Paradise Lost

Pansies, and Violets, and Asphodel, 
And Hyacinth, Earths freshest softest lap. 
There they thir fill of Love and Loves disport 
Took largely, of thir mutual guilt the Seale, 
The solace of thir sin, till dewie sleep 
Oppress'd them, wearied with thir amorous play. 
Soon as the force of that fallacious Fruit, 
That with exhilerating vapour bland 
About thir spirits had plaid, and inmost powers 
Made erre, was now exhal'd, and grosser sleep 
Bred of unkindly fumes, with conscious dreams 
Encumberd, now had left them, up they rose 
As from unrest, and each the other viewing, 
Soon found thir Eyes how op'nd, and thir minds 
How dark'nd; innocence, that as a veile 
Had shadow'd them from knowing ill, was gon, 
Just confidence, and native righteousness, 
And honour from about them, naked left 
To guiltie shame hee cover'd, but his Robe 
Uncover'd more.  So rose the DANITE strong 
HERCULEAN SAMSON from the Harlot-lap 
Of PHILISTEAN DALILAH, and wak'd 
Shorn of his strength, They destitute and bare 
Of all thir vertue: silent, and in face 
Confounded long they sate, as struck'n mute, 
Till ADAM, though not less then EVE abasht, 
At length gave utterance to these words constraind. 
  O EVE, in evil hour thou didst give care 
To that false Worm, of whomsoever taught 
To counterfet Mans voice, true in our Fall, 
False in our promis'd Rising; since our Eyes 
Op'nd we find indeed, and find we know 
Both Good and Evil, Good lost and Evil got, 
Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know, 
Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void, 
Of Innocence, of Faith, of Puritie, 
Our wonted Ornaments now soild and staind, 
And in our Faces evident the signes 
Of foul concupiscence; whence evil store; 
Even shame, the last of evils; of the first 
Be sure then.  How shall I behold the face 
Henceforth of God or Angel, earst with joy 
And rapture so oft beheld? those heav'nly shapes 
Will dazle now this earthly, with thir blaze 
Insufferably bright.  O might I here 
In solitude live savage, in some glad 
Obscur'd, where highest Woods impenetrable 
To Starr or Sun-light, spread thir umbrage broad, 
And brown as Evening: Cover me ye Pines, 
Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs 
Hide me, where I may never see them more. 
But let us now, as in bad plight, devise 
What best may for the present serve to hide 
The Parts of each from other, that seem most 
To shame obnoxious, and unseemliest seen, 
Some Tree whose broad smooth Leaves together sowd, 
And girded on our loyns, may cover round 
Those middle parts, that this new commer, Shame, 
There sit not, and reproach us as unclean. 
  So counsel'd hee, and both together went 
Into the thickest Wood, there soon they chose 
The Figtree, not that kind for Fruit renown'd, 
But such as at this day to INDIANS known 
In MALABAR or DECAN spreds her Armes 
Braunching so broad and long, that in the ground 
The bended Twigs take root, and Daughters grow 
About the Mother Tree, a Pillard shade 
High overarch't, and echoing Walks between; 
There oft the INDIAN Herdsman shunning heate 
Shelters in coole, and tends his pasturing Herds 
At Loopholes cut through thickest shade: Those Leaves 
They gatherd, broad as AMAZONIAN Targe, 
And with what skill they had, together sowd, 
To gird thir waste, vain Covering if to hide 
Thir guilt and dreaded shame; O how unlike 
To that first naked Glorie.  Such of late 
COLUMBUS found th' AMERICAN to girt 
With featherd Cincture, naked else and wilde 
Among the Trees on Iles and woodie Shores. 
Thus fenc't, and as they thought, thir shame in part 
Coverd, but not at rest or ease of Mind, 
They sate them down to weep, nor onely Teares 
Raind at thir Eyes, but high Winds worse within 
Began to rise, high Passions, Anger, Hate, 
Mistrust, Suspicion, Discord, and shook sore 
Thir inward State of Mind, calme Region once 
And full of Peace, now tost and turbulent: 
For Understanding rul'd not, and the Will 
Heard not her lore, both in subjection now 
To sensual Appetite, who from beneathe 
Usurping over sovran Reason claimd 
Superior sway: From thus distemperd brest, 
ADAM, estrang'd in look and alterd stile, 
Speech intermitted thus to EVE renewd. 
  Would thou hadst heark'nd to my words, & stai'd 
With me, as I besought thee, when that strange 
Desire of wandring this unhappie Morn, 
I know not whence possessd thee; we had then 
Remaind still happie, not as now, despoild 
Of all our good, sham'd, naked, miserable.