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in the shape of a good angel down to Paradife, discovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: Their bower defcrib'd; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradife, appoints two strong angels to Adam's bower, left the evil spirit fhould 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 questioned, hefcornfully answers; prepares refistance, but hindered by a fign from heaven, flies out of Paradise.

LOST.

PARADISE

BOOK IV.

For that warning voice, which he who faw The Apocalyps hear'd 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 fcap'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 fpeed, though bold, Far off, and fearless, nor with cause to boast, Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breaft, And like a devilish engine back recoils Upon himfelf; horror and doubt diftract 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 himself, can fly By change of place: Now confcience wakes defpair

That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worfe; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.
Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad ;
Sometimes towards heav'n and the full-blazing fun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tower :
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd,
Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the god
Of this new world; at whose 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 state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;
Till pride, and worse ambition, threw me down,
Warring in heav'n against heav'n's matchless 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
I fdeind fubjection, and thought one step higher
Would fet me high'ft, and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endless gratitude,
So burdenfome still paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I ftill receiv'd;
And understood not that a grateful mind

By owing owes not, but still 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

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

As great might have aspir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other pow'rs 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 accufe,
But heav'n's free love, dealt equally to all?
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
Chose 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; myself am hell;
And in the loweft deep, a lower deep
Still threat'ning to devour me opens wide,
To which the hell I 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 fp'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 beaft fo vain,

Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of hell.
With diadem and feepter high advanc'd,
The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme
In mifery: Such joy ambition finds.
But fay I could repent, and could obtain

By act of grace my former state; how foon
Would heighth recall high thoughts, how foon unfay
What feign'd fubmiffion fwore? eafe would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow

Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep :
Which would but lead me to a worse relapfe,
And heavier fall: So fhould I purchase dear
Short intermiffion bought with double fmart.
This knows my punisher; therefore as far
From granting he, as I from begging peace:
All hope excluded thus, behold inftead
Of us out-cast, exil'd, his new delight,
Mankind created, and for him this world.
So farewel hope, and with hope farewel fear,
Farewel remorfe : All good to me is lost ;
Evil be thou my good; by thee at least
Divided empire with heav'n's King I hold,
By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign;
As man ere long, and this now world fhall know.

Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and despair; Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.

For heav'nly minds from fuch diftempers foul

Are ever clear. Whereof he foon aware,