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And flatter'd out of all, believing lies

Against his Maker; no decree of mine
Concurring to neceffitate his fall,

Or touch with lightest 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 denounc'd that day?
Which he prefumes already vain and void,
Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,

By fome immediate ftroke; but soon shall find
Forbearance no acquittance ere day end.

Justice fhall not return as bounty scorn'd.

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

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to proceed from the mouth of God himself.

56. -to thee I have transfer'

All judgment] For the Father julg eth no man, but bath committed all judgment unto the Sen. John V. 22.

58. Eafy it may be feen] We have printed it thus after the first edition. In the fecond edition and others it is Ealy it might be feen, which is

not fo well.

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All judgment, whether in Heav'n, or Earth, or Hell. Easy it may be seen that I intend

Mercy collegue with juftice, fending thee

Man's friend, his mediator, his defign'd
Both ransome 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 manifeft

Exprefs'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild.
Father eternal, thine is to decree,
Mine both in Heav'n and Earth to do thy will
Supreme, that thou in me thy Son belov'd
May'ft ever reft well pleas'd. I go to judge

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65

.70

On

7.1 go to judge &c] The fame divine Perfon, who in the foregoing parts of this poem interceded for our firft parents before their fall, overthrew the rebel Angels, and created the world, is now reprefented as defcending to Paradife, and pronouncing fentence upon the three offenders. The cool of the evening being a circumstance with which holy Writ introduces this great scene, it is poetically defcribed by our author, who has also kept religioufly to the form of words, in which the three feveral fentences were

P

On earth these thy tranfgreffors, but thou know'ft, Whoever judg'd, the worft on me must light, When time shall 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 moft
Them fully fatisfy'd, and thee appease.
Attendence none fhall need, nor train, where none
Are to behold the judgment, but the judg'd,
Those two; the third beft abfent is condemn'd,
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
Conviction to the serpent none belongs.
Thus faying, from his radiant feat he rofe

were paffed upon Adam, Eve, and the Serpent. He has rather chofen to neglect the numeroufnefs of his verfe, than to deviate from thofe Speeches which are recorded on this great occafion. The guilt and confufion of our firft parents, ftanding naked before their judge, is touched with great beauty. Addison.

74. -for fo I undertook] See Book III. 236. &c.

80. Attendence none shall need, ] This is either an elliptical way of fpeaking for I shall need no attendence or rather the word need, tho'

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Of

commonly used as a verb active, is here used as a verb neuter, and means no attendence will be want ing; and fo it is used likewife in III, 340.

Then thou thy regal scepter fhalt
lay by,

For regal scepter then no more
fhall need,
God fhall be all in all.

84. Conviction to the ferpent mont

belongs.] No proof is need ful against the ferpent, compell'd by Satan to be the ignorant intrement of his malice against mankind,

DOW

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

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Time counts not,though with swiftest 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 usher in

The evening cool, when he from wrath more cool 95
Came the mild judge and interceffor both

To fentence Man: the voice of God they heard
Now walking in the garden, by foft winds

Brought to their ears, while day declin'd, they heard,

And w mute and unable to anfwer for that is in other words, IV. 485. mfelf. Hume.

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to have thee by my fide Henceforth an individual folace

dear.

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10;

The ticket rees, both man and wife, till God
Approaching, thus to Adam call'd aloud.
Where art thou Adam, wont with joy to meet
My coming feen fir cff? I mifs thee here,
Not pleas, thus entertain'd with folitude,
Where obrices duty' ere while appear'd unfought:
Or come I leis confpicuous, or what change
Abfents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth.
He came, and with him Eve, more loath, though
first

To' offend, discount'nanc'd both, and difcompos'd;

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Love was not in their looks, either to God
Or to each other, but apparent guilt,
And shame, and perturbation, and despair,
Anger, and obftinacy', and hate, and guile.
Whence Adam faltring long, thus answer'd brief.
I heard thee in the gard'n, and of thy voice
Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom

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