730 "Night would invade; but there the neighbouring Moon, "(So call that opposite fair star,) her aid "Timely interposes; and her monthly round "Still ending, still renewing, through mid Heaven, "With borrowed light her countenance triform "Hence fills, and empties, to enlighten the Earth; "And in her pale dominion checks the night. "That spot to which I point is Paradise, "Adam's abode; those lofty shades his bower: "Thy way thou canst not miss,-me mine requires.” Thus said, he turned; and Satan, bowing low, (As to superior Spirits is wont in Heaven, Where honour due, and reverence, none neglects,) Took leave, and toward the coast of Earth beneath, Down from the ecliptic, sped with hoped success, Throws his steep flight in many an airy wheel, Nor stayed, till on Niphates' top he lights. 740 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 the 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 resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse; thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation, by seducing them to transgress: then leaves them awhile to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge 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 afterwards by his furious gestures on 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 Haply so scaped his mortal snare! for now Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down, Of what he was, what is, and what must be,— Worse; "O thou, that, with surpassing glory crowned, ΙΟ 20 30 40 "How due! Yet all his good proved ill in me, 66 By owing owes not, but still pays, at once "Indebted and discharged: what burden then? "O had his powerful destiny ordained "Me some inferior angel, I had stood "Then happy! no unbounded hope had raised "Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand? "Be then his love accursed! since, love or hate, Nay, cursed be thou! since, against this, thy will "Chose freely what it now so justly rues. 66 Still threatening to devour me opens wide, "To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heaven. "O, then, at last relent: is there no place "Left for repentance? none for pardon left? "None left but by submission; and that word "Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame 66 Among the Spirits beneath; whom I seduced "With other promises, and other vaunts "Than to submit; boasting I could subdue "The Omnipotent. Ah me! they little know "How dearly I abide that boast so vain; “Under what torments inwardly I groan, 66 But say 66 I could repent, and could obtain, By act of grace, my former state; how soon "Would height recall high thoughts, how soon unsay 66 From granting he, as I from begging peace. 66 Mankind, created, and for him this world. "Evil, be thou my good! by thee at least “Divided empire with Heaven's King I hold,— By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign;— For heavenly minds from such distempers foul That practised falsehood under saintly show, Uriel once warned; whose eye pursued him down 90 100 ΓΙΟ 120 |