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William Cowper - Adam: A Sacred Drama. Act 5.
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SCENE I. -- The Flesh and Adam.

The Flesh.
If in a bosom formed in lonely woods,
An amorous lure, the engine of deceit,
May wake a blazing spark,
And raise an inextinguishable fire;
This day to me shall shine a day of triumph,
When in desire`s fierce flames
I shall behold that heart,
Which love`s devouring flame yet has not touched.
And now if aught of potency resides
In golden tresses, or a breast of snow,
A radiant eye, a cheek of rose and lily,
And teeth of pearl, and lips that vie with coral,
In beauty, grace, allurements, arts, and gestures,
To make a wretched mortal heart their captive,
Such tresses, such a breast,
A cheek, and teeth, and lips,
And my intelligent engaging manners,
Will hold thee fettered in a thousand snares.
Behold, not distant far, the simple bird
I opportunely see,
Who for my tempting lure
His habitation quits, and his companion,
To fall at once by amorous deceit.
Oh, how to earth dejected,
He bends his watery eyes in deep affliction.
Thou art not yet transfixed
By my prevailing shaft, but now it seeks thee.

SHE SINGS.
Dearest Adam, grieved and fainting,
Let my song thy spirit comfort!
And with thee,
O let me
             Lead a life of true enjoyment!
             Gentle Adam, son of glory,
             Hearken, hearken! meek and humble
             Sounds the artless song unpolished
             That invites thee
             But to kindness;
             Give, Oh, give me ease and quiet,
             Gentle Adam, son of glory!
             But if thou with different feelings
             Wish to wound this tender bosom,
             See it naked!
             Strike! Oh, cruel,
             Wherefore pause you?  Haste to kill me!
             By your hand I fall contented.

Adam.  O thou all-seeing Lord,
If real grief may touch thee,
Survey the contrite sinner,
Who through his eyes distils his heart in tears.
No! of thy mercy do not close the hand,
Since what sustains me now must fall and perish
Behold, behold, dread Lord! unhappy man,
Who from the fatal fruit
Has to encounter all the snares of hell.
Defend him: his is thine, thine thou hast called him,
And having once been thine, thou must have loved him.

The Flesh.
Go, full of terror and desire! I must
With the impetuous be meek and coy,
And with the timid bold, and urge him on,
Till love`s keen canker-worm
Prey on the simple heart,
That never yet has felt the sting of passion.

Adam.  Who may this be? alas, both hope and fear
Urge me to seek, and bid me still be silent.

The Flesh.
This lowliness, and this affected coyness
With an undaunted lover, this presumption
With one more soft and timid, are so prevailing,
They seem two strong incentives
To kindle the fierce flame of love`s desire,
Whence I a skilful mistress
Brandish my tongue, 
And give a mortal wound.
Say why art thou so pensive,
O my most gentle Adam?

Adam.  Restrain, restrain thy step
Whoe`er thou art, nor with thy songs inveigle 
Him, who has only cause for ceaseless tears.

The Flesh.
Without thy strict injunction, 
Creature of noble semblance,
To stand aloof from thee
Grieves me; I want the courage to approach
The flowery bloom of thy engaging face,
Fearing lest serpents in thy radiant eyes,
With stings devoid of pity, pierce my heart.
But every bitter root 
That leads thee to suspicion,
I from my breast will pluck, for know, I am,
The very soul of love, yes! of that love
Which has induced thy Maker
From nothing to make all:
And since in that debased 
Condition into which thy sorrows sunk thee,
This love alone can draw thee,
To the low world I took my flight from heaven.
Perchance thou mayest suppose, enjoying love,
That thou must therefore lead a savage life,
A lover of the brutes;
No, no, adorning all thy form with flowers,
And wearing on thy locks a wreath of palm,
Thou shalt enjoy a vest of gold and silver,
Such as I wear, and such as high in heaven 
The radiant tissue shines, when sun and moon
Weave their united rays.
Thine eyes shall sparkle with resplendent fire,
On thy warm cheek a graceful blush shall glow, 
And when in ecstasy thy lip is pressed,
Its richer hue shall make the coral pale.
Say at the very sound dost thou not feel
Thy heart dissolve in amorous joy? I see
Thou art delighted, Adam.

Adam.  I love, in truth I love,
But only burn with love
For my almighty Maker.

The Flesh.
The soul alone can love,
Can love this heavenly lord:
But in these sublunary woodland scenes,
Love has delights of a corporeal kind. 

Adam.  The love thou speakest of it is mine to prove
With my beloved consort.

The Flesh.
Yes! that is true; yet only sons of death
Can spring from your affection.

Adam.  Sad fruit of my offence!

The Flesh.
Ah, but immortal children
From me shall spring, if thou wilt yield to me.
Amidst these herbs and flowers
Be ours sublimest love!
Simple! extend thy hand,
Behold, and touch my breast that thou wilt find
Far different from the breast of mortal Eve.
If thou wilt love, shall I not make thee worthy
Of the unbounded joy
To steal thee from thyself? Ah come, ah come,
To this pure bosom that I show thee, Adam!
Oh, say to me, I love thee!
Perchance thou mayest believe,
Each man to spring from thee
Ought to be happy with a single woman;
Each woman too contented 
To love one man alone!
Simple, if such thy thought:
For all the sweets of love
Become more poignant by the change of lovers,
See how each animal, that dwells on earth,
Leads a delicious life,
By changing its affection;
And thou, sole sovereign of each living creature,
Shalt thou content thee with a single lover?

Adam.  Let sorrow`s flame convert my heart to ashes
Rather than it may burn with double love!
Hence then! depart! for a blind mole am I
To all thy proffered beauty;
And truly in thy presence
I feel no touch of love.

The Flesh.
O thou most icy heart!
Now kindle with the flame of my affection.
Behold this ample cavern of the earth;
Lo, it was made for love; whate`er it holds
Within its spacious circuit,
Of love perceives the fire.
Love rules the earth, the sea, the air, and fire,
With endless love a hundred genial stars,
Not moving from their sphere,
Scatter their flames through heaven;
And other wandering planets
Through those exalted regions
Direct their golden steps.
What river, fount, or stream,
Unconscious flows and destitute of love?
What frozen sea does love not penetrate
With his imperious ardour?
What glowing ocean does not oft discover
A visage pale and wan,
As if infirm with love?
What flower, what plant, or stone,
Wishes for love in vain, of love deprived?
Whate`er inhabits heaven, or earth, or sea,
Burns in the flame of love.
Behold that sportive bird of painted wing,
That goes with fluttering joy from bough to bough,
And in his song declares he sings of love!
Behold the sweet and oft repeated kisses
Of those two doves, what dost thou think of them?
Of love they are the kisses.
The beauteous peacock see,
That gaily fondles his attractive mate;
He whirls the plume of love.
Hear you that nightingale, does she not mourn?
Now does she not exult? now `tis her joy
With her melodious warble 
To stun the valleys, and make glad the hills.
Simple, what dost thou think?
`Tis love that makes her tuneful.
Behold that river with its banks of flowers,
Its stream of purest silver,
And of fine gold its sand;
Behold, dost thou not see within its bosom
A thousand fishes glide?
They lead the dance of love.
Behold that sportive goat, that butting runs 
Exulting o`er the plain,
His conflicts are from love.
Look there, and see amidst a thousand folds
Those close entwisted snakes,
That in a single being seem combined:
Coy Adam, even these 
Weave the close web of love,
Behold, at length where yonder clustering vine 
Her amorous arms around the elm extends,
She also burns with love.
Even that flower, that ever courts the sun,
Thus in its glances speaks,
I dart the glance of love!
And thou unmelting soul! wilt thou alone,
Wilt thou disdain to feel
That which all creatures prove?
Nought can resist my golden pungent dart,
Nor air, nor fire, nor sea, nor earth, nor heaven.

SCENE II. -- Lucifer, The Flesh, and Adam.

Now burn with love, and bless the fond desire
Of her, whom the Creator
Made blazing all with love.

Adam.  And who art thou, whose thick and bushy locks
And beard of silver shade thy head and face?

Lucifer.  Adam, I am a man; I am thy brother,
But of a higher rank;
Since I have drawn the vital air of heaven,
Thou in this lower world;
For well thou knowest, that station
Affords an airy grandeur to our birth.
In years too I surpass thee;
My voice too, and my language
Declare me old, as these my locks of silver:
Now if all elder things
Are deemed superior to their successors,
In this merit must be more than thine.

Adam.  How I should answer thee, my tongue knows not,
Thou lofty Lord of Heaven!
Since my sad error with so thick a cloud
Of ever-during fear
O`ershades my eyes and heart.

Lucifer.  Oh, Adam, do not fear!

The Flesh.
Wait thou a little! soon
That shall be known to thee, which now is hid:
All for thy good alone,
And to save man from many griefs and pains.

Lucifer.  Now, Adam, understand,
How having made me in his lofty heaven,
He next created thee;
For a new wish he formed
To make another man, and give the world
To be his grateful residence, and then
Clay he made flesh, and of that flesh made man:
Then from the side of man he woman drew,
And then ordained the law
Prohibiting the apple,
Which if he tasted, man
Must be deprived of his celestial home.
Hence is it thou hast felt,
Hence is it thou hast seen
Clouds rolling through the air,
And fiery scintillations in the sky.
Rebellowing thunder and its rattling bolts,
And the tempestuous crash.
These mournful pomps of horror,
Say, say, what canst thou think
That they portend below to new-made man?
All these appeared in heaven, because from heaven
Now the celestial Adam is dislodged.
As to terrestrial man,
(As if the world would drive him from the world,)
The earth itself grew barren,
And every fruit grew harsh, 
The waters full of turbulence and gall,
And every creature sharpened 
His beak, or tusk, or talon.
Behold at last, O heaven! a pair of brothers,
The citizens of earth.
O Adam, do not grieve,
That I by fault of thine have now lost heaven,
Since to have haply found
Thee, my beloved brother, 
Now makes me not to feel the loss of heaven;
And happy we will live
In this, a sylvan, and a sunny scene.
Or emulous of heaven, in God`s own heaven
Raised to a noble seat,
I will, that we ascend,
And underneath our feet 
Joy to behold the congregated choirs,
Even like the blessed choirs,
The children of this man.
Now if we wish success to our desires,
And should delight to see
Springing like grass, and frequent as the flowers,
Our children rapidly arise to light,
Turn we our eyes and heart
To this fair goddess of delightful love
For easy `tis to her
To form in sweet array the troops we wish.
A plant so sweetly fruitful
Is not; nor is the Earth herself so fertile;
Nor does it raise so soon
Its nutritive production,
As she will raise, if we are so disposed,
The fruit of lovely children.
Then to the lily whiteness 
Of her enchanting cheek
Advance the living roses of the lip!
And of so sweet a flower
For this love`s goddess let us form a garland!
Oh, to the living ruby,
Of this sweet fount of kisses,
If he for kisses thirst,
The hart of love shall run,
There bathe his thirsty lip,
And there on kisses quench his mighty ardour.

The Flesh.
Why this delay, O Adam?
Approach, approach, my heart!
Satiate thy thirst of love!

Lucifer.  What! dost thou fear, and tremble?
Now let the empty cloud
Of all thy vain suspicion
Disperse before the sun of heavenly truth!
Extend, extend thy arms
And in one dear embrace encircle both!
Happy who pants for thee! alas, what dost thou?
At once thou givest, and again drawest back
Thy blandishments, like lightning,
That in appearing flies and vanishes.

Adam.  What fear assaults my heart I cannot tell,
But feel that like a timid deer I pant
At the dire barking of bloodthirsty hounds.

SCENE III. -- Cherubim, Guardian of Adam, Adam, The Flesh, and Lucifer.

Cherubim.  `Tis time to succour man: Alas! what dost thou,
Most miserable Adam!

Lucifer. Why dost thou silent stand? what are thy thoughts?

Adam.  I seemed to hear a plaintive, pleasing voice,
That in this manner spoke: Alas! what dost thou,
Most miserable Adam?

The Flesh.
A vain desire, and dread
Now lords it o`er thy heart.

Cherubim.  Since thy heart trembles, evils must be nigh.

Adam.  I tremble at deceit.

Lucifer.  Thou must have lost thy reason,
If thou canst fear thy mistress, and thy brother.

Cherubim.  Fear! for they are thy foes.

Adam.  Thou sayest thou art my brother, and she my mistress?
But if ye were my foes? --

The Flesh.
Cruel to treat us so!
What enemy can man now have on earth? 

Cherubim.  The enemy of Eve.

Adam.  He, who occasioned misery to Eve,
And he, who was the cause, that from this brow 
The painful sweat must now descend in streams.

Lucifer.  So little wilt thou trust us?
So lightly dost thou love us?
Yet it is thy fault 
Call forth the tears to flow into thy bosom.

The Flesh.
With treachery `tis fit to treat with man
In gesture, tears, and voice,
Only to plunge him in Tartarean fires.

Adam.  They weep in such abundance,
That every tear they shed, strikes on my bosom;
And though like marble hard, 
I fear, I fear, that if it does not split, 
It may at least be softened. 

Angel.  These are the poisonous waters of Avernus,
(Incautious man!) that from their eyes distil.

Lucifer.  Ah Heaven! why didst thou form me?
Why didst thou join my lot 
With this ungrateful, misbelieving Adam,
That feels not his own good, or my affliction?

Adam.  Restrain thy grief, thy tears! and suffer me,
(If it is true, thy soul desires my good,)
To speak to thee apart,
And I to thee will open all my thoughts.

Lucifer.  Hast thou no other wish?

Adam.  No! I require no more.

Lucifer.  Behold us now apart! behold us far!
If any other wish 
Strike thee, command! behold! we are obedient
Not to thy words alone, but to thy nod.

Adam.  What wouldst thou, O my heart?
What is thy wish, my soul?
Now quiet thy desires! quiet thy pains!

Cherubim.  Tell him, if he`s thy brother,
And both descendents from the starry sphere,
They should with thee, in pure and perfect zeal,
Adore the Maker of the heaven and earth.

Adam.  That which my heart suggests, I now will do.

The Flesh.
O tempter! now I fear
Some singular mischance.

Cherubim.  Now, now the fraud is known.

Adam.  Now, brother, if you wish,
With this your pure celestial paramour,
Hailed as the soul of love,
That I should think the one a heavenly Adam,
And her the only love of your great Maker,
Now bend with me your humble knees to earth!

Lucifer.  How in one instant can two opposites,
Humility and pride,
Together reign in me?

Adam.  Can Adam so delay?

Lucifer.  I`ll tell thee; ah, it seems a thing unfit
That a celestial knee
Should bend to this vile earth.

Adam.  Thou hast already told me,
That in the high celestial plains above
Thou must no longer dwell,
But here with me enjoy delightful days,
Amid these sunny spots;
Let it not then displease thee
With earthly habitudes
To have thy breast, O Adam! fraught like mine!

The Flesh.
Well dost thou speak, O Adam! I am ready
To pay thee prompt obedience.

Lucifer.  And I will also show,
This fair one`s pleasure shall my pleasure be.

Adam.  Behold I bow myself!  behold me bend!
Now let united hands be raised to heaven.

Lucifer.  To make palm meet with palm, in vain we strive.

Adam.  In truth there seems much pain.

Lucifer.  Perhaps you wish
Our hands united thus?

Adam.  No! what,-- do you not see
That both united form a knot together,
Finger entwisting finger?

The Flesh.
Perhaps you choose them thus?

Adam.  Alas! the example,
That with my hands before your eyes I show you,
Serves it so little? heavens! what do I see?
So destitute of sense
Are heavenly creatures?

Lucifer.                              Now behold them joined.

The Flesh.
In truth I cannot tell,
If Hell this day more tries the strength of Adam,
Or Adam more torments the powers of Hell.

Lucifer.  Vigour, soul! animation!
For in proportion as our strife is bloody 
So will our palm of conquest rise in glory.

Adam.  Why do you thus apart
In such confusion speak?
Now raise your eyes to heaven,
And with delight contemplate
Of all those starry sapphires
The pure resplendent rays,
And those fair blessed seats!
Alas, thou shutt`st thine eyes,
That stream upon the ground.

Lucifer.  O Adam, cease at length!
Those rays so splendid dazzle us too much.

Adam.  This is my foe: I now discern him well.
The eagle of the sun
Is used with pleasure on the sun to gaze;
And tho, a heavenly eagle,
Accustomed to the brightest rays of heaven,
Dost thou disdain, or shun them 
Dazzled, and in confusion?

The Flesh.
Who knows what splendours in high heaven are kindled?
He, who surveys them oft,
Is satiated at last;
There`s nought created so divine and dear,
That in long intercourse becomes not tiresome.

Adam.  Celestial good ne`er satiates, but delights,
And magnifies itself in God`s perfection;
As the fair landscape`s beauty
(Though `tis a low example)
Becomes more perfect, and more flowery seems,
When the sun gilds the valleys and the hills.
But as I wish what ye too both desire,
Now let your eyes be closed 
And with your opening lips pronounce these words:
"Thee I adore."

Lucifer.  Go on!

Adam.  Say then, "Thee I adore."

Lucifer.  Go on! for such a memory have I, 
That by a single effort 
I will repeat thy words.

Adam.                         I am contented;
Yet thou observe my words! Thee I adore,
Thus with my knees to earth, and streaming eyes,
Lord of the empyrean!
Great sovereign of the heavens, and only God!
Holy, firm, formidable, just, and pious!
And still dost thou delay?

Lucifer.  I meditate thy speech,
Which to me seems so long,
I doubt my power to speak it.

Adam.  Shall I again pronounce it?

Lucifer.  This I cannot desire
But find a great defect
In this imploring speech.

Adam.                          Pray tell me what? 

Lucifer.  No humble worshipper, not the adorer,
But the adored, `tis just that I should be.
Alas! I can no longer
Such outrages endure:
No!  who I am, I must at length reveal.

The Flesh.
Alas! the same thing even I must do.

Adam.  Alas! what do I see?
What horrid form, amidst the clustering trees,
Does this false denizen of heaven assume?
And his immodest partner?
Alas! their winged feet
The false ones move to me,
And from their pomp and gold,
Breathe forth infuriate flame!
Succour me! help, O God!
Take pity on my failing!

Lucifer.  Fly, as thou canst, from these my rapid
Thy flying must be vain.
Alas! to my great grief, this day I see
Who has the prize of conquest,
Who soonest yields, and from his rival flies.
So that I well can say
To the eternal gulf, 
That in this hard and perilous contention,
The toil belongs to Hell; to man the glory.
I lose, alas! I lose: now with what face
Can this my foot be turned again to hell?

The Flesh.
Ah! sad and dire event! ah strife! ah death!

Lucifer.  Yes, yes, `tis just, that my infernal rage
Should all now turn on me,
Since I have vainly tried 
To work the condemnation of this man.
But can this be? ah! (hard is my belief,)
Exalted providence!

Cherubim.  Thou canst not mount, fierce monster!
           I affirm it,
By this high brandished dart of penal fire.

Lucifer.  Ah, for the seats of hell
I spread my rapid wings.

Cherubim.  And I these happier wings lucid and light,
Will exercise around
For man`s protection, and in scorn of hell.

SCENE IV.  The World. 

How fine I now appear! no more I seem
A monster now of horror,
But a lofty spot
The blissful habitant, and called The World;
That so adorned and splendid,
Amidst thy prime delights,
Laughter, and songs, and amorous affections,
My snares of silver, and my nets of gold
I may extend for man,
That he may slide and fall, to rise no more;
And try in vain to heaven
Again to rise upon the wings of zeal.
And should he seem for ever 
Bent to survey the lovely azure heaven,
The sun`s bright lustre, and the lunar ray,
And trembling stellar fires,
I will delude him so
With other lovely skies, that from the first
Quick he shall turn his view.
I will, that my fair heaven
Shall be of living sapphire: there shall shine
A sun of bright pyropus, and a moon
Formed of the beamy diamond`s spotless light.
A thousand and a thousand sparkling stars,
Of jewels rich and rare;
And if amidst this lightning it may thunder,
And burning bolts may seem to dart around,
My lightning be the ruby,
My thunder sounding silver,
With thunderbolts of gold, and storms of pearl!
As a proud sovereign of so rich a heaven,
The World shall still exult,
And this a new man shall bend to me in worship;
And thus of these my pomps,
My luxuries, and joys,
The numerous sons of man, become enamoured, 
Shall never know repose;
But with destructive force
Each shall endeavour of his wretched brother 
To gain the envied finery and wealth.
Man I behold already for this gold,
And for the world`s delights,
In horrid mansion full of smoke and fire,
Tempering the deadly steel;
Now at the anvil, see!
How striking frequent with his iron mace,
He forms his coat of mail; makes it his vest,
And for destruction draws the blade of steel.
Another, see! converting 
Cold iron into fire,
Tapers, and twists it round;
And now a hatchet forms; now see him eager
To level trees and woods,
And now, with numerous planks,
Behold him raise a work
Fit to sustain the fury of the sea.
Others I see toiling to pass o`er alps,
To pass o`er mountains, and the riven rock:
Leeches that prey on ore,
And from the earth`s bosom suck great veins of gold.
Lo! others in the deep
Trying the fertile sea, plunge through the waves,
Fearless encountering its tempestuous pride,
If they from crusty shell, or craggy rock
May coral draw, or pearl.
Ah, labour as thou wilt, and sigh, or sweat
In this pursuit of gold,
Thy cares and woes shall gather in proportion
To all thy gathered wealth.
Lo! to preserve thy jewels and thy wealth,
And gold forbids thee to enjoy thy gold,
Hence treacherous we see
The servant to his lord,
And through the faithless sword,
Through eagerness of gold,
Hence on the table of a royal house
There stands the statue of a unicorn,
As if in scorn of man;
Since, giving safety to a mighty lord,
The beast exposes human cruelty.
Hence it is that the son,
Greedy of gold, becomes his father`s foe, 
Wishes him short existence,
Flies him, and steals his wealth,
So that to make him glad, his sire may pine.
Hence is it, that for gold,
Brothers, becoming frantic,
Brandish the hostile steel,
And deem this gold more precious than their blood.
Here by the blaze of gold 
The eyes of woman dazzled 
See not her husband, nor regard her children,
While on the wings of passion,
She with the adulterer flies, nor yet perceives
That for his gold (vile dust!)
She has resolved to quit her very flesh.
What more? what more? not only 
By gold`s possession thou shalt prove the foe
Of wife, of father, brother, and of friend,
But rebel even to God; 
Since with intemperate zeal
Mere idols formed of gold,
Thou shalt proclaim the only powers of heaven.
But what do I behold? blest that I am!
I see fair Eve approach! on her soft back
Bearing a load of many leafy boughs;
What she now means to do 
Here will I watch, concealed amidst this bower.

SCENE V. -- Eve and The World.

Eve.  Canst thou presume, afflicted, wretched Eve,
To the bright sun to raise again thine eyes?
No! no! thou art unworthy well thou seest:
Thou couldst behold him once,
And gaze delighted on his golden splendour:
Now if thou darest to view him, 
His radiance dazzles thee; rather thou seemest,
When thou hast dared to meet his potent beams,
To have thy fading eyes
Wrapt in a dusky veil.
Alas! it is too true,
That I in darkness dwell,
And in the formidable clouds of sin
I have o`erwhelmed the light of innocence.
Ah! wretched, mournful Eve! 
If now thou turn`st thy foot,
Eager to taste the pure and limpid stream,
Alas, how troubled dost thou find the water,
Or else the fountain dry!
If with quick appetite thou chance to turn,
Anxious from lovely plants to pluck the fruit,
How dost thou find it crude,
Or made the dark recess of filthy worms!
Or weary, `midst the flowers
Thou seek`st to close thine eyes, 
Behold! with fluttering pinions at thy feet,
A serpent `midst the flowers darts and hisses.
Now to avoid the heat 
Of the fierce sun if thou wouldst seek the shade
Of the thick wood, or of the leafy grove,
Thou tear`st the rage of monsters, and must tremble
Like the light leaf that shakes at every breeze.
And hence it is thy wish
To fasten bough to bough, and trunk to trunk,
Raising some safe asylum
From serpents, monsters, tempests, and the sun.
To you then will I turn me, verdant boughs,
That hither on my back with toil I bore,
Do you defend me now! now rise you here, 
Afford a safe retreat
To Eve so wretched! Lo! I thus begin.
It will suffice, if I with tender hand
Just shadow, what with far superior strength
And more enlightened sense,
The sinner, Adam, here may terminate.

The World.
Abode more firm and faithful, 
Hell now prepares for thee, or rather Death.
Behold, behold, how she
Employs herself in placing these green boughs!
To Eve I will unveil me :-- Ah! what dost thou?
Why art thou raising thus,
Eve, gentle fair one, these thy leafy boughs?
Tell me, what wouldst thou do, 
Why dost thou toil and sigh?

Eve.  Alas! what do I see?
Do not approach me! no! from me be far!

The World.
What canst thou fear, O lovely,
Sweet angel of the earth?
Joy of all hearts, and honour of the world?

Eve.  Thou Lord, who didst create me,
This stranger, who now rich in gold and gems
Courteous accosts me with a human face,
Do thou to me reveal;
Nor let our God consent,
That Eve again, or man,
Precipitately fall in fatal error!
Alas! with human face
An artful base deceiver
Let me to taste the interdicted apple;
And thence my heart must dread
Other infernal guile,
Since in the world one man alone exists.

The World.
Before my light, as at the radiant sun
Darkness itself is used to disappear,
Drive from thy heart this cloud,
That makes thy visage pale;
And from the lovely cave of glowing rubies,
Now closed to guard, as in the depth of Ganges,
The treasure of inestimable pearls,
Send forth thy tender sighs;
And if, thou fair one, `tis thy wish to sigh,
Let all thy sighs be sweet!

Eve.  And who art thou, so eager
To change the tears of woman into smiles?

The World.
Know, gentle fair one, you in me behold
As much as you can see,
Raising your eyes to heaven,
Or turning them to earth;
An indigested mass,
Chaos I once was called, now fair and fine,
Heaven, earth, and sea salute me as The World.
I too have had my residence amidst 
The miracles above; 
But oh! a fault of mine,
Which now to tell thee would be out of season,
Induced the sacred Resident above 
From his eternal doom in wrath to drive me;
And from a bright and fine
Trophy of Paradise,
Into a shapeless mass
Of hideous matter he converted me,
At last my mighty Maker, having seen
That my condition balanced my offence,
Bestowed upon me soon another form,
Far from his highest heaven, and thus at once
Annihilated that tremendous prison,
Dreary and dark; he made me in exchange
The luminous gay World.

Eve.  Alas! my first alarm
So deeply wounds, and lords it o`er my heart,
I know not what to credit, what to do.

The World.
Now, since there`s nothing that to me affords
Such infinite disgust,
As to behold aught dirty and neglected,
I pray thee, lovely fair, be it thy study 
With purple, gold, and robes adorned with pearl,
To grace thy gentle form, and cast to earth
Those skins of animals that shock the sight.
Observe how much more pleasing and majestic 
Man may be rendered by graceful dress!
Compared to me, dost thou not seem a beast?
Rather among the beasts
Dost thou not seem the vilest animal?
Dost thou not see, that every abject creature,
Or of the foaming sea,
Or of the fields of the air,
Or of the woods and mountains,
Are decked with humid scales,
Gay feathers, shaggy skins, or painted bristles?
And if on earth thou wert created naked,
Yet well arrayed with reason
Appeared thy noble soul, by which thou mightest
(Made empress of the world)
Deck thee with radiant gems, and robes of gold.
Too vile a mansion are the woods for thee,
In nakedness surpassing even the beasts.
For what end dost thou think, 
The great exalted hand
Created in a moment
Gold, silver, and rich gems?
Perchance, perchance thou thinkest
It may be right, that these
Bright wonders of the world
Rest ever buried in a blind oblivion.
No! no! thou simpleton, it is that man,
Sweating in their pursuit,
May decorate himself; and as the sun
Flames in full splendour in a sapphire sky,
Or `mid the stars of gold
The bright and silvery moon,
He thus may glitter in this earthly heaven.
What more! behold what gems the sea conceals,
Or the rich earth embraces,
Which, tempting man to joy,
Display their rare endowments;
Whence it is just to say,
They were for man created; and if blind
Through ignorance he slights them,
Or shows himself ungrateful,
Why has such treasure been for man created?
Shall it be true, that you, the sovereign fair,
The gentle ruler of this worldly realm,
Can prove to God ungrateful? to the World
Like earth`s vile offspring? Rise! assume this gold,
Like topaz, ruby, pearls, and splendid purple,
Bright robes of gold, and rich habiliments!
In worldly trophies like our lofty queen
Shine, Eve, and let all creatures worship thee:
Oh, how in viewing thee, thou radiant fair,
Covered with gems and gold,
I seem to joy!  Oh, how,
While you majestically move along,
The flowers appear before your feet to weave 
A sweet impediment!
Rather I seem to see the stars from heaven 
Innumerous descend,
Here for your feet to form a bright support.
What dost thou, pensive fair?
Now of thy radiant locks, that stream at length,
A string of jewels, of fine threads you weave,
For hearts a net of gold.
Now let a charming smile
Enliven thy sweet cheek!
Then shalt thou hear in accents of delight
The birds around miraculously say,
"Oh, what a lip of coral! 
And what fair teeth of pearl,
Has Eve`s sweet mouth, so delicately small!
How sweet is her discourse,
That seems to be below, what, in high heaven,
The voice of God is to the blessed host."
Arise, arise! be warm,
Thou spring of tenderness, and flame of souls!
Come! leave! Oh, leave the woods
To creatures of the forest;
And with resplendent brass,
And snowy shining marble,
Let a proud palace now be raised to heaven,
To form a worthy mansion for thy merit!
The World will find not difficult.  That wood,
Which you have wished to join,
Fearing the fury of the savage beasts,
Let that now form a seat
With walls of silver, and a roof of gold,
Of emerald its pillars,
And hung on golden hinges, gates of pearl!

Eve.  O heaven! what do I see? what`s this, O God?

The World.
What hast thou more to say? Ah, simple, enter
With light and speedy foot, there, where alone
Thou findst a fit abode!
Then wilt thou truly be of thy great Maker,
The image and ingenious imitator,
Since he among so many 
Legions in heaven, as much as he excels them
In majesty, so much himself he raised 
On his exalted throne, in highest heaven.
Thus here below let man amid these tribes
Of fishes and of birds,
And of unnumbered beasts,
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