The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (121 page)

876

      

Rejected my forewarning and disdained

877

      

Not to be trusted—longing to be seen,

878

      

Though by the Devil himself, him overweening
⁵⁶⁵⁴

879

      

To over-reach,
⁵⁶⁵⁵
but with the serpent meeting

880

      

Fooled and beguiled. By him, thou, I by thee.

881

      

To trust thee from my side, imagined
⁵⁶⁵⁶
wise,

882

      

Constant, mature, proof against all assaults,

883

      

And understood not
⁵⁶⁵⁷
all was but a show

884

      

Rather than solid virtue, all but a rib

885

      

Crookèd by nature, bent, as now appears,

886

      

More to the part sinister,
⁵⁶⁵⁸
from me drawn,
⁵⁶⁵⁹

887

      

Well if thrown out, as supernumerary
⁵⁶⁶⁰

888

      

To my just number found.
⁵⁶⁶¹
O why did God,

889

      

Creator wise, that peopled highest Heav’n

890

      

With Spirits masculine, create at last

891

      

This novelty on earth, this fair defect

892

      

Of Nature, and not fill the world at once

893

      

With men, as
⁵⁶⁶²
Angels without feminine,

894

      

Or find some other way to generate
⁵⁶⁶³

895

      

Mankind? This mischief had not been befallen,
⁵⁶⁶⁴

896

      

And more that shall befall, innumerable

897

      

Disturbances on earth through female snares,

898

      

And strait conjunction
⁵⁶⁶⁵
with this sex. For either

899

      

He never shall find out fit
⁵⁶⁶⁶
mate, but such

900

      

As some misfortune brings him, or mistake,

901

      

Or whom
⁵⁶⁶⁷
he wishes most shall seldom gain,

902

      

Through her perverseness,
⁵⁶⁶⁸
but shall see her gained

903

      

By a far worse,
⁵⁶⁶⁹
or if she love,
⁵⁶⁷⁰
withheld

904

      

By parents, or his happiest choice too late

905

      

Shall meet, already linked and wedlock-bound

906

      

To a fell
⁵⁶⁷¹
adversary,
⁵⁶⁷²
his hate or shame.

907

      

Which infinite calamity shall cause

908

      

To human life, and household peace confound.”
⁵⁶⁷³

909

      

   
He added not, and from her turned, but Eve,

910

      

Not so
⁵⁶⁷⁴
repulsed, with tears that ceased not flowing

911

      

And tresses all disordered, at his feet

912

      

Fell humble and, embracing them, besought
⁵⁶⁷⁵

913

      

His peace,
⁵⁶⁷⁶
and thus proceeded in her plaint:

914

      

   
“Forsake
⁵⁶⁷⁷
me not thus, Adam! Witness Heav’n

915

      

What love sincere, and reverence in my heart

916

      

I bear thee, and unweeting
⁵⁶⁷⁸
have offended,

917

      

Unhappily deceived! Thy suppliant

918

      

I beg, and clasp thy knees. Bereave
⁵⁶⁷⁹
me not

919

      

Whereon I live,
⁵⁶⁸⁰
thy gentle
⁵⁶⁸¹
looks, thy aid,

920

      

Thy counsel, in this uttermost
⁵⁶⁸²
distress,

921

      

My only strength and stay.
⁵⁶⁸³
Forlorn
⁵⁶⁸⁴
of thee,

922

      

Whither shall I betake
⁵⁶⁸⁵
me, where subsist?
⁵⁶⁸⁶

923

      

While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps,

924

      

Between us two let there be peace, both joining,

925

      

As joined in injuries, one enmity

926

      

Against a foe by doom express
⁵⁶⁸⁷
assigned us,

927

      

That cruel serpent. On me exercise not

928

      

Thy hatred for this misery befall’n,

929

      

On me already lost, me than thyself

930

      

More miserable! Both have sinned, but thou

931

      

Against God only, I against God and thee,

932

      

And to the place of judgment will return,

933

      

There with my cries importune Heav’n that all

934

      

The sentence, from thy head removed, may light
⁵⁶⁸⁸

935

      

On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe

936

      

Me, me only, just object of His ire!

937

      

   
She ended weeping, and her lowly
⁵⁶⁸⁹
plight,
⁵⁶⁹⁰

938

      

Immoveable,
⁵⁶⁹¹
till peace obtained from fault

939

      

Acknowledged and deplored,
⁵⁶⁹²
in Adam wrought
⁵⁶⁹³

940

      

Commiseration.
⁵⁶⁹⁴
Soon his heart relented

941

      

Towards her, his life so late,
⁵⁶⁹⁵
and sole delight,

942

      

Now at his feet submissive in distress,

943

      

Creature so fair his reconcilement seeking,

944

      

His counsel, whom she had displeased, his aid.

945

      

As one disarmed, his anger all he lost,

946

      

And thus with peaceful words upraised her soon:
⁵⁶⁹⁶

947

      

   
“Unwary, and too desirous, as before,

948

      

So now of what thou know’st not, who desir’st

949

      

The punishment all on thyself! Alas!

950

      

Bear thine own first, ill able to sustain

951

      

His full wrath, whose thou feel’st as yet least part,

952

      

And my displeasure bear’st so ill. If prayers

953

      

Could alter high decrees, I to that place

954

      

Would speed before thee, and be louder heard,

955

      

That on my head all might be visited,

956

      

Thy frailty
⁵⁶⁹⁷
and infirmer
⁵⁶⁹⁸
sex forgiv’n,

957

      

To me committed
⁵⁶⁹⁹
and by me exposed.
⁵⁷⁰⁰

958

      

But rise, let us no more contend,
⁵⁷⁰¹
nor blame

959

      

Each other, blamed enough elsewhere, but strive

960

      

In offices
⁵⁷⁰²
of love, how we may lighten

961

      

Each other’s burden in our share of woe,

962

      

Since this day’s death denounced,
⁵⁷⁰³
if aught I see,
⁵⁷⁰⁴

963

      

Will prove no sudden but a slow-paced evil,