many are the Trees of God that grow In Paradise and various yet unknown To us in such aboundance lies our choice As leaves a greater store of Fruit untoucht Still hanging incorruptible till men Grow up to thir provision and more hands Help to disburden Nature of her Bearth To whom the wilie Adder blithe and glad Empress the way is readie and not long Beyond a row of Myrtles on a Flat Fast by a Fountain one small Thicket past Of blowing Myrrh and Balme if thou accept My conduct I can bring thee thither soon Lead then said Eve Hee leading swiftly rowld In tangles and made intricate seem strait To mischief swift Hope elevates and joy Bright'ns his Crest as when a wandring Fire Compact of unctuous vapor which the Night Condenses and the cold invirons round Kindl'd through agitation to a Flame Which oft they say some evil Spirit attends Hovering and blazing with delusive Light Misleads th' amaz'd Night-wanderer from his way To Boggs and Mires and oft through Pond or Poole There swallow'd up and lost from succour farr So glister'd the dire Snake and into fraud Led Eve our credulous Mother to the Tree Of prohibition root of all our woe Which when she saw thus to her guide she spake Serpent we might have spar'd our coming hither Fruitless to mee though Fruit be here to excess The credit of whose vertue rest with thee Wondrous indeed if cause of such effects But of this Tree we may not taste nor touch God so commanded and left that Command Sole Daughter of his voice the rest we live Law to our selves our Reason is our Law To whom the Tempter guilefully repli'd Indeed hath God then said that of the Fruit Of all these Garden Trees ye shall not eate Yet Lords declar'd of all in Earth or Aire To whom thus Eve yet sinless Of the Fruit Of each Tree in the Garden we may eate But of the Fruit of this fair Tree amidst The Garden God hath said Ye shall not eate Thereof nor shall ye touch it least ye die She scarse had said though brief when now more The Tempter but with shew of Zeale and Love To Man and indignation at his wrong New part puts on and as to passion mov'd Fluctuats disturbd yet comely and in act Rais'd as of som great matter to begin As when of old som Orator renound In Athens or free Rome where Eloquence Flourishd since mute to som great cause addrest Stood in himself collected while each part Motion each act won audience ere the tongue Somtimes in highth began as no delay Of Preface brooking through his Zeal of Right So standing moving or to highth upgrown The Tempter all impassiond thus began O Sacred Wise and Wisdom-giving Plant Mother of Science Now I feel thy Power Within me cleere not onely to discerne Things in thir Causes but to trace the wayes Of highest Agents deemd however wise Queen of this Universe doe not believe Those rigid threats of Death ye shall not Die How should ye by the Fruit it gives you Life To Knowledge By the Threatner look on mee Mee who have touch'd and tasted yet both live And life more perfet have attaind then Fate Meant mee by vending higher then my Lot Shall that be shut to Man which to the Beast Is open or will God incense his ire For such a petty Trespass and not praise Rather your dauntless vertue whom the pain Of Death denounc't whatever thing Death be Deterrd not from atchieving what might leade To happier life knowledge of Good and Evil Of good how just of evil if what is evil Be real why not known since easier shunnd God therefore cannot hurt ye and be just Not just not God not feard then nor obeyd Your feare it self of Death removes the feare Why then was this forbid Why but to awe Why but to keep ye low and ignorant His worshippers he knows that in the day Ye Eate thereof your Eyes that seem so cleere Yet are but dim shall perfetly be then Op'nd and cleerd and ye shall be as Gods Knowing both Good and Evil as they know That ye should be as Gods since I as Man Internal Man is but proportion meet I of brute human yee of human Gods So ye shall die perhaps by putting off Human to put on Gods death to be wisht Though threat'nd which no worse then this can bring And what are Gods that Man may not become As they participating God-like food The Gods are first and that advantage use On our belief that all from them proceeds I question it for this fair Earth I see Warm'd by the Sun producing every kind Them nothing If they all things who enclos'd Knowledge of Good and Evil in this Tree That whoso eats thereof forthwith attains Wisdom without their leave and wherein lies Th' offence that Man should thus attain to know What can your knowledge hurt him or this Tree Impart against his will it all be his Or is it envie and can envie dwell In heav'nly brests these these and many more Causes import your need of this fair Fruit. Goddess humane reach then and freely taste He ended and his words replete with guile Into her heart too easie entrance won Fixt on the Fruit she gaz'd which to behold Might tempt alone and in her cars the sound Yet rung of his perswasive words impregn'd With Reason to her seeming and with Truth Mean while the hour of Noon drew on and wak'd An eager appetite rais'd by the smell So savorie of that Fruit which with desire Inclinable now grown to touch or taste Sollicited her longing eye yet first Pausing a while thus to her self she mus'd Great are thy Vertues doubtless best of Fruits Though kept from Man and worthy to be admir'd Whose taste too long forborn at first assay Gave elocution to the mute and taught The Tongue not made for Speech to speak thy praise Thy praise hee also who forbids thy use Conceales not from us naming thee the Tree Of Knowledge knowledge both of good and evil Forbids us then to taste but his forbidding Commends thee more while it inferrs the good By thee communicated and our want For good unknown sure is not had or had And yet unknown is as not had at all In plain then what forbids he but to know Forbids us good forbids us to be wise Such prohibitions binde not But if Death Bind us with after-bands what profits then Our inward freedom In the day we eate Of this fair Fruit our doom is we shall die How dies the Serpent hee hath eat'n and lives And knows and speaks and reasons and discerns Irrational till then For us alone Was death invented or to us deni'd This intellectual food for beasts reserv'd For Beasts it seems yet that one Beast which first Hath tasted envies not but brings with joy The good befall'n him Author unsuspect Friendly to man farr from deceit or guile What fear I then rather what know to feare Under this
rowle With terror through the dark Aereal Hall Some say he bid his Angels turne ascanse The Poles of Earth twice ten degrees and more From the Suns Axle they with labour push'd Oblique the Centric Globe Som say the Sun Was bid turn Reines from th' Equinoctial Rode Like distant breadth to Taurus with the Seav'n Atlantick Sisters and the Spartan Twins Up to the Tropic Crab thence down amaine By Leo and the Virgin and the Scales A deep as Capricorne to bring in change Of Seasons to each Clime else had the Spring Perpetual smil'd on Earth with vernant Flours Equal in Days and Nights except to those Beyond the Polar Circles to them Day Had unbenighted shon while the low Sun To recompence his distance in thir sight Had rounded still th' Horizon and not known Or East or West which had forbid the Snow From cold Estotiland and South as farr Beneath Magellan At that tasted Fruit The Sun as from Thyestean Banquet turn'd His course intended else how had the World Inhabited though sinless more then now Avoided pinching cold and scorching heate These changes in the Heav'ns though slow produc'd Like change on Sea and Land sideral blast Vapour and Mist and Exhalation hot Corrupt and Pestilent Now from the North Of Normbega and the Samoed shoar Bursting thir brazen Dungeon armd with ice And snow and haile and stormie gust and flaw Boreas and Caecias and Argestes loud And Thrascias rend the Woods and Seas upturn With adverse blast up-turns them from the South Notus and Afer black with thundrous Clouds From Serraliona thwart of these as fierce Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent Windes Eurus and Zephir with thir lateral noise Sirocco and Libecchio Thus began Outrage from liveless things but Discord first Daughter of Sin among th' irrational Death introduc'd through fierce antipathie Beast now with Bead gan war and Fowle with Fowle And Fish with Fish to graze the Herb all leaving Devourd each other nor stood much in awe Of Man but fled him or with count'nance grim Glar'd on him passing these were from without The growing miseries which Adam saw Alreadie in part though hid in gloomiest shade To sorrow abandond but worse felt within And in a troubl'd Sea of passion tost Thus to disburd'n sought with sad complaint O miserable of happie is this the end Of this new glorious World and mee so late The Glory of that Glory who now becom Accurst of blessed hide me from the face Of God whom to behold was then my highth Of happiness yet well if here would end The miserie I deserv'd it and would beare My own deservings but this will nor serve All that I eat or drink or shall beget Is propagated curse O voice once heard Delightfully Encrease and multiply Now death to heare for what can I encrease Or multiplie but curses on my head Who of all Ages to succeed but feeling The evil on him brought by me will curse My Head Ill fare our Ancestor impure For this we may thank Adam but his thanks Shall be the execration so besides Mine own that bide upon me all from mee Shall with a fierce reflux on mee redound On mee as on thir natural center light Heavie though in thir place O fleeting joyes Of Paradise deare bought with lasting woes Did I request thee Maker from my Clay To mould me Man did I sollicite thee From darkness to promote me or here place In this delicious Garden as my Will Concurd not to my being it were but right And equal to reduce me to my dust Desirous to resigne and render back All I receav'd unable to performe Thy terms too hard by which I was to hold The good I sought not To the loss of that Sufficient penaltie why hast thou added The sense of endless woes inexplicable Thy Justice seems yet to say truth too late I thus contest then should have been refusd Those terms whatever when they were propos'd Thou didst accept them wilt thou enjoy the good Then cavil the conditions and though God Made thee without thy leave what if thy Son Prove disobedient and reprov'd retort Wherefore didst thou beget me I sought it not Wouldst thou admit for his contempt of thee That proud excuse yet him not thy election But Natural necessity begot God made thee of choice his own and of his own To serve him thy reward was of his grace Thy punishment then justly is at his Will Be it so for I submit his doom is fair That dust I am and shall to dust returne O welcom hour whenever why delayes His hand to execute what his Decree Fixd on this day why do I overlive Why am I mockt with death and length'nd out To deathless pain how gladly would I meet Mortalitie my sentence and be Earth Insensible how glad would lay me down As in my Mothers lap there I should test And sleep secure his dreadful voice no more Would Thunder in my ears no fear of worse To mee and to my ofspring would torment me With cruel expectation Yet one doubt Pursues me still least all I cannot die Least that pure breath of Life the Spirit of Man Which God inspir'd cannot together perish With this corporeal Clod then in the Grave Or in some other dismal place who knows But I shall die a living Death O thought Horrid if true yet why it was but breath Of Life that sinn'd what dies but what had life And sin the Bodie properly hath neither All of me then shall die let this appease The doubt since humane reach no further knows For though the Lord of all be infinite Is his wrauth also be it man is not so But mortal doom'd How can he exercise Wrath without end on Man whom Death must end Can he make deathless Death that were to make Strange contradiction which to God himself Impossible is held as Argument Of weakness not of Power Will he draw out For angers sake finite to infinite In punisht man to satisfie his rigour Satisfi'd never that were to extend His Sentence beyond dust and Natures Law By which all Causes else according still To the reception of thir matter act Not to th' extent of thir own Spheare But say That Death be not one stroak as I suppos'd Bereaving sense but endless miserie From this day onward which I feel begun Both in me and without me and so last To perpetuitie Ay me that fear Comes thundring back with dreadful revolution On my defensless head both Death and I Am sound Eternal and incorporate both Nor I on my part single in mee all Posteritie stands curst Fair Patrimonie That I must leave ye Sons O were I able To waste it all my self and leave ye none So disinherited how would ye bless Me now your curse Ah why should all mankind For one mans fault thus guiltless be condemn'd If guiltless But from me what can proceed But all corrupt both Mind and Will deprav'd Not to do onely but to will the same
first thir lamentable lot and found No rest through many a dark and drearie Vaile They pass'd and many a Region dolorous Ore many a Frozen many a fierie Alpe Rocks Caves Lakes Fens Bogs Dens and shades of deaths A Universe of death which God by curse Created evil for evil only good Where all life dies death lives and Nature breeds Perverse all monstrous all prodigious things Abominable inutterable and worse Than Fables yet have feign'd or fear conceiv'd Gorgons and Hydra's and Chimera's dire Mean while the Adversary of God and Man Satan with thoughts inflam'd of highest design Puts on swift wings and towards the Gates of Hell Explores his solitary flight som times He scours the right hand coast som times the left Now shaves with level wing the Deep then soares Up to the fiery Concave touring high As when farr off at Sea a Fleet descri'd Hangs in the Clouds by Aequinoctial Winds Close sailing from Bengala or the Iles Of Ternate and Tidore whence Merchants bring Thir spicie Drugs they on the Trading Flood Through the wide Ethiopian to the Cape Ply stemming nightly toward the Pole So seem'd Farr off the flying Fiend at last appeer Hell bounds high reaching to the horrid Roof And thrice threefold the Gates three folds were Brass Three Iron three of Adamantine Rock Impenetrable impal'd with circling fire Yet unconsum'd Before the Gates there sat On either side a formidable shape The one seem'd Woman to the waste and fair But ended foul in many a scaly fould Voluminous and vast a Serpent arm'd With mortal sting about her middle round A cry of Hell Hounds never ceasing bark'd With wide Cerberian mouths full loud and rung A hideous Peal yet when they list would creep If aught disturb'd thir noyse into her woomb And kennel there yet there still bark'd and howl'd Within unseen Farr less abhorrd than these Vex'd Scylla bathing in the Sea that parts Calabria from the hoarce Trinacrian shore Nor uglier follow the Night-Hag when call'd In secret riding through the Air she comes Lur'd with the smell of infant blood to dance With Lapland Witches while the labouring Moon Eclipses at thir charms The other shape If shape it might be call'd that shape had none Distinguishable in member joynt or limb Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd For each seem'd either black it stood as Night Fierce as ten Furies terrible as Hell And shook a dreadful Dart what seem'd his head The likeness of a Kingly Crown had on Satan was now at hand and from his seat The Monster moving onward came as fast With horrid strides Hell trembled as he strode Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd Admir'd not fear'd God and his Son except Created thing naught valu'd he nor shun'd And with disdainful look thus first began Whence and what art thou execrable shape That dar'st though grim and terrible advance Thy miscreated Front athwart my way To yonder Gates through them I mean to pass That be assur'd without leave askt of thee Retire or taste thy folly and learn by proof Hell-born not to contend with Spirits of Heav'n To whom the Goblin full of wrauth reply'd Art thou that Traitor Angel art thou hee Who first broke peace in Heav'n and Faith till then Unbrok'n and in proud rebellious Arms Drew after him the third part of Heav'ns Sons Conjur'd against the highest for which both Thou And they outcast from God are here condemn'd To waste Eternal dayes in woe and pain And reck'n'st thou thy self with Spirits of Heav'n Hell-doom'd and breath'st defiance here and scorn Where I reign King and to enrage thee more Thy King and Lord Back to thy punishment False fugitive and to thy speed add wings Least with a whip of Scorpions I pursue Thy lingring or with one stroke of this Dart Strange horror seise thee and pangs unfelt before So spake the grieslie terrour and in shape So speaking and so threatning grew tenfold More dreadful and deform on th' other side Incenst with indignation Satan stood Unterrifi'd and like a Comet burn'd That fires the length of Ophiucus huge In th' Artick Sky and from his horrid hair Shakes Pestilence and Warr. Each at the Head Level d his deadly aime thir fatall hands No second stroke intend and such a frown Each cast at th' other as when two black Clouds With Heav'ns Artillery fraught come rattling on Over the Caspian then stand front to front Hov'ring a space till Winds the signal blow To joyn thir dark Encounter in mid air So frownd the mighty Combatants that Hell Grew darker at thir frown so matcht they stood For never but once more was either like To meet so great a foe and now great deeds Had been achiev'd whereof all Hell had rung Had not the Snakie Sorceress that sat Fast by Hell Gate and kept the fatal Key Ris'n and with hideous outcry rush'd between O Father what intends thy hand she cry'd Against thy only Son What fury O Son Possesses thee to bend that mortal Dart Against thy Fathers head and know'st for whom For him who sits above and laughs the while At thee ordain'd his drudge to execute What e're his wrath which he calls Justice bids His wrath which one day will destroy ye both She spake and at her words the hellish Pest Forbore then these to her Satan return'd So strange thy outcry and thy words so strange Thou interposest that my sudden hand Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends till first I know of thee What thing thou art thus double-form'd and why In this infernal Vaile first met thou call'st Me Father and that Fantasm call'st my Son I know thee not nor ever saw till now Sight more detestable then him and thee T' whom thus the Portress of Hell Gate reply'd Hall thou forgot me then and do I seem Now in thine eye so foul once deemd so fair In Heav'n when at th' Assembly and in sight Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd In bold conspiracy against Heav'ns King All on a sudden miserable pain Surpris'd thee dim thine eyes and dizzie swumm In darkness while thy head flames thick and fast Threw forth till on the left side op'ning wide Likest to thee in shape and count'nance bright Then shining heav'nly fair a Goddess arm'd Out of thy head I sprung amazement seis'd All th' Host of Heav'n back they recoild affraid At first and call'd me Sin and for a Sign Portentous held me but familiar grown I pleas'd and with attractive graces won The most averse thee chiefly who full oft Thy self in me thy perfect image viewing Becam'st enamour'd and such joy thou took'st With me in secret that my womb conceiv'd A growing burden Mean while VVarr arose And fields were fought in Heav'n wherein remaind For what could else to our Almighty Toe Cleer Victory to our part loss and rout Through all the Empyrean down they fell Driv'n headlong from the Pitch of Heaven down Into this Deep
and frustrate thine shall he fulfill His malice and thy goodness bring to naught Or proud return though to his heavier doom Yet with revenge accomplish't and to Hell Draw after him the whole Race of mankind By him corrupted or wilt thou thy self Abolish thy Creation and unmake For him what for thy glorie thou hast made So should thy goodness and thy greatness both Be questiond and blaspheam'd without defence To whom the great Creatour thus reply'd O Son in whom my Soul hath chief delight Son of my bosom Son who art alone My word my wisdom and effectual might All haft thou spok'n as my thoughts are all As my Eternal purpose hath decreed Man shall not quite be lost but sav'd who will Yet not of will in him but grace in me Freely voutsaft once more I will renew His lapsed powers though forfeit and enthrall'd By sin to foul exorbitant desires Upheld by me yet once more he shall stand On even ground against his mortal foe By me upheld that he may know how frail Hâ—s fall'n condition is and to me ow All his deliv'rance and to none but me Some I have chosen of peculiar grace Elect above the rest so is my will The rest shall hear me call and oft be warnd Thir sinful date and to appease betimes Th' incensed Deitie while offerd grace Invites for I will cleer thir senses dark What may suffice and soft'n stonie hearts To pray repent and bring obedience due To Prayer repentance and obedience due Though but endevord with sincere intent Mine ear shall not be slow mine eye not shut And I will place within them as a guide My Umpire Conscience whom if they will hear Light after light well us'd they shall attain And to the end persisting safe arrive This my long sufferance and my day of grace They who neglect and scorn shall never taste But hard be hard'nd blind be blinded more That they may stumble on and deeper fall And none but such from mercy I exclude But yet all is not don Man disobeying Disloyal breaks his fealtie and sinns Against the high Supremacie of Heav'n Affecting God-head and so loosing all To expiate his Treason hath naught left But to destruction sacred and devote He with his whole posteritie must dye Dye hee or Justice must unless for him Som other able and as willing pay The rigid satisfaction death for death Say Heav'nly powers where shall we find such love Which of ye will be mortal to redeem Mans mortal crime and just th' unjust to save Dwels in all Heaven charitie so deare He ask'd but all the Heav'nly Quire stood mute And silence was in Heav'n on mans behalf Patron or Intercessor none appeerd Much less that durst upon his own head draw The deadly forfeiture and ransom set And now without redemption all mankind Must have bin lost adjudg'd to Death and Hell By doom severe had not the Son of God In whom the fulness dwels of love divine His dearest mediation thus renewd Father thy word is past man shall find grace And shall grace not find means that finds her way The speediest of thy winged messengers To visit all thy creatures and to all Comes unprevented unimplor'd unsought Happie for man so coming he her aide Can never seek once dead in sins and lost Attonement for himself or offering meet Indebted and undon hath none to bring Behold mee then mee for him life for life I offer on mee let thine anger fall Account mee man I for his sake will leave Thy bosom and this glorie next to thee Freely put off and for him lastly dye Well pleas'd on me let Death wreck all his rage Under his gloomie power I shall not long Lie vanquisht thou hast givn me to possess Life in my self for ever by thee I live Though now to Death I yield and am his due All that of me can die yet that debt paid Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsom grave His prey nor suffer my unspotted Soule For ever with corruption there to dwell But I shall rise Victorious and subdue My vanquisher spoild of his vanted spoile Death his deaths wound shall then receive and stoop Inglorious of his mortall sting disarm'd I through the ample Air in Triumph high Shall lead Hell Captive maugre Hell and show The powers of darkness bound Thou at the sight Pleas'd out of Heaven shalt look down and smile While by thee rais'd I ruin all my Foes Death last and with his Carcass glut the Grave Then with the multitude of my redeemd Shall enter Heaven long absent and returne Father to see thy face wherein no cloud Of anger shall remain but peace assur'd And reconcilement wrauth shall be no more Thenceforth but in thy presence Joy entire His words here ended but his meek aspect Silent yet spake and breath'd immortal love To mortal men above which only shon Filial obedience as a sacrifice Glad to be offer'd he attends the will Of his great Father Admiration seis'd All Heav'n what this might mean and whither tend Wondring but soon th' Almighty thus reply'd O thou in Heav'n and Earth the only peace Found out for mankind under wrauth O thou My sole complacence well thou know'st how dear To me are all my works nor Man the least Though last created that for him I spare Thee from my bosom and right hand to save By loosing thee a while the whole Race lost Thou therefore whom thou only canst redeem Thir Nature also to thy Nature joyn And be thy self Man among men on Earth Made flesh when time shall be of Virgin seed By wondrous birth Be thou in Adams room The Head of all mankind though Adams Son As in him perish all men so in thee As from a second root shall be restor'd As many as are restor'd without thee none His crime makes guiltie all his Sons thy merit Imputed shall absolve them who renounce Thir own both righteous and unrighteous deeds And live in thee transplanted and from thee Receive new life So Man as is most just Shall satisfie for Man be judg'd and die And dying rise and rising with him raise His Brethren ransomd with his own dear life So Heav'nly love shall outdoo Hellish hate Giving to death and dying to redeeme So dearly to redeem what Hellish hate So easily destroy'd and still destroyes In those who when they may accept not grace Nor shalt thou by descending to assume Mans Nature less'n or degrade thine owne Because thou hast though Thron'd in highest bliss Equal to God and equally enjoying God-like fruition quitted all to save A World from utter loss and hast been found By Merit more then Birthright Son of God Found worthiest to be so by being Good Farr more then Great or High because in thee Love hath abounded more then Glory abounds Therefore thy Humiliation shall exalt With thee thy Manhood also to this Throne Here shalt thou sit incarnate here shalt Reign Both God and Man Son both of God and
degree of Life inducement strong To us as likely tasting to attaine Proportional ascent which cannot be But to be Gods or Angels Demi-gods Nor can I think that God Creator wise Though threatning will in earnest so destroy Us his prime Creatures dignifi'd so high Set over all his Works which in our Fall For us created needs with us must faile Dependent made so God shall uncreate Be frustrate do undo and labour loose Not well conceav'd of God who though his Power Creation could repeate yet would be loath Us to abolish least the Adversary Triumph and say Fickle their State whom God Most Favors who can please him long Mee first He ruind now Mankind whom will he next Matter of scorne not to be given the Foe However I with thee have fixt my Lot Certain to undergoe like doom if Death Consort with thee Death is to mee as Life So forcible within my heart I feel The Bond of Nature draw me to my owne My own in thee for what thou art is mine Our State cannot be severd we are one One Flesh to loose thee were to loose my self So Adam and thus Eve to him repli'd O glorious trial of exceeding Love Illustrious evidence example high I Ingaging me to emulate but short Of thy perfection how shall I attaine Adam from whose deare side I boast me sprung And gladly of our Union heare thee speak One Heart one Soul in both whereof good prooff This day affords declaring thee resolvd Rather then Death or aught then Death more dread Shall separate us linkt in Love so deare To undergoe with mee one Guilt one Crime If any be of tasting this fair Fruit Whole vertue for of good still good proceeds Direct or by occasion hath presented This happie trial of thy Love which else So eminently never had bin known Were it I thought Death menac't would ensue This my attempt I would sustain alone The worst and not perswade thee rather die Deserted then oblige thee with a fact Pernicious to thy Peace chiefly assur'd Remarkably so late of thy so true So faithful Love unequald but I feel Farr otherwise th' event not Death but Life Augmented op'nd Eyes new Hopes new Joyes Taste so Divine that what of sweet before Hath toucht my sense flat seems to this and harsh On my experience Adam freely taste And fear of Death deliver to the Windes So saying she embrac'd him and for joy Tenderly wept much won that he his Love Had so enobl'd as of choice to incurr Divine displeasure for her sake or Death In recompence for such compliance bad Such recompenâ—â— best merits from the bough She gave him of that fair enticing Fruit With liberal hand he scrupl'd not to eat Against his better knowledge not deceav'd But fondly overcome with Femal charm Earth trembl'd from her entrails as again In pangs and Nature gave a second groan Skie lowr'd and muttering Thunder som sad drops Wept at compleating of the mortal Sin Original while Adam took no thought Eating his fill nor Eve to iterate Her former trespass fear'd the more to soothe Him with her lov'd societie that now As with new Wine intoxicated both They swim in mirth and fansie that they feel Divinitie within them breeding wings Wherewith to scorne the Earth but that false Fruit Farr other operation first displaid Carnal desire enflaming hee on Eve Began to cast lascivious Eyes she him As wantonly repaid in Lust they burne Till Adam thus 'gan Eve to dalliance move Eve now I see thou art exact of taste And elegant of Sapience no small part Since to each meaning savour me apply And Palate call judicious I the praise Yeild thee so well this day thou hast purvey'd Much pleasure we have lost while we abstain'd From this delightful Fruit nor known till now True relish tasting if such pleasure be In things to us forbidden it might be wish'd For this one Tree had bin forbidden ten But come so well refresh't now let us play As mee is after such delicious Fare For never did thy Beautie since the dâ—y I saw thee first and wedded thee adorn'd With all perfections so enflame my sense With ardor to enjoy thee fairer now Then ever bountie of this vertuous Tree So said he and forbore not glance or toy Of amorous intent well understood Of Eve whose Eye darted contagious Fire Her hand he seis'd and to a shadie bank Thick overhead with verdant roof imbowr'd He led her nothing loath Flours were the Couch Pansies and Violets and Asphodel And Hyacinth Earths freshest softest lap There they thir fill of love and Loves disport Took largely of thir mutual guilt the Scale The solace of thir sin till dewie sleep Oppress'd them wearied with thir amorous play Soon as the force of that fallacious Fruit That with exhilerating vapour bland About thir spirits had plaid and inmost powers Made erre was now exhal'd and grosser sleep Bred of unkindly fumes with conscious dreams Encumberd now had left them up they rose As from unrest and each the other viewing Soon found thir Eyes how op'nd and thir minds How dark'nd innocence that as a veile Had shadow'd them from knowing ill was gon Just confidence and native righteousness And honour from about them naked left To guiltie shame hee cover'd but his Robe Uncover'd more so rose the Danite strong Herculean Samson from the Harlot-lap Of Philistean Dalilah and wak'd Shorn of his strength They destitute and bare Of all thir vertue silent and in face Confounded long they sate as struck'n mute Till Adam though not less then Eve abash't At length gave utterance to these words constraind O Eve in evil hour thou didst give eare To that false Worm of whomsoever taught To counterfet Mans voice true in our Fall False in our promis'd Rising since our Eyes Op'nd we find indeed and find we know Both Good and Evil Good lost and Evil got Bad Fruit of Knowledge if this be to know Which leaves us naked thus of Honour void Of Innocence of Faith of Puritie Our wonted Ornaments now soild and staind And in our Faces evident the signes Of foul concupiscence whence evil store Even shame the last of evils of the first Be sure then How shall I behold the face Henceforth of God or Angel earst with joy And rapture so oft beheld those heav'nly shapes Will dazle now this earthly with thir blaze Insufferably bright O might I here In solitude live savage in some glade Obscur'd where highest Woods impenetrable To Starr or Sun-light spread thir umbrage broad And brown as Evening Cover me ye Pines Ye Cedars with innumerable boughs Hide me where I may never see them more But let us now as in bad plight devise What best may from the present serve to hide The Parts of each for other that seem most To shame obnoxious and unseemliest seen Some Tree whose broad smooth Leaves together sowd And girded on our loyns may cover round Those middle parts that this new commer Shame There
unbegot Childless thou art Childless remaine So Death shall be deceav'd his glut and with us two Be forc'd to satisfie his Rav'nous Maw But if thou judge it hard and difficult Conversing looking loving to abstain From Loves due Rites Nuptial imbraces sweet And with desire to languish without hope Before the present object languishing With like desire which would be meserie And torment less then none of what we dread Then both our selves and Seed at once to free From what we fear for both let us make short Let us seek Death or he not found supply With our own hands his Office on our selves Why stand we longer shivering under feares That shew no end but Death and have the power Of many ways to die the shortest choosing Destruction with destruction to destroy She ended heer or vehement despaire Broke off the rest so much of Death her thoughts Had entertaind as di'd her Checks with pale But Adam with such counsel nothing sway'd To better hopes his more attentive minde Labouring had rais'd and thus to Eve repli'd Eve thy contempt of life and pleasure seems To argue in thee somthing more sublime And excellent then what thy minde contemnes But self-destruction therefore saught refutes That excellence thought in thee and implies Not thy contempt but anguish and regret For loss of life and pleasure overlov'd Or if thou covet death as utmost end Of miserie so thinking to evade The penaltie pronounc't doubt not but God Hath wiselier arm'd his vengeful ire then so To be forestall'd much more I fear least Death So snatcht will not exempt us from the paine We are by doom to pay rather such acts Of contumacie will provoke the highest To make death in us live Then let us seek Some safer resolution which methinks I have in view calling to minde with heed Part of our Sentence that thy Seed shall bruise The Serpents head piteous amends unless Be meant whom I conjecture our grand Foe Satan who in the Serpent hath contriv'd Against us this deceit to crush his head Would be revenge indeed which will be lost By death brought on our selves or childless days Resolv'd as thou proposest so our Foe Shall scape his punishment ordain'd and wee Instead shall double ours upon our heads No more be mention'd then of violence Against our selves and wilful barrenness That cuts us off from hope and savours onely Rancor and pride impatience and despite Reluctance against God and his just yoke Laid on our Necks Remember with what mild And gracious temper he both heard and judg'd Without wrauth or reviling wee expected Immediate dissolution which we thought Was meant by Death that day when lo to thee Pains onely in Child-bearing were foretold And bringing forth soon recompenc't with joy Fruit of thy Womb On mee the Curse aslope Glanc'd on the ground with labour I must earne My bread what harm Idleness had bin worse My labour will sustain me and least Cold Or Heat should injure us his timely care Hath unbesaught provided and his hands Cloath'd us unworthie pitying while he judg'd How much more if we pray him will his ear Be open and his heart to pitie incline And teach us further by what means to shun Th' inclement Seasons Rain Ice Hail and Snow Which now the Skie with various Face begins To shew us in this Mountain while the Winds Blow moist and keen shattering the graceful locks Of these fair spreading Trees which bids us seek Som better shroud som better warmth to cherish Our Limbs benumm'd ere this diurnal Starr Leave cold the Night how we his gather'd beams Reflected may with matter sere foment Or by collision of two bodies grinde The Air attrite to Fire as late the Clouds Justling or pusht with Winds rude in thir shock Tine the slant Lightning whose thwart flame driv'n down Kindles the gummie bark of Firr or Pine And sends a comfortable heat from farr Which might supplie the Sun such Fire to use And what may else be remedie or cure To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought Hee will instruct us praying and of Grace Beseeching him so as we need not fear To pass commodiously this life sustain'd By him with many comforts till we end In dust our final rest and native home What better can we do then to the place Repairing where he judg'd us prostrate fall Before him reverent and there confess Humbly our faults and pardon beg with tears Watering the ground and with our sighs the Air Frequenting sent from hearts contrite in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd and humiliation meek Undoubtedly he will relent and turn From his displeasure in whose look serene When angry most he seem'd and most severe What else but favor grace and mercie shon So spake our Father penitent nor Eve Felt less remorse they forthwith to the place Repairing where he judg'd them prostrate fell Before him reverent and both confess'd Humbly thir faults and pardon beg'd with tears Watering the ground and with thir sighs the Air Frequenting sent from hearts contrite in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd and humiliation meek The End of the Tenth Book Paradise Lost BOOK XI THE ARGUMENT The Son of God presents to his Father the Prayers of our first Parents now repenting and intercedes for them God accepts them but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradise sends Michael with a Band of Cherubim to dispossess them but first to reveal to Adam future things Michaels coming down Adam shews to Eve certain ominous signs he discerns Michaels approach goes out to meet him the Angel denounces thir departure Eve's Lamentation Adam pleads but submits The Angel leads him up to a high Hill sets before him in vision what shall happ'n till the Flood THus they in lowliest plight repentant stood Praying for from the Mercie-seat above Prevenient Grace descending had remov'd The stonie from thir hearts made new flesh Regenerate grow instead that signs now breath'd Unutterable which the Spirit of prayer Inspir'd and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight Then loudest Oratorie yet thir port Not of mean suitors nor important less Seem'd thir Petition then when th' ancient Pair In Fables old less ancient yet then these Deucalion and chaste Pyrtha to restore The Race of Mankind drownd before the Shrine Of Themis stood devout To Heav'n thir prayers Flew up nor missd the way by envious windes Blow'n vagabond or frustrate in they passd Dimentionless through Heav'nly dores then clad With incense where the Golden Altar fum'd By thir great Intercessor came in sight Before the Fathers Throne Them the glad Son Presenting thus to intercede began See Father what first fruits on Earth are sprung From thy implanted Grace in Man these Sighs And Prayers which in this Golden Censer mixt With Incense I thy Priest before thee bring Fruits of more pleasing favour from thy seed Sow'n with contrition in his heart then those Which his own hand manuring all the Trees Of Paradise could have produc't ere fall'n From
nor so is overcome Satan whose fall from Heav'n a deadlier bruise Disabl'd not to give thee thy deaths wound Which hee who comes thy Saviour shall recure Not by destroying Satan but his works In thee and in thy Seed nor can this be But by fulfilling that which thou didst want Obedience to the Law of God impos'd On penaltie of death and suffering death The penaltie to thy transgression due And due to theirs which out of thine will grow So onely can high Justice rest appaid The Law of God exact he shall fulfill Both by obedience and by love though love Alone fulfill the Law thy punishment He shall endure by coming in the Flesh To a reproachful life and cursed death Proclaiming Life to all who shall believe In his redemption and that his obedience Imputed becomes theirs by Faith his merits To save them not thir own though legal works For this he shall live hated be blasphem'd Seis'd on by force judg'd and to death condemnd A shameful and accurst naild to the Cross By his own Nation slaine for bringing Life Bur to the Cross he nailes thy Enemies The Law that is against thee and the sins Of all mankinde with him there crucifi'd Never to hurt them more who rightly trust In this his satisfaction so he dies But soon revives Death over him no power Shall long usurp ere the third dawning light Returne the Starres of Morn shall see him rise Out of his grave fresh as the dawning light Thy ransom paid which Man from death redeems His death for Man as many as offerd Life Neglect not and the benefit imbrace By Faith not void of workes this God-like act Annuls thy doom the death thou shouldst have dy'd In sin for ever lost from life this act Shall bruise the head of Satan crush his strength Defeating Sin and Death his two maine armes And fix farr deeper in his head thir stings Then temporal death shall bruise the Victors heel Or theirs whom he redeems a death like sleep A gentle wafting to immortal Life Nor after resurrection shall he stay Longer on Earth then certaine times to appeer To his Disciples Men who in his Life Still follow'd him to them shall leave in charge To teach all nations what of him they learn'd And his Salvation them who shall beleeve Baptizing in the profluent stream the signe Of washing them from guilt of sin to Life Pure and in mind prepar'd if so befall For death like that which the redeemer dy'd All Nations they shall teach for from that day Not onely to the Sons of Abrahams Loines Salvation shall be Preacht but to the Sons Of Abrahams Faith wherever through the world So in his seed all Nations shall be blest Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he shall ascend With victory triumphing through the aire Over his foes and thine there shall surprise The Serpent Prince of aire and drag in Chaines Through all his Realme and there confounded leave Then enter into glory and resume His Seat at Gods right hand exalted high Above all names in Heav'n and thence shall come When this worlds disolution shall be ripe With glory and power to judge both quick and dead To judge th' unfaithful dead but to reward His faithful and receave them into bliss Whether in Heav'n or Earth for then the Earth Shall all be Paradise far happier place Then this of Eden and far happier daies So spake th' Archangel Michael then paus'd As at the Worlds great period and our Sire Replete with joy and wonder thus repli'd O goodness infinite goodness immense That all this good of evil shall produce And evil turn to good more wonderful Then that which by creation first brought forth Light out of darkness full of doubt I stand Whether I should repent me now of sin By mee done and occasiond or rejoyce Much more that much more good thereof shall spring To God more glory more good will to Men From God and over wrauth grace shall abound Buâ— say if our deliverer up to Heav'n Must reascend what will betide the few His faithful left among th' unfaithful herd The enemies of truth who then shall guide His people who defend will they not deale Wors with his followers then with him they dealt Be sure they will said th' Angel but from Heav'n Hee to his own a Comforter will send The promise of the Father who shall dwell His Spirit within them and the Law of Faith Working through love upon thir hearts shall write To guide them in all truth and also arme With spiritual Armour able to resist Satans assaults and quench his fierie darts What man can do against them not affraid Though to the death against such cruelties With inward consolations recompenc't And oft supported so as shall amaze Thir proudest persecuters for the Spirit Powrd first on his Apostles whom he sends To evangelize the Nations then on all Baptiz'd shall them with wondrous gifts endue To speak all Tongues and do all Miracles As did thir Lord before them Thus they win Great numbers of each Nation to receave With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n at length Thir Ministry perform'd and race well run Thir doctrine and thir story written left They die but in thir room as they forewarne Wolves shall succeed for teachers grievous Wolves Who all the sacred mysteries of Heav'n To thir own vile advantages shall turne Of lucre and ambition and the truth With superstitions and traditions taint Left onely in those written Records pure Though not but by the Spirit understood Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names Places and titles and with these to joine Secular power though feigning still to act By spiritual to themselves appropriating The Spirit of God promisd alike and giv'n To all Beleevers and from that pretense Spiritual Lawes by carnal power shall force On every conscience Laws which none shall finde Left them inrould or what the Spirit within Shall on the heart engrave What will they then But force the Spirit of Grace it self and binde His consort Libertie what but unbuild His living Temples built by Faith to stand Thir own Faith not anothers for on Earth Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard Infallible yet many will presume Whence heavie persecution shall arise On all who in the worship persevere Of Spirit and Truth the rest farr greater part Well deem in outward Rites and specious formes Religion satisfi'd Truth shall retire Bestuck with slandrous darts and works of Faith Rarely be found so shall the World goe on To good malignant to bad men benigne Under her own waight groaning till the day Appeer of respiration to the just And vengeance to the wicked at return Of him so lately promiss'd to thy aid The Womans seed obscurely then foretold Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord Last in the Clouds from Heav'n to be reveald In glory of the Father to dissolve Satan with his perverted World then raise From the conflagrant mass purg'd
purpose nor endearing smiles Wanted nor youthful dalliance as beseems Fair couple linkt in happie nuptial League Alone as they About them frisking playd All Beasts of th' Earth since wilde and of all chase In Wood or Wilderness Forrest or Den Sporting the Lion rampd and in his paw Dandl'd the Kid Bears Tygers Ounces Pards Gambold before them th' unwieldy Elephant To make them mirth us'd all his might and wreathd His Lithe Proboscis close the Serpent sly Insinuating wove with Gordian twine His breaded train and of his fatal guile Gave proof unheeded others on the grass Coucht and now fild with pasture gazing sat Or Bedward ruminating for the Sun Declin'd was hasting now with prone carreer To th' Ocean Iles and in th' ascending Scale Of Heav'n the Starrs that usher Evening rose When Satan still in gaze as first he stood Scarce thus at length faild speech recoverd sad O Hell what doe mine eyes with grief behold Into our room of bliss thus high advanc't Creatures of other mould earth-born perhaps Not Spirits yet to heav'nly Spirits bright Little inferior whom my thoughts pursue With wonder and could love so lively shines In them Divine resemblance and such grace The hand that formd them on thir shape hath pourd Ah gentle pair yee little think how nigh Your change approaches when all these delights Will vanish and deliver ye to woe More woe the more your taste is now of joy Happie but for so happie ill secur'd Long to continue and this high seat your Heav'n Ill senc't for Heav'n to keep out such a foe As now is enterd yet no purpos'd foe To you whom I could pittie thus forlorne Though I unpittied League with you I seek And mutual amitie so streight so close That I with you must dwell or you with me Henceforth my dwelling haply may not please Like this fair Paradise your sense yet such Accept your Makers work he gave it me Which I as freely give Hell shall unfold To entertain you two her widest Gates And send forth all her Kings there will be room Not like these narrow limits to receive Your numerous of spring if no better place Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge On you who wrong me not for him who wrongd And should I at your harmless innocence Melt as I doe yet public reason just Honour and Empire with revenge enlarg'd By conquering this new World compels me now To do what else though damnd I should abhorre So spake the Fiend and with necessitie The Tyrants plea excus'd his devilish deeds Then from his loftie stand on that high Tree Down he alights among the sportful Herd Of those fourfooted kindes himself now one Now other as thir shape servd best his end Neerer to view his prey and unespi'd To mark what of thir state he more might learn By word or action markt about them round A Lion now he stalkes with fierie glare Then as a Tyger who by chance hath spi'd In some Purlieu two gentle Fawnes at play Strait couches close then rising changes oft His couchant watch as one who chose his ground Whence rushing he might surest seize them both Grip't in each paw When Adam first of men To first of women Eve thus moving speech Turnd him all eare to hear new utterance flow Sole partner and sole part of all these joyes Bearer thy self then all needs must the power That made us and for us this ample World Be infinitly good and of his good As liberal and free as infinite That rais'd us from the dust and plac't us here In all this happiness who at his hand Have nothing merited nor can performe Aught whereof hee hath need hee who requires From us no other service then to keep This one this easie charge of all the Trees In Paradise that bear delicious fruit So various not to taste that onely Tree Of knowledge planted by the Tree of Life So neer grows Death to Life what ere Death is Som dreadful thing no doubt for well thou knowst God hath pronounc't it death to taste that Tree The only sign of our obedience left Among so many signes of power and rule Conferrd upon us and Dominion giv'n Over all other Creatures that possess Earth Aire and Sea Then let us not think hard One easie prohibition who enjoy Free leave so large to all things else and choice Unlimited of manifold delights But let us ever praise him and extoll His bountie following our delightful task To prune these growing Plants and tend these Flours Which were it toilsom yet with thee were sweet To whom thus Eve repli'd O thou for whom And from whom I was formd flesh of thy flesh And without whom am to no end my Guide And Head what thou hast said is just and right For wee to him indeed all praises owe And daily thanks I chiefly who enjoy So farr the happier Lot enjoying thee Praeminent by so much odds while thou Like consort to thy self canst no where find That day I oft remember when from sleep I first awak't and found my self repos'd Under a shade of flours much wondring where And what I was whence thither brought and how Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound Of waters issu'd from a Cave and spread Into a liquid Plain then stood unmov'd Pure as th' expanse of Heav'n I thither went With unexperienc't thought and laid me downe On the green bank to look into the cleer Smooth Lake that to me seemd another Skie As I bent down to look just opposite A Shape within the watry gleam appeerd Bending to look on me I started back It started back but pleas'd I soon returnd Pleas'd it returnd as soon with answering looks Of sympathie and love there I had fixt Mine eyes till now and pin'd with vain desire Had not a voice thus warnd me VVhat thou seest VVhat there thou seest fair Creature is thy self VVith thee it came and goes but follow me And I will bring thee where no shadow staies Thy coming and thy soft imbraces hee VVhose image thou art him thou shall enjoy Inseparablie thine to him shalt beare Multitudes like thy self and thence be call'd Mother of human Race what could I doe But follow strait invisibly thus led Till I espi'd thee fair indeed and tall Under a Platan yet methought less faire Less winning soft less amiablie milde Then that smooth watry image back I turnd Thou following cryd'st aloud Return faire Eve VVhom fli'st thou whom thou fli'st of him thou art His flesh his bone to give thee being I lent Out of my side to thee neerest my heart Substantial Life to have thee by my side Henceforth an individual solace dear Part of nay Soul I seek thee and thee claim My other half with that thy gentle hand Seisd mine I yielded and from that time see How beauty is excelld by manly grace And wisdom which alone is truly fair So spake our general Mother and with eyes Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd And
ignorance of good and Evil Of God or Death of Law or Penaltie Here grows the Cure of all this Fruit Divine Fair to the Eye inviting to the Taste Of vertue to make wise what hinders then To reach and feed at once both Bodie and Mind So saying her rash hand in evil hour Forth reaching to the Fruit she pluck'd she eat Earth felt the wound and Nature from her seat Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe That all was lost Back to the Thicket slunk The guiltie Serpent and well might for Eve Intern now wholly on her taste naught else Regarded such delight till then as seemd In Fruit she never tasted whether true Or fansied so through expectation high Of knowledg nor was God-head from her thought Greedily she ingorg'd without restraint And knew not eating Death Satiate at length And hight'nd as with Wine jocond and boon Thus to her self she pleasingly began O Sovran vertuous precious of all Trees In Paradise of operation blest To Sapience hitherto obscur'd infam'd And thy fair Fruit let hang as to no end Created but henceforth my early care Not without Song each Morning and due praise Shall tend thee and the fertil burden ease Of thy full branches offer'd free to all Till dieted by thee I grow mature In knowledge as the Gods who all things know Though others envie what they cannot give For had the gift bin theirs it had not here Thus grown Experience next to thee I owe Best guide not following thee I had remaind In ignorance thou op'nst Wisdoms way And giv'st access though secret she retire And I perhaps am secret Heav'n is high High and remote to see from thence distinct Each thing on Earth and other care perhaps May have diverted from continual watch Our great Forbidder safe with all his Spies About him But to Adam in what sort Shall I appeer shall I to him make known As yet my change and give him to partake Full happiness with mee or rather not But keep the odds of Knowledge in my power Without Copartner so to add what wants In Femal Sex the more to draw his Love And render me more equal and perhaps A thing not undesireable somtime Superior for inferior who is free This may be well but what if God have seen And Death ensue then I shall be no more And Adam wedded to another Eve Shall live with her enjoying I extinct A death to think Confirm'd then I resolve Adam shall share with me in bliss or woe So dear I love him that with him all deaths I could endure without him Five no life So saying from the Tree her step she turnd But first low Reverence don as to the power That dwelt within whose presence had infus'd Into the plant sciential sap deriv'd From Nectar drink of Gods Adam the while Waiting desirous her return had wove Of choicest Flours a Garland to adorne Her Tresses and her rural labours crown As Reapers oft are wont thir Harvest Queen Great joy he promis'd to his thoughts and new Solace in her return so long delay'd Yet oft his heart divine of somthing ill Misgave him hee the faultring measure felt And forth to meet her went the way she took That Morn when first they parted by the Tree Of Knowledge he must pass there he her met Scarse from the Tree returning in her hand A bough of fairest fruit that downie smil'd New gatherd and ambrosial smell diffus'd To him she hasted in her face excuse Came Prologue and Apologie to prompt Which with bland words at will she thus addrest Hast thou not wonderd Adam at my stay Thee I have misst and thought it long depriv'd Thy presence agonie of love till now Not felt nor shall be twice for never more Mean I to trie what rash untri'd I sought The pain of absence from thy sight But strange Hath bin the cause and wonderful to heare This Tree is not as we are told a Tree Of danger tasted nor to evil unknown Op'ning the way but of Divine effect To open Eyes and make them Gods who taste And hath bin tasted such the Serpent wise Or not restraind as wee or not obeying Hath eat'n of the fruit and is become Not dead as we are threatn'd but thenceforth Endu'd with human voice and human sense Reasoning to admiration and with mee Perswasively hath so prevaild that I Have also tasted and have also found Th' effects to correspond opener mine Eyes Dimm erst dilated Spirits ampler Heart And growing up to Godhead which for thee Chiefly I sought without thee can despise For bliss as thou hast part to me is bliss Tedious unshar'd with thee and odious soon Thou therefore also taste that equal Lot May joyne us equal Joy as equal Love Least thou not tasting different degree Disjoyne us and I then too late renounce Deitie for thee when Fate will not permit Thus Eve with Countnance blithe her storie told But in her Cheek distemper flushing glowd On th' other side Adam soon as he heard The fatal Trespass don by Eve amaz'd Astonied stood and Blank while horror chill Ran through his veins and all his joynts relax'd From his slack hand the Garland wreath'd for Eve Down drop'd and all the faded Roses shed Speechless he stood and pale till thus at length First to himself he inward silence broke O fairest of Creation last and best Of all Gods works Creature in whom excell'd Whatever can to sight or thought be formd Holy divine good amiable or sweet How art thou lost how on a sudden lost Defac't deflourd and now to Death devote Rather how hast thou yeelded to transgress The strict forbiddance how to violate The sacred Fruit forbidd'n som cursed fraud Of Enemie hath be guil'd thee yet unknown And mee with thee hath ruind for with thee Certain my resolution is to Die How can I live without thee how forgoe Thy sweet Converse and Love so dearly joyn'd To live again in these wilde Woods forlorn Should God create another Eve and I Another Rib afford yet loss of thee Would never from my heart no no I feel The Link of Nature draw me Flesh of Flesh Bone of my Bone thou art and from thy State Mine never shall be parted bliss or woe So having said as one from sad dismay Recomforted and after thoughts disturbd Submitting to what seemd remediless Thus in calm mood his Words to Eve he turnd Bold deed thou hast presum'd adventrous Eve And peril great provok't who thus hath dar'd Had it been onely coveting to Eye That sacred Fruit sacred to abstinence Much more to taste it under banne to touch But past who can recall or don undoe Not God Omnipotent nor Fate yet so Perhaps thou shalt not Die perhaps the Fact Is not so hainous now foretasted Fruit Profan'd first by the Serpent by him first Made common and unhallowd ere our taste Nor yet on him found deadly he yet lives Lives as thou saidst and gaines to live as Man Higher
innumerable tongues A dismal universal hiss the sound Of public scorn he wonderd but not long Had leasure wondring at himself now more His Visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare His Armes clung to his Ribs his Leggs entwining Each other till supplanted down he fell A monstrous Serpent on his Belly prone Reluctant but in vaine a greater power Now rul'd him punisht in the shape he sin'd According to his doom he would have spoke But hiss for hiss returnd with forked tongue To forked tongue for now were all transform'd Alike to Serpents all as accessories To his bold Riot dreadful was the din Of hissing through the Hall thick swarming now With complicated monsters head and taile Scorpion and Asp and Amphisbaena dire Cerastes hornd Hydrus and Ellops drear And Dipsas not so thick swarm'd once the Soil Bedropt with blood of Gorgon or the Isle Ophiusa but still greatest hee the midst Now Dragon grown larger then whom the Sun Ingenderd in the Pythian Vale on slime Huge Python and his Power no less he seem'd Above the rest still to retain they all Him follow'd issuing forth to th' open Field Where all yet left of that revolted Rout Heav'n-fall'n in station stood or just array Sublime with expectation when to see In Triumph issuing forth thir glorious Chief They saw but other sight instead a crowd Of ugly Serpents horror on them fell And horrid sympathie for what they saw They felt themselvs now changing down thir arms Down fell both Spear and Shield down they as fast And the dire hiss renew'd and the dire form Catcht by Contagion like in punishment As in thir crime Thus was th' applause they meant Turnd to exploding hiss triumph to shame Cast on themselves from thir own mouths There stood A Grove hard by sprung up with this thir change His will who reigns above to aggravate Thir penance laden with Fruit like that Which grew in Paradise the bait of Eve Us'd by the Tempter on that prospect strange Thir earnest eyes they fix'd imagining For one forbidden Tree a multitude Now ris'n to work them furder woe or shame Yet parcht with scalding thurst and hunger fierce Though to delude them sent could not abstain But on thy rould in heaps and up the Trees Climbing sat thicker then the snakie locks That curld Megaera greedily they pluck'd The Frutage fair to sight like that which grew Neer that bituminous Lake where Sodom flam'd This more delusive not the touch but taste Deceav'd they fondly thinking to allay Thir appetite with gust instead of Fruit Chewd bitter Ashes which th' offended taste With spattering noise rejected oft they assayd Hunger and thirst constraining drugd as oft With hatefullest disrelish writh'd thir jaws With soot and cinders fill'd so oft they fell Into the same illusion not as Man Whom they triumph'd once lapst Thus were they plagu'd And worn with Famin long and ceasless hiss Till thir lost shape permitted they resum'd Yearly enjoynd some say to undergo This annual humbling certain number'd days To dash thir pride and joy for Man seduc't However some tradition they dispers'd Among the Heathen of thir purchase got And Fabl'd how the Serpent whom they calld Ophion with Eurynome the wide Encroaching Eve perhaps had first the rule Of high Olympus thence by Saturn driv'n And Ops ere yet Dictaen Jove was born Mean while in Paradise the hellish pair Too soon arriv'd Sin there in power before Once actual now in body and to dwell Habitual habitant behind her Death Close following pace for pace not mounted yet On his pale Horse to whom Sin thus began Second of Satan sprung all conquering Death What thinkst thou of our Empire now though earnd With travail difficult not better farr Then stil at Hels dark threshold to have sate watch Unnam'd undreaded and thy self half starv'd Whom thus the Sin-born Monster answerd soon To mee who with eternal Famin pine Alike is Hell or Paradise or Heaven There best where most with ravin I may meet Which here though plenteous all too little seems To stuff this Maw this vast unhide-bound Corps To whom th' incestuous Mother thus repli'd Thou therefore on these Herbs and Fruits and Flours Feed first on each Beast next and Fish and Fowle No homely morsels and whatever thing The Sithe of Time mowes down devour unspar'd Till I in Man residing through the Race His thoughts his looks words actions all infect And season him thy last and sweetest prey This said they both betook them several wayes Both to destroy or unimmortal make All kinds and for destruction to mature Sooner or later which th' Almightie seeing From his transcendent Seat the Saints among To those bright Orders utterd thus his voice See with what heat these Dogs of Hell advance To waste and havoc yonder World which I So fair and good created and had still Kept in that State had not the folly of Man Let in these wastful Furies who impute Folly to mee so doth the Prince of Hell And his Adherents that with so much ease I suffer them to enter and possess A place so heav'nly and conniving seem To gratifie my scornful Enemieâ— That laugh as if transported with some fit Of Passion I to them had quitted all At random yielded up to their misrule And know not that I call'd and drew them thither My Hell-hounds to lick up the draff and filth Which mans polluting Sin with taint hath shed On what was pure till cramm'd and gorg'd nigh burst With suckt and glutted offal at one sling Of thy victorious Arm well-pleasing Son Both Sin and Death and yawning Grave at last Through Chaos hurld obstruct the mouth of Hell For ever and seal up his ravenous Jawes Then Heav'n and Earth renewd shall be made pure To sanctitie that shall receive no staine Till then the Curse pronounc't on both precedes He ended and the heav'nly Audience loud Sung Halleluia as the sound of Seas Through multitude that sung Just are thy ways Righteous are thy Decrees on all thy Works Who can extenuate thee Next to the Son Destin'd restorer of Mankind by whom New Heav'n and Earth shall to the Ages rise Or down from Heav'n descend Such was thir song While the Creator calling forth by name His mightie Angels gave them several charge As sorted best with present things The Sun Had first his precept so to move so shine As might affect the Earth with cold and heat Scarce tollerable and from the North to call Decrepit Winter from the South to bring Solstitial summers heat To the blanc Moone Her office they prescrib'd to th' other five Thir planetarie motions and aspects In Sextile Square and Trine and Opposite Of noxious efficacie and when to joyne In Synod unbenigne and taught the fixt Thir influence malignant when to showre Which of them rising with the Sun or falling Should prove tempestuous To the Winds they set Thir corners when with bluster to confound Sea Aire and Shoar the Thunder when to
With me how can they then acquitted stand In sight of God Him after all Disputes Forc't I absolve all my evasions vain And reasonings though through Mazes lead me still But to my own conviction first and last On mee mee onely as the fourse and spring Of all corruption all the blame lights due So might the wrauth Fond wish couldst thou support That burden heavier then the Earth to bear Then all the World much heavier though divided With that bad Woman Thus what thou desir'st And what thou fearst alike destroyes all hope Of refuge and concludes thee miserable Beyond all past example and future To Satan only like both crime and doom O Conscience into what Abyss of fears And horrors hast thou driv'n me out of which I find no way from deep to deeper plung'd Thus Adam to himself lamented loud Through the still Night not now as ere man fell Wholsom and cool and mild but with black Air Accompanied with damps and dreadful gloom Which to his evil Conscience represented All things with double terror On the Ground Outstretcht he lay on the cold ground and oft Curs'd his Creation Death as oft accus'd Of tardie execution since denounc't The day of his offence Why comes not Death Said hee with one thrice acceptable stroke To end me Shall Truth fail to keep her word Justice Divine not hast'n to be just But Death comes not at call Justice Divine Mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries O Woods O Fountains Hillocks Dales and Bowrs With other echo late I taught your Shades To answer and resound farr other Song Whom thus afflicted when sad Eve beheld Desolate where she sate approaching nigh Soft words to his fierce passion she assay'd But her with stern regard he thus repell'd Out of my sight thou Serpent that name best Befits thee with him leagu'd thy self as false And hateful nothing wants but that thy shape Like his and colour Serpentine may shew Thy inward fraud to warn all Creatures from thee Henceforth least that too heav'nly form pretended To hellish falshood snare them But for thee I had persisted happie had not thy pride And wandring vanitie when lest was safe Rejected my forewarning and disdain'd Not to be trusted longing to be seen Though by the Devil himself him overweening To over-reach but with the Serpent meeting Fool'd and beguil'd by him thou I by thee To trust thee from my side imagin'd 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 More to the part sinister from me drawn Well if thrown out as supernumerarie To my just number found O why did God Creator wise that peopl'd highest Heav'n With Spirits Masculine create at last 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 befall'n 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 Or whom he wishes mod shall seldom gain Through her perversness but shall see her gaind By a farr worse or if she love withheld By Parents or his happiest choice too late Shall meet alreadie linkt and Wedlock-bound To a fell Adversarie his hate or shame Which infinite calamine shall cause To Humane life and houshold peace confound He added not and from her turn'd but Eve Not so repulst with Tears that ceas'd not flowing And tresses all disorderd at his feet Fell humble and imbracing them besaught His peace and thus proceeded in her plaint Forsake me not thus Adam witness Heav'n What love sincere and reverence in my heart I beare thee and unweeting have offended Unhappilie deceav'd thy suppliant I beg and clasp thy knees bereave me not Whereon I live thy gentle looks thy aid Thy counsel in this uttermost distress My onely strength and stay forlorn of thee Whither shall I betake me where subsist While yet we live scarse one short hour perhaps Between us two let there be peace both joyning As joyn'd in injuries one enmitie Against a Foe by doom express assign'd us That cruel Serpent On me exercise not Thy hatred for this miserie befall'n On me alreadie lost mee then thy self More miserable both have sin'd but thou Against God onely I against God and thee And to the place of judgment will return There with my cries importune Heaven that all The sentence from thy head remov'd may ligh On me sole cause to thee of all this woe Mee mee onely just object of his ire She ended weeping and her lowlie plight Immoveable till peace obtain'd from fault Acknowledg'd and deplor'd in Adam wraught Commiseration soon his heart relented Towards her his life so late and sole delight Now at his feet submissive in distress Creature so faire his reconcilement seeking His counsel whom she had displeas'd his aide As one disarm'd his anger all he lost And thus with peaceful words uprais'd her soon Unwarie and too desirous as before So now of what thou knowst not who desir'st The punishment all on thy self alas Beare thine own first ill able to sustaine His full wrauth whose thou feelst as yet lest part And my displeasure bearst so ill If Prayers Could alter high Decrees I to that place Would speed before thee and be louder heard That on my head all might be visited Thy frailtie and infirmer Sex forgiv'n To me committed and by me expos'd But rise let us no more contend nor blame Each other blam'd enough elsewhere but strive In offices of Love how we may light'n Each others burden in our share of woe Since this days Death denounc't if ought I see Will prove no sudden but a slow pac't evill A long days dying to augment our paine And to our Seed O hapless Seed deriv'd To whom thus Eve recovering heart repli'd Adam by sad experiment I know How little weight my words with thee can finde Found so erroneous thence by just event Found so unfortunate nevertheless Restor'd by thee vile as I am to place Of new acceptance hopeful to regaine Thy Love the sole contentment of my heart Living or dying from thee I will not hide What thoughts in my unquiet brest are ris'n Tending to some relief of our extremes Or end though sharp and sad yet tolerable As in our evils and of easier choice If care of our descent perplex us most Which must be born to certain woe devourd By Death at last and miserable it is To be to others cause of misery Our own begotten and of our Loines to bring Into this cursed World a woful Race That after wretched Life must be at last Food for so foule a Monster in thy power It lies yet ere Conception to prevent The Race unblest to being yet
innocence Now therefore bend thine eare To supplication heare his sighs though mute Unskilful with what words to pray let mee Interpret for him mee his Advocate And propitiation all his works on mee Good or not good ingraft my Merit those Shall perfet and for these my Death shall pay Accept me and in mee from these receave The smell of peace toward Mankinde let him live Before thee reconcil'd at least his days Numberd though sad till Death his doom which I To mitigate thus plead not to reverse To better life shall yeeld him where with mee All my redeemd may dwell in joy and bliss Made one with me as I with thee am one To whom the Father without Cloud serene All thy request for Man accepted Son Obtain all thy request was my Decree But longer in that Paradise to dwell The Law I gave to Nature him forbids Those pure immortal Elements that know No gross no unharmoneous mixture foule Eject him tainted now and purge him off As a distemper gross to aire as gross And mortal food as may dispose him best For dissolution wrought by Sin that first Distemperd all things and of incorrupt Corrupted I at first with two fair gifts Created him endowd with Happiness And Immortalitie that fondly lost This other serv'd but to eternize woe Till I provided Death so Death becomes His final remedie and after Life Tri'd in sharp tribulation and refin'd By Faith and faithful works to second Life Wak't in the renovation of the just Resignes him up with Heav'n and Earth renewd But let us call to Synod all the Blest Through Heav'ns wide bounds from them I will not hide My judgments how with Mankind I proceed As how with peccant Angels late they saw And in thir state though firm stood more confirmd He ended and the Son gave signal high To the bright Minister that watchd hee blew His Trumpet heard in Oreb since perhaps When God descended and perhaps once more To sound at general Doom Th' Angelic blast Filld all the Regions from thir blissful Bowrs Of Amarantin Shade Fountain or Spring By the waters of Life where ere they sate In fellowships of joy the Sons of Light Hasted resorting to the Summons high And took thir Seats till from his Throne supream Th' Almighty thus pronouncd his sovran Will. O Sons like one of us Man is become To know both Good and Evil since his taste Of that defended Fruit but let him boast His knowledge of Good lost and Evil got Happier had it suffic'd him to have known Good by it self and Evil not at all He sorrows now repents and prayes contrite My motions in him longer then they move His heart I know how variable and vain Self-left Least therefore his now bolder hand Reach also of the Tree of Life and eat And live for ever dream at least to live For ever to remove him I decree And send him from the Garden forth to Till The Ground whence he was taken fitter soile Michael this my behest have thou in charge Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming Warriours least the Fiend Or in behalf of Man or to invade Vacant possession som new trouble raise Hast thee and from the Paradise of God Without remorse drive out the sinful Pair From hallowd ground th' unholie and denounce To them and to thir Progenie from thence Perpetual banishment Yet least they faint At the sad Sentence rigorously urg'd For I behold them softn'd and with tears Bewailing thir excess all terror hide If patiently thy bidding they obey Dismiss them not disconsolate reveale To Adam what shall come in future dayes As I shall thee enlighten intermix My Cov'nant in the womans seed renewd So send them forth though sorrowing yet in peace And on the East side of the Garden place Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbes Cherubic watch and of a Sword the flame Wide waving all approach farr off to fright And guard all passage to the Tree of Life Least Paradise a receptacle prove To Spirits foule and all my Trees thir prey With whose stol'n Fruit Man once more to delude He ceas'd and th' Archangelic Power prepar'd For swift descent with him the Cohort bright Of watchful Cherubim four faces each Had like a double Janus all thir shape Spangl'd with eyes more numerous then those Of Argus and more wakeful then to drouze Charm'd with Arcadian Pipe the Pastoral Reed Of Hermes or his opiate Rod. Mean while To resalute the World with sacred Light Leucothea wak'd and with fresh dews imbalmd The Earth when Adam and first Matron Eve Had ended now thir Orisons and found Strength added from above new hope to spring Out of despaire joy but with fear yet linkt Which thus to Eve his welcome words renewd Eve easily may Faith admit that all The good which we enjoy from Heav'n descends But that from us ought should ascend to Heav'n So prevalent as to concerne the mind Of God high-blest or to incline his will Hard to belief may seem yet this will Prayer Or one short sigh of humane breath up-borne Ev'n to the Seat of God For since I saught By Prayer th' offended Deitie to appease Kneel'd and before him humbl'd all my heart Methought I saw him placable and mild Bending his eare perswasion in me grew That I was heard with favour peace returnd Home to my Brest and to my memorie His promise that thy Seed shall bruise our Foe Which then not minded in dismay yet now Assures me that the bitterness of death Is past and we shall live Whence Haile to thee Eve rightly call'd Mother of all Mankind Mother of all things living since by thee Man is to live and all things live for Man To whom thus Eve with sad demeanour meek Ill worthie I such title should belong To me transgressour who for thee ordaind A help became thy snare to mee reproach Rather belongs distrust and all dispraise But infinite in pardon was my Judge That I who first brought Death on all am grac't The sourse of life next favourable thou Who highly thus to entitle me voutsaf'st Farr other name deserving But the Field To labour calls us now with sweat impos'd Though after sleepless Night for see the Morn All unconcern'd with our unrest begins Her rosie progress smiling let us forth I never from thy side henceforth to stray Wherere our days work lies though now enjoind Laborious till day droop while here we dwell What can be toilsom in these pleasant Walkes Here let us live though in fall'n state content So spake so wish'd much-humblâ—d Eve but Fate Subscrib'd not Nature first gave Signs imprest On Bird Beast Aire Aire suddenly eclips'd After short blush of Morn nigh in her sight The Bird of Jove stoopt from his aerie tour Two Birds of gayest plume before him drove Down from a Hill the Beast that reigns in Woods First hunter then pursu'd a gentle brace Goodliest of all the Forrest Hart and Hinde Direct
to th' Eastern Gate was bent thir flight Adam observ'd and with his Eye the chase Pursuing not unmov'd to Eve thus spake O Eve some furder change awaits us nigh Which Heav'n by these mute signs in Nature shews Forerunners of his purpose or to warn Us haply too secure of our discharge From penaltie because from death releast Some days how long and what till then our life Who knows or more then this that we are dust And thither must return and be no more Why else this double object in our sight Of flight pursu'd in th' Air and ore the ground One way the self-same hour why in the East Darkness ere Dayes mid course and Morning light More orient in yon Western Cloud that draws O're the blew Firmament a radiant white And slow descends with somthing heav'nly fraught He err'd not for by this the heav'nly Bands Down from a Skie of Jasper lighted now In Paradise and on a Hill made alt A glorious Apparition had not doubt And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adams eye Not that more glorious when the Angels met Jacob in Mahanaim where he saw The field Pavilion'd with his Guardians bright Nor that which on the flaming Mount appeerd In Dothan cover'd with a Camp of Fire Against the Syrian King who to surprize One man Assassin-like had levied Warr Warr unproclam'd The Princely Hierarch In thir bright stand there left his Powers to seise Possession of the Garden hee alone To find where Adam shelterd took his way Not unperceav'd of Adam who to Eve While the great Visitant approachd thus spake Eve now expect great tidings which perhaps Of us will soon determin or impose New Laws to be observ'd for I descrie From yonder blazing Cloud that veils the Hill One of the heav'nly Host and by his Gate None of the meanest some great Potentate Or of the Thrones above such Majestie Invests him coming yet not terrible That I should fear nor sociably mild As Raphael that I should much confide But solemn and sublime whom not to offend With reverence I must meet and thou retire He ended and th' Arch-Angel soon drew nigh Not in his shape Celestial but as Man Clad to meet Man over his lucid Armes A militarie Vest of purple flowd Livelier then Meliboean or the graine Of Sarra worn by Kings and Hero's old In time of Truce Iris had dipt the wooff His starrie Helme unbuckl'd shew'd him prime In Manhood where Youth ended by his side As in a glistering Zodiac hung the Sword Satans dire dread and in his hand the Spear Adam bowd low hee Kingly from his State Inclin'd not but his coming thus declar'd Adam Heav'ns high behest no Preface needs Sufficient that thy Prayers are heard and Death Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress Defeated of his seisure many dayes Giv'n thee of Grace wherein thou may'st repent And one bad act with many deeds well done Mayst cover well may then thy Lord appeas'd Redeem thee quite from Deaths rapacious claime But longer in this Paradise to dwell Permits not to remove thee I am come And send thee from the Garden forth to till The ground whence thou wast tak'n fitter Soile He added not for Adam at the newes Heart-strook with chilling gripe of sorrow stood That all his senses bound Eve who unseen Yet all had heard with audible lament Discover'd soon the place of her retire O unexpected stroke worse then of Death Must I thus leave thee Paradise thus leave Thee Native Soile these happie Walks and Shades Fit haunt of Gods where I had hope to spend Quiet though sad the respit of that day That must be mortal to us both O flours That never will in other Climate grow My early visitation and my last At Eev'n which I bred up with tender hand From the first op'ning bud and gave ye Names Who now shall reare ye to the Sun or ranke Your Tribes and water from th' ambrosial Fount Thee lastly nuptial Bowre by mee adornd With what to sight or smell was sweet from thee How shall I part and whither wander down Into a lower World to this obscure And wilde how shall we breath in other Aire Less pure accustomd to immortal Fruits Whom thus the Angel interrupted milde Lament not Eve but patiently resigne What justly thou hast lost nor set thy heart Thus over-fond on that which is not thine Thy going is not lonely with thee goes Thy Husband him to follow thou art bound Where he abides think there thy native soile Adam by this from the cold sudden damp Recovering and his scatterd spirits returnd To Michael thus his humble words addressd Celestial whether among the Thrones or nam'd Of them the Highest for such of shape may seem Prince above Princes gently hast thou tould Thy message which might else in telling wound And in performing end us what besides Of sorrow and dejection and despair Our frailtie can sustain thy tidings bring Departure from this happy place our sweet Recess and onely consolation left Familiar to our eyes all places else Inhospitable appeer and desolate Nor knowing us nor known and if by prayer Incessant I could hope to change the will Of him who all things can I would not cease To wearie him with my assiduous cries But prayer against his absolute Decree No more availes then breath against the winde Blown stifling back on him that breaths it forth Therefore to his great bidding I submit This most afflicts me that departing hence As from his face I shall be hid deprivd His blessed count'nance here I could frequent With worship place by place where he voutsaf ' d Presence Divine and to my Sons relate On this Mount he appeerd under this Tree Stood visible among these Pines his voice I heard here with him at this Fountain talk'd So many grateful Altars I would reare Of grassie Terfe and pile up every Stone Of lustre from the brook in memorie Or monument to Ages and thereon Offer sweet smelling Gumms and Fruits and Flours In yonder nether World where shall I seek His bright appearances or foot step-trace For though I fled him angrie yet recall'd To life prolongd and promisd Race I now Gladly behold though but his utmost skirts Of glory and farr off his steps adore To whom thus Michael with regard benigne Adam thou know'st Heav'n his and all the Earth Not this Rock onely his Omnipresence fills Land Sea and Aire and every kinde that lives Fomented by his virtual power and warmd All th' Earth he gave thee to possess and rule No despicable gift surmise not then His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd Of Paradise or Eden this had been Perhaps thy Capital Seare from whence had spred All generations and had hither come From all the ends of th' Earth to celebrate And reverence thee thir great Progenitor But this praeeminence thou hast lost brought down To dwell on eeven ground now with thy Sons Yet doubt not but in Vallie and in plaine God
similitude In part from such deformities be free And for his Makers Image sake exempt Thir Makers Image answerd Michael then Forsook them when themselves they villifi'd To serve ungovern'd appetite and took His Image whom they serv'd a brutish vice Inductive mainly to the sin of Eve Therefore so abject is thir punishment Disfiguring not Gods likeness but thir own Or if his likeness by themselves defac't While they pervert pure Natures healthful rules To loathsom sickness worthily since they Gods Image did not reverence in themselves I yield it just said Adam and submit But is there yet no other way besides These painful passages how we may come To Death and mix with our connatural dust There is said Michael if thou well observe The rule of not too much by temperance taught In what thou eatst and drinkst seeking from thence Due nourishment not gluttonous delight Till many years over thy head return So maist thou live till like ripe Fruit thou drop Into thy Mothers lap or be with ease Gatherd not harshly pluckt for death mature This is old age but then thou must outlive Thy youth thy strength thy beauty which will change To witherd weak and gray thy Senses then Obtuse all taste of pleasure must forgoe To what thou hast and for the Aire of youth Hopeful and cheerful in thy blood will reigne A melancholly damp of cold and dry To weigh thy Spirits down and last consume The Balme of Life To whom our Ancestor Henceforth I flie not Death nor would prolong Life much bent rather how I may be quit Fairest and easiest of this combrous charge Which I must keep till my appointed day Of rendring up and patiently attend My dissolution Michael repli'd Nor love thy Life nor hate but what thou livst Live well how long or short permit to Heav'n And now prepare thee for another sight He lookd and faw a spacious Plaine whereon Were Tents of various hue by some were herds Of Cattel grazing others whence the sound Of Instruments that made melodious chime Was heard of Harp and Organ and who moovd Thir stops and chords was seen his volant touch Instinct through all proportions low and high Fled and pursu'd transverse the resonant fugue In other part stood one who at the Forge Labouring two massie clods of Iron and Brass Had melted whether found where casual fire Had wasted woods on Mountain or in Vale Down to the veins of Earth thence gliding hot To som Caves mouth or whether washt by stream From underground the liquid Ore he dreind Into fit moulds prepar'd from which he formd First his own Tooles then what might else be wrought Fusil or grav'n in mettle After these But on the hether side a different sort From the high neighbouring Hills which was thir Seat Down to the Plain descended by thir guise Just men they seemd and all thir study bent To worship God aright and know his works Not hid nor those things last which might preserve Freedom and Peace to men they on the Plain Long had not walkt when from the Tents behold A Beavie of fair Women richly gay In Gems and wanton dress to the Harp they sung Soft amorous Ditties and in dance came on The Men though grave ey'd them and let thir eyes Rove without rein till in the amorous Net Fast caught they lik'd and each his liking chose And now of love they treat till th' Eevning Star Loves Harbinger appeerd then all in heat They light the Nuptial Torch and bid invoke Hymen then first to marriage Rites invok't With Feast and Musick all the Tents resound Such happy interview and fair event Of love and youth not lost Songs Garlands Flours And charming Symphonies attach'd the heart Of Adam soon enclin'd to admit delight The bent of Nature which he thus express'd True opener of mine eyes prime Angel blest Much better seems this Vision and more hope Of peaceful dayes portends then those two past Those were of hate and death or pain much worse Here Nature seems fulfilld in all her ends To whom thus Michael Judg not what is best By pleasure though to Nature seeming meet Created as thou art to nobler end Holie and pure conformitie divine Those Tents thou sawst so pleasant were the Tents Of wickedness wherein shall dwell his Race Who slew his Brother studious they appere Of Arts that polish Life Inventers rare Unmindful of thir Maker though his Spirit Taught them but they his gifts acknowledg'd none Yet they abeauteous ofspring shall beget For that fair femal Troop thou sawst that seemd Of Goddesses so blithe so smooth so gay Yet empty of all good wherein consists Womans domestic honour and chief praise Bred onely and completed to the taste Of lustful appetence to sing to dance To dress and troule the Tongue and roule the Eye To these that sober Race of Men whose lives Religious titl'd them the Sons of God Shall yield up all thir vertue all thir fame Ignobly to the traines and to the smiles Of these fair Atheists and now swim in joy Erelong to swim at large and laugh for which The world erelong a world of tears must weepe To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft O pittie and shame that they who to live well Enterd so faire should turn aside to tread Paths indirect or in the mid way faint But still I see the tenor of Mans woe Holds on the same from Woman to begin From Mans effeminate slackness it begins Said th' Angel who should better hold his place By wisdome and superiour gifts receav'd But now prepare thee for another Scene He lookd and saw wide Territorie spred Before him Towns and rural works between Cities of Men with lofty Gates and Towrs Concours in Arms fierce Faces threatning Warr Giants of mightie Bone and bould emprise Part wield thir Arms part courb the foaming Steed Single or in Array of Battel rang'd Both Horse and Foot nor idely mustring stood One way a Band select from forage drives A herd of Beeves faire Oxen and faire Kine From a sat Meddow ground or fleecy Flock Ewes and thir bleating Lambs over the Plaine Thir Bootie scarce with Life the Shepherds flye But callin aide which makes a bloody Fray With cruel Tournament the Squadrons joine Where Cattle pastur'd late now scatterd lies With Carcasses and Arms th' ensanguind Field Deserted Others to a Citie strong Lay Seige encampt by Batterie Scale and Mine Assaulting others from the wall defend With Dart and Jav'lin Stones and sulfurous Fire On each hand slaughter and gigantic deeds In other part the scepter'd Haralds call To Council in the Citie Gates anon Grey-headed men and grave with Warriours mixt Assemble and Harangues are heard but soon In factious opposition till at last Of middle Age one rising eminent In wise deport spake much of Right and Wrong Of Justice of Religion Truth and Peace And Judgment from above him old and young Exploded and had seiz'd with violent hands Had not a Cloud
and refin'd New Heav'ns new Earth Ages of endless date Founded in righteousness and peace and love To bring forth fruits Joy and eternal Bliss He ended and thus Adam last reply'd How soon hath thy prediction Seer blest Measur'd this transient World the Race of time Till time stand fixt beyond is all abyss Eternitie whose end no eye can reach Greatly instructed I shall hence depart Greatly in peace of thought and have my fill Of knowledge what this Vessel can containe Beyond which was my folly to aspire Henceforth I learne that to obey is best And love with fear the onely God to walk As in his presence ever to observe His providence and on him sole depend Mercifull over all his works with good Still overcoming evil and by small Accomplishing great things by things deemd weak Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply meek that suffering for Truths sake Is fortitude to highest victorie And to the faithful Death the Gate of Life Taught this by his example whom I now Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest To whom thus also th' Angel last repli'd This having learnt thou hast attaind the summe Of wisdome hope no higher though all the Starrs Thou knewst by name and all th' ethereal Powers All secrets of the deep all Natures works Or works of God in Heav'n Aire Earth or Sea And all the riches of this World enjoydst And all the rule one Empire onely add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable add Faith Add vertue Patience Temperance add Love By name to come call'd Charitie the soul Of all the rest then wilt thou not be loath To leave this Paradise but shalt possess A paradise within thee happier farr Let us descend now therefore from this top Of Speculation for the hour precise Exacts our parting hence and see the Guards By mee encampt on yonder Hill expect Thir motion at whose Front a flaming Sword In signal of remove waves fiercely round We may no longer stay go waken Eve Her also I with gentle Dreams have calm'd Portending good and all her spirits compos'd To meek submission thou at season fit Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard Chiefly what may concern her Faith to know The great deliverance by her Seed to come For by the Womans Seed on all Mankind That ye may live which will be many dayes Both in one Faith unanimous though sad With cause for evils past yet much more cheer'd With meditation on the happie end He ended and they both descend the Hill Descended Adam to the Bowre where Eve Lay sleeping ran before but found her wak't And thus with words not sad she him receav'd Whence thou returnst and whither wentst I know For God is also in sleep and Dreams advise Which he hath sent propitious some great good Presaging since with sorrow and hearts distress Wearied I fell asleep but now lead on In mee is no delay with thee to goe Is to stay here without thee here to stay Is to go hence unwilling thou to mee Art all things under Heav'n all places thou Who for my wilful crime art banisht hence This further consolation yet secure I carry hence though all by mee is lost Such favour I unworthie am voutsaft By mee the Promis'd Seed shall all restore So spake our Mother Eve and Adam heard Well pleas'd but answer'd not for now too nigh Th' Archangel stood and from the other Hill To thir sixt Station all in bright array The Cherubim descended on the ground Gliding meteorous as Ev'ning Mist Ris'n from a River o're the marish glides And gathers ground fast at the Labourers heel Homeward returning High in Front advanc't The brandisht Sword of God before them blaz'd Fierce as a Comet which with torrid heat And vapour as the Libyan Air adust Began to parch that temperate Clime whereat In either hand the hastning Angel caught Our lingring Parents and to th' Eastern Gate Led them direct and down the Cliff as fast To the subjected Plaine then disappeer'd They looking back all th' Eastern side beheld Of Paradise so late thir happie seat Wav'd over by that flaming Brand the Gate With dreadful Faces throng'd and fierie Armes Som natural tears they drop'd but wip'd them soon The World was all before them where to choose Thir place of rest and Providence thir guide They hand in hand with wandring steps and slow Through Eden took thir solitarie way THE END