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Wonder not, sovran Mistress, if perhaps

Thou canst, who art sole Wonder, much less arm

Thy looks, the Heavn of mildness, with disdain,

Displeasd that I approach thee thus, and gaze [ 535 ]

Insatiate, I thus single, nor have feard

Thy awful brow, more awful thus retird.

Fairest resemblance of thy Maker faire,

Thee all things living gaze on, all things thine

By gift, and thy Celestial Beautie adore [ 540 ]

With ravishment beheld, there best beheld

Where universally admird; but here

In this enclosure wild, these Beasts among,

Beholders rude, and shallow to discerne

Half what in thee is fair, one man except, [ 545 ]

Who sees thee? (and what is one?) who shouldst be seen

A Goddess among Gods, adord and servd

By Angels numberless, thy daily Train.

So glozd the Tempter, and his Proem tund;

Into the Heart of Eve his words made way, [ 550 ]

Though at the voice much marveling; at length

Not unamazd she thus in answer spake.

What may this mean? Language of Man pronounct

By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest?

The first at lest of these I thought denid [ 555 ]

To Beasts, whom God on thir Creation-Day

Created mute to all articulat sound;

The latter I demurre, for in thir looks

Much reason, and in thir actions oft appeers.

Thee, Serpent, suttlest beast of all the field [ 560 ]

I knew, but not with human voice endud;

Redouble then this miracle, and say,

How camst thou speakable of mute, and how

To me so friendly grown above the rest

Of brutal kind, that daily are in sight? [ 565 ]

Say, for such wonder claims attention due.

To whom the guileful Tempter thus replyd.

Empress of this fair World, resplendent Eve,

Easie to mee it is to tell thee all

What thou commandst and right thou shouldst be obeyd: [ 570 ]

I was at first as other Beasts that graze

The trodden Herb, of abject thoughts and low,

As was my food, nor aught but food discernd

Or Sex, and apprehended nothing high:

Till on a day roaving the field, I chancd [ 575 ]

A goodly Tree farr distant to behold

Loaden with fruit of fairest colours mixt,

Ruddie and Gold: I nearer drew to gaze;

When from the boughes a savorie odour blown,

Grateful to appetite, more pleasd my sense, [ 580 ]

Then smell of sweetest Fenel or the Teats

Of Ewe or Goat dropping with Milk at Eevn,

Unsuckt of Lamb or Kid, that tend thir play.