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And thou ly hypocrite, who now wouldst seem
Patron of liberty, who more than thou
Once fawn'd, and cring'd: and servilly ador'd
Heav'n's awful monarch? wherefore but in hope
To dispossess him, and thyself to reigne?
But mark what I arreede thee now, avaunt;
Flie thither whence thou fledst: if from this houre
Within these hallow'd limits thou appeer,
Back to th'infernal pit I drag thee chain'd,
And feale thee so, as henceforth not to scorne
The facil gates of hell too flightly barr'd.
So threatn'd he, but Satan to no threats
Gave heed, but waxing more in rage repli'd.
Then when I am thy captive talk of chains,
Proud limitarie cherube but ere then
Far heavier load thyself expect to feel
From my prevailing arm, though heaven's king
Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers,
Us'd to the yoak, draw'st his triumphant wheels
In progress through the road of heav'n star-pav'd.
While thus he spake, th'angelic squadron bright
Turn'd fierie red, sharpning in mooned hornes
Their phalanx, and began to hemm him round
With ported spears, as thick as when a field
Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends
Her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind
Sways them; the careful plowman doubting stands
Left on the threshing floore his hopeful shaves
Prove chaff. On th'other fide Satan alarm'd
Collecting all his might dilated stood,
Like Teneriff or Atlas unremov'd:

His ftature reacht the skie, and on his creft
Sat horror plum'd; nor wanted in his graspe
What seem'd both spear and shield: now dreadful deeds

Might have ensu'd, nor onely Paradise
In this commotion, but the starrie cope
Of heav'n perhaps, or all the elements
At least had gone to rack, disturb'd and torn
With violence of this conflict, had not foon
Th'Eternal to prevent such horrid fray
Hung forth in heav'n his golden scales, yet seen
Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion fign,
Wherein all things created first he weigh'd,
The pendulous round earth with ballanc't aire
In counterpoise, now ponders all events,
Battles and realms: in these he put two weights,
The sequel each of parting and of fight;
The latter quick up flew, and kickt the beam;
Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the fiend.

Satan, I know thy strength, and thou knowst mine,
Neither our own but giv'n; what follie then
To boast what arms can do, fince thine no more
Then heav'n permits, nor mine, though doubl'd now
To trample thee as mire: for proof look up,
And read thy lot in yon celestial sign

:

Where thou art weigh'd, and shown how light, how weak,
If thou refift. The fiend lookt up and knew
His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled
Murmuring, and with him fted the shades of night.

The End of the Fourth Book.

BOOK V.

OW Morn her rosie steps in th'eastern clime

N Advancing, fow'd the earth with orient pearle,

When Adam wak't, so custom'd, for his sleep
Was aerie light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperat vapours bland, which th' only found
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
Lightly dispers'd, and the shrill matin song
Of birds on every bough; so much the more
His wonder was to find unwak'nd Eve
With tresses discompos'd, and glowing cheek,
As through unquiet rest: he on his fide
Leaning half rais'd, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld
Beautie, which whether waking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice
Milde, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand foft touching, whisper'd thus. Awake
My fairest, my espous'd, my latest found,
Heav'n's last best gift, my ever new delight,
Awake, the morning shines, and the fresh field
Calls us, we lose the prime, to mark how spring
Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove,
What drops the myrrhe, and what the balmie reed,
How nature paints her colours, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.

Such whisp'ring wak'd her, but with startl'd eye On Adam, whom imbracing, thus she spake.

O fole in whom my thoughts find all repose,
My glorie, my perfection, glad I fee
Thy face, and morn return'd, for I this night,
Such night till this I never pass'd, have dream'd,
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
Close at mine ear one call'd me forth to walk
With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it said,
Why sleepst thou Eve? now is the, pleasant time,
The cool, the filent, save where filence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labor'd song; now reignes
Full orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowie sets off the face of things; in vain,
If none regard; "Heav'n wakes with all his eyes,
Whom to behold but thee, nature's defire,
In whose fight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty ftill to gaze.
I rose as at thy call, but found thee not;
To find thee I directed then my walk;
And on, methought, alone I pass'd through wayes
That brought me on a sudden to the tree
Of interdicted knowledge: fair it seem'd,
Much fairer to my fancie then by day :
And as I wondring lookt, beside it stood

One shap'd and wing'd like one of those from heav'n

By us oft seen; his dewie locks distill'd
Ambrofia; on that tree he also gaz'd;

And O fair plant, faid he, with fruit furcharg'd,

F

1

Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet,
Nor God, nor man; is knowledge so despis'd?
Or envie, or what reserve forbids to taste ?
Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold
Longer thy offer'd good, why else set here ?
This faid he paus'd not, but with ventrous arm
He pluckt, he tasted; mee damp horror chill'd
At fuch bold words voucht with a deed so bold:
But he thus overjoy'd, o fruit divine,

Sweet of thyself but much more sweet thus cropt,
Forbidd'n here, it seems, as onely fit
For Gods, yet able to make Gods of men:
And why not Gods of men, since good, the more
Communicated, more abundunt growes,
The author not impair'd, but honour'd more?
Here, happie creature, fair angelic Eve,
Partake thou also; happie though thou art,
Happier thou mayst be, worthier canst not be :
Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods
Thyself a godders, not to earth confin'd,
But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes
Afcend to heav'n, by merit thine, and see
What life the gods live there, and fuch live thou.
So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,
Even to my mouth of that same fruit held part
Which he had pluckt; the pleasant favourie smell
So quick'n'd appetite, that I, methought,
Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds
With him I flew, and underneath beheld
The earth outstretcht immense, a prospect wide
And various; wondring at my flight and change

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