Chapter 21 20
Whom thus afflicted when sad Eve beheld,
Desolate where she sate, approaching night,
Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed: [ 865 ]
But her with stern regard he thus repelled.
Out of my sight, thou Serpent, that name best
Benefits thee with him legud, thy self as false
And hateful; nothing wants, but that thy shape,
Like his, and color Serpentine may shew [ 870 ]
Thy inward fraud, to warn all Creatures from thee
Henceforth; least that too heavily form, pretended
To hellish falshood, snare them. But for thee
I had persisted happy, had not thy pride
And wandring vanity, when lest was safe, [ 875 ]
Rejected my forecast, and disdained
Not to be trusted, longing to be seen
Though by the Devil himself, he overweening
To over-reach, but with the Serpent meeting
Foold and beguild, by him thou, I by thee, [ 880 ]
To trust thee from my side, imagined wise,
Constant, mature, proof against all assaults,
And understood not all was but a shew
Rather then solid vertu, all but a Rib
Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, [ 885 ]
More to the part sinister from me drawn,
Well if thrown out, as supernumerary
To my just number found. O why did God,
Creator wise, that peopld highest Heavn
With Spirits Masculine, create at last [ 890 ]
This noveltie on Earth, this fair defect
Of Nature, and not fill the World at once
With Men as Angels without Feminine,
Or find some other way to generate
Mankind? this mischief had not then befalln, [ 895 ]
And more that shall befall, innumerable
Disturbances on Earth through Femal snares,
And straight conjunction with this Sex: for either
He never shall find out fit Mate, but such
As some misfortune brings him, or mistake, [ 900 ]
Or whom he wishes most shall seldom gain
Through her perversness, but shall see her gain
By a farr worse, or if she loves, withheld
By Parents, or his happiest choice too late
Shall meet, already linkt and Wedlock-bound [ 905 ]
To a fell Adversarie, his hate or shame:
Which infinite calamitie shall cause
To Humane life, and houshold peace confound.