Into the thickest wood; there soon they chose 1100
The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renowned,
But such as at this day to Indians known

In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms

Branching so broad and long, that in the ground
The bended twigs take root and daughters grow
About the mother tree, a pillared shade
High overarched, and echoing walks between;
There oft the Indian herdsman, shunning heat,
Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds
At loop-holes cut through thickest shade.

leaves

1106

Those

1111

1115

They gathered, broad as Amazonian targe,
And, with what skill they had, together sewed,
To gird their waist; vain covering, if to hide
Their guilt and dreaded shame! O how unlike
To that first naked glory! Such of late
Columbus found the American, so girt
With feathered cincture, naked else and wild
Among the trees on isles and woody shores.
Thus fenced and, as they thought, their shame in part
Covered, but not at rest or ease of mind,

They sat them down to weep; nor only tears
Rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within
Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate,

1120

1102 Indians, the inhabitants leaves are not large, so that of India. the description in line 1111 is incorrect.

1103. Malabar or Decan. The Deccan is a name formerly applied to the whole of the southern part of Hindostan. Its western coast is called Malabar.

1109. cool, the cool.

1110. loop-holes cut, having cut openings through which he can watch.

1111. Amazonian targe, the shield of an Amazon. The Amazons were a race of female warriors.

1115. of late, lately. Miltor was two centuries nearer Colum bus than we are.

1119. fenced, defended.

Fraud in the serpent, speaking as he spake;
No ground of enmity between us known
Why he should mean me ill, or seek to harm.
Was I to have never parted from thy side?
As good have grown there still a lifeless rib!
Being as I am, why didst not thou, the head,
Command me absolutely not to go,
Going into such danger as thou saidst?
Too facile then, thou didst not much gainsay,
Nay, didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Hadst thou been firm and fixed in thy dissent,
Neither had I transgressed, nor thou with me."

To whom then first incensed Adam replied:
"Is this the love, is this the recompense
Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, expressed
Immutable when thou wert lost, not I,
Who might have lived and joyed immortal bliss,
Yet willingly chose rather death with thee?
And am I now upbraided as the cause
Of thy transgressing? not enough severe,
It seems, in thy restraint; what could I more?
I warned thee, I admonished thee, foretold
The danger, and the lurking enemy

That lay in wait; beyond this had been force,
And force upon free will hath here no place.
But confidence then bore thee on, secure
Either to meet no danger or to find
Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps
I also erred in overmuch admiring

"The

1152. Why, for which.
1155. thou, the head.
head of the woman is the man."
Corinthians xi. 3.

1160. dissent, refusal; objec-
tion.

1164. mine, my love. -expressed. See lines 952-959.

1166. joyed, enjoyed.

1150

1155

1160

1165

1170

1175

1170. in thy restraint, in restraining thee.— could I, could I do.

1173. beyond this had been force, anything more than this would have been force.

1175. secure, in sure belief.

ht

ok,

11

ng,

end, there

BOOK X.

THE ARGUMENT.

Man's transgression known, the guardian angels forsake Paradise and return up to Heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved; God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He sends his Son to judge the transgressors, who descends and gives sentence accordingly; then in pity clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Death, sitting till then at the gates of Hell, by wondrous sympathy feeling the success of Satan in this new world and the sin by man there committed, resolve to sit no longer confined in Hell, but to follow Satan their sire up to the place of man. To make the way easier from Hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad highway or bridge over Chaos, according to the track that Satan first made; then preparing for Earth, they meet him, proud of his success, returning to Hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full assembly relates, with boasting, his success against man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed with himself also suddenly into serpents, according to his doom given in Paradise: then, deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes. The proceedings of Sin and Death. God foretells the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the present commands his angels to make several alterations in the heavens and elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails; rejects the condolement of Eve; she persists, and at length appeases him: then, to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring, proposes to Adam violent ways which he approves not, but conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late promise made them, that her seed should be revenged on the Serpent, and exhorts her, with him, to seek peace with the offended Deity by repentance and supplication.

MEANWHILE the heinous and despiteful act
Of Satan done in Paradise, and how