1 Sat horror plum'd; nor wanted in his grasp What feem'd both Spear and shield. Now Might have ensu'd nor only Paradise In this commotion, but the starry cope At least had gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn Th' Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray, feen Betwixt Aftrea and the Scorpion fign, Wherein all things created firft he weigh'd, The pendulous round earth with ballanc'd In counterpoife; now ponders all events, Battels and realms: in thefe he put two weights, The sequel each of parting and of fight; The latter quick up flew, and kick'd the beam: Which Gabriel fpying, thus befpake the Fiend. 1005 Satan, I know thy ftrength, and thou know'st mine, Neither our own but giv'n: what folly then To boast what arms can do, fince thine no more Than Heav'n permits, nor mine, though dou bled now . To trample thee as mire: for proof look His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled Murm'ring, and with him fled the fhades of night. The End of the Fourth Book. 1015 1 When Adam wack'd: fo cuftom'd; for his fleep Was aery light, from pure digestion bred, And temperate vapors blank, which th' only found *) Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan, 5 Lightly difpers'd, and the fhrill matin song Of birds on every bough. So much the more His wonder was, to find unwacken'd Eve With treffes difcompos'd, and glowing cheek As through unquiet rest: he on his fide: 10 * Perhaps thefe two Verfes were originaly dictated by the Author thus: And temperate vapors bland from fuming rills, Leannig half rais'd, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld, Beauty, which whether waking or afleep, Shot forth peculiar graces: then, with Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes. Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus: Awake My fairest, my efpous'd, my latest found, Heav'n's last beft gift, my ever new delight! Awake! the morning fhines, and the fresh field Calls us, 20 we lose the prime, to mark how Spring Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove, What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, How nature paints her colors, how the bee Sits on the bloom extracting liquid fweet. £5 Such whispering wak'd her, but with startl'd eye On Adam, whom embracing, thus fhe. fpake, O fole, in whom my thoughts find all repofe, My glory, my perfection! glad I fee Thy face, and morn return'd; for I this If dream'd, not, as I oft am wont, of thee, Works of day past, or morrow's next design, But of offence and trouble, which my mind Knew never till this irksome night. Methought 35 Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it said, Why fleep'st thou Eve? now is the pleasant time, The cool, the filent, fave where filence yields To the night - warbling bird, that now awake 40 Tunes sweetest his love-labor'd fong; now reigns Full orb'd the moon, and with more pleasant light Shadowy fets off the face of things; in vain, I role as at thy call, but found thee not: And 'on, methought, alone I pass'd thro' ways That brought me on a fudden to the tree 50 |