn of his strength, They destitute and bare

Of all thir vertue: silent, and in face

Confounded long they sate, as struck'n mute,

Till ADAM, though not less then EVE abasht,

At length gave utterance to these words constraind.

O EVE, in evil hour thou didst give care

To that false Worm, of whomsoever taught

To counterfet Mans voice, true in our Fall,

False in our promis'd Rising; since our Eyes

Op'nd we find indeed, and find we know

Both Good and Evil, Good lost and Evil got,

Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know,

Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void,

Of Innocence, of Faith, of Puritie,

Our wonted Ornaments now soild and staind,

And in our Faces evident the signes

Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store;

Even shame, the last of evils; of the first

Be sure then. How shall I behold the face

Henceforth of God or Angel, earst with joy

And rapture so oft beheld? those heav'nly shapes

Will dazle now this earthly, with thir blaze

Insufferably bright. O might I here

In solitude live savage, in some glad

Obscur'd, where highest Woods impenetrable

To Starr or Sun-light, spread thir umbrage broad,

And brown as Evening: Cover me ye Pines,

Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs

Hide me, where I may never see them more.

But let us now, as in bad plight, devise

What best may for the present serve to hide

The Parts of each from other, that seem most

To shame obnoxious, and unseemliest seen,

Some Tree whose broad smooth Leaves together sowd,

And girded on our loyns, may cover round

Those middle parts, that this new commer, Shame,

There sit not, and reproach us as unclean.

So counsel'd hee, and both together went

Into the thickest Wood, there soon they chose

The Figtree, not that kind for Fruit renown'd,

But such as at this day to INDIANS known

In MALABAR or DECAN spreds her Armes

Braunching so broad and long, that in the ground

The bended Twigs take root, and Daughters grow

About the Mother Tree, a Pillard shade

High overarch't, and echoing Walks between;

There oft the INDIAN Herdsman shunning heate

Shelters in coole, and tends his pasturing Herds

At Loopholes cut through thickest shade: Those Leaves

They gatherd, broad as AMAZONIAN Targe,

And with what skill they had, together sowd,

To gird thir waste, vain Covering if to hide

Thir guilt and dreaded shame; O how unlike

To that first naked Glorie. Such of late

COLUMBUS found th' AMERICAN to girt

With featherd Cincture, naked else and wilde

Among the Trees on Iles and woodie Shores.

Thus fenc't, and as they thought, thir shame in part

Coverd, but not at rest or ease of Mind,

They sate them down to weep, nor onely Teares

Raind at thir Eyes, but high Winds worse within

Began to rise, high Passions, Anger, Hate,

Mistrust, Suspicion, Discord, and shook sore

Thir inward State of Mind, calme Region once

And full of Peace, now tost and turbulent:

For Understanding rul'd not, and the Will

Heard not her lore, both in subjection now

To sensual Appetite, who from beneathe

Usurping over sovran Reason claimd

Superior sway: From thus distemperd brest,

ADAM, estrang'd in look and alterd stile,

Speech intermitted thus to EVE renewd.

Would thou hadst heark'nd to my words, & stai'd

With me, as I besought thee, when that strange

Desire of wandring this unhappie Morn,

I know not whence possessd thee; we had then

Remaind still happie, not as now, despoild

Of all our good, sham'd, naked, miserable.

Let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve

The Faith they owe; when earnestly they seek

Such proof, conclude, they then begin to faile.

To whom soon mov'd with touch of blame thus EVE.

What words have past thy Lips, ADAM severe,

Imput'st thou that to my default, or will

Of wandering, as thou call'st it, which who knows

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