Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/240

 PARADISE LOST

��May tempt it, I expected not to hear. His violence thou fear'st not, being such 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 shaken or seduced: Thoughts, which how found they harbour

in thy breast,

Adam! misthought of her to thee so dear ? " To whom, with healing words, Adam re- plied: 2QO

" Daughter of God and Man, immortal

Eve !

For such thou art, from sin and blame en- tire

Not diffident of thee do I dissuade Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid The attempt itself, intended by our Foe. For he who tempts, though in vain, at least

asperses

The tempted with dishonour foul, supposed Not incorruptible of faith, not proof Against temptation. Thou thyself with

scorn

And auger wouldst resent the offered

wrong, 300

Though ineffectual found; misdeem not,

then,

If such affront I labour to avert From thee alone, which on us both at once The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare; Or, daring, first on me the assault shall

light.

Nor thou his malice and false guile con- temn

Subtle he needs must be who could seduce Angels nor think superfluous others' aid. I from the influence of thy looks receive Access in every virtue in thy sight 310 More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need

were Of outward strength; while shame, thou

looking on,

Shame to be overcome or overreached, Would utmost vigour raise, and raised

unite. Why shouldst not thou like sense within

thee feel

When I am present, and thy trial choose With me, best witness of thy virtue tried ? "

So spake domestic Adam in his care And matrimonial love; but Eve, who thought

��Less attributed to her faith sincere, 320 Thus her reply with accent sweet re- newed:

" If this be our condition, thus to dwell In narrow circuit straitened by a Foe, Subtle or violent, we not endued Single with like defence wherever met, How are we happy, still iu fear of harm ? But harm precedes not sin: only our Foe Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integrity: his foul esteem Sticks no dishonour on our front, but turns Foul on himself; then wherefore shunned or feared 331

By us, who rather double honour gain From his surmise proved false, find peace

within, Favour from Heaven, our witness, from the

event ?

And what is faith, love, virtue, unassayed Alone, without exterior help sustained ? Let us not then suspect our happy state Left so imperfet by the Maker wise As not secure to single or combined. Frail is our happiness, if this be so; 340 And Eden were no Eden, thus exposed."

To whom thus Adam fervently replied: " O Woman, best are all things as the will Of God ordained them ; his creating hand Nothing imperfet or deficient left Of all that he created much less Man, Or aught that might his happy state se- cure,

Secure from outward force. Within him- self

The danger lies, yet lies within his power; Against his will he can receive no harm. 350 But God left free the Will; for what obeys Reason is free ; and Reason he made right, But bid her well be ware, and still erect, Lest, by some fair appearing good sur- prised,

She dictate false, and misinform the Will To do what God expressly hath forbid. Not then mistrust, but tender love, enjoins That I should mind thee oft; and mind

thou me.

Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve, Since Reason not impossibly may meet 36* Some specious object by the foe suborned, And fall into deception unaware, Not keeping strictest watch, as she was

warned.

Seek not temptation, then, which to avoid Were better, and most likely if from me

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