BOOK THE NINTH THE ARGUMENT. Satan, having compassed the earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mist, by night into paradise; and enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart: Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. Eve, loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the serpent speak, asks how he attained to human speech, and such understanding, not till now; the serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, till then void of both. Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden. The serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments, induces her at length to eat: she, pleased with the taste, deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him of the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof: Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her; and, extenuating the trespass, eats also the fruit: the effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another. No more of talk where God or angel guest With man, as with his friend, familiar us'd LIBRO NONO ARGOMENTO. Satano, percorsa la terra, torna con meditato inganno di notte nel paradiso in forma di nebbia, ed entra nel serpe che dorme. Adamo ed Eva sul mattino escono ai loro lavori, che Eya propone di dividere fra loro lavorando ognuno da se a parte. Adamo ricusa, allegando il pericolo che il nemico di cui erano stali avvertiti non la tenti trovandola sola. Eva crucciata di non esser creduta cauta nè salda abbastanza, persiste in volersi appartare, bramosa piuttosto di provare la sua virtù; Adamo alfine cede. Il serpe trova Eva sola; l' appressa con arte, la fissa stupito, quindi parla, lodandola con molte lusinghe sn tutte le creature. Eva maravigliata in udire parlare il serpente, chiede come abbia acquistata favella umana e tal intelletto non avuto finora. Il serpe risponde, che col gustare di un cotal albero del giardino egli acquistò e favella e ragione fino allora mancategli. Eva' lo prega di condurla a quell'albero, e trova che è il vietato albero della scienza. Il serpente già fatto ardito con molti inganni e ragioni la induce alla fine a mangiarne: essa piacendosi nel gustarne, delibera per alcun tempo se debba o no farne parte ad Adame; finalmente gli reça del frutto e narra come ella fu persuasa a mangiarne. Adamo in sulle prime stupi, ma conoscendo che ella era perduta risolve per eccesso di amore di perire con esso lei; ed estenuando la gravità della colpa mangia egli pure del frutto: effetti del peccato in ambedue. Essi cercano coprire la loro nudità; quindi si abbandonano a mutue accuse e vicendevoli rimproveri. Non canto io più ove Dio scendeva, od angelo Ospe dell' uom qual caro amico usava To sit indulgent, and with him partake Those notes to tragic; foul distrust, and breach And disobedience: on the part of Heaven Anger and just rebuke, and judgment given, Of my celestial patroness, who deigns And dictates to me slumbering; or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse: Since first this subject for heroic song Pleas'd me long choosing, and beginning late; Not sedulous by nature to indite Wars, hitherto the only argument Heroic deem' d; chief mastery to dissect With long and tedious havoc fabled knights Seder henigno e pur con lui rurali Non implorata inviser me notturna, Che tal subbietto primo a canto eroico Finor creduto il tema sol da eroi; Impresses quaint, caparisons and steeds, Not that which justly gives heroic name That name, unless an age too late, or cold Twixt day and night, and now from end to end In meditated fraud and malice, bent On man's destruction, maugre what might hap His entrance, and forewara'd the cherubim That kept their watch; thence full of anguish driven, With darkness: thrice the equinoctial line |