The hands dispatch of two gard'ning fo wide.
And Eve first to her husband thus began.
Adam, well may we labor ftill to dress
This garden, still to tend plant, herb, and flower,
Our pleasant task injoin'd, but till more hands
Aid us, the work under our labor grows,
Luxurious by restraint; what we by day
Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind,
One night or two with wanton growth derides
Tending to wild. Thou therefore now advise,
Or bear what to my mind first thoughts prefent;
Let us divide our labors, thou where choice
Leads thee, or where moft needs, whether to wind 215
The woodbine round this arbor, or direct
The clafping ivy where to climb, while I
In yonder fpring of rofes intermix'd
With myrtle, find what to redrefs till noon:
For while fo near each other thus all day
Our task we choose, what wonder if so near
Looks intervene and fmiles, or object new
Cafual difcourfe draw on, which intermits
Our day's work brought to little, though begun
Early, and th' hour of fupper comes unearn'd.
To whom mild anfwer Adam thus return'd.
Sole Eve, affociate fole, to me beyond
Compare above all living creatures dear,
Well haft thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd
How we might beft fulfil the work which here
God hath affign'd us, nor of me shalt pass
Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to ftudy houfhold good,
And good works in her husband to promote,
Yet not fo ftriftly hath our Lord impos'd
Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this fweet intercourse
Of looks and fmiles, for fmiles from reafon flow,
To brute deny'd, and are of love the food,
Love not the lowest end of human life.
For not to irksome toil, but to delight
He made us, and delight to reafon join'd.
These paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with cafe, as wide
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Affift us: but if much converfe perhaps
Thee fatiate, to fhort abfence I could yield:
For folitude fometimes is best fociety,
And fhort retirement urges sweet return.
But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm
Befall thee fever'd from me; for thou know'st
What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
Despairing, feeks to work us woe and shame
By fly affault; and somewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and beft advantage, us asunder,
Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each
To other speedy aid might lend at need;
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our feälty from God, or to difturb
Conjugal love, than which perhaps no bliss
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;
Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful fide
That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee and protects.
The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks,
Safest and seemliest by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst indures.
To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,
As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,
With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.
Offspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earth's Lord, That fuch an enemy we have, who seeks Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn, And from the parting Angel over-heard, As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,
Just then return'd at shut of evening flowers.
But that thou shouldft 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' ft not, being fuch
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 fhaken or feduc'd;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, mif-thought of her to thee fo dear?
To whom with healing words Adam reply'd. 290 Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,
For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire:
Not diffident of thee do I diffuade
Thy absence from my fight, but to avoid.
Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe.
For he who tempts, though' in vain, at least asperses The tempted with difhonor foul, fuppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Againft temptation: thou thyfelf with scorn
And wouldst resent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,
If fuch affront I labor to avert
From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,
Or daring, first on me th' affault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could feduce
Angels; nor think fuperfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue, in thy fight
More wife, more watchful, stronger, if need were
Of outward ftrength; while fhame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or over-reach'd
Would utmost vigor raise, and rais'd unite.
Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel 315
When I am prefent, and thy trial choose
With me, beft witness of thy virtue try'd?
So fpake domeftic Adam in his care
And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought
Lefs attribúted to her faith fincere,
Thus her reply with accent sweet renew'd.
If this be our condition, thus to dwell
In narrow circuit ftraiten'd by a foe,
Subtle or violent, we not indued
Single with like defenfe, wherever met,
How are we happy, ftill in fear of harm?
But harm precedes not fin: only our foe
Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem
Of our integrity: his foul esteem
Sticks no difhonor on our front, but turns
Foul on himself; then wherefore fhunn'd or fear'd
By us? who rather double honor gain
From his furmife prov'd falfe, find peace within,
Favor from Heav'n, our witnefs, from th' event.
And what is faith, love, virtue unassay'd
Alone, without exterior help fuftain'd?
Let us not then suspect our happy state
Left fo imperfect by the Maker wife,
As not fecure to fingle or combin'd.
Frail is our happiness, if this be fo,
And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd.
To whom thus Adam fervently reply'd.
O Woman, best are all things as the will
Of God ordain'd them; his creating hand
Nothing imperfect or deficient left
Of all that he created, much lefs Man,
Or ought that might his happy state secure,
Secure from outward force; within himself
The danger lies, yet lies within his power:
Against his will he can receive no harm.
But God left free the will, for what obeys
Reason, is free, and reafon he made right,
|