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To Satan only like both crime and doom.
O Confcience! into what abyfs of fears
And horrors haft thou driv'n me? Out of which
I find no way, from deep to deeper plung'd!
Thus Adam to himfelf lamented loud
845
Through the still night, not now, as ere man

fell,

Wholesome and cool, and mild; but with black air

Accompanied : with damps and dreadful gloom;

Which, to his evil confcience reprefented

All things with double terror. On the

ground

850 Outftretch'd he lay, on the cold ground, and

oft

Curs'd his creation; Death as oft accus'd
Of tardy execution, fince denoune'd

The day of his offence. Why comes not Death,
Said he, with one thrice acceptable ftroke 855
To end me? fhall truth fail to keep her word,
Juftice divine not hasten to be just?
But Death comes not at call, justice divine
Mends not her fleweft pace for prayers or

crias.

O woods, o fountains, *) hillocks, dales, and

bow'rs!

* Perhaps it fhou'd be, Hills, Rocks,

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With other echo late I thaught your shades
To answer, and resound far other song!
Whom thus afflicted when fad Eve beheld,
Defolate where fhe fat, approaching nigh,
Soft words to his fierce paffion fhe affay'd: 865
But her with ftern regard he thus repell'd.
Out of my fight, thou ferpent!

name best

That

Befits thee with him leagu'd; thyself as false And hateful: nothing wants, but that thy fhape,

Like his, and color ferpentine, may fhow 870 Thy inward fraud; to warn all creatures from thee

Henceforth; left that too heav'nly form, pretended

To hellifh falfehood fnare them! But for thee
I had perfifted happy; had not thy pride
And wand'ring vanity, when leaft was fafe, 875
Rejected my forewarning, and difdain'd
Not to be trusted; longing to be seen,

Though by the Devil himself; him overwee

ning

To over reach: but with the ferpent meeting
Fool'd and beguil'd, by him thou, I by thee 880
To truft thee from my fide; imagin'd wife,
Conftant, mature, proof against all assaults,
And understood not all was but a show
Rather than fólid virtue; all but a rib

Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, 885 More to the part finister, from me drawn; Well if thrown out, as fupernumerary

To my juft number found.

God,

O! why did

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Creator wife, that peopled highest Heav'n
With spirits masculine, create at last
This novelty on earth, this fair defect
Of nature, and not fill the world at once
With men as Angels without feminine,
Or find fome other way to generate
Mankind? This mischief had not then be-
fall'n,

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And more that shall befall: innumerable
Disturbances on earth through female fnares,
And ftrait conjunction with this fex: for either
He never fhall find out fit mete; but fuch
As fome misfortune brings him, or mi-
stake;

900 Or whom he wishes moft, fhail feldom gain Through her perverfenefs; but fhall fee her gain'd

By a far worse: or if she love, withheld'
By parents; or his happieft choice too late
Shall meet, already link'd and wedlok-
bound

To a fell adverfary, his hate, or shame:

Which infinite calamity fhall cause

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To human life, and houfhold peace confound.

He added not, and from her turn'd; But

Eve

Not fo repuls'd, with tears that ceas'd not flowing,

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910

And treffes all diforder'd, at his feed
Fell humble; and embracing them besought
His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint,
Forfake me not thus, Adam! Witness Heav'n
What love fincere, and, reverence in my
heart
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I bear thee, and unweeting have offended,
Unhappily deceiv'd! thy fuppliant.

I beg, and clafp thy knees; bereave me not,
Whereon I live! thy gentle looks, thy aid,
Thy counfel in this uttermoft diftrefs,

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My only ftrength and ftay! Forlorn of thee, Whither fhall I betake me, where fubfift? While yet we live, fcarce one short hour perhaps,

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Between us two let there be peace, both joi

ning,

As join'd in injuries, one enmity

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Against a foe by doom exprefs affign'd us,
That cruel ferpent! On me exercise not
Thy hatred for this mifery befall'n:
On me already loft! Me, than thyfelf
More miferable! both have finn'd; but thou 930
Against God only; I against God, and thee:
And to the place of jugdment will return.

There with my cries importune Heav'n, that

all:

The fentence, from thy head remov'd, may light

On me, fole caufe to thee of all this woe, 935 Me, me only, juft object of his ire!

She ended weeping; and her lowly plight : Immoveable till peace obtain'd from fault Acknowledg'd, and deplor'd, in Adam wrought Commiferation: foon his heart relented 940 Towards her, his life folate and fole delight, Now at his feet fubmiflive in diftrefs! Creature so fair his reconcilement seeking, His counfel, whom The had difpleas'd, his aid! As one difarm'd, his anger all he loft; 945 And' thus with paceful words uprais'd her foon.

Unwary, and too defirous as before,

So now of what thou know'ft not, who defir'ft

The punishment all on thyself! Alas!

Bear thine own firft; ill able to fuftain

950

His full wrath, whose thou feel'ft as yet least

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And my displeasure bear'st so ill. If pray'rs Could alter high decrees, I to that place. Would speed before thee, and be louder heard, That on my head all might be visited,

Thy frailty and infirmer fex forgiv'n,

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