Milton's Paradise lost imitated in rhyme, in the fourth, sixth and ninth books containing The primitive loves, The battel of the angels, The fall of man / by Mr. John Hopkins.

THE Fall of Man. BEING AN IMITATION Of the Ninth BOOK of MILTON's Paradise LOST.

THE Fall of Man. Being an Imitation of the 9th. Book of Milton's Paradise Lost.

TWAS Morning now, and Eve the Hap∣py bride, Advis'd her Spouse their Labours to divide, In words like these, while Walking by his Side; Adam, do thou, as Pleases best, remove, The pains we take, so may Successfull prove; But side by side while we together go, The spreading Boughs, fast as we Lop them, Grow.

Plac'd near to thee, Perhaps, I work a while, But soon I steal a look, and give a Smile. Either our work, or our soft, Am'rous Play, Or somewhat else we Talk of all the day. Pruning the Trees, as I before you go, That you may Reach me soon, I work but slow. Or if you foremost in the Walk I see, Slightly I pass the Boughs, and Fly to thee. Then with Embraces we the time delay, And with dear Kisses one an other stay. Thus spake Fair Eve, thus spake the Beauteous bride, To her Lov'd Lord, who thus to her reply'd. Well hast thou Motion'd, fair one, hither come; Thy charming Beauties like these Gardens Bloom. Delightfull Blossoms in thy Face I find, And full grown Fruits are rip'ning in thy mind. Dearest, most Priz'd, and above all things Lov'd, Why wou'dst thou be from thy Delight remov'd?

Soft, intervening Glances fondness show, And timely smiles from Love and reason Flow. God has impos'd no Task but what may Please, And Labours but to recommend our Ease. Sufficient time is given to Dress the Flow'rs, To lop the growing Plants, and spreading Bow'rs; All but the dayly Task of a few Leisure Hours. But if much Converse cloy thee, I could Yield, To pass some time without thee in the Field. To Pleasure you, tho' I shall Fondly burn, For short Retirement urges Sweet return. Distance will bring us Nearer, not remove, And when we meet, we shall renew our Love. When from afar I see thy Beauteous Charms, I'll hast, and Rush all Transport to thy arms. Whilst thy Bright Eyes shooting out Shining fires, In me shall Kindle fond, yet Fierce desires.

Gush'd with delights, I'll fold thee Gently so, Whilst both our Cheeks with rising Blushes glow, I'll kiss, and vow I'll never, never let thee go. But ah! Some suddain thought has Check'd me, Eve, We must not part, I ca'nt without thee Live. We have a foe whom I extreamly fear, Stir not from Hence, but if you Love, Stay here. Together still, we need not be afraid, But may, if Tempted, Yield each other Aid, Yet thou, or I alone, may be Betray'd. Whatever comes, Leave not this faithfull side, That gave thee being, Stay with me, my Bride. The wife, whenever Warn'd of Dang'rous ways; Safest, and Seemliest by her Husband stays. Thus Adam Spake, while Eve attentive Hears, And thus replys; Dispell thy causeless Fears, The truth of what you Warn me, well I know, But do you doubt, because there is a Foe.

Sure I can firm against his hatred Prove, Not all his arts my Constancy can move, Angels themselves could not Estrange my Love. Of Death or Pain uncapable we Live, Force can't avail, unless I Please to give. Whate'er is offer'd, if it seem not Well, Either I can't receive, or can repell. So, 'tis the fraud of the close Foe you dread, And think my easy Faith may be Misled. If we Unsafely from each other Go, Eden expos'd, can be no Eden so. To whom thus Adam answer'd; Beauteous Eve, Too Late, I fear, you may my words Believe, Who deceiv'd Angels, may thee too deceive. Warn'd be me thus, scince you your Faith must try, Remember me, and on your God rely. Go then, for now my Hope on this depends, You thus Prepar'd, the Foe may Miss his ends.

Whate'er the Tempter, or Temptation be, I charge thee, Touch not the Forbidden Tree. With thy Permission then, says Eve, I Go, Doubt not, my Love, I shall resist the Foe. Then softly drawing from his Hand Her own, She smiling Leaves him, so Secure she's Grown. Quickly, he crys, ah! Quickly, Eve, return, With great concern I shall thy absence Mourn. Well pleas'd, She Promises to see Him Soon, And in the Bow'r to wait him, e'er 'tis noon. With ardent Looks he views Her on Her way, Delighted much, but Wishing more Her stay. Still dos he Gaze while the Dear form he sees, But soon No more perceives Her, hid by Trees. Lost, and Unblest, he must Alas! no more Behold a guiltless Bride all Charming as before. Thro' fragrant shades of Roses does She go, The Roses now in deeper Blushes Glow.

Superfluous leafs, which grew Deform'd, She crops And slender Stalks of drooping Flow'rs she Props. But of her self, (fair Flow'r!) She takes no care, Tho' storms are nigh, and She from Succour far. At length the Serpent ranges thro' the Fields, He comes, He tempts, and as He temps, She yields. And now Perswaded by a long Dispute, She boldly Tastes of the forbidden Fruit. Rashly she Eats, then to Debate she fell, Nor knows she yet has she done Ill or well. Now she resolves, what e'er the Danger be, Adam shall Tast the Fruit, made Guilty too as she. In words, like these, she dos her Fondness show, Adam shall share with me in Bliss, or Woe, To Life, or Death, we shall together Go. Should he not Tast, and I by Doom not Live, He would be wedded to another Eve.

Then would his Second Fair my Guilt approve, 'Tis death to think he should a Second Love. ••o saying, strait to Adam she repairs, Contriving reasons to Subdue his fears. Impatient grown, He had a Garland made, Of choicest Flow'rs to Crown her lovely Head Whom lost he finds, and in Amazement stands, To see a bough held Brandish'd in her Hands. Eve with excuses tells what She has done, Urges that he should Equall Hazzard run, And bids him not such Proffer'd Blessings shun. With brisk, alluring Air her Spouse she Warms, Alas! what Woman wants Prevailing Charms! She guilds her Crime with Thousand reasons giv'n, And Damns him with large Promises of Heav'n. Flushing she Spoke, her Cheeks such Blushes wore, As the fair Fruit which in her Hands she bore.

Adam awhile, Astonish'd, and amaz'd, Stood speechless by, and on the apples Gaz'd. From his slack Hand the falling Garland shed, The faded Roses, which now lost their Red. At length, all Trembling, silence thus he Breaks, And to his Fatall, but Lov'd Eve, he speaks. How late, vain fair one, Didst thou idly Boast, Yet art thou Lost, yes, on a Suddain Lost. Defac'd, deflowr'd, rob'd of thy Blooming store, Just like those Roses faded Never! ah, never to be Beauteous more. Doom'd, and Condemn'd, Death must thy Sentence be, Death be it then to both— For thou hast Curst thy self, and with thee, Me. Why should I now propose, or wish to Live, No, not tho' God should form another Eve. No second fair could such a Blessing prove, For, after thee, what could be worth my Love.

This, and much more, Extreamly mov'd, he said, While lifeless Paleness thro' his Visage spread. She, all the while, Jocund, in Game-some Mood, Laughs at his Fears, and now holds back the Food. Ten Thousand arts she uses, looks, and Smiles, And now deludes him with her Specious wiles. At last he Yields and rushes to her Arms, Thro' soft Endearments, more her Beauty Warms; What vig'rous Man resists, when naked Woman charms Smelling the Fruit, on Eve his Eyes he cast, She Plucks, and Smiles, and he too Plucks at last. And now together Wantonly they Eat, All o're Transported with the Charming meat. With his Lov'd Eve the flowing Juice he Drinks, The place not Paradise, but Heav'n he thinks. He looks, she Smiles, he Dallies with her Hair, He Clasps her, She Clasps too, but crys Forbear.

So when she found him Stagg'ring into Sin, By female Arts, and Wiles she led him in. Before his veiw the tempting Bough she bore, And only held it back, to urge Him on the more. But now their Transports to excesses fly, For soon Endearment works the Passion high. Now more Inflam'd, Closely his Bride he prest, And spread warm Kisses o're her Panting Breast. From her lewd Eyes such eager Glances came, Love's fires they Kill'd, and kindled lustfull Flame. Now to their Bow'r, not distant far, they Hast, And some few Moments do their Pleasures last. For now the transient Blessings quickly Cloy, Their falling Spirits sink, and with them sinks their Joy. Not, as before their Fall, do they possess, When they Enjoy'd to a Divine excess, Nor by enjoying did the Sweets grow less.

Now spent, with Languid Eyes they look a while, But no soft Glances cast, to raise a Smile. A Gloomy Slumber dos their sense o'retake, And in their Dreams perplext, with broken Starts they wake. Like Sampson now his Dalilah he views, Close by his Side, but no Endearment shews. With looks estrang'd, he marks her as she lyes, Frowning his Brows, and Angry were his Eyes, While all within Tempestuous Passions rise. Now standing up, he veiws Her with disdain, And crys, vain Creature! beyond Fancy, vain! My strength by thy rash Weakness is Betray'd And thou I find Wer't perfect Woman made. Curse on thy Wiles, Heav'n form'd thee for Deceit, All Imperfections make thy Sex compleat. What wild desire of Wand'ring led thee on, To ruine me, and be thy Self undone?

Thou worse than Serpent, Base, deceitfull Eve; The Tempter best might in thy form Deceive. Led tho' strange errours, Traytress, thou hast been, Tho' by the Devill, desirous to be seen. Whilst I, fond I, such Lovers fancies are, Thought nought could Injure thee, so Sweet, and Fair. This said, on Eve he fixt his constant Eyes, Who, now the Crime excusing, thus replys. Look not so harsh on your fond, hapless Bride, Must I have never Parted from thy Side. I might as well a Lifeless Rib remain, Ah! would to Heav'n I were so now again. Why did not you, you who my Failings know, Command me Absolutely not to go, It was thy Fault, not mine, I thought no Ill, Woman is weak in all things, but her Will. Besides, no Enmity between us known, I meant the Foe no harm, so dreaded none.

Thus by her Speech her Innocence she Prov'd. Whom Adam answer'd thus, Extreamly mov'd, And Calmer Grows because he knew she Lov'd. Come, to the Figtrees let us strait repair, And hide our Naked parts from one another there, Around them tall, fast rooted Twiggs I see, And Daughters grow about the Mother Tree. Broad are their Leafs, with them Conceal thy Shame, Thus Adam her, and She did Adam blame. Hence it appears her Sex dos Nothing Ill, Their crime is charg'd on their Accuser still, And the Wife blames the Man who should res∣train her Will,

THE END.