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So glistered the dire snake, and into fraud Led Eve, our credulous mother, to the tree Of prohibition, root of all our woe; Which, when she saw, thus to her guide she spake: Serpent, we might have spared our coming hither,

Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess, The credit of whose virtue rests with thee; Wondrous, indeed, if cause of such effects! But of this tree we may not taste nor touch; God so commanded, and left that command Sole daughter of his voice: the rest, we live Law to ourselves; our reason is our law.

To whom the tempter guilefully replied: Indeed! hath God then said that of the fruit Of all these garden-trees ye shall not eat, Yet lords declared of all in earth or air?

To whom thus Eve, yet sinless: Of the fruit Of each tree in the garden we may eat: But of the fruit of this fair tree amidst The garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat Thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

She scarce had said, though brief, when now more bold The tempter, but, with show of zeal and love To man, and indignation at his wrong, New part puts on; and, as to passion moved, Fluctuates disturbed, yet comely, and in act Raised, as of some great matter to begin. As when, of old, some orator renowned, In Athens, or free Rome, where eloquence Flourished, since mute, to some great cause addressed, Stood in himself collected; while each part, Motion, each act, won audience ere the tongue, Sometimes in height began, as no delay Of preface brooking, through his zeal of right: So standing, moving, or to height up-grown, The tempter, all impassioned, thus began:

BOOK IX.-679-714]

Oh, sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant, Mother of science! now I feel thy power Within me clear; not only to discern Things in their causes, but to trace the ways Of highest agents, deemed however wise. Queen of this universe! do not believe Those rigid threats of death. Ye shall not die. How should ye? By the fruit? It gives you life To knowledge. By the Threatener? Look on me, Me, who have touched and tasted, yet both live, And life more perfect have attained than fate Meant me, by venturing higher than my lot. Shall that be shut to Man, which to the beast Is open? Or will God incense his ire For such a petty trespass, and not praise Rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain Of death denounced, whatever thing death be, Deterred not from achieving what might lead To happier life, knowledge of good and evil; Of good, how just? of evil, if what is evil Be real, why not known, since easier shunned? God, therefore, cannot hurt ye, and be just; Not just, not God; not feared then, nor obeyed: Your fear itself of death removes the fear. Why, then, was this forbid? Why, but to awe; Why, but to keep ye low and ignorant, His worshippers. He knows that in the day Ye eat thereof, your eyes, that seem so clear, Yet are but dim, shall presently be then Opened and cleared, and ye shall be as gods, Knowing both good and evil, as they know. That ye shall be as gods, since I as man, Internal man, is but proportion meet; I, of brute, human; ye, of human, gods. So ye shall die, perhaps, by putting off Human, to put on gods; death to be wished,