Would not admit: thine, and of all thy fons, And all the bleft. Stand faft! to ftand or fall So faying, he arofe: whom ADAM thus 640 645 Thy condefcenfion, and shall be honor'd ever 650 So parted they, the Angel up to Heav'n PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. THE ARGUMENT. Satan having compaft the earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by night into Paradife, and enters into the ferpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labors, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each laboring apart: Adam confents not, alleging the danger left that enemy, of whom they were were forewarn'd, fhould attempt her found alone: Eve, (loth to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough) urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make tryal of her ftrength; Adam at last yields: the ferpent finds her alone; his fubtile approach, firft gazing, then Speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other Creatures. Eve, wond'ring to hear the ferpent fpeak, asks how he attain'd to human speech, and fuch understanding not 'till now; the ferpent answers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden he attain'd both to fpeech and reafon, 'till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: the ferpent, now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments indaces her at length to eat; fhe, pleas'd with the taste, 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 loft, refolves (through vehemence of love) to perifh with her, extenuating the trespass eats alfo of the fruit: the effects thereof in them both t they feek to cover their nakedness: then fall to variance, and accufation of one another. O more of talk where Gob, of Angelguest, With Man, as with his friend, familiar us'd To fit indulgent, and with him partake Rural repaft; permitting him the while Venial difcourfe un-blam'd. I now muft change f Thofe notes to tragic! Foul diftruft, and breach Disloyal on the part of man, revolt, And difobedience: on the part of Heav'n Anger, and juft rebuke, and judgement giv'n, ΤΟ Death's Death's harbinger. Sad task! yet argument Of my cœleftial patronefs, who deigns Her nightly vifitation unimplor'd, 20 And dictates to me lumbring; or infpires Eafie my unpremeditated verfe: Since first this fubject for Heroic fong 25 Pleas'd me, long chufing, and beginning late; Not fedulous by nature to indite Wars, hitherto the only argument Heroic deem'd; chief maft'ry to diffect With long and tedious havock fabled Knights That name, unless an age too late, or cold The Sun was funk, and after him the star N 30 35. 40 45 Twilight |