Thee, Serpent, suttlest beast of all the field [ 560 ]

Empress of this fair World, resplendent Eve,

Grateful to appetite, more pleasd my sense, [ 580 ]

Fairest resemblance of thy Maker faire,

By Angels numberless, thy daily Train.

Insatiate, I thus single, nor have feard

How camst thou speakable of mute, and how

Then smell of sweetest Fenel or the Teats

Unsuckt of Lamb or Kid, t

九*九*藏*书*网

hat tend thir play.

By gift, and thy Celestial Beautie adore [ 540 ]

Created mute to all articulat sound;

Ruddie and Gold: I nearer drew to gaze;

The trodden Herb, of abject thoughts and low,

What may this mean? Language of Man pronounct

Where universally admird; but here

What thou commandst and right thou shouldst be obeyd: [ 570 ]

A goodly Tree farr distant to 九-九-藏-书-网behold

To Beasts, whom God on thir Creation-Day

Though at the voice much marveling; at length

I was at first as other Beasts that graze

I knew, but not with human voice endud;

Not unamazd she thus in answer spake.

Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine

A Goddess among Gods, adord and servd

So glozd the Tempter, and his Proem tund;

To whom the guileful Tempter thus藏书网 replyd.

Much reason, and in thir actions oft appeers.

By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest?

Beholders rude, and shallow to discerne

Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen

Of Ewe or Goat dropping with Milk at Eevn,

The first at lest of these I thought denid [ 555 ]

Redouble then this miracle, and say,

Till on a day roaving the field, I chancd [ 575 ]

Displeas９９ｌiｂ•ｎeｔd that I approach thee thus, and gaze [ 535 ]

The latter I demurre, for in thir looks

When from the boughes a savorie odour blown,

Thy awful brow, more awful thus retird.

Wonder not, sovran Mistress, if perhaps

To me so friendly grown above the rest

Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mixt,

Easie to mee it is to tell thee all

Say, for such wonder claims attention due.

Thou canst, who九九藏书网 art sole Wonder, much less arm

With ravishment beheld, there best beheld

Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight? [ 565 ]

As was my food, nor aught but food discernd

Into the Heart of Eve his words made way, [ 550 ]

Half what in thee is fair, one man except, [ 545 ]

In this enclosure wild, these Beasts among,

Or Sex, and apprehended nothing high:

Thy looks, the Heavn of mildness, with disdain,