ARGUMENT.

Satan, now in prospect 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 passions, fear, envy, and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described, overleaps the bounds, sits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolation to work their fall; overhears their disthence gathers that the tree of knowledge was course, forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by seducing them to transgress; then leaves them a while, to know further of their state by some other Gabriel, who had in charge scending on a sun-heath, wame Meanwhile Uriel, de the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his sphere, in the shape of a good Angel, down to Paradise, discovered after by his furious gestures in the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: their bower described; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the round of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil Spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping: there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel; by whom questioned, he scornfully answers, prepares resistance, but, hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise,

O FOR that warning voice, which he who saw
Th' Apocalypse heard cry in Heav'n aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
"Woe to th' inhabitants on earth!" that now, yo
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their secret foe, and scap'd,
Haply so scap'd his mortal snare: for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage came down,
The tempter ere th' accuser of mankind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his loss
Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt, which, nigh the birth,i,adshed15
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast
And like a devilish engine back recoils ser
Upon himself; horror and doubt distract honturabin bu A

His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir

The Hell within him; for within him Hell

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He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell
One step no more than from himself can fly

By change of place: now conscience wakes despair
That slumber'd wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.
Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes sad;

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Sometimes towards Heav'n and the full blazing sun,
Which now sat high in the meridian tower:
Then, much revolving, thus in sighs began.

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“O thou, that with surpassing glory crown'd Look'st from thy sole dominion like the God Of this new world; at whose ose sight all th all the stars Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name, O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what state I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere; Till pride and worse ambition threw me down Warring in Heav'n against Heav'n's matchless King: Ah wherefore! he deserv'd no such return From me, whom he created what I was In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his service hard. What could be less than to afford him praise, The easiest recompense, and him thanks, pay How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me, And wrought but malice; lifted up so high s I 'sdein'd subjection, and thought one step higher 100 50 Would set me high'est, and in a moment quituta Dunh The debt immense of endless gratitude.tirib sid anisoft So burdensome still paying, still to soweto quillun wed Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd, dobis adil, bad And understood not that a grateful mind

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$10.55 By owing owes not, but still pays, at once, fiskbuona pilf Indebted and discharg'd: what burden then? Hothoff O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'de in Junghie Bunked sil Me some inferior Angel, I had stood me last cứ got suf Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'dela 69 Ambition, Yet why not? some other Power daryl Jeff' As great might have aspir'd; and me, though mean, 190 Drawn to his part; but other Pow'rs as great ow to poutall Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within womitano Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.siv!

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