The woman, opportune to all attempts;

Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh,
Whose higher intellectual more I shun,
And strength, of courage haughty, and of limb
Heroic built; though of terrestrial mold,
Foe not informidable! exempt from wound,
I not; so much hath hell debased, and pain
Enfeebled me, to what I was in heaven.
She fair, divinely fair, fit love for gods!
Not terrible, though terror be in love

And beauty, not approach'd by stronger hate;
Hate stronger, under show of love well feign'd;
The
way which to her ruin now I tend."

So spake the enemy of mankind, enclosed
In serpent, inmate bad! and toward Eve
Address'd his way: not with indented wave,
Prone on the ground, as since;
but on his rear,
Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd
Fold above fold, a surging maze: his head
Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes;
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass
Floated redundant. Pleasing was his shape
And lovely; never since of serpent-kind
Lovelier, not those that in Illyria changed,
Hermione and Cadmus, or the god
In Epidaurus; nor to which transform'd
Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline, was seen;
He with Olympias; this with her who bore
Scipio, the highth of Rome. With tract oblique
At first, as one who sought access, but fear'd
To interrupt, side-long he works his way.
As when a ship, by skilful steersmen wrought
Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind

Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail:
So varied he, and of his tortuous train

Curl'd many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve,
To lure her eye: she, busied, heard the sound
Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as used
To such disport before her through the field,
From every beast; more duteous at her call,
Than at Circean call the herd disguised.
He, bolder now, uncall'd before her stood,
But as in gaze admiring: oft he bow'd
His turret crest, and sleek enamell'd neck,
Fawning; and lick'd the ground whereon she trod.
His gentle dumb expression turn'd at length
The eye of Eve to mark his play: he, glad
Of her attention gain'd, with serpent-tongue
Organic, or impulse of vocal air,

His fraudulent temptation thus began:

"Wonder not, sovran Mistress! if perhaps Thou canst, who art sole wonder! much less arm Thy looks, the heaven of mildness, with disdain, Displeased that I approach thee thus, and gaze Insatiate: I thus single; nor have fear'd Thy awful brow, more awful thus retired. Fairest resemblance of thy Maker fair! Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine By gift, and thy celestial beauty adore With ravishment beheld; there best beheld, Where universally admired: but here, In this inclosure wild, these beasts among, Beholders rude, and shallow to discern Half what in thee is fair, one man except, Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who should be A goddess among gods, adored and served [seen By angels numberless, thy daily train."

So glozed the Tempter, and his proem tuned : Into the heart of Eve his words made way, Though at the voice much marvelling; at length, Not unamazed, she thus in answer spake :

66 What this mean? language of man pro

may

nounced

By tongue of brute, and human sense express'd?
The first, at least, of these I thought denied
To beasts; whom God, on their creation-day,
Created mute to all articulate sound:
The latter I demur; for in their looks
Much reason, and in their actions, oft appears.
Thee, Serpent! subtlest beast of all the field
I knew, but not with human voice endued.
Redouble then this miracle, and
say,
How camest thou speakable of mute, and how
To me so friendly grown above the rest
Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight?
Say, for such wonder claims attention due."
To whom the guileful Tempter thus replied:
Empress of this fair world, resplendent Eve!
Easy to me it is to tell thee all

What thou command'st; and right thou shouldst be'
I was at first as other beasts that
graze [obey'd.
The trodden herb, of abject thoughts and low,
As was my food; nor aught but food discern'd
Or sex, and apprehended nothing high:
Till, on a day roving the field, I chanced
A goodly tree far distant to behold
Loaden with fruit of fairest colors mix'd,
Ruddy and gold: I nearer drew to gaze:
When from the boughs a savory odor blown,
Grateful to appetite, more pleased my sense
Than smell of sweetest fennel, or the teats

So glozed the Tempter, and his proem tuned : Tut the heart of Eve his words made way,