Of God or Death, of Law or Penaltie? [ 775 ]

Here grows the Cure of all, this Fruit Divine,

For good unknown, sure is not had, or had

Bind us with after-bands, what profits then

Forbids us good, forbids us to be wise?

Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat

Or fansied so, through expectation high

The Tongue not made for Speech to speak thy九九藏书网 praise:

Great are thy Vertues, doubtless, best of Fruits. [ 745 ]

And yet unknown, is as not had at all.

Of this fair Fruit, our doom is, we shall die.

Of vertue to make wise: what hinders then

Forth reaching to the Fruit, she pluckd, she eat:

Intent now wholly on her taste, naught else

Conceales not from us, naming thee the Tree

Hath tasted, envies not, but brings with joy [ 770 ]

In Fruit she never tasted, whether true

Friendly to man, farr from deceit or guile.

Though kept from Man, and worthy to be admird,

Irrational till then. For us alone

For Beasts it seems: yet that one Beast which first

Fair to the Eye, inviting to the Taste,

So saying, her rash hand in evil九九藏书网 hour [ 780 ]

By thee communicated, and our want: [ 755 ]

Whose taste, too long forborn, at first assay

To reach, and feed at once both Bodie and Mind?

Of Knowledge, knowledge both of good and evil;

This intellectual food, for beasts reservd?

How dies the Serpent? hee hath eatn and lives,

The good befalln him, Author unsuspect,

Under this ignoranchttp://www.99lib.nete of good and Evil,

Our inward freedom? In the day we eate

Was death invented? or to us denid

Commends thee more, while it inferrs the good

And knows, and speaks, and reasons, and discerns, [ 765 ]

Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,

In plain then, what forbids he but to know,

What fear I then, rather what know to feare

Regarded, such del9９lｉｂ•nｅtight till then, as seemd,

Forbids us then to taste, but his forbidding

Gave elocution to the mute, and taught

Of knowledg, nor was God-head from her thought. [ 790 ]

Such prohibitions binde not. But if Death [ 760 ]

Thy praise hee also who forbids thy use, [ 750 ]

That all was lost. Back to the Thicket slunk

The guiltie Serpent, and well might, for Eve [ 785 ]