No evil durft attempt thee; but I rue
That errour now, which is become my crime,
And thou th' accufer. Thus it fhall befall
Him who to worth in women overtrufting,

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Lets her will rule: reftraint fhe will not brook;
And left to' herself, if evil thence enfue,

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She first his weak indulgence will accufe.

Thus they in mutual accufation spent

The fruitless hours, but neither felf condemning,
And of their vain conteft appear'd no end.

END of the NINTH BOOK..

Man's tranfgreffion known, the guardian angels forfake Paradife, and return up to heaven to approve their vigilance; and are approved, God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends his Son to judge the tranfgreffors; who defcends, and gives fentence accordingly; then in pity clothes them both, and reafcends. Sin and Death, fitting till then at the gates of hell, by wondrous fympathy feeling the fuccefs of Satan in this new world, and the fin by man there committed, refolve to fit no longer confined in hell, but to follow Satan their fire up to the place of man : to make the way eafier from hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad high-way or bridge over Chaos, ac• cording to the track that Satan firft made; then preparing for earth, they meet him, proud of his fuccefs, returning to hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium, in full assembly relates with boafting his fuccefs against man; instead of applaufe, is enter-tained with a general hifs by all his audience, transformed with himself alfo fuddenly into ferpents, according to his doom given in Paradife; then deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew duft and bitter afhes. The proceedings of Sin and Death: God foretells the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the present commands his angels to make several alterations in the heavens. and elements. Adam more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails; rejects the condolement of Eve; fhe perfifts, and at length appeafes him: then, to evade the curfe likely to fall on their offspring, propofes to Adam violent ways, which he approves not; but conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late promife made them, that her feed fhould be revenged on the ferpent, and exhorts her with him to feek peace of the offended Deity, by repentance and fupplication.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK X.

Με

EANWHILE the heinous and difpiteful act

Of Satan done in Paradise, and how

He in the ferpent had perverted Eve,

Her husband fhe, to tafte the fatal fruit,

Was known in heaven; for what can 'scape the eye 5 Of God all-feeing, or deceive his heart

Omnifcient? who in all things wife and juft,

Hinder'd not Satan to attempt the mind

Of man, with ftrength entire, and free-will arm'd, Complete to have difcover'd and repuls'd

Whatever wiles of foe or feeming friend.

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For ftill they knew, and ought to' have ftill remember'd
The high injunction not to taste that fruit,
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying,
Incurr'd (what could they lefs?) the penalty,
And manifold in fin, deferv'd to fall.

Up into heaven from Paradife in haste
Th' angelic guards afcended, mute and fad
For man; for of his ftate by this they knew,
Much wond'ring how the fubtle fiend had ftol'n
Entrance unfeen. Soon as th' unwelcome news
From earth arriv'd at heaven-gate, difpleas'd
All were who heard; dim sadness did not spare
That time celeftial vifages, yet mix'd

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With pity, violated not their bliss.

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 eafily approv'd: when the Most High
Eternal Father, from his fecret cloud,
Amidft in thunder utter'd thus his voice.

Affembled angels, and ye powers return'd
From unsuccessful charge, be not difmay'd,
Nor troubled at thefe tidings from the earth,
Which your fincereft care could not prevent,
Foretold fo lately what would come to pass,
When first this temper crofs'd the gulf from hell.
I told ye then he fhould prevail and speed
On his bad errand; man fhould be feduce'd
And flatter'd out of all, believing lies
Against his Maker; no decree of mine
Concurring to neceffitate his fall,

:

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

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But whom fend 1 to judge them? whom but thee 55 Vicegerent Son? to thee I have transferr'd

All judgement, whether in heaven, or earth, or hell." Eafy it may be feep that I intend

Mercy collegue with juftice, fen ling thee,

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Man's friend, his Mediator, his defign'd
Both ranfom and Redeemer voluntary,
And deftin'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
Exprefs'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild.
Father-eternal, thine is to decree;
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'ft,
Whoever judge'd, the worft on me must light,
When time fhall be; for fo I undertook

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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 appease.

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Attendance none fhall need, nor train, where none

Are to behold the judgement, but the judge'd,

Thofe two; the third beft-abfent is condemn'd,
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
Conviction to the ferpent none belongs.

Thus faying, from his radiant feat he rofe

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.

Down he defcended ftrait; the speed of Gods

Time counts not, tho' with swifteft 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 ufher in

Ee

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