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With pity, violated not their blifs.

About the new arriv'd, in multitudes

Th' ethereal people ran, to hear and know
How all befel: they tow'ards the throne fupreme
Accountable made hafte, to make appear
With righteous plea their utmost vigilance,
And easily approv'd: when the Most High
Eternal Father, from his fecret cloud,
Amidst in thunder utter'd thus his voice.

Affembled angels, and ye powers return'd
From unfuccefsful charge, be not difinay'd,
Nor troubled at thefe tidings from the earth,
Which your fincereit care could not prevent,
Foretold fo lately what would come to pass,
When first this tempter crois'd the gulf from hell.
I told ye then he fhould prevail and speed

On his bad errand; man fhould be feduc'd
And flatter'd out of all, believing lies
Again't his Maker; no decree of mine
Concurring to neceflitate his fall,

Or touch with lighteit moment of impulse
His free will, to her own inclining left
In even fcale. But fall'n he is; and now
What rests, but that the mortal fentence pafs
On his tranfgreffion, death denounc'd that day?
Which he prefumes already vain and void,,
Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,
By fome immediate troke; but foon fhall find
Forbearance no acquittance ere day end.
Juice fhall not return as bounty fcorn'd.

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But whom fend I to judge them? whom but thee 55 Vicegerent Son to thee I have transferr'd

All judgment, whether in heav'n, or earth, or hell. Eafy it may be feen that I intend

Mercy collegue with juice, fending thee,

Man's

Man's friend, his Mediator, his defign'd
Both ranfom and Redeemer voluntary,
And destin❜d man himself to judge man fall'n.
So fpake the Father, and unfolding bright
Tow'ard the right hand his glory, on the Son
Blaz'd forth unclouded Deity: he full
Refplendent all his Father manifest

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Exprefs'd, and thus divinely anfwer'd mild.
Father eternal, thine is to decree;

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Mine both in heaven and earth to do thy will
Supreme, that thou in me thy Son belov'd
Mayft ever reft well pleas'd. I go to judge
On earth these thy tranfgreffors; but thou know'st,
Whoever judg'd, the worst on me muft light,
When time fhall be; for fo I undertook
Before thee'; and not repenting, this obtain
Of right, that I may mitigate their doom,
On me deriv'd: yet I fhall temper fo
Juftice with mercy', as may illuftrate most
Them fully fatisfy'd, and thee appeafe.

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Attendance none fball need, nor train, where none

Are to behold the judgment but the judg'd,

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Those two; the third beft abfent is condem'd,

Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
Conviction to the ferpent none belongs.

Thus faying, from his radiant feat he rofe

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Of high collateral glory': him thrones and powers,
Princedoms and dominations, ministrant

Accompanied to heaven-gate, from whence
Eden and all the coaft in profpect lay.

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Down he defcended ftrait; the speed of Gods
Time counts not, tho' with fwifteft minutes wing'd.
Now was the fun in western cadence low
From noon, and gentle airs due at their hour

To fan the earth now wak'd, and usher in

The

The ev'ning cool; when he, from wrath more cool, 95
Came, the mild Judge and Interceffor both,
To fentence man. The voice of God they heard
Now walking in the garden, by foft winds
Brought to their ears, while day declin'd; they heard
And from his prefence hid themselves among
The thickest trees, both man and wife, till Goď
Approaching, thus to Adam call'd aloud.

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Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet
My coming feen far off? I mifs thee here,
Not pleas'd, thus entertain'd with folitude,
Where obvious duty' ere while appear'd unfought:
Or come I lefs confpicuous. or what change
Abfents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth.
He came, and with him Eve, more loath, tho' first
To' offend; difcount'nanc'd both, and difcompos'd:
Love was not in their looks, either to God
Or to each other; but apparent guilt,
And fhame, and' perturbation, and despair,
Anger, and obftinacy', and hate, and guile..
Whence Adam, fält'ring long, thus answer'd brief.115
I heard thee in the gard'n, and of thy voice
Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom
The gracious judge without revile reply'di
My voice thou oft hast heard, and has not fear'd,
But ftill rejoic'd; how is it now become
So dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who
Hath told thee? haft thou eaten of the tree,
Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldft not eat??
To whom thus Adam fore befet reply'd.

O heaven! in evil ftrait this day I ftand
Before my Judge, either to undergo
Myfelf the total crime, or to accufe
My other felf, the partner of my life;

Whole failing, while her faith to me remains,

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I fhould conceal, and not expofe to blame
By my complaint; but ftri&t neceffity
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint,
Left on my head both fin and punishment,
However infupportable, be all

Devolv'd; tho' fhould I hold my peace, yet thou
Would easily detect what I conceal.

This woman, whom thou mad'it to be my help,

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And gav'ft me as thy perfect gift, fo gond,

So fit, fo acceptable, fo divine,

That from her hand I could fufpect no ill;.
And what he did, whatever in itfelf,
Her doing feem'd to juftify the deed;

She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

To whom the Sov'reign Prefence thus reply'd.

Was the thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice? or was fhe made thy guide,

Superior, or but equal, that to her

Thou didst refign thy manhood, and the place
Wherein God fet thee' above her, made of thee,
And for thee, whofe perfection far excell'd.
Hers in all real dignity? Adorn'd'

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She was indeed, and lovely to attrac
Thy love, not thy fubjection; and her gifts
Were fuch as under government well feem'd,
Unfeemly to bear rule; which was thy part
And perfon, had thou known thyfelf aright.

So having faid, he thus to Eve in few.
Say, woman, what is this which thou haft done?

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To whom fad Eve, with fhame nigh overwhelm'd, Confeffing foon, yet not before her Judge Bold or loquacious, thus abafh'd reply'd. The ferpent me beguil'd, and I did eat.

Which when the Lord God heard, without delay

To judgment he proceeded on th' accus'd

Serpent,

Serpent, though brute, unable to transfer
The guilt on him who made him instrument
Of mischief, and polluted from the end
Of his creation; juftly then accurs'd,
As vitiated in nature: more to know

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Concern'd not man, (fince he no further knew), 179
Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last
To Satan first in fin his doom apply'd,
Tho' in myfterious terms, judg'd as then best :
And on the ferpent thus his curfe let fall.

Because thou haft done this, thou art accus'd
Above all cattle, each beaft of the field;
Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go,
And dust shalt eat all the days of thy life.
Between thee and the woman I will put

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Enmity, and between thine and her feed;

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Her feed fhall bruife thy head, thou bruife his heel.

So fpake this oracle, then verify'd.

When Jefus fon of Mary, fecond Eve,

Saw Satan fall like light'ning down from heaven,

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Prince of the air; then rifing from his grave
Spoil'd principalities and pow'rs, triumph'd
In open fhow, and with afcenfion bright
Captivity led captive through the air,
The realm itself of Satan long ufurp'd;
Whom he fhall tread at laft under our feet;
Ev'n he who now foretold his fatal bruise,
And to the woman thus his fentence turn'd..
Thy forrow I will greatly multiply
By thy conception; children thou shalt bring-
In forrow forth; and to thy husband's will
Thine shall submit; he over thee fhall rule.

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On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd. Because thou' haft hearken'd to the' voice of thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which

I