And flatter'd out of all, believing lies Against his Maker; no decree of mine Or touch with lightest moment of impulfe By fome immediate ftroke; but soon shall find Justice fhall not return as bounty scorn'd. 45 50 But whom fend I to judge them? whom but thee 55 Vicegerent Son? to thee I have transferr'd All 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. 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 Exprefs'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild. 60 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 75 79 Before thee'; and not repenting, this obtain 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' 85 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 For regal scepter then no more 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, Accompanied to Heaven gate, from whence Down he defcended ftrait; the speed of Gods 90 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 To fentence Man: the voice of God they heard 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. to have thee by my fide Henceforth an individual folace dear. 10; The ticket rees, both man and wife, till God To' offend, discount'nanc'd both, and difcompos'd; Love was not in their looks, either to God 114 |