The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (108 page)

895

      

First to himself he inward silence broke:

896

      

   
“O fairest of Creation, last and best

897

      

Of all God’s works, creature in whom excelled

898

      

Whatever can to sight or thought be formed,

899

      

Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!

900

      

How art thou lost! How on a sudden lost,

901

      

Defaced, deflow’red, and now to death devote!
⁵⁰⁶⁵

902

      

Rather, how hast thou yielded to transgress

903

      

The strict forbiddance, how to violate

904

      

The sacred fruit forbidden! Some cursèd fraud

905

      

Of enemy hath beguiled thee, yet unknown,

906

      

And me with thee hath ruined, for with thee

907

      

Certain my resolution is to die!

908

      

How can I live without thee? How forego

909

      

Thy sweet converse,
⁵⁰⁶⁶
and love so dearly joined,

910

      

To live again in these wild woods forlorn?
⁵⁰⁶⁷

911

      

Should God create another Eve, and I

912

      

Another rib afford, yet loss of thee

913

      

Would never
⁵⁰⁶⁸
from my heart. No, no, I feel

914

      

The link of Nature draw me. Flesh of flesh,

915

      

Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state
⁵⁰⁶⁹

916

      

Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe.”

917

      

   
So having said, as one from sad dismay

918

      

Recomforted,
⁵⁰⁷⁰
and after thoughts disturbed

919

      

Submitting to what seemed remediless,

920

      

Thus in calm mood his words to Eve he turned:

921

      

   
“Bold deed thou hast presumed, advent’rous Eve,

922

      

And peril great provoked, who thus hast dared,

923

      

Had it been only coveting to eye

924

      

That sacred fruit, sacred to abstinence,

925

      

Much more to taste it under ban to touch.

926

      

But past who can recall, or done undo?

927

      

Not God Omnipotent, nor Fate. Yet so

928

      

Perhaps thou shalt not die, perhaps the fact

929

      

Is not so heinous,
⁵⁰⁷¹
now, foretasted
⁵⁰⁷²
fruit,

930

      

Profaned
⁵⁰⁷³
first by the serpent, by him first

931

      

Made common
⁵⁰⁷⁴
and unhallowed,
⁵⁰⁷⁵
ere our taste,

932

      

Nor yet on him found deadly. Yet he lives,

933

      

Lives, as thou said’st, and gains to live, as man,

934

      

Higher degree of life—inducement strong

935

      

To us, as likely tasting to attain

936

      

Proportional ascent, which cannot be

937

      

But to be gods, or Angels, demi-gods.

938

      

Nor can I think that God, Creator wise,

939

      

Though threat’ning, will in earnest so destroy

940

      

Us His prime creatures, dignified so high,

941

      

Set over all His works, which in our fall,

942

      

For us created, needs with us must fail,

943

      

Dependent made. So God shall uncreate,

944

      

Be frustrate, do, undo, and labor lose—

945

      

Not well conceived of God, who though His power

946

      

Creation could repeat, yet would be loath

947

      

Us to abolish, lest the adversary

948

      

Triumph, and say: ‘Fickle their state whom God

949

      

Most favors. Who can please Him long? Me first

950

      

He ruined, now mankind. Whom will He next?’

951

      

Matter of scorn, not to be giv’n the foe.

952

      

However, I with thee have fixed my lot,

953

      

Certain
⁵⁰⁷⁶
to undergo like
⁵⁰⁷⁷
doom. If death

954

      

Consort
⁵⁰⁷⁸
with thee, death is to me as life,

955

      

So forcible
⁵⁰⁷⁹
within my heart I feel

956

      

The bond of Nature draw me to my own,

957

      

My own in thee, for what thou art is mine,

958

      

Our state cannot be severed. We are one,

959

      

One flesh. To lose thee were to lose myself.”

960

      

So Adam, and thus Eve to him replied:

961

      

   
“O glorious trial of exceeding
⁵⁰⁸⁰
love,

962

      

Illustrious evidence,
⁵⁰⁸¹
example high!

963

      

Engaging me to emulate. But short
⁵⁰⁸²

964

      

Of thy perfection, how shall I attain,
⁵⁰⁸³

965

      

Adam, from whose dear side I boast me sprung,

966

      

And gladly of our union hear thee speak,

967

      

One heart, one soul in both—whereof good proof

968

      

This day affords, declaring thee resolved,

969

      

Rather than death, or aught than death more dread,

970

      

Shall separate us, linked in love so dear,

971

      

To undergo with me one guilt, one crime,

972

      

If any be, of tasting this fair fruit,

973

      

Whose virtue, for of good still good proceeds,

974

      

Direct, or by occasion,
⁵⁰⁸⁴
hath presented

975

      

This happy trial of thy love, which else

976

      

So eminently
⁵⁰⁸⁵
never had been known?

977

      

Were it
⁵⁰⁸⁶
I thought death menaced
⁵⁰⁸⁷
would ensue
⁵⁰⁸⁸

978

      

This my attempt, I would sustain
⁵⁰⁸⁹
alone

979

      

The worst, and not persuade thee, rather die

980

      

Deserted, than oblige thee with a fact
⁵⁰⁹⁰

981

      

Pernicious
⁵⁰⁹¹
to thy peace, chiefly assured

982

      

Remarkably so late
⁵⁰⁹²
of thy so true,

983

      

So faithful, love unequalled. But I feel

984

      

Far otherwise th’ event. Not death, but life

985

      

Augmented, opened eyes, new hopes, new joys,

986

      

Taste so divine, that what of sweet before