Of that alluring fruit, urg'd me fo keen.

About the moffy trunk I wound me foon,

For high from ground the branches would require 590
Thy utmost reach or Adam's: Round the tree
All other beafts that faw, with like defire
Longing and envying ftood, but could not reach."
Amid the tree now got, where plenty hung

Tempting so nigh, to pluck and eat my

fill

I spar'd not, for such pleasure till that hour
At feed or fountain never had I found.
Sated at length, ere long I might perceive
Strange alteration in me, to degree

595

Of reason in my inward pow'rs, and fpeech 600 Wanted not long, though to this shape retain'd. Thenceforth to fpeculations high or deep

I turn'd my thoughts, and with capacious mind
Confider'd all things vifible in Heaven,

Or Earth, or Middle, all things fair and good; 605
But all that fair and good in thy divine
Semblance, and in thy beauty's heav'nly ray
United I beheld; no fair to thine

Equivalent or fecond, which compell'd

Me thus, though importune perhaps, to come 610
And gaze, and worship thee of right declar'd
Sovran of creatures, univerfal Dame.

So talk'd the spirited fly Snake; and Eve
Yet more amaz'd unwary thus reply'd.
Serpent, thy overpraising leaves in doubt
The virtue of that fruit, in thee first prov'd:

615

from hence how far?

For

fignified miftrefs or lady, and was
probably derived from the French
dame and the Latin domina
verfal Dame, Domina univerfi.

613.

Uni

So talk'd &c] Milton
has shown more art and ability in
taking off the common objections to
the Mofaic history of the tempta-
tion by the addition of fome circum-
ftances of his own invention, than
in any other theologic part of his
poem.
Warburton.

M

For many are the trees of God that

grow

In Paradise, and various, yet unknown
To us, in fuch abundance lies our choice,
As leaves a greater store of fruit untouch'd,
Still hanging incorruptible, till men
Grow up to their provifion, and more hands
Help to disburden Nature of her birth.

To whom the wily Adder, blithe and glad.
Emprefs, the way is ready, and not long,
Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat,

Faft by a fountain, one fmall thicket past
Of blowing myrrh and balm; if thou accept
My conduct, I can bring thee thither foon.

Lead then, faid Eve. He leading swiftly roll'd

620

625

630

635

In tangles, and made intricate feem ftrait,
To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy
Brightens his creft; as when a wand'ring fire,
Compact of unctuous vapor, which the night
Condenfes, and the cold environs round,
Kindled through agitation to a flame,
Which oft, they fay, fome evil Spi'rit attends,
Hovering and blazing with delusive light,
Misleads th' amaz'd night-wand'rer from his
way 640
To bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool,
There fwallow'd up and loft, from fuccour far.
So glifter'd the dire Snake, and into fraud
Led Eve our credulous mother, to the tree
Of prohibition, root of all our woe;

645

Which

Philofophy and poetry are

here mix'd together.

643. and into fraud] Fraud fignifies hurt and damage, as well as deceit and delufion. Virg. Æn. X. 72.

where the ferpent is defcrib'd as lines.
rolling forward in all his pride, ani-
mated by the evil Spirit, and con-
ducting Eve to her deftruction, while
Adam was at too great a distance
from her to give her his affiftance.
These several particulars are all of
them wrought into the following
fimilitude.

-Hope elevates, and joy Brightens his creft; as when a wand'ring fire, &c. Addifon. And there is not perhaps any more philofophic account of the ignis fatuus, than what is contain'd in thefe

Quis Deus in fraudem, quæ durapotentia noftra

Egit?

And Milton often uses English words in the Latin fignification.

the tree

644. Of probibition,] An Hebraifm for the prohibited or forbidden tree. M 2 648. Fruit

Which when she saw, thus to her guide fhe fpake.

650

Serpent, we might have fpar'd our coming hither, Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to' excess, The credit of whose virtue reft with thee, Wondrous indeed, if caufe of fuch effects. But of this tree we may not tafte nor touch; God fo commanded, and left that command Sole daughter of his voice; the rest, we live Law to ourselves, our reafon is our law.

To whom the Tempter guilefully reply'd. Indeed? hath God then faid that of the fruit Of all these garden trees ye fhall not eat,

655

Yet Lords declar'd of all in earth or air?

648. Fruitless to me, though fruit

be here to excefs,] Befides the jingle, the fame word is ufed in a litteral and metaphorical fenfe, as in Bion Idyl. I. 16, 17.

Αγριον άγριον ελκΘ εχει κατα
μωρον Αδωνις,
Μείζον δ'α Κυθέρεια φέρει ποτι
καρδιού ελκθ.

And not unlike is that in Virgil,
En. VII. 295.

Num capti potuere capi?

653. Sole daughter of his voice ;] Another Hebraifm. Bath Kol, The daughter of a voice is a noted phrafe among the Jews, and they understand by it a voice from Heaven;