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This world's material mould, came to a heap:

Confufion heard his voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, stood vast infinitude confin'd;
Till at his fecond bidding darkness fled,
Light fhone, and order from disorder sprung:
Swift to their several quarters hafted then

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The cumb'rous elements, earth, flood, air, fire; 715
And this ethereal quinteffence of heav'n
Flew upward, fpirited with various forms,
That roll'd orbicular, and turn'd to stars
Numberless, as thou feeft, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his courfe; 720
The reft in circuit walls this universe.

Look downward on that globe, whofe hither fide,
With light from hence, tho' but reflected, fhines;
That place is earth the feat of man; that light
His day, which elfe, as th' other hemifphere, 725
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring moon
(So call that opposite fair ftar) her aid
Timely' interpofes, and her monthly round'
Still ending, ftill renewing, thro' mid heav'n,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties to enlighten th' earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is Paradife,
Adam's abode, thofe lofty fhades his bow'r.
The way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. 535
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,

As to fuperior fpi'rits is wont in heav'n,

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Where honour due and rev'rence none neglects,
Took leave, and tow'rd the coast of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, 740
Throws his steep flight in many an airy wheel;
Nor flay'd, till on Niphates top he lights.

END of the THIRD BOOK.

ARGU

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Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprife which he undertook alone against God and man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy and defpair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcribed; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state; but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their difcourfe, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat ef, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs; then leaves them a while, to know further of their fate by fome other means. Meanwhile Uriel defcending on a fun-beam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Pardife, that some evil spirit had escaped a the deep, and paffed at noon by bis fphere in the shape of a good angel down to Paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures on the mount. Gabriel promifes to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: their bower deferibed; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradife, appoints two strong angels to ¿ldam's bower, left the evil spirit should be there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom queftioned, he fcornfully anfwers; prepares refiftance, but hindered. by a fign from heaven, flies out of Paradife.

PARADISE

PARADISE LOS T.

BOOK IV.

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For that warning voice which he who faw Th' Apocalyps heard cry in heav'n aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to fecond rout, Came furious down to be reveng'd on men, Woe to th' inhabitants on earth! that now, While time was, our first parents had been warn'd The coming of their fecret foe, and 'fcap'd, Haply fo 'feap'd his mortal fnare: for now Satan, now firft inflam'd with rage, came down The tempter ere th' accufer of mankind, To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battle, and his flight to hell: Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold, Far off and fearlefs, nor with caufe to boaft, Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast, And like a dev'lifh engine back recoils Upon himself; horror and doubt diftra&t His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom ftir The hell within him; for within him hell He brings, and round about him, nor from hell One ftep, no more than from himfelf, can fly By change of place: now confcience wakes defpair That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory Qf what he was, what is, and what must be

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Worfe; of worfe deeds worfe fufferings must ensue. ́
Sometimes to w'ards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleafant, his griev'd look he fixes fad ;
Sometimes tow'rds heav'n, and the fall-blazing fun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tow'r:
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

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O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd, Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the God Of this new world; at whofe fight all the stars Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name, O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what fate I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down, Warring in heav'n against heav'n's matchlefs King. Ah, wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return From me whom he created what I was, In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard. What could be lefs, than to afford him praise, The eafieft recompenfe, and pay him thanks, How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me, And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high

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I 'fdeind fubjection, and thought one ftep higher 50
Would fet me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endless gratitude,
So burdenfome ftill paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him 1 ftill receiv'd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted and discharg'd; what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior angel, I had flood

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Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? fome other pow'r

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As

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As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other powers as great
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadft thou the fame free will and pow'r to stand ?
Thou hadft. Whom haft thou then, or what, to' ac-
But Heaven's free love, dealt equally to all? [cufe,
Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues.
Me miferable! which way fhall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite defpair!
Which way I fly is hell; myfelf am hell;
And in the loweft deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the hell 1 fuffer feems a heaven.
O then at last relent: is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left?
None left but by fubmiffion; and that word
Difdain forbids me, and my dread of fhame
Among the fpi'rits beneath, whom I feduc'd
With other promises and other vaunts
Than to fubmit, boafting I could fubdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boaft fo vain,
Under what torments inwardly I groan,

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While they adore me on the throne of hell,
With diadem and fceptre high advanc'd,
The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme

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In mifery: fuch joy ambition finds.

But fay I could repent, and could obtain

By act of grace my former flate; how foon

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Would height recall high thoughts, how foon unfay

What feign'd fubmiffion fwore? eafe would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void.

For

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