PARADISE LOST.

BOOK X.

MEANWHILE the heinous and despiteful act Of Satan, done in Paradise, and how He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve, Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit, Was known in Heaven; for what can 'scape the Of God, all-seeing, or deceive his heart, [eye Omniscient? who, in all things wise and just, Hindered not Satan to attempt the mind Of man, with strength entire, & free-will arm'd, Complete, to have discover'd and repulsed Whatever wiles of foe, or seeming friend. [ber'd For still they knew, & ought to have still rememThe high injunction, not to taste that fruit, Whoever tempted; which they, not obeying, Incurr'd, what could they less? the penalty, And, manifold in sin, deserved to fall. Up into Heaven, from Paradise, in haste, The angelic guards ascended, mute and sad For Man; for of his state by this they knew, Much wond'ring how the subtle Fiend had stolen Entrance unseen. Soon as the unwelcome news From Earth arrived at Heaven gate, displeased All were who heard; dim sadness did not spare, That time, celestial visages, yet, mix'd With pity, violated not their bliss. About the new arrived, in multitudes, The ethereal people ran, to hear and know How all befell: they, towards the throne supreme Accountable, made haste to make appear, With righteous plea, their utmost vigilance, And easily approved: when the Most High Eternal Father, from his secret cloud Amidst, in thunder utter'd thus his voice.

"Assembled Angels, and ye Powers return'd From unsuccessful charge, be not dismay'd, Nor troubled at these tidings from the earth; Which your sincerest care could not prevent,

Foretold so lately what would come to pass,
When first this tempter cross'd the gulf from Hell.
I told ye then, he should prevail, and speed
On his bad errand; Man should be seduced,
And flattered out of all, believing lies
Against his Maker; no decree of mine
Concurring to necessitate his fall,

Or touch with lightest moment of impulse,
His free-will, to her own inclining left,
In even scale. But fallen he is; and now
What rests, but that the mortal sentence pass
On his transgression, death denounced that day?
Which he presumes already vain and void,
Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,
By some immediate stroke; but soon shall find
Forbearance no acquittance, ere day end.
Justice shall not return, as bounty, scorn'd.
But whom send I to judge them? Whom but thee,
Vicegerent Son? to thee I have transferr'd
All judgment, whether in Heaven, or Earth, or
Easy it might be seen that I intend [Hell.
Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee,
Man's Friend, his Mediator, his design'd
Both Ransom and Redeemer voluntary,
And destined Man himself to judge Man fallen."
So spake the Father, and unfolding bright
Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son
Blazed forth unclouded Deity; he full
Resplendent all his Father manifest
Express'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild.

Father eternal, thine is to decree,
Mine, both in Heaven & Earth, to do thy will
Supreme; that thou in me thy Son beloved,
May'st ever rest well pleased. I go to judge
On earth these thy transgressors, but thou know'st,
Whoever judged, the worst on me must light,
When time shall be, for so I undertook
Before thee; and not repenting, this obtain
Of right, that I may mitigate their doom,
On me derived; yet I shall temper so
Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most
Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.
Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none
Are to behold the judgment, but the judg'd,
Those two; the third, best absent, is condemn'd,
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
Conviction to the serpent none belongs."

Thus saying, from his radiant seat he rose Of high collateral glory: him thrones, & powers, Princedoms, and dominations ministrant, Accompanied to Heaven gate; from whence Eden and all the coast in prospect lay. Down he descended straight; the speed of gods Time counts not, tho' with swiftest minutes wir.g'd. Now was the sun in western cadence low From noon, and gentle airs, due at their hour, To fan the earth now waked, and usher in The evening cool; when he from wrath more cool, Came the mild Judge, and Intercessor both, To sentence man: the voice of God they heard, Now walking in the garden, by soft winds Brought to their ears, while day declined; they heard, And from his presence hid themselves among The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God Approaching, thus to Adam call'd aloud.

"Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet My coming, seen far off? I miss thee here, Not pleased, thus entertained with solitude, Where obvious duty ere while appear'd unsought: Or come I less conspicuous, or what change Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth." He came, & with him Eve, more loath, though first To offend, discountenanced both, & discomposed; Love was not in their looks, either to God, Or to each other; but apparent guilt, And shame, and perturbation, and despair, Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile. Whence Adam, faltering long, thus answer'd brief. "I heard thee in the garden, and of thy voice Afraid, being naked, hid myself." To whom The gracious Judge, without revile, replied.

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My voice thou oft hast heard, & hast not fear'd,
But still rejoiced: how is it now become

So dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who
Hath told thee? hast thou eaten of the tree,
Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?"
To whom thus Adam, sore beset, replied.
"O Heaven! in evil strait this day I stand
Before my Judge, either to undergo
Myself the total crime, or to accuse
My other self, the partner of my life;
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,
I should conceal, and not expose to blame
By my complaint; but strict necessity

Subdues me, and calamitous constraint,
Lest on my head both sin and punishment,
However insupportable, be all

Devolved: though should I hold my peace, yet thou
Wouldst easily detect what I conceal.

This woman, whom thou madest to be my help,
And gavest me as thy perfect gift, so good,
So fit, so acceptable, so divine,
That from her hand I could suspect no ill,
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 sovereign Presence thus replied.
Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice, or was she made thy guide,
Superior, or but equal, that to her
Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place
Wherein God set thee above her, made of thee,
And for thee, whose perfection far excell'd
Her's, in all real dignity? Adorn'd
She was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts
Were such as, under government, well seem'd,
Unseemly to bear rule, which was thy part
And person, hadst thou known thyself aright."
So having said, he thus to Eve in few.

Say woman, what is this which thou hast done?" To whom sad Eve, with shame nigh overwhelm'd, Confessing soon, yet not before her Judge Bold or loquacious, thus abash'd, replied. "The serpent me beguiled, and I did eat." Which, when the Lord God heard, without delay, To judgment he proceeded, on the accused 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 accursed, As vitiated in nature. More to know Concern'd not man, since he no further knew, Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied, Though in mysterious terms, judged as then best: And on the Serpent thus his curse let fall.

"Because thou hast done this, thou art accursed Above all cattle, each beast of the field; Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go, And dust shalt eat, all the days of thy life.

Between thee and the woman I will put
Enmity, and between thine and her seed;
Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel."
So spake this Oracle, then verified

When Jesus, son of Mary, second Eve,

Saw Satan fall like lightning, down from Heaven,
Prince of the air; then rising from his grave,
Spoil'd principalities and powers, triumph'd
In open show, and, with ascension bright,
Captivity let captive through the air,
The realm itself of Satan, long usurp'd;
Whom he shall tread at last under our feet,
Even 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 sorrow forth; and to thy husband's will
Thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule."
On Adam last thus judgment he pronounced.
"Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of thy
And eaten of the tree, concerning which [wife
I charged thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat thereof;
Cursed is the ground for thy sake; thou, in sorrow,
Shalt eat thereof, all the days of thy life;
Thorns also, & thistles, it shall bring thee forth,
Unbid; & thou shalt eat the herb of the field,
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
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 judged he man, both Judge & Saviour sent;
And the instant stroke of death, denounc'd that day
Remov'd far off; then pitying how they stood
Before him, naked to the air, that now
Must suffer change, disdained not to begin,
Thenceforth, the form of Servant to assume,
As when he wash'd his servants' feet; so now
As Father of his family, he clad

Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain,
Or, as the snake, 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 sight.
To him, with swift ascent, he up return'd,
Into his blissful bosom re-assumed