Satan had journey'd on, penfive and flow; But further way found none, fo thick intwin'd, As one continued brake, the undergrowth Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd All path of man or beast that pafs'd that way: One gate there only was, and that look'd eaft
On th' other fide: which when th' arch-felon faw, Due entrance he difdain'd, and in contempt,
At one flight bound high over leap'd all bound Of hill or higheft wall, and fheer within Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf, Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for prey, Watching where fhepherds pen their flocks at eve 185 In hurdled cotes amid the field fecure,
Leaps o'er the fence with eafe into the fold: Or as a thief bent to unhord the cafh Of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors, Cross-barr'd and bolted faft, fear no affault, In at the window climbs, or o'er the tiles : So clomb this first grand thief into God's fold; So fince into his church lewd hirelings climb. Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life, The middle tree and highest there that grew,
Sat like a cormorant; yet not true life
Thereby regain'd, but fat devifing death
To them who liv'd; nor on the virtue thought
Of that life-giving plant, but only us'd
For profpect, what well us'd had been the pledge 200
Of immortality. So little knows
Any, but God alone, to value right
The good before him, but perverts best things To worst abuse, or to their meanest use. Beneath him with new wonder now he views To all delight of human sense expos'd
In narrow room Nature's whole wealth, yea more, . A Heav'n on Earth: for blissful Paradife Of God the garden was, by him in theast Of Eden planted; - Eden stretch'd her line From Auran-eastward to the royal towers Of great Seleucia, built by Grecian kings, Or where the fons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telaffar: in this pleasant soil His far more pleasant garden God ordain'd; Out of the fertil ground he caus'd to grow All trees of noblest kind for fight, smell, taste; And all amid them stood the tree of life, High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit Of.vegetable gold; and next to life,
Our death the tree of knowledge grew fast by, Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill. Southward through Eden went a river large,
Nor chang'd his course, but through the shaggy hill Pafs'd underneath ingulf'd, for God had thrown 225 That mountain as his garden mold high rais'd Upon the rapid current, which through veins Of porous earth with kindly thirst up drawn, Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill Water'd the garden; thence united fell Down the fteep glade, and met the nether flood, Which from his darkfome paffage now appears,
And now divided into four main streams, Runs diverse, wand'ring many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account; But rather to tell how, if Art could tell, How from that faphir fount the crifped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and fands of gold, With mazy error under pendent fhades Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed Flow'rs, worthy' of Paradife, which not nice Art In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon Pour'd forth profufe on hill and dale and plain, Both where the morning sun first warmly smote The open field, and where the unpierc'd fhade Inbrown'd the noontide bow'rs: Thus was this place A happy rural feat of various view;
Groves whofe rich trees wept odorous gums and balm, Others whose fruit burnish'd with golden rind
Hung amiable, Hefperian fables true,
If true, here only', and of delicious taste :
Betwixt them lawns, or level downs, and flocks
Grazing the tender herb, were interpos'd,
Or palmy hilloc; or the flow'ry lap
Of fome irriguous valley spread her store, Flow'rs of all hue, and without thorn the rose: Another fide, umbrageous grots and caves Of cool recefs, o'er which the mantling vine Lays forth her purple grape, and gently creeps Luxuriant; mean while murm'ring waters fall Down the flope hills, dispers'd, or in a lake, That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
THE ARGUMENT.
Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as higheft in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcrib'd; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, 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 state by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a funbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil Spirit had efcap'd the deep, and pafs'd at noon by his sphere in the fhape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered 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 ftrong 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 queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares refiftance, but hinder'd by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Para
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 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 scap'd,':
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare: for now Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter ere To wreck on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battel, and his flight to Hell: Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed, though bold Far off and fearlefs, nor with caufe to boast, Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast, And like a devilish engin 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 step no more than from himself can fly
ere th accufer of man-kind,
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