Sole Eve, associate sole, to me beyond

Compare above all living creatures dear,

230

Well hast thou motion'd, well thy thoughts employ'd
How we might best fulfil the work which here
God hath assign'd us, nor of me shalt pass
Unprais'd; for nothing lovelier can be found
In woman, than to study household good,
And good works in her husband to promote.
Yet not so strictly hath our Lord impos'd
Labour, as to debar us when we need
Refreshment, whether food, or talk between,

finely describes in the eighth
book, shows itself here in many
fine instances: as in those fond
regards he cast towards Eve at
her parting from him, ver. 397.

Her long with ardent look his eye
pursued
Delighted, &c.

in his impatience and amuse-
ment during her absence, ver.

838.

-Adam the while,

Waiting desirous her return, had

wove

Of choicest flow'rs a garland &c.

but particularly in that passionate

235

account of her being the mother of all living, Gen. iii. 20. the epithet sole is as properly applied to Eve as to associate. Pearce.

227. -beyond-Compare] I think we took notice before, that Milton sometimes uses the substantive for an adjective, and an adjective for a substantive. And here we may observe, that sometimes he makes a verb of a noun, and again a noun of a verb. A noun of a verb as here, beyond compare, and vi. 549.'

Instant without disturb they took

alarm.

speech, where seeing her irre- And a verb of a noun, as in vii. coverably lost, he resolves to perish with her rather than to live without her, ver. 904.

-some cursed fraud

Of enemy hath beguil'd thee &c. The beginning of this speech, and the preparation to it, are animated with the same spirit as the conclusion which I have here quoted. Addison.

227. Sole Eve, associale sole,] As she had her name Eve upon

412.

Tempest the ocean.

And in like manner he makes the adjective a verb, as in vi.

440.

-to better us, and worse our foes;

and again the verb an adjective, as in viii. 576.

Made so adorn.

Several other instances in each kind might be cited.

Food of the mind, or this sweet intercourse

Of looks and smiles, for smiles from reason flow,
To brute denied, and are of love the food,

240

Love not the lowest end of human life.

For not to irksome toil, but to delight

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

These paths and bow'rs doubt not but our joint hands
Will keep from wilderness with ease, as wide

As we need walk, till younger hands ere long
Assist us but if much converse perhaps
Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield:
For solitude sometimes is best society,
And short retirement urges sweet return.
But other doubt possesses me, lest harm

Befall thee sever'd from me; for thou know'st
What hath been warn'd us, what malicious foe
Envying our happiness, and of his own
Despairing, seeks to work us woe and shame
By sly assault; and somewhere nigh at hand
Watches, no doubt, with greedy hope to find
His wish and best advantage, us asunder,

239. -smiles from reason flow,] Smiling is so great an indication of reason, that some philosophers have altered the definition of man from animal rationale to risibile, affirming man to be the only creature endowed with the power of laughter. Hume.

244. These paths and bow'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.

245

250

255

249. is best society,] As Scipio said, Never less alone than when alone. Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus.

250. And short retirement urges sweet return.] Retirement, though but short, makes the return sweet: the word urges is to be referred to retirement only, and not to the epithet, which Adam seems to annex to it, only because he could not bear to think of a long one. Pearce.

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 bliss
Enjoy'd by us excites his envy more;

Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful side

That gave thee be'ing, still shades thee and protects.
The wife, where danger or dishonour lurks,
Safest and seemliest by her husband stays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst endures.
To whom the virgin majesty of Eve,

As one who loves, and some unkindness meets,
With sweet austere composure this replied.

Offspring of heav'n and earth, and all earth's lord,

That such an enemy we have, who seeks
Our ruin, both by thee inform'd I learn,
And from the parting angel over-heard,
As in a shady nook I stood behind,

Just then return'd at shut of evening flowers.

270.-the virgin majesty of Eve,] The ancients used the word virgin with more latitude than we, as Virgil, Eclog. vi. 47. calls Pasiphae virgin after she had had three children; and Ovid calls Medea adultera virgo. Ovid, Epist. Hypsip. Jas. 133. It is put here to denote beauty, bloom, sweetness, modesty, and all the amiable characters which are usually found in a virgin, and these with matron majesty; what a picture! Richardson.

It is probable that Milton adopted this adjective sense of

260

265

270

275

the word virgin from the Italian virginale, which is an epithet very frequent in their poets when describing beauty, modesty, &c. Thyer.

278. Just then return'd at shut of evening flowers.] What a 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 speaking of the evening last past, for this was a week ago. Satan was caught tempting Eve in a dream, and fled

But that thou should'st my firmness therefore doubt

To God or thee, because we have a foe
May tempt it, I expected not to hear.
His violence thou fear'st not, being such
As we, not capable of death or pain,
Can either not receive, or can repel.
His fraud is then thy fear, which plain infers
Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love
Can by his fraud be shaken or seduc'd ;

280

285

Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy beast, Adam, misthought of her to thee so dear?

To whom with healing words Adam replied. Daughter of God and man, immortal Eve,

out of Paradise that night, and with this ends book the fourth. After he had fled out of Paradise he was ranging round the world seven days: but we have not any account of Adam and Eve excepting only on the first of those 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 discourse together till evening, and they part at the end of book the eighth. There are six days therefore past in silence, and we hear no more of Adam and Eve, till Satan had stolen again into Paradise.

282. His violence thou fear'st not,] Adam had not said so expressly, but had implied as much in enlarging particularly upon his sly assault, ver. 256, &c.

290

For such thou art, from sin and blame entire:
Not diffident of thee do I dissuade

Thy absence from my sight, but to avoid

Th' attempt itself, intended by our foe.

295

For he who tempts, though' in vain, at least asperses
The tempted with dishonour foul, suppos'd
Not incorruptible of faith, not proof

Against temptation; thou thyself with scorn
And anger would'st resent the offer'd wrong,
Though ineffectual found: misdeem not then,
If such affront I labour to avert

From thee alone, which on us both at once
The enemy, though bold, will hardly dare,

Or daring, first on me th' assault shall light.
Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn;
Subtle he needs must be, who could seduce
Angels; nor think superfluous others aid.
I from the influence of thy looks receive
Access in every virtue, in thy sight

More wise, more watchful, stronger, if need were

Of outward strength; while shame, thou looking on, Shame to be overcome or over-reach'd

Would utmost vigour raise, and rais'd unite.

acknowledges her to be immortal, as she had said herself, ver. 283. that they were not capable of death or pain; but only so long as she was entire from sin and blame: integer vitæ, scelerisque purus. Hor. od. i. xxii. 1.

312. while shame, thou looking on,] Milton often uses the nominative case absolute, as the Greeks do; which whether it

VOL. II.

800

305

310

should be called a case absolute, or an ellipsis, we leave to the grammarians to determine. Jortin.

314. -and rais'd unite.] Would unite and add vigour to wisdom, watchfulness, and every virtue mentioned before. If this be not the meaning, it must be understood thus, Would raise the utmost vigour, and

K