Affultus conftanti animo fuperare potentem: Infelix! neque enim novi, quàm vana niteres Virtutis fpecie falsâ; quàmque improba costa, Quàm curvata fores, naturæ errore labantis, (Namque patet) deducta meî de parte finiftrâ. O utinam hæc primo periiffet cofta fub ortu! Heu quianam magni prudentia fumma Parentis, Quæ cœlum aribus decrevit prima colendum, Deinde novum hoc terris animal, labemque venustam Naturæ, intulerit? quidni, velut ardua divûm Sæcula, condiderit fexûs fimul unius omne Humanum genus, aut alio generaverit ortu Quolibet? hæc adeò abfuerat sæviffima peftis, Quafque orbi innumeras funeftis fraudibus olim Triftia fœminei parient commercia fexûs. Rarò vir uxori pofthac fociabitur aptæ; Sed qualem mala fors dederit, vel fævior error.
And understood not all was but a fhew, Rather than folid virtue; all but a rib, Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, More to the part finifter from me drawn ; Well if thrown out, as fupernumerary To my just number found! O! why did God, Creator wife, that peopl'd higheft heav'n With fpirits mafculine, create at last This novelty on earth, this fair defect
Of nature? and not fill the world at once With men as angels, without feminine? Or find fome other way to generate Mankind? this mischief had not then befall'n, And more that fhall befal: innumerable Disturbances on earth thro' female fnares, And ftrait conjunction with this fex! for either He never fhall find out fit mate; but fuch As fome misfortune brings him or mistake:
Sæpe avidis, toto ardebit quam pectore, votis Pugnantem inveniet; duri renuentve parentes, Si virgo annuerit: rapietque indignior alter. Aut quam prætulerit reliquis quacunque puellis, Seriùs heu mæfto tabefcens corde videbit, Ante viri propriam alterius; fors hoftis acerbi: Torquebunt miferam furiis pudor iraque mentem. Hinc mala millia provenient; hinc fœdera vitæ Diffolventur amica, quiefque domestica cedet. Nec plura his; feque indignans avertit at illa Uberibus fupplex lacrimis, nec paffa repulsam, Vexatos diffufa humeris fine lege capillos, Procubuit, complexa pedes; genubusque prehensum Implorans, tales fundebat pectore questus : Ah ne me, conjux, ne defere! conscia testor Sidera, te quanto fervens complectar amore, Quo veneror ftudio. Funeftum errore finiftro Admifi male cauta nefas: en fupplice voce
Or whom he wishes moft, fhall feldom gain Thro' her perverfenefs; but shall fee her gain'd By a far worse or if she love, with-held By parents; or his happiest choice too late Shall meet, already link'd, and wedlock-bound To a fell adverfary, his hate or shame: Which infinite calamity shall caufe To human life, and houfhold peace confound. He added not, and from her turn'd. But Eve, VOL. II.
Not fo repuls'd, with tears that ceas'd not flowing, And treffes all dif-order'd at his feet Fell humble; and embracing them, befought His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint:
Forfake me not thus Adam! Witness heav'n What love fincere, and reverence in my heart I bear thee, and un-weeting have offended, Unhappily deceiv'd. Thy fuppliant
I beg and clafp thy knees: bereave me not Solli-
Sollicitans genua amplector: ne rebus in arctis Confilii jucunda tui jam furripe durus Munera; ne placidos vultus mihi furripe, folas Delicias vitæ, & curarum dulce levamen.
O ubi, te viduata, ferar, quæ denique quæram Auxilia? at faltem dum vivimus, (et brevis ævum Fors hora abfolvet) pacem foveamus amicam. Conjungant animi, quos fæva injuria junxit; Et nobis decretum aftris crudelibus hoftem Ambo infectemur focio fimul impete, dirum Serpentem. Ne deinde tuis, ob tristia damna, Exerceto odiis nimiâ me clade gravatam, Me luctu oppreffam gemino: peccavimus ambo: At folum tibi noxa Deum, mihi teque Deumque Reddidit infenfos. Quin protinus ipfa tremendas Judicii repetam fedes, precibufque laceffam Perpetuis cœlum, gravis ut te fofpite pœna In me adeò caufamque tui fontemque doloris
Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid, Thy counsel in this uttermoft distress, My only strength and stay. Forlorn of thee, Whither fhall I betake me, where fubfift? While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps, Between us two let there be peace; both joining As join'd in injuries, one enmity Against a foe by doom exprefs affign'd us,
That cruel ferpent. On me exercise not Thy hatred, for this misery befall'n; On me already loft, me than thy felf More miferable! Both have fin'd: but thou Againft God only; I against God and thee: And to the place of judgment will return, There with my cries importune heav'n, that all The fentence, from thy head remov'd, may light
Tota cadat; me, me, dignam illius omnibus iris. Finierat lacrimans. Illam conftantibus ufque Orantem veniam votis, fua crimina faffam
Lamentis fletuque humili, commotus & imo
Corde remollefcens, ultro miferatur Adamus.
Illam, delicias nuper fupremaque vitæ
Gaudia, nunc genua amplexam flentemque, benignâ Refpexit pietate dolens; nunc ore decoro
Ipfius auxilium, quem læferat, ipfius alma
Confilia implorantem: animum mentemque ferocem Exuit, & trepidam dictis erexit amicis:
Ah præceps animi, & correpta cupidine cæcâ, Ut priùs: an pœnis communibus una duorum Sufficis? ipfa tuas difcas bene ferre; mariti Vix iram pateris: cœli effufos-ne furores Suftineas, quorum & minimâ jam parte gravaris? Quòd fi fupremum flecti jus poffe precando Sperarem, fedes peterem, mora nulla, facratas
On me; fole cause to thee of all this woe; Me, me, only juft object of his ire.
She ended weeping; and her lowly plight Immoveable, 'till peace obtain'd from fault Acknowledg'd and deplor'd, in Adam wrought Commiferation: foon his heart relented Tow'rds her, his life fo late, and fole delight Now at his feet fubmiffive in distress; Creature fo fair his reconcilement seeking,
His counfel, whom she had difpleas'd, his aid: As one difarm'd, his anger all he loft; And thus with peaceful words up-rais'd her foon: Unwary, and too defirous, as before, So now, of what thou know'st not, thou defir'st The punishment all on thy felf: alas! Bear thine own firft; ill able to sustain His full wrath, whofe thou feel'ft as yet leaft part; And my displeasure bear'ft fo ill. If pray'rs Cc 2 Te
Te prior, atque alto orarem vehementius ore Ut caput hoc premeret folum quæcunque mali vis; Tu culpam effugeres, fexu tam mollis inermi, Cui neque fidus eram cuftos, nec debita curæ Munera præstabam. Quin tandem mente receptâ Erige te, conjux; finem difcordia nostra
Hinc capiat: nobis plus extera fufficit ira.
At blando interea certemus amore, benignifque
Officiis, onera ut gravium divifa laborum
Participes minùs inde premant: mors quippe, propinqua
Credita, ni veri vanus feror, huc pede tardo
Adventat, noftrum cunctando auctura dolorem; Hinc ftirpi, ah miseræ ftirpi, tradenda futuræ. Deinde olli, revocans animos, fic rettulit Eva: Heu nimiùm, conjux, ufu monftrante magiftro Jam patuit, mea quàm merito fpernantur inepta Confilia, eventu dudum comitata finiftro. At quoniam indignæ facili tam pace favorem
Could alter high decrees, I to that place
Would fpeed before thee and be louder heard, That on my head all might be visited;
Thy frailty, and infirmer fex, forgiv'n ;, To me committed, and by me expos'd. But rife; let us no more contend, nor blame Each other, blam'd enough elsewhere; but ftrive In offices of love, how we may light'n Each other's burthen in our fhare of woe:
Since this day's death denounc'd, if ought I fee, Will prove no fudden, but a flow-pac'd evil, A long day's dying, to augment our pain; And to our feed, o hapless feed, deriv'd.
To whom thus Eve, recovering heart, reply'd: Adam, by fad experiment I know How little weight my words with thee can find, Found fo erroneous; thence by juft event Found fo unfortunate: nevertheless
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