1085

Will dazle now this earthly. with their blaze
Infufferably bright., O might I here
In folitude live favage, in fome glade
Obfcur'd, where highest woods impenetrable
To ftar or fun-light, fpread their umbrage broad
And brown as evening: Cover me ye Pines,
Ye Cedars, with innumerable boughs
Hide me, where I may never fee them more.
But let us now, as in bad plight, devise
What best may for the prefent ferve to hide
The parts of each from other, that seem most
To fhame obnoxious, and unfeemlieft feen;
Some tree, whofe broad fmooth leaves together fow'd,
And girded on our loins, may cover round 1096
Thofe middle parts, that this new comer, fhame,
There fit not, and reproach us as unclean.

1090

1100

1106

So counsel'd he, and both together went Into the thickest wood; there foon they chose The fig-tree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, But fuch as at this day to Indians known In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms Branching fo broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd fhade High overarch'd, and echoing walks between; There oft the Indian herdsman shunning heat Shelters in cool, and tends his pafturing herds At loopholes cut through thickeft fhade: Thofe leaves They gather'd, broad as Amazonian targe, And with what skill they had, together fow'd, To gird their waist, vain covering if to hide Their guilt and dreaded fhame; O how unlike To that firft naked glory! Such of late. Columbus found th American, fo girt With feather'd cincture, naked elfe and wild

R

IIII

Among the trees on ifles and woody fhores.

Thus fenc'd, and as they thought, their fhame in part Cover'd, but not at reft or ease of mind,

FI20

1125

They fat them down to weep; nor only tears
Rain'd at their eyes, but high winds worse within
Began to rife, high paffions, anger, hate,
Miftruft, fufpicion, difcord, and fhook fore
Their inward ftate of mind, calm region once
And full of peace, now toft and turbulent :
For understanding rul'd not, and the will
Heard not her lore, both in fubjection now
To fenfual appetite, who from beneath
Ufurping over fovran reason claim'd

:

Superior fway from thus diftemper'd breaft,
Adam, eftrang'd in look and alter'd stile,
Speech intermitted thus to Eve renew'd.

1130

Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and stay'd With me, as I befought thee, when that ftrange 1135 Defire of wand'ring this unhappy morn,

I know not whence poffefs'd thee; we had then
Remain'd still happy, not as now, defpoil'd
Of all our good, fham'd, naked, miferable.
Let none henceforth feek needlefs caufe to' approve
The faith they owe; when earnestly they feek 114F
Such proof, conclude, they then begin to fail.

To whom foon mov'd with touch of blame thus Eve. What words have pafs'd thy lips, Adam fevere! Imput'ft thou that to my default, or will

1145 Of wand'ring, as thou call'ft it, which who knows But might as ill have happen'd thou being by, Or to thyself perhaps? hadft thou been there, Or here th' attempt, thou couldst not have difcern'd Fraud in the Serpent, fpeaking as he fpake; No ground of enmity between us known, Why he should mean me ill, or feek to harm.

1150

Was I to' have never parted from thy fide?
As good have grown there still a lifeless rib.
Being as I am, why didft not thou the head
Command me abfolutely not to go,
Going into fuch danger as thou faidft?
Too facil then thou didst not much gainfay,
Nay didft permit, approve, and fair difmifs.
Hadft thou been firm and fix'd in thy diffent,
Neither had I tranfgrefs'd, nor thou with me.
To whom then first incens'd Adam reply'd.
Is this the love, is this the recompenfe
Of mine to thee, ingrateful Eve, exprefs'd
Immutable when thou wert loft, not I,
Who might have liv'd and joy'd immortal bliss,

1155

1160

1165

Yet willingly chofe rather death with thee?

And am I now upbraided as the cause

Of thy tranfgreffing? not enough fevere,
It seems in thy reftraint: what could I more?
I warn'd thee, I admonish'd thee, foretold
The danger, and the lurking enemy

1170

That lay in wait; beyond this had been force,
And force upon free will hath here no place.
But confidence then bore thee on, secure,
Either to meet no danger, or to find

Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps

I also err'd in overmuch admiring

1175

What seem'd in thee so perfect that I thought
No evil durft attempt thee, but I rue

1180

That error now, which is become my crime,
And thou th'accufer. Thus it fhall befall
Him who to worth in women overtrusting

Lets her will rule; reftraint fhe will not brook,
And left to herself, if evil thence enfue,
She first his weak indulgence will accufe.

1185

Thus they in mutual accusation spent

The fruitless hours, but neither felf-condemning, And of their vain contest appear'd no end.

The End of the Ninth Book.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK X.

THE ARGUMENT.

Man's tranfgreffion known, the guardian Angels forfake paradife, and return up to Heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approv'd, God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends his Son to judge the tranfgreffors, who defcends and gives fentence accordingly; then in pity cloaths them both, and reafcends. Sin and Death fitting till then at the gates of Hell, by wondrous fimpathy feeling the fuccefs of Satan in this new world, and the fin by Man there committed, refolv'd to fit no longer confin'd in Hell, but to follow Satan their fire up to the place of Man: To make the way eafier from Hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad high-way or bridge over Chaos, according to the track that Satan first made; then preparing for Earth, they meet him proud of his fuccefs returning to Hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium, in full affembly relates with boafting his fuccefs against Man; instead of applaufe is entertained with a general bifs by all bis audience, transform'd with himself also fuddenly into ferpents, according to his doom given in Paradife; then deluded with a fhew of the forbidden tree Springing up before them, they greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew duft and bitter afbes. The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretels the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the