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So fit, so ácceptable, so divine,
That from her hand I could suspect no ill,
And what she did, whatever in itself,
Her doing seemed to justify the deed,
She gave me of the tree, and I did eat."

To whom the sovran Presence thus replied:
"Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice? or was she made thy guide,
Superior, or but equal, that to her

Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place
'Wherein God set thee above her made of thee
And for thee, whose perfection far excelled
Hers in all real dignity? Adorned
She was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts
Were such as under government well seemed,
Unseemly to bear rule, which was thy part
And person, hadst thou known thyself aright."

66

So having said, he thus to Eve in few:

140

145

150

155

Say, woman, what is this which thou hast done?"

To whom sad Eve, with shame nigh overwhelmed,
Confessing soon, yet not before her Judge
Bold or loquacious, thus abashed replied:
"The serpent me beguiled, and I did eat."

Which when the Lord God heard, without delay To judgment he proceeded on the accused

141. whatever in itself, whatever it might be in itself, in its own character.

143. She gave. "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Genesis iii. 12.

147. but, only; even.

160

154. well seemed, showed well; were well becoming.

156. person, character, as in a play; the Latin "persona." 157. in few, in few words. 162. beguiled. See Genesis iii. 13.

Serpent, though brute, unable to transfer
The guilt on him who made him instrument
Of mischief, and polluted from the end
Of his creation; justly then accursed,
As vitiated in nature. More to know
Concerned not man (since he no further kne
Nor altered his offence: yet God at last
To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied,
Though in mysterious terms, judged as then
And on the serpent thus his curse let fall:
"Because thou hast done this, thou art accur
Above all cattle, each beast of the field;
Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go,
And dust shalt eat all the days of thy life.
Between thee and the woman I will put
Enmity, and between thine and her seed;
Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise h

So spake this oracle, then verified When Jesus, son of Mary, second Eve, Saw Satan fall like lightning down from heav Prince of the air; then rising from his grave Spoiled principalities and powers, triumphed In open show, and with ascension bright Captivity led captive through the air, The realm itself of Satan long usurped, Whom he shall tread at last under our feet; Even he who now foretold his fatal bruise, And to the woman thus his sentence turned:

66

Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply

By thy conception; children thou shalt bring

167. end, purpose, object.

169. More to know, that is. that Satan was the real tempter.

171. at last, finally.

173. judged as then best, considered to be best at that time. 175. See Genesis iii. 14, 15.

184. Saw Satan fall he said unto them, Satan as lightning f heaven." Luke x. 18. 188. Captivity led cap Ephesians iv. 8.

192. See Genesis iii. 10

In sorrow forth, and to thy husband's will
Thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule."

195

On Adam last thus judgment he pronounced: "Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife,

And eaten of the tree concerning which

199

I charged thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat thereof,'
Cursed is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow
Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth
Unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
Till thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground wast taken: know thy birth,
For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return."

205

211

So judged he Man, both Judge and Saviour sent,
And the instant stroke of death denounced that day
Removed far off; then, pitying how they stood
Before him naked to the air that now
Must suffer change, disdained not to begin
Thenceforth the form of servant to assume;
As when he washed his servants' feet, so now,
As father of his family, he clad

Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain,
Or as the snake with youthful coat repaid;
And thought not much to clothe his enemies :
Nor he their outward only with the skins

197. On Adam last. See Gen. esis iii. 17-19.

210. instant, immediate. 214. the form of servant. Philippians ii. 7.

215

220

219. not much, it not too much. 220-224. And he not only covered from his Father's sight their See outward nakedness with the skins of beasts, but he also covered their inward nakedness, which was much more shameful, arraying it with his robe of righteousness. See Isaiah Ixi. 10.

215. As when. See John xiii. 1-16.

217. or, whether.

218. Or anew provided, like the snake, with youthful coat.

Of beasts, but inward nakedness much more
Opprobrious with his robe of righteousness
Arraying, covered from his Father's sight.
To him with swift ascent he up returned,
Into his blissful bosom reassumed
In glory as of old; to him appeased

All, though all-knowing, what had passed with man Recounted, mixing intercession sweet.

225

Meanwhile, ere thus was sinned and judged on

earth,

Within the gates of Hell sat Sin and Death
In counterview, within the gates that now
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame
Far into Chaos, since the Fiend passed through,
Sin opening, who thus now to Death began:

"O son, why sit we here each other viewing
Idly, while Satan, our great author, thrives
In other worlds and happier seat provides
For us his offspring dear? It cannot be
But that success attends him; if mishap,
Ere this he had returned with fury driven
By his avengers, since no place like this
Can fit his punishment or their revenge.
Methinks I feel new strength within me rise,
Wings growing, and dominion given me large
Beyond this deep; whatever draws me on,
Or sympathy, or some connatural force,
Powerful at greatest distance to unite
With secret amity things of like kind

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230

235

240

245

231. In counterview, opposite to each other; face to face. 234. Sin opening. See II. 871-883.

240. had, would have. 246. Or, whether. - connatural, of a common nature.

By secretest conveyance. Thou, my shade
Inseparable, must with me along ;

For Death from Sin no power can separate.
But lest the difficulty of passing back

Stay his return perhaps over this gulf
Impassable, impervious, let us try

Adventurous work, yet to thy power and mine
Not unagreeable, to found a path

Over this main from Hell to that new world
Where Satan now prevails, a monument
Of merit high to all the infernal host,
Easing their passage hence for intercourse
Or transmigration, as their lot shall lead.
Nor can I miss the way, so strongly drawn
By this new-felt attraction and instinct."

Whom thus the meagre Shadow answered soon: "Go whither fate and inclination strong Leads thee; I shall not lag behind, nor err

The way, thou leading, such a scent. I draw

Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste

The savor of death from all things there that live: Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest

Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.”

So saying, with delight he snuffed the smell
Of mortal change on earth. As when a flock
Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote,
Against the day of battle to a field

Where armies lie encamped come flying, lured
With scent of living carcasses designed

250. must, must go.
254. impervious, without way
through.

256. unagreeable, unsuitable. 257. this main. See 245; also II. 890-910.

260, 261. for intercourse or trans

250

255

260

265

270

275

migration, either for passing to and fro, or for removing altogether. -as their lot shall lead, as shall be determined for them.'" 266. err, mistake.

270. enterprisest, undertakest.

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