Or in fome other dismal 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.
All of me then fhall-die: let this appease
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,
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
Of weakness, not of power. Will he draw out,
For anger's fake, finite to infinite
In punish'd man, to fatisfy his rigour
Satisfy'd never? that were to extend
His fentence beyond dust, and nature's law,
By which all caufes elfe according ftill
To the reception of their matter act,
Not to th' extent of their own sphere. But fay
That death be not one ftroke, as I fuppos'd,
Bereaving fenfe, but endless mifery
From this day onward, which I feel begun
Both in me, and without me, and so last
To perpetuity: Ay me, that fear
Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution
On my defencelefs head; both death and I
Am found eternal, and incorporate both ;
Nor I on my part fingle, in me all
Pofterity stands curs'd: fair patrimony
That I must leave ye, fons; O were I able
To wafte it all myself, and leave ye none !
So difinherited, how would ye blefs
Me, now your curfe! Ah, why should all mankind
For one man's fault thus guiltlefs be condemn'd,
If guiltless? But from me what can proceed,
But all corrupt, both mind and will deprav'd,
Not to do only, but to will the fame
With me? how can they then acquitted ftand
In fight of God? Him after all difputes
Force'd I abfolve: all my evafions vain,
And reafonings, though thro' mazes, lead me ftill
But to my own conviction: first and last
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 fupport
That burden heavier than the earth to bear,
Than all the world much heavier, though divided
With that bad woman? Thus what thou defir'st,
And what thou fear'ft, alike destroys all hope
Of refuge, and concludes thee miferable
Beyond all paft example and futúre,
To Satan only like both crime and doom.
O Confcience, into what abyfs of fears
And horrours haft thou driv'n me; out of which
I find no way, from deep to deeper plung'd!
Thus Adam to himself lamented loud
Through the ftill night; not now, as ere man fell,
Wholesome, and cool, and mild, but with black air
Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom,
Which to his evil confcience represented
All things with double terrour: on the ground 850
Outstretch'd he lay, on the cold ground, and oft
Curs'd his creation, death as oft accus'd
Of tardy execution, fince denounce'd
The day of his offence. Why comes not death,
Said he, with one thrice acceptable stroke
To end me? Shall truth fail to keep her word,
Juftice Divine not haften to be juft?
But Death comes not at call, Justice Divine
Mends not her floweft pace for pray'rs or cries.
O woods, O fountains, hillocks, dales, and bowers,
With other echo late I taught your fhades
To answer, and refound far other fong.
Whom thus afflicted when fad Eve beheld,
Defolate where fhe fat, approaching nigh,
Soft words to his fierce paffion she assay'd:
But her with stern regard he thus repell'd.
Out of my fight, thou Serpent; that name best Befits thee with him leagu'd, thy felf as falfe And hateful; nothing wants, but that thy shape, Like his, and colour ferpentine, may show 870 Thy inward fraud, to warn all creatures from thee Henceforth; left that too heavenly form, pretended To hellifh falfehood, fnare them. But for thee I had persisted happy', had not thy pride And wand'ring vanity, when leaft was fafe, Rejected my forewarning, and difdain'd Not to be trufted; longing to be feen, Though by the dev'il himself, him overweening To overreach; but with the ferpent meeting, Fool'd and beguil'd; by him thou, I by thee, To trust thee from my fide, imagin'd wife, Conftant, mature, proof against all affaults; And understood not all was but a fhow, Rather than folid virtue'; all but a rib, Crook'd by nature, bent, as now appears, More to the part finifter, from me drawn, Well if thrown out, as fupernumerary To my just number found. O why did God,
Creator wife, that peopled highest heaven
With fpirits mafculine, create at last
This novelty on earth, this fair defect
Of nature; and not fill the world at once
With men as angels without feminine,
Or find fome other way to generate
Mankind? This mifchief had not then befall'n, 895
And more that shall befall; innumerable
Disturbances on earth through female fnares,
And ftrait conjunction with this fex: for either
He never fhall find out fit mate, but fuch
As fome misfortune brings him, or mistake;
Or whom he wishes moft fhall feldom gain
Through her perverfenefs; but fhall fee her gain'd
By a far worse; or if the love, withheld
By parents; or his happiest choice too late
Shall meet, already link'd and wedlock-bound
To a fell adverfary', his hate or fhame:
Which infinite calamity fhall caufe
To human life, and household-peace confound.
He added not, and from her turn'd; but Eve
Not fo repuls'd, with tears that ceas'd not flowing,
And treffes all disorder'd, at his feet
Fell humble, and embracing them, befought,
His peace; and thus proceeded in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus, Adam, witness Heaven
What love fincere, and reverence in my heart
I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,
Unhappily deceiv'd; thy fuppliant
I beg, and clafp thy knees; bereave me not,
Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid,
Thy counfel, in this uttermoft diftrefs,
My only strength and stay: forlorn of thee,
Whether fhall I betake me, where fubfift?
While yet we live, fcarce one fhort hour perhaps,
Between us two let there be peace, both joining, .
As join'd in injuries, one enmity
Against a foe by doòm exprefs affign'd us,
That cruel ferpent. On me exercise not
Thy hatred for this mifery befallen,
On me already loft, me than thyfelf
More miferable: both have finn'd, but thou
Against God only, I 'gainst God and thee;
And to the place of judgement will return,
There with my cries importune Heaven, that all
The fentence from thy head remov'd, may light
On me, fole caufe to thee of all this woe,
Me, only me, juft object of his ire !
She ended weeping; and her lowly plight,
Immoveable till peace obtain'd from fault
Acknowledge'd and deplor'd, in Adam wrought
Commiferation foon his heart relented
Tow'ards her, his life fo late and fole delight,
Now at his feet fubmiflive in distress,
Creature fo fair his reconcilement feeking,
His counfel, whom fhe had difpleas'd, his aid;
As one difarm'd, his anger all he loft,
And thus with peaceful words uprais'd her foon.
Unwary', and too defirous, as before,
So now of what thou know'st not, who defir'st
The punishment all on thyfelf; alas,
Bear thine own firft, ill able to fuftain
His full wrath, whofe thou feel'ft as yet leaft part,
And my displeasure bear'ft fo ill. If prayers
Could alter high decrees, I to that place
Would speed before thee, and be louder heard,
That on my head all might be vifited,
Thy frailty and infirmer sex forgiven,
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