The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (102 page)

355

She dictate
⁴⁸⁴⁹
false, and mis-inform the will

356

To do what God expressly hath forbid.

357

Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins
⁴⁸⁵⁰

358

That I should mind
⁴⁸⁵¹
thee oft, and mind thou me.

359

Firm we subsist,
⁴⁸⁵²
yet possible to swerve,

360

Since reason not impossibly may meet

361

Some specious
⁴⁸⁵³
object by the foe suborned,
⁴⁸⁵⁴

362

And fall into deception unaware,

363

Not keeping strictest watch, as she
⁴⁸⁵⁵
was warned.

364

Seek not temptation, then, which to avoid

365

Were better, and most likely if from me

366

Thou sever not. Trial will come unsought.

367

Would’st
⁴⁸⁵⁶
thou approve
⁴⁸⁵⁷
thy constancy, approve

368

First thy obedience. Th’ other who can know,

369

Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?

370

But if thou think trial unsought may find

371

Us both securer
⁴⁸⁵⁸
than thus warned thou seem’st,

372

Go, for thy stay not free absents thee more.

373

Go in thy native innocence, rely

374

On what thou hast of virtue, summon all!

375

For God towards thee hath done His part. Do thine.

376

So spoke the patriarch of mankind. But Eve

377

Persisted, yet
⁴⁸⁵⁹
submiss, though last
⁴⁸⁶⁰
replied:

378

   
“With thy permission, then, and thus forewarned

379

Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words

380

Touched
⁴⁸⁶¹
only, that our trial, when least sought,

381

May find us both perhaps far less prepared,

382

The willinger I go, nor much expect

383

A foe so proud will first the weaker seek.

384

So bent,
⁴⁸⁶²
the more shall shame him his repulse.

385

   
Thus saying, from her husband’s hand her hand

386

Soft she withdrew and, like a wood-nymph light,

387

Oread
⁴⁸⁶³
or dryad,
⁴⁸⁶⁴
or of Delia’s
⁴⁸⁶⁵
train,

388

Betook her to the groves, but Delia’s self

389

In gait surpassed, and goddess-like deport,
⁴⁸⁶⁶

390

Though not as she with bow and quiver armed,

391

But with such gard’ning tools as art
⁴⁸⁶⁷
yet rude,
⁴⁸⁶⁸

392

Guiltless
⁴⁸⁶⁹
of fire, had formed, or Angels brought.

393

To Pales,
⁴⁸⁷⁰
or Pomona,
⁴⁸⁷¹
thus adorned,

394

Likest she seemed, Pomona when she fled

395

Vertumnus,
⁴⁸⁷²
or to Ceres
⁴⁸⁷³
in her prime,

396

Yet virgin
⁴⁸⁷⁴
of Proserpina from Jove.

397

Her long with ardent look his eye pursued,

398

Delighted, but desiring more her stay.

399

Oft he to her his charge
⁴⁸⁷⁵
of quick return

400

Repeated; she to him as oft engaged
⁴⁸⁷⁶

401

To be returned by noon amid the bow’r,

402

And all things in best order to invite
⁴⁸⁷⁷

403

Noontide repast, or afternoon’s repose.

404

   
O much deceived, much failing, hapless
⁴⁸⁷⁸
Eve,

405

Of thy presumed
⁴⁸⁷⁹
return! Event perverse!
⁴⁸⁸⁰

406

Thou never from that hour in Paradise

407

Found’st either sweet repast, or sound repose.

408

Such ambush, hid among sweet flow’rs and shades,

409

Waited with hellish rancor
⁴⁸⁸¹
imminent

410

To intercept thy way, or send thee back

411

Despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss!

412

   
For now, and since first break of dawn the fiend,

413

Mere serpent in appearance, forth was come,

414

And on his quest, where likeliest he might find

415

The only two of mankind, but in them

416

The whole included race, his purposed prey.

417

In bow’r and field he sought, where any tuft

418

Of grove or garden-plot more pleasant lay,

419

Their tendance or plantation
⁴⁸⁸²
for delight.

420

By fountain or by shady rivulet

421

He sought them both, but wished his hap
⁴⁸⁸³
might find

422

Eve separate. He wished, but not with hope

423

Of what so seldom chanced, when to his wish,

424

Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies,

425

Veiled in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood,

426

Half spied, so thick the roses bushing round

427

About her glowed, oft stooping to support

428

Each flower of slender stalk, whose head, though gay

429

Carnation, purple, azure, or specked with gold,

430

Hung drooping unsustained. Them she upstays

431

Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while

432

Herself, though fairest unsupported flower,

433

From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh.

434

   
Nearer he drew, and many a walk traversed

435

Of stateliest covert,
⁴⁸⁸⁴
cedar, pine, or palm,

436

Then voluble
⁴⁸⁸⁵
and bold, now hid, now seen

437

Among thick-woven arborets,
⁴⁸⁸⁶
and flow’rs

438

Imbordered on each bank, the hand
⁴⁸⁸⁷
of Eve

439

Spot more delicious than those gardens feigned
⁴⁸⁸⁸

440

Or
⁴⁸⁸⁹
of revived Adonis,
⁴⁸⁹⁰
or renowned

441

Alcinous,
⁴⁸⁹¹
host of old Laertes’ son,
⁴⁸⁹²

442

Or that, not mystic,
⁴⁸⁹³
where the sapient
⁴⁸⁹⁴
king
⁴⁸⁹⁵