How we might best fulfil the work which here
God hath affign'd us, nor of me'fhalt pafs
Unprais'd: for nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to study houfhold good,
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not fo ftrictly hath our Lord impos'd
Labor, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,
Food of the mind, or this fweet intercourse

Of looks and fmiles, for fmiles from reafon flow,
To brute deny'd, and are of love the food,
Love not the loweft end of human life.
For not to irksome toil, but to delight

He made us, and delight to reason join'd.

230

235

240

These paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide 245
As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Affift us: but if much converse perhaps
Thee fatiate, to short absence I could yield:

239. fmiles from reafon flow,] Smiling is fo great an indication of reason, that fome philofophers have alter'd the definition of man from animal rationale to rifibile, affirming man to be the only creature endowed with the power of laughter. Hume.

For

244. Thefe paths and boro'rs] So it is in the first and best editions, and not The paths and bow'rs, as both Dr. Bentley and Mr. Fenton have by mistake printed it.

249. is beft fociety,] As Scipio

For folitude fometimes is best society,

And short retirement urges sweet return.

250

But other doubt poffeffes me, left harm

Befall thee fever'd from me; for thou know'ft
What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
Despairing, feeks to work us woe and shame
By fly affault; and fomewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and best advantage, us asunder,
Hopeless to circumvent us join'd, where each
To other speedy aid might lend at need;
Whether his first design be to withdraw
Our feälty from God, or to disturb

Conjugal love, than which perhaps no blifs
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;

255

260

Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful fide. 265

That gave thee be'ing, ftill fhades thee and protects. The wife, where danger or dishonor lurks,

Safest and seemlieft by her husband stays,

Who guards her, or with her the worst indures.
To whom the virgin majefty of Eve,

270

As one who loves, and fome unkindness meets,
With sweet auftere compofure thus reply'd.
Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth, and all Earth's Lord,
That fuch an enemy we have, who seeks

Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn,

275

And from the parting Angel over-heard,

As in a fhady nook I ftood behind,

Juft then return'd at shut of evening flowers.
But that thou shouldft my firmness therefore doubt

To

natural notation of evening is this! and a proper time for her, who had gone forth among her fruits and flowers, VIII. 44. to return. But we must not conceive that Eve is fpeaking of the evening laft paft, for this was a week ago. Satan was caught tempting Eve in a dream, and йed out of Paradife that night, and with this ends book the fourth. After he had fled out of Paradife, he was ranging round the world feven days: but we have not any account of Adam and Eve excepting only on the first of thofe days, which begins with the beginning of book the fifth, where Eve relates her dream; that day at noon the Angel Raphael comes down from Heaven; the Angel and Adam difcourfe together till evening, and they part at the end of book the

eighth.

To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'ft not, being fuch
As we, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receive, or can repel.

280

His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers 285 Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love

Can by his fraud be fhaken or feduc'd;

Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast, Adam, mifthought of her to thee fo dear?

To whom with healing words Adam reply'd. 290 Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,

eighth. There are fix days therefore paft in filence, and we hear no more of Adam and Eve, till Satan had stolen again into Paradise.

282. His violence thou fear'ft not,] Adam had not faid fo exprefly, but had implied as much in inlarging particularly upon his fly affault, ver. 256. &c.

289. Adam, mifthought of her to thee fo dear? Dr. Bentley fays that these words exprefs Adam's affection to her, and not hers to him, as the fenfe requires: He therefore reads- to thee fo true? But Milton gave it dear, and made Eve here allude to what Adam had faid of her in ver. 227.

-to me beyond

291. Daughter of God and Man, immortal Eve,] As Eve had called Adam Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth, as made by God out of the duft of the Earth; fo Adam calls Eve Daughter of God and Man, as made by God out of Man; and acknowledges her to be immortal, as she had faid herself, ver. 283. that they were not capable of death or pain; but only fo long as fhe was entire from fin and blame: integer vitæ, fcelerifque purus. Hor. Od. I. XXII. I. K 3

312. - while

For fuch thou art, from fin and blame entire:
Not diffident of thee do I diffuade

Thy abfence from my fight, but to avoid

Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe.

295

For he who tempts, though' in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonor foul, fuppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof
Against temptation: thou thyself with scorn
And anger wouldst resent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: mifdeem not then,
If fuch affront I labor to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,
Or daring, first on me th' affault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and falfe guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could feduce
Angels; nor think fuperfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue, in thy fight

300

305

310 More

unite and add vigor to wisdom, watchfulness, and every virtue mention'd before. If this be not the meaning, it must be understood thus, Would raise the utmoft vigor, and unite and collect it all when rais'd.

318. domeftic Adam] This epithet