1 "Is this the love, is this the recompense Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, expressed Who might have lived, and joyed immortal bliss, It seems, in thy restraint! What could I more 1170 I warned thee, I admonished thee, foretold That lay in wait; beyond this had been force, Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps I also erred in overmuch admiring What seemed in thee so perfect that I thought Lets her will rule: restraint she will not brook; The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning, 1180 BOOK X. THE ARGUMENT. Man's transgression known, the guardian angels forsake Paradise, and return up to Heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved; God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He sends His Son to judge the transgressors; who descends, and gives sentence accordingly; then, in pity, clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Death, sitting till then at the gates of Hell, by wondrous sympathy feeling the success of Satan in this new world, and the sin by man there committed, resolve to sit no longer confined in Hell, but to follow Satan, their sire, up to the place of man: to make the way easier from Hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad highway or bridge over Chaos, according to the track that Satan first made; then, preparing for earth, they meet him, proud of his success, returning to Hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full assembly relates, with boasting, his success against man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed, with himself also, suddenly into serpents, according to his doom given in Paradise; then, deluded with a show of the Forbidden Tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes. The proceedings of Sin and Death: God foretells the final victory of His Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but, for the present, commands His angels to make several alterations in the heavens and elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails, rejects the condolement of Eve; she persists, and at length appeases him: then, to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring, proposes to Adam violent ways; which he approves not, but, conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late promise made them, that her seed should be revenged on the serpent, and exhorts her, with him, to seek peace of the offended Deity by repentance and supplication. MEANWHILE the heinous and despiteful act Of Satan done in Paradise, and how Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit, Was known in Heaven; for what can 'scape the eye Of God all-seeing, or deceive His heart Omniscient? Who, in all things wise and just, Of man, with strength entire and free will armed, M ΙΟ For still they knew, and ought to have still remembered, Up into Heaven from Paradise in haste About the new-arrived, in multitudes, The ethereal people ran, to hear and know How all befell. They towards the throne supreme, 20 30 I told ye then he should prevail, and speed On his bad errand-man should be seduced, Or touch with lightest moment of mpulse 40 On his transgression, death denounced that day? By some immediate stroke; but soon shall find All judgment, whether in Heaven, or earth, or Hell. Mercy colleague with justice, sending Thee, And destined man Himself to judge man fallen." Expressed, and thus divinely answered mild :- Mine both in Heaven and earth to do Thy will On earth these Thy transgressors; but Thou know'st, Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none 50 60 70 80 Of high collateral glory. Him thrones and powers, Accompanied to Heaven-gate, from whence Down He descended straight; the speed of gods Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes winged. 90 From noon, and gentle airs due at their hour To fan the earth now waked, and usher in The evening cool, when He, from wrath more cool, To sentence man. The voice of God they heard Brought to their ears, while day declined; they heard, "Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet Whence Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief :- "My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not feared, But still rejoiced; how is it now become So dreadful to thee? That thou art naked who |