Thy love, the fole contentment of my heart Living or dying, from thee I will not hide What thoughts in my unquiet breaft are risen, 975 "ending to fome relief of our extremes, r end, though fharp and fad, yet tolerable, s in our evils, and of eafier choice. care of our descent perplex us most, Which must be born to certain woe, devour'd 980 y Death at last; and miserable it is "o be to others cause of mifery, ur own begott'en, and of our loins to bring to this curfed world a woful race, hat after wretched life must be at laft 985 ood for fo foul a monfter; in thy power lies, yet ere conception to prevent The race unbleft, to bei'ng yet unbegot. hildless thou art, childless remain: fo Death 978. As in our evils,] That is nfidering the excess of evil to ich we are reduc'd; an elegant atin ufe of the word As. Cic. Epift. m. IV. 9. Nam adhuc, et factum um probatur, et, ut in tali re, etiam tuna laudatur XII. 2. Non nihil, in tantis malis, eft profectum, that confidering our ill fituation. Richardfon. Shall 989. Childless thou art, childless re main:] It is a ftrange mistake in fome editions, and especially in Milton's own, where this imperfect verse is printed as a whole verfe, and the words fo Death wanting to complete the line are added to the next line, which is thereby made as much too long as this is too short. So Death fhall be deceiv'd his glut, and with us two. 1004. and 999 Shall be deceiv'd his glut, and with us two With like defire, which would be mifery And torment lefs than none of what we dread; 995 1001 Why stand we longer fhivering under fears, 1005 She ended here, or vehement despair Broke off the reft; fo much of death her thoughts Lab'ring had rais'd, and thus to Eve reply'd. And excellent than what thy mind contemns; 1015 Or if thou covet death, as utmost end The penalty pronounc'd, doubt not but God better sense and grammar than can 1007. She ended bere 499. Hæc effata filet: pallor fimul oc- 1020 To be foreftall'd; much more I fear left death So fnatch'd will not exempt us from the pain 102; Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand foe Satan, who in the ferpent hath contriv'd Against us this deceit: to crush his head Would be revenge indeed; which will be loft No more be mention'd then of violence 1030 1035 1040 Against ourselves, and wilful barrenness, That calling to mind with heed their fen- poetry: it might not be fo trite and tence, as it is ver. 1030. vulgar formerly; for Fairfax like 1024. To be foreftall'd;] This' wife ufes it in his Jerufalem, Cunt. word appears too low for heroic 15. St. 47. That cuts us off from hope, and favors only 1045 aid on our necks. Remember with what mild And gracious temper he both heard and judg'd Without wrath or reviling; we expected mmediate diffolution, which we thought Vas meant by death that day, when lo, to thee 1050 My labor will fuftain me; and left cold 1056 Or heat should injure us, his timely care Hath unbesought provided, and his hands |