fituation is defcribed; over-leaps the bounds, fits in the Shape of a cormorant on the tree of Life, as the highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcribed; Satan's firft fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy fate, but with refolution to work their fall; over-hears their difcourfe, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while to know further of their flate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a fun-beam warns Gabriel (who had in charge the gate of Paradife) that fome evil spirit had escaped the deep, and past at noon by his fphear in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered afterwards by his furious geftures in the mount: Gabriel promifes to find him e're morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: their bower defcribed; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradife, appoints two frong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil spirit fhould be there doing feme harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, tho' unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom question'd, be fcornfully anfvers, prepares refiftance, but binder'd by a fign from Heaven, flies out of Paradife.

FOR that warning voice, which he who faw

Th'Apocalyps heard cry in Heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to fecond
rout,

Came rurous down to be reveng'd on men,
Wo to th' inhabitants on earth! that now
While time was, our firft parents had been warn'd
The coming of their fecret foe, and scap'd
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare: for now

SATAN,

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SATAN, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter e're th' accufer of mankind,
To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs
Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoycing in his speed though bold,
Far off and fearlefs, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth
Now rowling, boils in his tumultuous breaft,
And like a develifh engine back recoils
Upon himself: horror and doubt distract
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 conscience wakes despair
That flumber'd, wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worfe; of worfe deeds worse sufferings muft enfue.
Sometimes tow'rds EDEN, which now in his view
Lay pleafant, his griev'd look he fixes fad,
Sometimes tow'rds Heav'n and the full blazing Sun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tow'r:
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.

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O thou that with furpaffing glory crown'd, Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the God Of this new world; at whofe 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 ftate I fell, how glorious once above thy fphear; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down, 40 Warring in Heav'n againft Heav'n's matchlefs King. Ah wherefore! he deserv'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.

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