And girded on our loins, may cover round 1100 1106 So counsel'd he, and both together went Into the thickest wood; there soon they chose The figtree, not that kind for fruit renown'd, But such as at this day to Indians known In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms Branching so broad and long, that in the ground The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow About the mother tree, a pillar'd shade High overarch'd, and echoing walks between ; There oft the Indian herdsman shunning heat Shelters in cool, and tends his pasturing herds At loopholes cut thro' thickest shade. Those leaves They gather'd broad, as Amazonian targe, And with what skill they had together sew'd, To gird their waist, vain covering, if to hide Their guilt and dreaded shame; O how unlike To that first naked glory! Such of late Columbus found th' American so girt With feather'd cincture, naked else and wild Among the trees on isles and woody shores. Thus fenc'd, and as they thought, their shame in part Cover'd, but not at rest or ease of mind, 1111 1115 1120 1103 Decan] The most celebrated specimen of this tree in India, is one that entirely covers an island in the Nerbudda, about twelve miles above Broach. It is called Kuveer-Bur. See Heber's Travels in India, iii. 67, and Forbes' Orient. Mem. i. 274, iii. 246, 543. It is two thousand feet round, and has thirteen hundred and fifty trunks. See plate, i. 37. They sat them down to weep; nor only tears 1125 1130 Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and stay'd With me, as I besought thee, when that strange 1135 I know not whence possess'd thee; we had then 1141 To whom, soon mov'd with touch of blame, thus Eve. What words have pass'd thy lips, Adam severe ! Imput'st thou that to my default, or will Of wand'ring, as thou call'st it, which who knows 1128 both] Fenton reads but in subjection.' 1144 words] Compare Hom. Il. xiv. 83. Ατρέιδη, ποιόν σε ἔπος φύγεν ἕρκος οδόντων. Thyer. 1145 1150 1155 But might as ill have happen'd thou being by, Who might have liv'd and joy'd immortal bliss, Of thy transgressing, not enough severe, 1160 1165 It seems, in thy restraint? what could I more? 1170 I warn'd thee, I admonish'd thee, foretold The danger, and the lurking enemy 1165 Immutable] Inimitable. Bentl. MS. 1170 thy] So in the early editions; in Tonson's, 1711, it is in my restraint,' which Tickell, Fenton, and Bentley have improperly followed. That lay in wait: beyond this had been force, What seem'd in thee so perfect, that I thought That error now, which is become my crime, The fruitless hours, but neither self-condemning, 1175 1180 1185 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 first 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 |