Satan, having compaffed the Earth, with meditated guile returns, as a mift, by night into Paradife; enters into the Serpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each labouring apart: Adam confents not, alleging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone: Eve, loth to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make trial of her strength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then speaking; with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the Serpent fpeak, asks how he attained to human Speech, and fuch understanding, not till now; the Serpent anfwers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to Speech and reafon, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden: The Serpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments, induces her at length to eat; fhe, pleafed with the tafte, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at laft brings him of the fruit; relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof: Adam, at first amazed, but perceiving her loft, refolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her: and, extenuating the trefpafs, eats also of the fruit: The effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another.