As Flesh to mix with Flesh, or Soul with Soul.
But I can now no more; the parting Sun

Beyond the Earth's green Cape and verdant Isles
Hefperian fets, my Signal to depart.

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Be ftrong, live happy, and love, but first of all
Him whom to love is to obey, and keep

His great command; take heed left Paffion fway

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Thy Judgment to do ought, which else free Will
Would not admit; thine and of all thy Sons
The weal or woc in Thee is plac'd; beware.

I in thy perfevering shall rejoyce,

And all the Bleft: stand fast; to ftand or fall

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Free in thine own Arbitrement it lies,

Perfect within, no outward aid require;
And all temptation to tranfgrefs repel.

So faying, he arofe; whom Adam thus
Follow'd with benediction. Since to part,
Go heav'nly Gueft, Ethereal Messenger,
Sent from whose fov'reign goodness I adore.
Gentle to me and affable hath been

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Thy condefcenfion, and shall be honour'd ever

With grateful Memorie: thou to mankind

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Be good and friendly still, and oft return.

So parted they, the Angel up to Heav'n From the thick fhade, and Adam to his Bowre.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK IX.

The ARGUMENT.

Satan having compaft the Earth, with me. ditated guile returns as amift by Night into Paradife, and enters into the Serpent sleep. ing. Adam and Eve in the Morning go forth to their labours, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each labouring apart: Adam confents not, alledging the danger left that Enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd fhould attempt her found alone: Eve, loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make tryal of her Strength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, firft gazing, then speaking, with much

much flattery extolling Eve above all other Creatures. Eve wondring to hear the Serpent Speak, asks how he attain'd to ba man Speech and such understanding not 'till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain Tree in the Garden be attain'd both to Speech and Reafon, 'till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring ber to that Tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and agruments induces her at length to eat; fhe pleas'd with the tafte deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the Fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof : Adam at first amaz'd, but perceiving her löft, refolves through vehemence of love to perifh with her; and extenuating the tref pafs eats alfo of the Fruit: The Effects thereof in them both; they feek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another.

No

N

O more of talk where God or Angel Guest With Man, as with his Friend, familiar us'd

To fit indulgent, and with him partake

Rural repaft, permitting him the while

Venial difcourfe unblam'd: I now must change

Those Notes to Tragic: foul diftruft, and breach
Difloyal on the part of Man, revolt,

And difobedience: On the part of Heav'n

Now alienated, diftance and distaste,
Anger and juft rebuke, and judgment giv'n,
That brought into this World a World of woe,
Sin and her fhadow Death, and Mifery
Death's Harbinger: Sad task, yet argument
Not lefs but more Heroic than the wrath
Offtern Achilles on his Foe purfu'd
Thrice Fugitive about Troy Wall; or ragé
Of Turnus for Lavinia dif-efpous'd,
Or Neptune's ire, or Juno's that fo long
Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's Son ;
If answerable ftyle I can obtain

Of my Celestial Patronefs, who deigns
Her nightly visitation unimplor'd,

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IS

And dictates to me,flumb'ring, or infpines

With long and tedious havoc fabled Knights
In Battles feign'd; the better fortitude
Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom
Unfung; or to defcribe Races and Games,
Or tilting Furniture, emblazon'd Shields,
impreffes quaint, Caparifons and Steeds,

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