ARGUMENT. Satan, having compassed the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist, by night, into Paradise; enters into the serpent sleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labours, which Eve proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart. Adam consents not, alleging the danger, lest that enemy, of whom they were forewarned, should attempt her found alone. Eve, loth to be thought not circumspect or fim enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make trial of her strength: Adam at last yields. The serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the Serpeut speak, asks how he attained to human speech and such understanding not till now the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain tree in the garden he attained both to speech and reason, 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 Serpent, now grown holder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat: she, pleased with the taste, deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not; at last brings him to the fruit, relates what persuaded her to eat thereof. Adam at first amazed, but perceiving her lost, resolves, through vehemence of love, to perish with her; and, extenuating the trespass, eats also of the fruit. The effects thereof in them both: they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another. PARADISE LOST. BOOK IX. NO more of talk, where God or Angel guest And disobedience; on the part of Heaven, Anger and just rebuke, and judgment giv'n, Of my celestial patroness, who deigns And dictates to me slumb'ring, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse: Since first this subject for heroic song Pleas'd me, long choosing, and beginning late; Not sedulous by nature to indite Wars, hitherto the only argument 10 15 20 25 Heroic deem'd, chief mast'ry to dissect, With long and tedious havock, fabled knights 35 At joust and tournament; then marshall'd feast Serv'd up in hall with sewers, and seneshals; Not that which justly gives heroic name To person or to poem. Me of these Nor skill'd nor studious, higher argument 40 That name, unless an age too late, or cold Climate, or years, damp my intended wing 45 The sun was sunk, and after him the star Of Hesperus, whose office is to bring Twilight upon the earth, short arbiter 50 "Twixt day and night; and now from end to end That kept their watch; thence, full of anguish driven, With darkness, thrice the equinoctial line He circled, four times cross'd the car of night 65 From pole to pole, traversing each colure; On th' eighth return'd, and on the coast, averse Now not, though sin, not time, first wrought the change, 70 Into a gulph shot under ground, till part Rose up a fountain by the tree of life: In with the river sunk, and with it rose Satan involv'd in rising mist, then sought Where to lie hid; sea he had search'd, and land, 75 80 Most opportune might serve his wiles, and found 85 Of thoughts revolv'd, his final sentence chose Fit vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom 90 95 100 |