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730

To forrow abandon'd, but worse felt within, And in a troubled fea of paffion toft, Thus to difburden fought with fad complaint. O miferable of happy! is this the end 720 Of this new glorious world, and me fo late The glory of that glory, who now become Accurs'd of bleffed? Hide me from the face Of God, whom to behold was then my height Of happiness! yet well, if here would end 725 The mifery; I deferv'd it, and would bear My own defervings; but this will not ferve! All that I eat, or drink, or shall beget, Is propagated curfe. O voice once heard Delightfully, Increafe and multiply; Now death to hear! For what can I increase, Or multiply, but curfes on my head? Who of all ages to fucceed, but feeling The evil on him brought by me, will curfe My head? Il fare our ancestor impure! For this we may thank Adam! but his thanks Shall be the execration: fo befides Mine own that bide upon me, all from me Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound: On me as on their natural centre light Heavy, though in their place. O fleeting joys Of Paradife, dear bought with lafting woes! Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay, To mold me man? Did I folicit thee From darkness to promote me, or here place 745

735

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In

In this delicious garden? As my will
Concurr'd not to my being, it were but right
And equal to reduce me to my dust,
Defirous to refign and render back
All I receiv'd; unable to perform

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Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold
The good I fought not. To the loss of that,
Sufficient penalty, why haft thou added
The fenfe of endiefs woes? Inexplicable
Thy juftice feems. --

Yet, to lay truth, too

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I thus contest: then fhould have been refus'd
Thofe terms whatever, when they were pro-

pos'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

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Prove difobedient, and reprov'd, retort,
Wherefore didft thou beget me? I fought
it not!

Wouldst thou admit for his contempt of thee
That proud excufe? Yet him, not thy election,
But natural neceffity begot.

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God made thee of choice his own, and of his

own

To ferve him; thy reward was of his grace,
Thy punishment then justly is at his will.
C

1

Be it fo! for I fubmit: his doom is fair,

That duft I am, and shall to duft return: 770
O welcome hour whenever! Why delays

His hand to execute, what his decree
Fix'd on this day? Why do I overlive?

Why am I mock'd with death, and lengthen'd

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Mortality my fentence, and be earth
Infenfible! How glad would lay me down,
As in mother's lap! There I should reft,
And fleep fecure: His dreadful voice no more
Would thunder
in my ears: no fear of

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To me and to my offspring would torment me
With cruel expectation. Yet one doubt

Perfues me ftill, left all I cannot die;
Left that pure breath of life, the fpirit of man
Which God in pir'd, cannot together perish 785
With this corporeal clod: then, in the grave,
Or in fome other difmal place, who knows
But I fhall die a living death? O thought
Horrid, if true! Yet why? It was but breath
Of life that finn'd: what dies, but what had
life

And fin? The body properly hath neither.

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All of me then fhall die; let this appeale
The doubt, fince human reach no further knows.

For though the Lord of all be infinite,

Is his wrath alfo? Be it! Man is not fo, 795 But mortal doom'd. How can he exercise Wrath without end on man whom death must end?

Can he make deathlefs death? That were to make

Strange contradiction, which to God himself Impoffible is held; as argument

800

Of weakness, not of pow'r. Will he draw out,
For anger's fake, finite to infinite,

In punifh'd man, to fatisfy his rigor,
Satisfi'd never? That where to extend
His fentence beyond duft and nature's law: 805
By which all caufes elfe according still
To the receptation of their matter act,
Not to th' extent of their own shere. But say,
That Death be not one stroke, as I fuppos'd,
Bereaving fenfe: but endless mifery
From this day onward: which I feel begun
Both in me. and without me, and fo laft
To perpetuity. Ay me! That fear

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810

Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revo

lution

On my defenseless head; both Death and I 815
Am found eternal, and incorparate both,
Nor I on my part single, in me all
Pofterity stands curs'd! Fair patrimony
That I muft leave ye, fons; O were I able

To wafte it all myfelf, and leave ye none! 820
So difinherited, how would you bless
Me now your curfe! Ah, why fhould all
mankind

For one man's fault thus guiltlefs be condemn'd, '

If guiltlefs? But from me what can proceed, But all corrupt both mind and will de

prav'd.

No to do only, but to will the fame

825.

With me? How can they then acquitted stand
In fight of God? Him after all disputes

Forc'd I abfolve: all my evasions vain
And reafonings though thro' mazes, lead me

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But to my own conviction: first and laft
On me, me only, as the fource and spring
Of all corruption, all the blame lights due:
So might the wrath. Fond wifh! couldft thou

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And what thou fear'ft, alike deftroys all hope

Of refuge; and concludes thee miserable,
Beyond all paft example, and future:

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