Bereaving sense, but endless mifery
From this day onward, which I feel begun
Both in me, and without me, and fo last
To perpetuity; Ay me, that fear
Comes thundring back with dreadful revolution
On my defenceless head; both Death and I
Am found Eternal, and incorporate both,
Nor I on my part fingle, in me all
Pofterity ftands curft! Fair Patrimony
That I must leave ye, Sons; O were I able
To wafte it all my self, and leave ye none !
So difinherited how would ye blefs
Me now your curfe! Ah, why fhould all mankind
For one mans fault thus guilt lefs be condemn'd,
If guiltless? But from me what can proceed,
But all corrupt, both Mind and Will deprav'd, 825
Not to do only, but to will the fame
With me? how can they then acquitted ftand
In fight of God? Him after all Difputes
Forc'd I abfolve: all my evafions vain,
And reafonings, tho' thro' Mazes, lead me ftill 830
But to my own conviction: first and laft
On me, me only, as the fourse and spring
Of all corruption, all the blame lights due;
So might the wrath. Fond with! couldft thou support
That burden heavier than the Earth to bear
Than all the World much heavier, though divided
With that bad Woman? Thus what thou defir'st
And what thou fearft, alike destroys all hope
Of refuge, and concludes thee miferable
Beyond all paft example and future,
To Satan only like both crime and doom.
O Confcience, into what Abyfs of fears
And horrors haft 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 ftill Night, not now, as e'er man fell,
Wholfom and cool, aud mild, but with black Aire
Accompany'd, with damps and dreadful gloom,
Which to his evil Confcience reprefented
All things with double terror: on the Ground
Outftretch'd he lay, on the cold ground, and oft
Curs'd his Creation, Death as oft accus'd
Of tardy execution, fince denounc'd
The day of his Offence. Why comes not Death,
Said he, with one thrice acceptable Aroke
To end me? fhall Truth fail to keep her word,
Juftice Divine not haften to be just?
But Death comes not at call, Juftice Divine
Mends not her floweft pace for prayers or cries.
Wood, O Fountains, Hillocks, Dales and Bowr's, With other echo late I taught your Shades To answer, and refound far other Song. Whom thus afflicted when fad Eve beheld, Defolate where the fate, approaching nigh, Soft words to his fierce paffion fhe affay'd: But her with ftern regard he thus repell'd.
Out of my sight, thou Serpent, that name beft Befits thee, with him leagu'd, thy felf as falfe Andiu eful; nothing wants, but that thy shape,
Like his, and colour Serpentine may shew
Thy inward fraud, to warn all Creatures from thee
Henceforth; left that too heav'nly form, pretended
To hellish falfhood, fnare them. But for thee
I had perfifted happy, had not thy pride
And wandring vanity, when least was safe,
Rejected my forewarning, and disdain'd
Not to be trufted, 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 truft thee from my fide, imagin'd wife,
Conftant, mature, proof against all affaults,
And understood not all was but a fhew
Rather than folid virtue, all but a Rib
Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears,
More to the part finifter from me drawn,
Well if thrown out, as fupernumerary
To my juft number found. O why did God,
Creator wife, that peopl'd highest Heav'n
With Spirits Mafculine, create at last
This novelty on Earth, this fair defect
Of Nature, and not fill the World at once
With Men as Angels without Feminine,
Or find fome other way to generate
Mankind? this mischief had not then befall'n, 895
And more that fhall befal, innumerable
Disturbances on Earth through Female fnares,
And ftraight conjunction with this Sex: for either
He never shall find out fit Mate, but fuch
As fome misfortune brings him, or miflake,
Or whom he wishes moft fhall feldom gain
Through her perverfeness, but shall see her gain'd
By a far worse, or if the love, with-held
By Parents, or his happiest choice too late
Shall meet, already link'd and Wedlock-bound 905
To a fell adverfary, his hate or fhame:
Which infinite calamity fhall caufe
To human Life, and houshold peace confound.
He added not, and from her turn'd, but Eve
Not fo repulft, with Tears that ceas'd not flowing,
And treffes all diforder'd, at his feet
Fell humble, and embracing them, besaught
His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus, Adam, witness Heav'n
What love fincere, and reverence in my heart 915
I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,
Unhappily deceiv'd; thy fuppliant
I beg, and clafp thy knees; bereave me not,
Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid,
Thy counsel in this uttermoft diftrefs,
My only ftrength and flay: forlorn of thee,
Whither fall I betake me, where fubfift?
While yet we live, fearce one fort hour perhaps,
Between us two let there be peace, both joining,
As join'd in injuries, one enmity
Against a Foe by doom exprefs affign'd us,
That cruel Serpent: On me exercise not
Thy hatred for this mifery befall'n,
On me already loft, me than thy felf
More miferable; both have finn'd, but thou
Against God only, I against God and thee,
And to the place of judgment will return,
There with my cries importune Heav'n, that all
The fentence from thy head remov'd may light
On me, fole caufe to thee of all this woe,
Me me only juft Object of his Ire.
She ended weeping, and her lowly plight,
Immoveable till peace obtain'd from fault
Acknowledg'd and deplor'd, in Adam wraught
Commiferation; foon his heart relented
Towards her, his life fo late and fole delight,
Now at his feet fubmiflive in distress,
Creature fo fair his reconcilement seeking,
His Counfel whom the had difpleas'd, his aid;
As one difarm'd, his anger all he loft,
And thus with peaceful words uprais'd her soon.
Unwary, and too defirous, as before
So now of what thou knowst not, who defir'st
The punishment all on thy felf; alas,
Bear thine own firft, ill able to fuftain
His full wrath whofe thou feel'ft as yet leaft part,
And my displeasure bear'st 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 frailty and infirmer Sex forgiv'n,
To me committed and by me expos'd.
But rife, let us no more contend, nor blame
Each other, blam'd enough elsewhere, but ftrive
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