Book 9 Lines 342-375

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To whom thus Adam fervently repli’d.
O Woman, best are all things as the will
Of God ordain’d them, his creating hand
Nothing imperfet or deficient left  [345]
Of all that he Created, much less Man,
Or aught that might his happy State secure,
Secure from the outward force; within himself
The danger lies, yet lies within his power:
Against his will he can receive no harm.  [350]
But God left free the Will, for what obeys
Reason, is free, and Reason he made right,
But bid her well beware, and still erect,
Lest by some fair appearing good surpris’d
She dictate false, and misinform the Will  [355]
To do what God expressly hath forbid.
Not then mistrust, but tender love enjoins,
That I should mind thee oft, and mind thou me.
Firm we subsist, yet possible to swerve,
Since Reason not impossibly may meet  [360]
Some specious object by the Foe suborn’d,
And fall into deception unaware,
Not keeping strictest watch, as she was warn’d.
Seek not temptation then, which to avoid
Were better, and most likely if from mee  [365]
Thou sever not: Trial will come unsought.
Wouldst thou approve thy constancy, approve
First thy obedience; th’other who can know,
Not seeing thee attempted, who attest?
But if thou think, trial unsought may find  [370]
Us both securer than thus warn’d thou seem’st,
Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more;
Go in thy native innocence, rely
On what thou hast of virtue, summon all,
For God towards thee hath done his part, do thine. [375]

Credits (UA EN 335 Spring 2013)
Passage read by Lauren Alexander

Podcasts:
343-4 Callan Buck, Karrie Elpers, Brett Saunders
350 Emma Pitts and Jourdan Thomas
359 Nicole Cochran, Emma Dickerson and Baker Leyman
373 Julia Caldwell, Anthony Harper and Wesley Wyatt

Page coding:
David Ainsworth and Olivia McDermott