In offices of Love, how we may light'n
Each others burthen, in our fhare of woe;
Since this days Death denounc'd, if ought I fee,
Will prove no fudden, but a flow-pac'd evil,
A long days dying to augment our pain,
And to our Seed (O haplefs Seed) deriv'd.
To whom thus Eve, recovering heart, reply'd.
Adam, by fad experiment I know
How little weight my words with thee can find,
Found fo erroneous, thence by juft event
-Found fo unfortunate; nevertheless,
Reftor'd by thee, vile as I am, to place
Of new acceptance, hopeful to regain
Thy Love, the fole contentment of my heart.
Living or dying, from thee I will not hide.
What thoughts in my unquiet breaft are ris'n, 975 Tending to fome relief of our extreams,
Or end, though sharp and fad, yet tolerable,
As in our evils, and of eafier choice.
If care of our descent perplex us most,
Which must be born to certain woe, devour'd 980
By Death at laft, and miferable it is
To be to others cause of mifery,
Our own begotten, and of our loins to bring
Into this curfed World a woful Race,
That after wretched Life must be at laft
Food for fo foul a Monster, in thy power
It lies, yet e'er Conception to prevent
The Race unbleft, to being yet unbegot.
Childlef's thou art, Childless remain:
So Death fhall be deceiv'd his glut, and with us two
Be forc'd to fatisfie his Rav'nous Maw.
But if thou judge it hard and difficult,
Converfing, looking, loving, to abstain
From Love's due Rites, Nuptial embraces fweet,
And with defire to languish without hope,
Before the prefent object languishing
With like defire, which would be mifery
And torment lefs than none of what we dread.
Then both our felves and Seed at once to free
From what we fear for both, let us make short, 10:0
Let us feek Death, or he not found, fupply
With our own hands his office on our felves;
Why ftand we longer fhivering under fears,
That fhew no end but Death, and have the power,
Of many ways to die the shorteft chufing,
Deftruction with deftruction to destroy?
She ended here, or vehement despair
Broke off the reft; fo much of Death her thoughts
Had entertain'd, as dy'd her Cheeks with pale.
But Adam with fuch counfel nothing fway'd, 1010
To better hopes his more attentive mind
Labouring had rais'd, and thus to 'Eve reply'd.
Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems To argue in thee fomething more fublime And excellent than what thy mind contemns; ICIS But felf-deftruction therefore fought, refutes That excellence thought in thee, and implies, Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret For lofs of life and pleasure over-lov'd.
Or if thou covet Death, as utmost end
Of mifery, so thinking to evade
The penalty pronounc'd, doubt not but God
Hath wifelier arm'd his vengeful ire than fo
To be foreftall'd; much more I fear left Death
So fnatch'd will not exempt us from the pain 1025
We are by doom to pay; rather fuch acts
Of contumacy will provoke the highest
To make Death in us live: Then let us feek
Some fafer refolution, which methinks
I have in view, calling to mind with heed
Part of our Sentence, that thy Seed fhall bruise
The Serpent's 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 loft
By Death brought on our felves, or Childlefs days
Refolv'd as thou propofeft; fo our Foe
Shall fcape his punishment ordain'd, and we
Instead shall double ours upon our heads.
No more be mention'd then of violence
Against our felves, and wilful barrenness
That cuts us off from hope, and favours only
Rancour and pride, impatience and despite,
Reluctance against God and his juft yoke
Laid on our Necks. Remember with what mild
And gracious temper he both heard and judg'd
Without wrath or reviling; we expected
Immediate diffolution, which we thought
PS
Was meant by Death that day, when lo, to thee
Pains only in Child-bearing were foretold,
And bringing forth, foon recompenc'd with joy,
Fruit of thy Womb: On me the Curfe aflope
Glanc'd on the Ground, with labour I muft earn
My bread; what harm? Idlenefs had been worse;
My labour will fuftain me; and left Cold
Or Heat should injure us, his timely care
Hath unbefaught provided, and his hands
Cloath'd us unworthy, pitying while he judg'd;
How much more, if we pray him, will his ear 1060
Be open, and his heart to pity incline,
And teach us further by what means to fhun
Th'inclement Seasons, Rain, Ice, Hail and Snow,
Which now the Sky with various Face begins
To fhew us in the Mountain, while the Winds 1065
Blow moist and keen, shattering the graceful locks
Of thofe fair spreading Trees; which bids us feek
Some better shroud, fome better warmth to cherish
Our Limbs benumm'd, e'er this diurnal Star 1069
Leave cold the Night, how we his gather'd beams
Reflected, may with matter feer foment,
Or by collifion of two bodies grinde
The Aire attrite to Fire, as late the Clouds Juffling or puht with Winds rude in their shock 1074 Tine the fant Lightning, whofe thwart flame driv'n Kindles the gummy baik of Fir and Pine,
And fends a comfortable heat from far,
Which might supply the Sun: fuch Fire to use,
And what may elfe be remedy or cure
To evils which our own mifdeeds have wrought,
He will inftruct us praying, and of Grace
Beseeching him, so as we need not fear
To pafs commodiously this life, fuftain'd
By him with many comforts, till we end
In duft, our final rest and native home.
What better can we do, than to the place
Repairing where he judg'd us, proftrate fall
Before him reverent, and there confess
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears
Watering the ground, and with our fighs the Aire
Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite, in fign 1091
Of forrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.
Undoubtedly he will relent and turn
From his difpleafure; in whofe look ferene,
When angry most he seem'd and most severe, 1095
What elfe but favour, grace, and mercy fhon?
So fpake our Father penitent, nor Eve
Felt lefs remorfe: they forthwith to the place
Repairing where he judg'd them proftrate fell
Before him reverent, and both confefs'd
Humbly their faults, and pardon beg'd, with tears
Watering the ground, and with their fighs the Aire
Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite, in fign
Of forrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.
The End of the Tenth Book.
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