1114 At loop-holes cut through thickeft fhade: thofe leaves, 1115 1120 They fat them down to weep; nor only tears : 1130 [ftay'd Would thou had't hearken'd to my words, and With me, as I befought thee, when that strange 1135 Defire of wand'ring this unhappy morn, I know not whence, poffefs'd thee: we had then Let none henceforth feek needlefs caufe to' approve To whom foon mov'd with touch of blame thus Eve What words have pafs'd thy lips, Adam fevere ! 04 Imput' Imput' thou that to my default, or will 1145 Of wand'ring, as thou call it it, which who knows Why he should niean me ill, or feek to harm. 1150 As good have grown there ftill a lifeless rib. Going into fuch danger as thou faidst ? Too facile then thou didit not much gainsay, 1160 Who might have liv'd, and 'joy'd immortal bliss, 1165 It feems, in thy refraint: what could I more? 1170 I warn'd thee, I admonifh'd thee, foretold The danger, and the lurking enemy That lay in wait; beyond this had been force; And force upon free will hath here no place. But confidence then bore thee on, secure 1175 Either to meet no danger, or to find Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps I also err'd in overmuch admiring What feem'd in thee fo perfect, that I thought No No evil durft attempt thee; but I rue She first his weak indulgence will accufe. Thus they in mutual accufation spent The fruitless hours, but neither felf-condemning, 1180 1185 END of the NINTH BOOK.. ARGU 05 Alan's tranfgreffion known, the guardian angels forfake Paradife, and return up to heaven to approve their vigilance; and are approved, God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends his Son to judge the tranfgreffors; who defcends, and gives fentence accordingly; then in pity clothes them bath, and reafcends. Sin and Death, fitting till then at the gates of hell, by wondrous fympathy feeling the fuccefs of Satan in this new world, and the fin by man there committed, refolve to fit no longer confined in bell, but to follow Satan their fire up to the place of man : to make the way eafier from hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad high-way or bridge over Chaos, according to the track that Satan firft made; then preparing for earth they meet him proud of his fuccefs returning to hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium, in full affembly relates with boafting bis fuccefs against man; inftead of applaufe, is entertai ed with a general hifs by all his audience, transformed with himself also fuddenly into ferpents, according to his doom given in Paradife; then deluded with a shemo of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew duft and bitter afhes. The proceedings of Sin and Death: God foretells the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things but for the prefent commands his angels to make several alterations in the heavens and elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails; rejects the condolement of Eve; fhe perfifts, and at length appeafes hims then, to evade the curfe likely to fall on their offspring, propofes to Adam violent ways, which he approves not ; but, conceiving better hope puts her in mind of the late promife made them, that her feed should be revenged on the ferpent, and exhorts her with him to feek peace of the offended Deity by repentance and fupplication. PARADISE PARADISE LOS T. BOOK X. Eanwhile the heinous and defpiteful act Mar He in the ferpent had perverted Eve, Her husband fhe, to tafte the fatal fruit, Was known in heav'n; for what can 'fcape the eye s Of man, with ftrength entire, and free-will arm'd. For ftill they knew, and ought to have still remember' 10 153 Up into heav'n from Paradife in hafte Th' angelic guards afcended; mute and fad For man; for of his ftate by this they knew, Much wond'ring how the fubtle fiend had ftol'n 20 Entrance unfeen. Soon as th' unwelcome news From earth arriv'd at heav'n-gate, difpleas'd All were who heard; ́dim sadness did not spare That time celeftial vifages, yet mix'd |