yet thou

However insupportable, be all
Devolv’d. Though should I hold my peace,

135 Wouldst easily detect what I conceal This Woman, whom thou mad'st to be my

help, And gay'st me as thy perfect gift, so good, So fit, so acceptable, so, divine, That from her hand I could suspect no ill; 140 And what she did, whatever in itself, Her doing seem'd to justify the deed; She gave me of the tree, and "I did eat. To whom the Sov'reign Presence. thus re

ply'd. Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey 145 Before his voice? Or was she made thy guide, Superior, or but equal; that to her Thou didst relign thy manhood, and the place Wherein God let thee above her, made of

thee; And for thee; whose perfection far excell'd 150 Her in all real dignity ? Adorn'd She whas indeed and lovely, to attract Thy love; not thy subjection: and her gifts Were fuch, as under government well

seem'd; Unseemnly to bear rule, which was thy part, 155 And person , hadit ihon known thyself aright,

So having said, he thus to Eve in few :'

Say, woman, what is this, which thou haft

done ? To whom sad Eve, with shame nigh over

whelm'd, Confeffing soon; yet not before her Judge 160 Bold, or loquacions, thus abafh'd reply'd. The serpent me beguild, and I did eat! Which when the Lord God heard, without

delay To judgment He proceeded on th' accus'd Serpent though brute unable to transfer 165 The guilt on him, who made him inftrument Of mischief, and polluted from the end Of his creation; justly then accurs’d, As vitiated in nature. More to know Concern'd not man,

lince he no further knew,

170 Nor alter'd his offence: yet Godt at last To Satan first in fin his doom apply'd, Though in mysterious terma, judg'd as then

best :

And on the Serpent thus bis curse let fall. Because thou hast done this, thou art ac-' curft

175 Above all cattle, each beast of the field; Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go; And dust Chalt eat, all the days of thy life? Between thee and thee woman I will put Enmity and between thine and her feed : 180

Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise

his heel. So spake this oracle, then verify'd, When Jesus son of Mary, second Eve, Saw Satan fall, like lightning, down from

Heav'n, Prince of the air: then rising from his grave 135 Spoil'd Principalities and Pow’rs , triumph'd In open shew; and, with afcenfion bright, Captivity led captive through the air, The realm itself of Satan, long.ufurp'd; Whom He, shall tread at last under our feet; 190 Ev’n He who now foretold his fatal bruise; And to the woman thus his sentence turn'd.

-Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply By thy conception; children thou shalt bring In-Corrow forth; and to thy husband's will 195 Thine shall submit: he over thee shall rule.

On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd: Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of

thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which I charg‘d thee, saying, thou shalt not eat the

reof: Curs'd is the ground for thy fake: thou in

forrow Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life: Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth Unbid; and thou shalt eat th' herb of the field,

200 now

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, 205
Till thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground wast taken, know thy birth,
For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return.
So judg'd he Man, both Judge and Saviour

Cent;
And th' instant stroke of Death, denounc'd that

day,

210 Remov'd far off: then, pitying how they stood Before him naked to the air, that now Mult suffer change, disdain’d not to begin Thenceforth the form of servant to allume: As when he wash'd his servants feet; so

215 As father of his family he clad Their nakedness with skins of beasts; or Clain, Or, as the snake, with youthful coat repaid: And thought not much to clothe his enemies. Nor he their outward only, with the skins 220 Of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more Opprobrious! with his robe of righteousness Arraying cover'd from his Father's fight. To him with swift ascent he up return'd, Into his blissful bosom reallum'd

205 In glory as of old; to him appear'd All, tho' allknowing, what had past with man Recounted, mixing intercellion sweet. Mean while, ere thus was finn'd and judg'd

Within the gates of Hell sat Sin and Death, 230
In counterview within the gates, that now
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame
Far into Chaos, fince the Fiend past through,
Sin opening: who thus now to Death began.
O lon! why fit we here each other 'view-
ing

235
Idly, while Satan our great author thrives
In other worlds, and happier seat provides
For us his offspring dear? It cannot be
But that success attends him: if mishap,
Ere this he had return’d, with fury driven 240
By his avengers , fince no place like this
Can fit his punishment, or their revenge.
Methinks I feel new strength within me rile,
Wings growing, and dominion giv'n me large
Beyond this deep: whatever draws me on, 245
Or sympathy, or some connatural force,
Pow'rful at greatest distance to unite
With secret amity things of like kind
By secreteft conveyance. Thou, my shade
Inseparable, must with me along: 250
For Death from Sin no pow'r can separate.
But left the difficulty of passing back
Stay his return perhaps over this gulf
Impaslable, impervious; let us try
Advent’rous work, yet to thy pow'r and

mine

255 Not: unagreeable, to found a path