She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
To whom the fovran 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 didft 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
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, hadft thou known thyself aright.
So having faid, he thus to Eve in few.
Say Woman, what is this which thou haft done?
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 Serpent me beguil'd, 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
The guilt on him who made him instrument
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 (fince he no further knew)
Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last
To Satan first in fin his doom apply'd,
Though in mysterious terms, judg'd as then best:
And on the Serpent thus his curfe let fall.
Because thou haft done this, thou art accurs'd
Above all cattel, each beaft of the field;
Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go,
And duft fhalt eat all the days of thy life.
Between thee and the Woman I will put
Enmity, and between thine and her feed;
Her feed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel.
So fpake this oracle, then verify'd
When Jesus son of Mary, second Eve,
Saw Satan fall like lightning down from Heaven,
Prince of the air; then rifing from his grave
Spoil'd Principalities and Pow'rs, triumph'd
In open show, 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 shall rule.
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 charg'd thee, fay'ing, Thou shalt not eat thereof :
Curs'd is the ground for thy fake; thou in forrow
Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life;
Thorns alfo' and thistles it shall bring thee forth
Unbid; and thou shalt eat th' herb of the field,
In the sweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread,
Till thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground was taken, know thy birth,
For duft thou art, and fhalt to duft return.
So judg'd he Man, both judge and faviour fent,
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
Muft fuffer change, difdain'd not to begin
Thenceforth the form of fervant to affume,
As when he wash'd his fervants feet, fo now
As father of his family he clad
Their nakedness with skins of beafts, or flain,
Or as the fnake with youthful coat repaid;
And thought not much to clothe his enemies :
Nor he their outward only with the skins
Of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more
Opprobrious, with his robe of righteousness,
Arraying cover'd from his Father's fight.
To him with fwift afcent he up return'd,
Into his blifsful bofom reaffum'd
In glory as of old; to him appeas'd
All, though all-knowing, what had pass'd with Man
Recounted, mixing interceffion sweet.
Mean while, ere thus was finn'd and judg'd on Earth,
Within the gates of Hell fat Sin and Death,
In counterview within the gates, that now
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame
Far into Chaos, fince the Fiend pass'd through,
Sin opening, who thus now to Death began.
O Son, why fit we here each other viewing
Idly, while Satan our great author thrives
In other worlds, and happier feat provides
For us his offspring dear? It cannot be
But that fuccefs attends him; if mishap,
Ere this he had return'd, with fury driven
By his avengers, fince no place like this
Can fit his punishment, or their revenge.
Methinks I feel new ftrength within me rise,
Wings growing, and dominion giv'n me large
Beyond this deep; whatever draws me on,
Or fympathy, or fome connatural force
Pow'rful at greatest distance to unite
With fecret amity things of like kind
By fecreteft conveyance. Thou my shade
Infeparable muft with me along :
Of merit high to all th' infernal host,
Eafing their paffage hence, for intercourse,
Or tranfmigration, as their lot fhall lead.
Nor can I miss the way, so strongly drawn
By this new-felt attraction and instinct.
Whom thus the meager Shadow anfwer'd foon.
Go whither fate and inclination strong
Leads thee; I fhall not lag behind, nor err
The way, thou leading; fuch a fcent I draw
Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste
The favor of Death from all things there that live:
Nor fhall I to the work thou enterprisest
Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.
So faying, with delight he fnuff'd the smell
Of mortal change on earth. As when a flock
Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote,
Against the day of battel, to a field,
Where armies lie incamp'd, come flying, lur'd
With scent of living carcaffes defign'd
For death, the following day, in bloody fight:
So fcented the grim Feature, and upturn'd
His noftril wide into the murky air,
Sagacious of his quarry from fo far.
Then both from out Hell gates into the wafte
Wide anarchy of Chaos damp and dark
Flew diverse, and with pow'r (their pow'r was great) Hovering upon the waters, what they met
Solid or flimy, as in raging fea
Toft up and down, together crouded drove
From each fide fhoaling tow'ards the mouth of Hell:
As when two polar winds, blowing adverse
Upon the Cronian fea, together drive
Mountains of ice, that stop th' imagin'd way
Beyond Petfora eastward, to the rich
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