Perhaps thou shalt not Die, perhaps the Fact Is not so hainous now, foretasted Fruit, Profan'd first by the Serpent, by him first [ 930 ] Made common and unhallowd ere our taste; Nor yet on him found deadly, he yet lives, Lives, as thou saidst, and gaines to live as Man Higher degree of Life, inducement strong To us, as likely tasting to attaine [ 935 ] Proportional ascent, which cannot be But to be Gods, or Angels Demi-gods. Nor can I think that God, Creator wise, Though threatning, will in earnest so destroy Us his prime Creatures, dignifi'd so high, [ 940 ] Set over all his Works, which in our Fall, For us created, needs with us must faile, Dependent made; so God shall uncreate, Be frustrate, do, undo, and labour loose, Not well conceav'd of God, who though his Power [ 945 ] Creation could repeate, yet would be loath Us to abolish, least the Adversary Triumph and say; Fickle their State whom God Most Favors, who can please him long; Mee first He ruind, now Mankind; whom will he next?

Defac't, deflourd, and now to Death devote?

And I perhaps am secret; Heav'n is high, High and remote to see from thence distinct Each thing on Earth; and other care perhaps May have diverted from continual watch Our great Forbidder, safe with all his Spies [ 815 ] About him

For us alone Was death invented? or to us deni'd This intellectual food, for beasts reserv'd?

Indeed? hath God then said that of the Fruit Of all these Garden Trees ye shall not eate, Yet Lords declar'd of all in Earth or Aire?

God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just; [ 700 ] Not just, not God; not feard then, nor obeyd:

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 our selves, our Reason is our Law.

The Earth obey'd,

But pain is perfet miserie,

All Heart they live, all Head, all Eye, all Eare, [ 350 ] All Intellect, all Sense

Yet soon he heal'd;

All seemd well pleas'd, all seem'd, but were not all.

She gathers, Tribute large, and on the board Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the Grape She crushes, inoffensive moust, and meathes [ 345 ] From many a berrie, and from sweet kernels prest She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold Wants her fit vessels pure, then strews the ground With Rose and Odours from the shrub unfum'd.

In naked Majestie seemd Lords of all, [ 290 ] And worthie seemd, for in thir looks Divine