The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1867-04-18

bliss,
Enjoyed by US, excites his envy more;
Or this, or worse, leave not the faithful
side
That gave thee being, still shades thee
and protects
The wife, where danger, or dishonor turks :;
Safest and seemliest, by her husband
strays,
Who guards her, or with her the worst
endures."
To which Eve after long discourse, and
gaining his consent to part, answers -
" With thy permission then, and thus
forewarned,
Chiefly. by what thy own last reasoning
words
Touched only, that our trial, when least
sought,
May find us both perhaps, far less pre-
pared,
The willinger 60, nor much EXPECT,
A foe so proud will first the weaker seek,
So bent the more, shall shame him his
repulsc."
Then follows a long interval, in which
Adam anxiously awaits her return He
weaves rich garlands for her hair, and
listens with anxiety to her approaching
footstep. But she comes at last, with
gladness in her eyes, and rapture at her
heart, and she greets her lord thus:-
" II last thou not wondered, Adam, at my
stay.
Thee have missed, and thought it long
deprived,
Thy presence; agony of love till now
Not felt, nor shall be twice, for never
more,
Mean | to try, what rash untried I sou ght
The pain of absence from thy sight. But
strange
Hath Leen the cause, and wonderful to
This tree is not as we are told, tree
Or danger tasted, nor to evil unknown
Opening the way, but of divine effect
To open eyes, and make them gods who
taste,
And hath been tasted such: the serpent
wise,
Or not restrained as we, or not obeying,
Hath eaten of the fruit, and is become
Not dead as we are threatened, but thence
forth
Endued with human voice, and human
sense,
Reasoning to admiration. and with me
Persuasively hath SO prevailed, that l
Have also tasted. and have also found
Tn effects to correspond: opener mine
eyes,
Dim erst. dilated spirits, ampler heart,
Aud growing up to Godhead, which for
thee
Chiefly | sought, without thee can despise
For bliss, as thou hast part to me is bliss.
Tedious, uushared with thee, aud odious
soon;
Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot
May join US, equal joy, as equal love,
Lest thou not tasting, different degree
Disjoin us, and | then too late renounce
Deity for thee, when fate will not permit" :"
Upon which Adam in widest despair
shrieks OUT
g D fairest OF creation, last, and best
OF all God' works; creature in whom ex-
celled,
Whatever can to sight, or thought be
formed;
Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet;
How art thou lost, how on sudden lost.
Delaced, deaowered, aud how to death
devote?
Rather. how hast thou yielded to trans
The strict forbiddance, how to violate
The sacred fruit forbidden? some cursed
OF enemy hath besuiled thee, yet un-
known,
And me with thee hath ruined, for with
thee
Certain my resolution is to die.
How can [ live without thee. how forego
Thy sweet converse, and love so dearly
joined?
To live again in these wild woods forlorn,
Should God create another Eve, and l
Another rib afford yet loss of thee,
Would never from my heart; no, no,
feel
The link Of nature draw me flesh to flesh,
Bone OF my bone thou art, aud from thy
state
Mine shall never be parted, bliss or wo."
His remorse follows upon his having
partaken of the forbidden fruit. Deep
rooted was the awful passion. that gave
support to his spirit. An agony such as
those committing suicide only know He
coolIy eat of the fruit, knowing that the
penalty awaited him.
Yet for her.-The resolution sickening
ing at his heart, upheld the danger before
him. but he paused not; and now laments
his fall, in soul stricken remorse!
3" 0 Eve in evil hour, thou didst give ear
To that false worm, of whomsoever Taught
To counterfeit mans voice; true in our
fall,
False in our promised rising, since our
eyes
Opened we find indeed, and find we know