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;
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, By secretest conveyance. Thou, my shade
Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel." Inseparable, must with me along:
So spake this oracle, then verified
When Jesus, son of Mary, second Eve,
Saw Satan fall, like lightning, down from Heaven, Prince of the air; then, rising from his grave, Spoil'd principalities and powers, triumph'd In open show; and, with ascension bright, Captivity led captive through the air, The realm itself of Satan, long usurp'd; Whom he shall tread at last under our feet; Ev'n he, who now foretold his fatal bruise: And to the woman thus his sentence turn'd. "Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply By thy conception; children thou shalt bring In sorrow forth; and to thy husband's will Thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule."
On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd. "Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which
I charg'd thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat thereof:' Curs'd 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."
So judg'd he Man, both judge and savior sent; And the instant stroke of death, denounc'd that day, Remov'd far off; then, pitying how they stood Before him naked to the air, that now Must suffer change, disdain'd not to begin Thenceforth the form of servant to assume; As when he wash'd 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 Of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more Opprobrious, with his robe of righteousness Arraying, cover'd from his Father's sight. To him with swift ascent he up return'd, Into his blissful bosom reassum'd
In glory, as of old; to him appeas'd,
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 answer'd 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 snuff'd 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 encamp'd, come flying, lur'd With scent of living carcasses design'd For death, the following day, in bloody fight: So scented the grim feature, and upturn'd His nostril wide into the murky air; Sagacious of his quarry from so far.
Then both from out Hell-gates, into the waste Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark,
Flew diverse; and with power (their power was great) Hovering upon the waters, what they met Solid or slimy, as in raging sea
Tost up and down, together crowded drove, From each side shoaling towards the mouth of Hell: As when two polar winds, blowing adverse Upon the Cronian sea, together drive Mountains of ice, that stop the imagin'd way Beyond Petsora eastward, to the rich
Cathaian coast. The aggregated soil
Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry, As with a trident smote, and fix'd as firm
All, though all-knowing, what had pass'd with Man As Delos, floating once; the rest his look Recounted, mixing intercession sweet.
Meanwhile, ere thus was sinn'd and judg'd 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 pass'd 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 return'd, 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,
Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move; And with Asphaltic slime, broad as the gate, Deep to the roots of Hell the gather'd beach They fasten'd, and the mole immense wrought on Over the foaming deep high-arch'd, a bridge Of length prodigious, joining to the wall Immovable of this now fenceless world, Forfeit to Death; from hence a passage broad, Smooth, easy, inoffensive, down to Hell. So, if great things to small may be compar'd, Xerxes, the liberty of Greece to yoke, From Susa, his Memnonian palace high, Came to the sea; and, over Hellespont Bridging his way, Europe with Asia join'd, And scourg'd with many a stroke the indignant waves. Now had they brought the work by wondrous art
| Pontifical, a ridge of pendent rock,
Over the vex'd abyss, following the track Of Satan to the self-same place where he First lighted from his wing, and landed safe From out of Chaos, to the outside bare Of this round world: with pins of adamant And chains they made all fast, too fast they made And durable! And now in little space The confines met of empyréan Heaven, And of this world; and, on the left hand, Hell With long reach interpos'd; three several ways In sight, to each of these three places led. And now their way to Earth they had descried, To Paradise first tending; when, behold! Satan, in likeness of an angel bright, Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion steering His zenith, while the Sun in Aries rose: Disguis'd he came; but those his children dear Their parent soon discern'd, though in disguise. He, after Eve seduc'd, unminded slunk Into the wood fast by; and, changing shape, To observe the sequel, saw his guileful act By Eve, though all unweeting, seconded Upon her husband; saw their shame that sought Vain covertures; but when he saw descend The Son of God to judge them, terrified He fled; not hoping to escape, but shun The present; fearing, guilty, what his wrath Might suddenly inflict; that past, return'd By night, and listening where the hapless pair Sat in their sad discourse, and various plaint, Thence gather'd his own doom; which understood Not instant, but of future time, with joy And tidings fraught, to Hell he now return'd; And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhop'd Met, who to meet him came, his offspring dear. Great joy was at their meeting, and at sight Of that stupendous bridge his joy increas'd. Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his fair Enchanting daughter, thus the silence broke.
"O parent, these are thy magnific deeds, Thy trophies! which thou view'st as not thine own; Thou art their author, and prime architect: For I no sooner in my heart divin'd, My heart, which by a secret harmony
Still moves with thine, join'd in connexion sweet, That thou on Earth hadst prosper'd, which thy looks Now also evidence, but straight I felt, Though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt That I must after thee, with this thy son; Such fatal consequence unites us three; Hell could no longer hold us in our bounds, Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure Detain from following thy illustrious track: Thou hast achiev'd our liberty, confin'd Within Hell-gates till now; thou us empower'd To fortify thus far, and overlay,
With this portentous bridge, the dark abyss. Thine now is all this world; thy virtue hath won What thy hands builded not; thy wisdom gain'd With odds what war hath lost, and fully aveng'd Our foil in Heaven; here thou shalt monarch reign, There didst not; there let him still victor sway, As battle hath adjudg'd; from this new world Retiring, by his own doom alienated; And henceforth monarchy with thee divide Of all things, parted by the empyreal bounds, His quadrature, from thy orbicular world; Or try thee now more dangerous to his throne." Whom thus the prince of darkness answer'd glad.
Fair daughter, and thou son and grand-child both; High proof ye now have given to be the race Of Satan, (for I glory in the name, Antagonist of Heaven's Almighty King.) Amply have merited of me, of all
The infernal empire, that so near Heaven's door Triumphal with triumphal act have met, Mine, with this glorious work; and made one realm, Hell and this world, one realm, one continent Of easy thoroughfare. Therefore, while I Descend through darkness, on your road with ease, To my associate powers, them to acquaint With these successes, and with them rejoice; You two this way, among these numerous orbs, All yours, right down to Paradise descend; There dwell, and reign in bliss; thence on the Earth Dominion exercise and in the air,
Chiefly on Man, sole lord of all declar'd; Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. My substitutes I send ye, and create Plenipotent on Earth, of matchless might Issuing from me: on your joint vigor now My hold of this new kingdom all depends, Through Sin to Death expos'd by my exploit. If your joint power prevail, the affairs of Hell No detriment need fear; go, and be strong!"
So saying, he dismiss'd them; they with speed Their course through thickest constellations held, Spreading their bane; the blasted stars look'd wan And planets, planet-struck, real eclipse Then suffer'd. The other way Satan went down The causey to Hell-gate: on either side Disparted Chaos over-built exclaim'd, And with rebounding surge the bars assail'd, That scorn'd his indignation: through the gate, Wide open and unguarded, Satan pass'd, And all about found desolate; for those, Appointed to sit there, had left their charge, Flown to the upper world; the rest were all Far to the inland retir'd, about the walls Of Pandemonium; city and proud seat Of Lucifer, so by allusion call'd
Of that bright star to Satan paragon'd; There kept their watch the legions, while the grand In council sat, solicitous what chance Might intercept their emperor sent; so he Departing gave command, and they observ'd. As when the Tartar from his Russian foe, By Astracan, over the snowy plains, Retires; or Bactrian Sophi, from the horns Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond The realm of Aladule, in his retreat
To Tauris or Casbeen: so these, the late Heaven-banish'd host, left desert utmost Hell Many a dark league, reduc'd in careful watch Round their metropolis; and now expecting Each hour their great adventurer, from the search Of foreign worlds; he through the midst unmark'd, In show plebeian angel militant
Of lowest order, pass'd; and from the door Of that Plutonian hall, invisible Ascended his high throne; which, under state Of richest texture spread, at the upper end Was plac'd in regal lustre. Down awhile
He sat, and round about him saw, unseen: At last, as from a cloud, his fulgent head And shape star-bright appear'd, or brighter; clad With what permissive glory since his fall Was left him, or false glitter: all amaz'd At that so sudden blaze, the Stygian throng
Bent their aspéct, and whom they wish'd beheld, Their mighty chief return'd: loud was the acclaim: Forth rush'd in haste the great consulting peers, Rais'd from their dark divan, and with like joy Congratulant approach'd him; who with hand Silence, and with these words, attention won.
With complicated monsters head and tail, Scorpion, and asp, and amphisbæna dire, Cerastes horn'd, hydrus, and elops drear, And dipsas; (not so thick swarm'd once the soil Bedropt with blood of Gorgon, or the isle Ophiusa,) but still greatest he the midst,
"Thrones, dominations, princedoms, virtues,Now dragon grown, larger than whom the Sun
For in possession such, not only of right, I call ye, and declare ye now; return'd Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth Triumphant out of this infernal pit Abominable, accurs'd, the house of woe, And dungeon of our tyrant: now possess, As lords, a spacious world, to our native Heaven Little inferior, by my adventure hard
With peril great achiev'd. Long were to tell What I have done; what suffer'd; with what Voyag'd th' unreal, vast, unbounded deep Of horrible confusion; over which By Sin and Death a broad way now is pav'd To expedite your glorious march; but 1 Toil'd out my uncouth passage, forc'd to ride The untractable abyss, plung'd in the womb Of unoriginal Night and Chaos wild; That, jealous of their secrets, fiercely oppos'd My journey strange, with clamorous uproar Protesting Fate supreme; thence how I found The new created world, which fame in Heaven Long had foretold, a fabric wonderful Of absolute perfection! therein Man Plac'd in a Paradise, by our exíle
Made happy him by fraud I have seduc'd From his Creator; and, the more to increase Your wonder, with an apple; he, thereat Offended, worth your laughter! hath given up Both his beloved Man and all his world, To Sin and Death a prey, and so to us, Without our hazard, labor, or alarm; To range in, and to dwell, and over Man To rule, as over all he should have rul'd. True is, me also he hath judg'd, or rather Me not, but the brute serpent in whose shape Man I deceiv'd: that which to me belongs Is enmity, which he will put between Me and mankind; I am to bruise his heel; His seed, when is not set, shall bruise my head: A world who would not purchase with a bruise, Or much more grievous pain?-Ye have the account Of my performance: what remains, ye gods, But up, and enter now into full bliss?"
So having said, awhile he stood, expecting Their universal shout and high applause, To fill his ear; when, contrary, he hears On all sides, from innumerable tongues, A dismal universal hiss, the sound Of public scorn; he wonder'd, but not long Had leisure, wondering at himself now more ; His visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare; His arms clung to his ribs; his legs entwining Each other, till supplanted down he fell A monstrous serpent on his belly prone, Reluctant, but in vain; a greater power Now ruled him, punish'd in the shape he sinn'd, According to his doom: he would have spoke, But hiss for hiss return'd with forked tongue To forked tongue; for now were all transform'd Alike, to serpents all, as accessories
To his bold riot: dreadful was the din
Of hissing through the hall, thick swarming now
A grove hard by, sprung up with this their change, His will who reigns above, to aggravate Their penance, laden with fair fruit, like that Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve Us'd by the tempter: on that prospect strange Their earnest eyes they fix'd, imagining For one forbidden tree a multitude
Now ris'n, to work them further woe or shame; Yet, parch'd with scalding thirst and hunger fierce, Though to delude them sent, could not abstain; But on they roll'd in heaps, and up the trees Climbing, sat thicker than the snaky locks That curl'd Megara: greedily they pluck'd The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flam'd: This more delusive, not the touch, but taste Deceiv'd: they, fondly thinking to allay Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit Chew'd bitter ashes, which the offended taste With spattering noise rejected: oft they assay'd, Hunger and thirst constraining; drugg'd as oft, With hatefullest disrelish writh'd their jaws, With soot and cinders fill'd; so oft they fell Into the same illusion, not as Man Whom they triumph'd once laps'd. Thus were they And worn with famine, long and ceaseless hiss, Till their lost shape, permitted, they resum'd; Yearly enjoin'd, some say, to undergo This annual humbling certain number'd days, To dash their pride, and joy, for Man seduc'd. However, some tradition they dispers'd Among the Heathen, of their purchase got, And fabled how the serpent, whom they call'd Ophion, with Eurynome, the wide- Encroaching Eve perhaps, had first the rule Of high Olympus; thence by Saturn driven And Ops, ere yet Dictman Jove was born.
Meanwhile in Paradise the hellish pair Too soon arriv'd; Sin, there in power before, Once actual; now in body, and to dwell Habitual habitant; behind her Death, Close following pace for pace, not mounted yet On his pale horse: to whom Sin thus began. "Second of Satan sprung, all-conquering Death
What think'st thou of our empire now, though earn'd In sextile, square, and trine, and opposite, With travel difficult, not better far
Than still at Hell's dark threshold to have sat watch, Unnam'd, undreaded, and thyself half-starv'd ?" Whom thus the Sin-born monster answer'd soon. To me, who with eternal famine pine, Alike is Hell, or Paradise, or Heaven; There best, where most with ravine I may meet; Which here, though plenteous, all too little seems To stuff this maw, this vast unhide-bound corps." To whom the incestuous mother thus replied. "Thou therefore on these herbs, and fruits, and flowers,
Of noxious efficacy, and when to join In synod unbenign; and taught the fix'd Their influence malignant when to shower, Which of them rising with the Sun, or falling, Should prove tempestuous; to the winds they set Their corners, when with bluster to confound Sea, air, and shore; the thunder when to roll With terror through the dark aëreal hall. Some say he bid his angels turn askance The poles of Earth, twice ten degrees and more From the Sun's axle; they with labor push'd Oblique the centric globe: some say, the Sun
Feed first; on each beast next, and fish and fowl; Was bid turn reins from the equinoctial road No homely morsels! and whatever thing
The scythe of Time mows down, devour unspar'd; Till I, in Man residing, through the race, His thoughts, his looks, words, actions, all infect; And season him thy last and sweetest prey."
This said, they both betook them several ways, Both to destroy, or unimmortal make All kinds, and for destruction to mature Sooner or later; which the Almighty seeing. From his transcendent seat the saints among To those bright orders uttered thus his voice. "See, with what heat these dogs of Hell advance To waste and havoc yonder world, which I So fair and good created; and had still Kept in that state, had not the folly of Man Let in these wasteful furies, who impute Folly to me; so doth the prince of Hell And his adherents, that with so much ease I suffer them to enter and possess A place so heavenly: and, conniving, seem To gratify my scornful enemies,
That laugh, as if, transported with some fit Of passion, I to them had quitted all, At random yielded up to their misrule;
And know not that I call'd, and drew them, thither, My Hell-hounds, to lick up the draff and filth Which Man's polluting sin with taint hath shed On what was pure; till cramm'd and gorg'd, nigh burst
With suck'd and glutted offal, at one sling Of thy victorious arm, well pleasing Son, Both Sin, and Death, and yawning Grave, at last, Through Chaos hurl'd, obstruct the mouth of Hell For ever, and seal up his ravenous jaws. Then Heaven and Earth renew'd shall be made pure To sanctity, that shall receive no stain: Till then, the curse pronounc'd on both precedes." He ended, and the heavenly audience loud Sung Halleluiah, as the sound of seas, Through multitude that sung: "Just are thy ways, Righteous are thy decrees on all thy works; Who can extenuate thee? Next, to the Son, Destin'd Restorer of mankind, by whom New Heaven and Earth shall to the ages rise, Or down from Heaven descend."-Such was their song;
While the Creator, calling forth by name His mighty angels, gave them several charge, As sorted best with present things. The Sun Had first his precept so to move, so shine, As might affect the Earth with cold and heat Scarce tolerable, and from the north to call Decrepit winter; from the south to bring Solstitial summer's heat. To the blanc Moon Her office they prescribed; to the other five Their planetary motions, and aspécis,
Like distant breadth to Taurus with the seven Atlantic Sisters, and the Spartan Twins, Up to the tropic Crab: thence down amain By Leo, and the Virgin, and the Scales, As deep as Capricorn; to bring in change Of seasons to each clime; else had the spring Perpetual smil'd on Earth with vernant flow'rs, Equal in days and nights, except to those Beyond the polar circles; to them day Had unbenighted shone, while the low Sun, To recompense his distance, in their sight Had rounded still the horizon, and not known Or east or west; which had forbid the snow From cold Estotiland, and south as far Beneath Magellan. At that tasted fruit The Sun, as from Thyéstean banquet, turn'd His course intended; else, how had the world Inhabited, though sinless, more than now, Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat? These changes in the Heavens, though slow, produc'd Like change on sea and land; sideral blast, Vapor, and mist, and exhalation hot, Corrupt and pestilent: now, from the north Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shore, Bursting their brazen dungeon, arm'd with ice, And snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw, Boreas, and Cæcias, and Argestes loud, And Thrascias, rend the woods, and seas upturn, With adverse blast upturns them from the south Notus, and Afer black with thunderous clouds From Serraliona; thwart of these, as fierce, Forth rush the Lévant and the Ponent winds, Eurus and Zephyr, with their lateral noise, Sirocco and Libecchio. Thus began Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first, Daughter of Sin, among the irrational Death introduc'd, through fierce antipathy: Beast now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl, And fish with fish: to graze the herb all leaving, Devour'd each other; nor stood much in awe Of man, but fled him: or, with countenance grim, Glar'd on him passing. These were from without The growing miseries, which Adam saw Already in part, though hid in gloomiest shade, To sorrow abandon'd, but worse felt within; And, in a troubled sea of passion tost, Thus to disburden sought with sad complaint.
"O miserable of happy! Is this the end Of this new glorious world, and me so late The glory of that glory, who now become Accurs'd, of blessed? hide me from the face Of God, whom to behold was then my height Of happiness!-Yet well, if here would end The misery; I deserv'd it, and would bear My own deservings; but this will not serve: All that I eat or drink, or shall beget,
Is propagated curse. O voice, once heard Delightfully, Increase and multiply; Now death to hear! for what can I increase, Or multiply, but curses on my head? Who of all ages to succeed, but, feeling The evil on him brought by me, will curse My head? Ill fare our ancestor impure, For this we may thank Adam! but his thanks Shall be the execration: so, besides Mine own that bide upon me, all from me Shall with a fierce reflux on me rebound; On me, as on their natural centre, light Heavy, though in their place. O fleeting joys Of Paradise, dear bought with lasting woes! Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould me Man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me, or here place In this delicious garden? As my will Concurr'd not to my being, it were but right And equal to reduce me to my dust; Desirous to resign and render back All I receiv'd; unable to perform
Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold The good I sought not. To the loss of that, Sufficient penalty, why hast thou added The sense of endless woes? Inexplicable Thy justice seems; yet, to say truth, too late I thus contest; then should have been refus'd Those terms, whatever, when they were propos'd: Thou didst accept them: wilt thou enjoy the good, Then cavil the conditions? and, though God Made thee without thy leave, what if thy son Prove disobedient; and, reprov'd, retort, 'Wherefore didst thou beget me? I sought it not:' Wouldst thou admit for his contempt of thee That proud excuse? yet him not thy election, But natural necessity, begot.
God made thee of choice his own, and of his own To serve him; thy reward was of his grace; Thy punishment then justly is at his will. Be it so, for I submit; his doom is fair, That dust I am, and shall to dust return:
O welcome hour whenever! Why delays His hand to execute what his decree Fix'd on this day? Why do I overlive? Why am I mock'd with death, and lengthen'd out To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet Mortality my sentence, and be earth
Insensible! How glad would lay me down As in my mother's lap! There I should rest And sleep secure; his dreadful voice no more Would thunder in my ears; no fear of worse To me, and to my offspring, would torment me With cruel expectation. Yet one doubt Pursues me still, lest all I cannot die; Lest that pure breath of life, the spirit of Man Which God inspir'd, cannot together perish With this corporeal clod; then, in the grave, Or in some other dismal place, who knows But I shall die a living death? O thought Horrid, if true! Yet why? It was but breath Of life that sinn'd; what dies but what had life And sin? The body properly hath neither. All of me then shall die: let this appease The doubt, since human reach no further knows. For though the Lord of all be infinite, Is his wrath also? Be it, Man is not so, But mortal doom'd. How can he exercise Wrath without end on Man, whom death must end? Can he make deathless death? That were to make
Strange contradiction, which to God himself Impossible is held; as argument Of weakness, not of power. For anger's sake, finite to infinite, In punish'd Man, to satisfy his rigor, Satisfied never? That were to extend His sentence beyond dust and Nature's law: By which all causes else, according still To the reception of their matter, act; Not to the extent of their own sphere. But say That death be not one stroke, as I suppos'd, Bereaving sense, but endless misery From this day onward; which I feel begun Both in me, and without me: and so last To perpetuity:-Ay me! that fear Comes thundering back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both Death and I Are found eternal, and incorporate both; Nor I on my part single; in me all Posterity stands curs'd: fair patrimony That I must leave ye, sons! O, were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none! So disinherited, how would you bless
Me, now your curse! Ah, why should all mankind For one man's fault, thus guiltless be condemn'd, If guiltless? But from me what can proceed, But all corrupt; both mind and will deprav'd Not to do only, but to will the same With me? How can they then acquitted stand In sight of God? Him, after all disputes, Forc'd I absolve: all my evasions vain, And reasonings, though through mazes, lead me still But to my own conviction: first and last On me, me only, as the source and spring Of all corruption, all the blame lights due; So might the wrath! fond wish! couldst thou support That burden, heavier than the Earth to bear; Than all the world much heavier, though divided With that bad woman? Thus, what thou desir'st, And what thou fear'st, alike destroys all hope Of refuge, and concludes thee miserable Beyond all past example and future;
To Satan only like both crime and doom.
O Conscience! into what abyss of fears And horrors hast thou driven me; out of which I find no way, from deep to deeper plung'd!" Thus Adam to himself lamented loud, 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 conscience represented All things with double terror on the ground Outstretch'd he lay, on the cold ground; and oft Curs'd his creation; Death as oft accus'd Of tardy execution since denounc'd The day of his offence. Why comes not Death," Said he, "with one thrice-acceptable stroke To end me? Shall Truth fail to keep her word, Justice Divine not hasten to be just? But Death comes not at call; Justice Divine Mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries. O woods, O fountains, hillocks, dales, and bowers! With other echo late I taught your shades To answer, and resound far other song."- Whom thus afflicted when sad Eve beheld Desolate where she sat, approaching nigh, Soft words to his fierce passion she assay'd: But her with stern regard he thus repell'd.
"Out of my sight, thou serpent! That name best Befits thee with him leagu'd, thyself as false
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