Convict by flight, and rebel to all law :
Conviction to the serpent none belongs.
Thus faying, from his radiant feat he rose 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, though 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
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 from his prefence 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 feen far off? I miss thee here,
Not pleas'd, thus entertain'd with folitude,
Where obvious duty' ere while appear'd unfought :
Or come I lefs confpicuous, or what change
Abfents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth."
He came, and with him Eve, more loath, though first To' offend, difcount'nanc'd both, and difcompos'd; 110 Love was not in their looks, either to God Or to each other, but apparent guilt,
And fhame, and perturbation, and defpair,
Anger, and obftinacy', and hate, and guile.
Whence Adam faultring long, thus answer'd brief. 115
I heard thee in the gard'n, and of thy voice
Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom
The gracious Judge without revile reply'd.
My voice thou oft haft heard, and hast not fear'd,
But ftill rejoic'd; how is it now become
So dreadful to thee? that thou' art naked, who
Hath told thee? haft thou eaten of the tree,
Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?
To whom thus Adam fore beset reply'd.
O Heav'n! in evil strait this day I stand
Before my judge, either to undergo
Myself the total crime, or to accuse
My other felf, the partner of my life;
Whofe failing, while her faith to me remains,
I should conceal, and not expose to blame
By my complaint; but ftrict neceffity
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint,
Left on my head both fin and punishment,
However infupportable, be all
Devolv'd; though should I hold my peace, yet thou
Wouldft easily detect what I conceal.
This Woman, whom thou mad'st to be my help,
And gav'ft me as thy perfect gift, so good,
So fit, fo acceptable, fo divine,
That from her hand I could fufpect no ill,
And what she did, whatever in itself,
Her doing feem'd to justify the deed ;
She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
To whom the sovran Presence thus reply'd. Was the thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice, or was fhe made thy guide,
Superior, or but equal, that to her
Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place
Wherein God fet thee' above her made of thee,
And for thee, whofe perfection far excell'd
Hers in all real dignity? Adorn'd
She was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy love, not thy fubjection; and her gifts
Were fuch as under government well seem'd,
Unfeemly to bear rule, which was thy part
And perfon, hadst thou known thyself aright.
So having faid, he thus to Eve in few.
Say Woman, what is this which thou haft done?
To whom fad Eve with fhame nigh overwhelm'd,
Confeffing foon, yet not before her judge
Bold or loquacious, thus abash'd reply'd.
The Serpent me beguil'd, and I did eat.
Which when the Lord God heard, without delay
To judgment he proceeded on th' accus'd
Serpent though brute, unable to transfer
The guilt on him who made him inftrument
Of mifchief, and polluted from the end
Of his creation; juftly then accurs'd,
As vitiated in nature: more to know
Concern'd not Man (fince he no further knew) 170
Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last
To Satan firft in fin his doom apply'd,
Though in myfterious terms, judg'd as then beft:
And on the Serpent thus his curse let fall.
Because thou haft done this, thou art accurs'd
Above all cattel, each beaft of the field;
Upon thy belly groveling thou fhalt go,
And duft shalt eat all the days of thy life.
Between thee and the Woman I will put
Enmity, and between thine and her feed;
Her feed fhall bruise thy head, thou bruife his heel.
So fpake this oracle, then verify'd
When Jefus fon of Mary, fecond Eve,
Saw Satan fall like lightning down from Heaven,
Prince of the air; then rifing from his grave
Spoil'd Principalities and Pow'rs, triumph'd
In open show, and with afcenfion bright
Captivity led captive through the air,
The realm itfelf of Satan long ufurp'd,
Whom he shall tread at last under our feet;
Ev'n he who now foretold his fatal bruise,
And to the Woman thus his fentence turn'd.
Thy forrow I will greatly multiply
By thy conception; children thou shalt bring
In forrow forth; and to thy husband's will
Thine fhall fubmit; he over thee shall rule.
On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd. Because thou' hast hearken'd to the voice of thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which
I charg'd thee, fay'ing, Thou shalt not eat thereof: Curs'd is the ground for thy fake; thou in forrow Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life ;
Thorns alfo' and thistles it shall bring thee forth
Unbid; and thou shalt eat th' herb of the field,
In the fweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread,
Till thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground was taken, know thy birth,
For duft thou art, and fhalt to duft return.
So judg'd he Man, both judge and faviour sent,
And th' instant stroke of death denounc'd that day 210
Remov'd far off; then pitying how they stood
Before him naked to the air, that now
Muft fuffer change, difdain'd not to begin
Thenceforth the form of fervant to affume,
As when he wash'd his fervants feet, fo now
As father of his family he clad
Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or flain,
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 beafts, but inward nakedness, much more
Opprobrious, with his.robe of righteousness,
Arraying cover'd from his Father's fight.
To him with fwift afcent he up return'd,
Into his blissful bofom reaffum'd
In glory as of old; to him appeas'd
All, though all-knowing, what had pafs'd with Man
Recounted, mixing interceffion sweet.
Mean while, ere thus was finn'd and judg'd on Earth,
Within the gates of Hell fat Sin and Death,
In counterview within the gates, that now
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame
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