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
�� �
