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 had 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
He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve,
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

1

Omniscient? who, in all things wise and just,

Hindered not Satan to attempt the mind

Of Man, with strength entire, and free-will armed,
Complete to have discovered, and repulsed,
Whatever wiles1 of foe, or seeming friend.

2

5

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For still they knew, and ought to have still remem

bered,

The high injunction-not to taste that fruit,
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying
Incurred, (what could they less?) the penalty;
And, manifold in sin,3 deserved to fall.

Up into Heaven, from Paradise, in haste
The angelic guards ascended, mute, and sad
For Man; for of his state by this they knew,
Much wondering how the subtle fiend had stolen
Entrance unseen. Soon as the unwelcome news
From Earth arrived at Heaven-gate, displeased
All were who heard; dim sadness did not spare
That time celestial visages, yet, mixed
With pity, violated not their bliss.

About the new arrived, in multitudes

The ethereal people ran, to hear and know

How all befell: they towards the throne supreme,
Accountable, made haste, to make appear,
With righteous plea, their utmost vigilance,

1 Whatever wiles," any wiles whatever," a Latin form of expression. 2 They, the antecedent is Man, in a collective sense (1. 9), embracing Adam and Eve. So in Gen. i. 26, "Let us make man in our image, and let them have dominion," &c.

3 Manifold in sin, -divines argue that in this one sin there was involved the violation of every precept of the law; at all events, its guilt was manifold, involving, as it did, unbelief, renouncing of the Divine authority, unthankfulness, discontent, ruining themselves and their offspring, &c.

4 By this,-i. e. by this time.

5 Dim sadness did not spare, &c.-How nobly does Milton here set forth the blessedness of a benevolent mind, and obviate the objection that might be made to ascribing sadness to celestial spirits!

And easily approved;1 when the Most High
Eternal Father, from his secret cloud
Amidst, in thunder uttered thus his voice:

"Assembled angels, and ye Powers returned "From unsuccessful charge! be not dismayed, "Nor troubled at these tidings from the Earth, "Which your sincerest care could not prevént, "Foretold so lately3 what would come to pass,

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"When first the tempter crossed the gulf from Hell "I told ye then he should prevail, and speed

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"On his bad errand; man shall be seduced,
"And flattered out of all, believing lies*
"Against his Maker; no decree of mine
"Concurring, to necessitate his fall,

"Or touch with lightest moment of impulse
"His free will, to her own inclining left

"In even scale. But fallen he is; and now

"What rests, but that the mortal sentence pass

"On his transgression-death denounced that day?
"Which he presumes already vain and void,
"Because not yet inflicted, as he feared,

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By some immediate stroke; but soon shall find "Forbearance no acquittance, ere day end. "Justice shall not return, as bounty, scorned.

"But whom send I to judge them? Whom but thee, 55 "Vicegerent Son? To thee I have transferred

"All judgment, whether in Heaven, or Earth, or Hell. 66 Easy it may be seen that I intend

1 Approved, in the occasional sense of the Latin probo, to make a thing appear right by means of proof; to justify by proof.

2 From his secret cloud amidst,-from amidst the cloud.

3 Foretold so lately, -i. e. it having been foretold so lately what would come, &c., a construction like the ablative absolute in Latin. See prediction referred to in b. iii. 1. 86-96.

✦ Believing lies, &c.-See Satan's speech, b. ix. l. 679–732.

5 Lightest moment of impulse,-in the Latin sense of momentum, the weight which gives the cast to one of two scales even balanced. See b. vi. 1. 239.

• What rests?-Latin, quid restat? what remains?

To thee I have transferred all judgment,-See John v. 22, 27.

"Mercy colleague with justice,1 sending thee,
"Man's friend, his Mediator-his designed
"Both ransom and Redeemer voluntary;

"And destined Man 2 himself, to judge Man fallen."
So spake the Father; and, unfolding bright
Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son
Blazed forth unclouded Deity: he, full
Resplendent, all his Father manifest

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65

Expressed, and thus divinely answered mild: "Father Eternal! thine is to decree;

"Mine, both in Heaven and Earth to do thy will
66 Supreme; that thou in me, thy Son beloved,
"Mayst ever rest well pleased. I go to judge
"On Earth these thy transgressors; but thou knowst,
"Whoever judged, the worst on me must light,
"When time shall be; for so I undertook 5
"Before thee; and, not repenting, this obtain

"Of right, that I may mitigate their doom
"On me derived: yet I shall temper so
"Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most
"Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.

7

"Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none 80 "Are to behold the judgment, but the judged

"Those two; the third, best absent, is condemned,
"Convict by flight,s and rebel to all law:
"Conviction to the serpent none belongs."

Thus saying, from his radiant seat he rose

Of high collateral glory. Him Thrones, and Powers,

1 Mercy colleague with justice,—See Ps. lxxxv. 10.

2 And destined Man,-destined to become man.

3 He, full resplendent, all his Father manifest expressed,-See Heb. i. 3. 4 Mine...to do thy will supreme,-See John iv. 34.

5 So I undertook,-See b. iii. 1. 236, &c.

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6 Illustrate,-in the sense of the Latin word, "to show clearly:" fully satisfied, fully atoned for. See b. iii 1. 212, 295, for a similar use of the term. * Attendance none shall need,-i. e. "be necessary," the verb used in an intransitive sense, as b. iii. 1. 341.

8 Convict by flight,-self-convicted.

9 Him Thrones, and Powers, Princedoms, and Dominations, &c.,-various orders of angels. See b. iii. 1, 320; v. 1. 601, &c.

Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant,

Accompanied to Heaven-gate; from whence
Eden, and all the coast, in prospect lay.

Down he descended straight; the speed of Gods
Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes winged.
Now was the sun in western cadence1 low

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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,
Came-the mild Judge and Intercessor both—
To sentence Man. The voice of God they heard'
Now walking in the garden, by soft winds

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Brought to their ears while day declined-they heard,
And from his presence hid themselves among

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The thickest trees, both man and wife; till God

Approaching, thus to Adam called aloud:

"Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet

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"My coming seen far off? I miss thee here; "Not pleased, thus entertained with solitude, "Where obvious duty3 erewhile appeared unsought: "Or come I less conspicuous, or what change "Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth!" He came; and with him Eve, more loth, though first To offend-discountenanced both and discomposed:* 110 Love was not in their looks, either to God Or to each other; but apparent guilt, And shame, and perturbation, and despair, Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile.

Whence Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief: 115 "I heard thee in the garden; and of thy voice

1 Cadence,-descent.

2 The voice of God they heard, · -See Gen. iii. 8-10, and the chapter throughout, the words of which the poet translates and paraphrases. 3 Obvious duty,-respect or dutifulness; obvious, or ready to meet me. The want of harmony in these two lines causes the difficulty of reading them to represent the ideas of tardiness, difficulty, and hesitancy, through guilty fear.

5 Apparent,-manifest, that could not be hid.

• Whence, owing to which guilty and miserable state of mind.