Collecting all his might, dilated stood,

Like Teneriff or Atlas, unremoved :

His stature reach'd the sky, and on his crest
Sat horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp
What seem'd both spear and shield.

Now dreadful deeds

Might have ensued; nor only Paradise
In this commotion, but the starry cope
Of heaven perhaps, or all the elements

At least had gone to wrack, disturb'd and torn
With violence of this conflict; had not soon
The Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray,
Hung forth in heaven his golden scales, yet seen
Betwixt Astrea and the Scorpion sign,

Wherein all things created first he weigh'd,

The pendulous round earth with balanced air

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 upflew and kick'd the beam;

Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the fiend :

"Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know'st mine; Neither our own, but given: what folly then

To boast what arms can do! since thine no more

Than Heaven permits, nor mine. though doubled 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 resist."

The fiend look'd up, and knew

His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled
Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night.

END OF BOOK IV

s'élève dilaté, inébranlable comme le Ténériffe ou l'Atlas. Sa tête atteint le Ciel, e sur son casque l'horreur siège comme un panache; sa main ne manquoit point de ce qui sembloit une lance et un bouclier.

Des faits terribles se fussent accomplis; non-seulement le Paradis dans cette commotion, mais peut-être la voûte étoilée du Ciel, ou au moins tous les éléments, seroient allés en débris, confondus et déchirés par la violence de ce combat, si l'Éternel, pour prévenir cet horrible tumulte, n'eût aussitôt suspendu ses balances d'or, que l'on voit encore entre Astrée et le signe du Scorpion. Dans ces balances, le Créateur pesa d'abord toutes les choses créées, la terre ronde et suspendue avec l'air pour contre-poids; maintenant, il y pèse les événements, les batailles et les royaumes. Il mit deux poids dans les bassins, dans l'un le départ, dans l'autre le combat; le dernier bassin monta rapidement et frappa le fléau. Gabriel s'en apercevant, dit à l'ennemi :

« Satan, je connois ta force et tu connois la mienne; ni l'une ni l'autre ne nous est propre, mais elles nous ont été données. Quelle folie donc de vanter ce que les armes peuvent faire, puisque ni ta force ni la mienne ne sont que ce que permet le Ciel, quoique la mienne soit à présent doublée, afin que je te foule aux pieds comme la fange! Pour preuve, regarde en haut; lis ton destin dans ce signe céleste où tu es pesé, et vois combien tu es léger, combien foible, si tu résistes. »

L'ennemi leva les yeux, et reconnut que son bassin étoit monté en haut. C'en est fait; il fuit en murmurant, et avec lui fuirent les ombres de la nuit.

VIN DU LIVRK IV.

BOOK V.

THE ARGUMENT.

Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to their day-labours: their morning hymn at the door of their bower. God, to render man inexcusable, sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand, who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise; his appearance described; his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains im with the choicest fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table: Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates, at Adam's request, who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the north, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel, a seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes Li, then forsakes him.

Now morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime
Advancing, sow'd the earth with orient pearls,
When Adam waked, so custom'd; for his sleep
Was airy-light, from pure digestion bred,
And temperate vapours bland. which the only sound
Of leaves and fuming rifls, Aurora's Ian,
Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song
Of birds on every bough: so much the more
His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve
With tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek,
As through unquiet rest: he, on his side
Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamour'd and beheld
Beauty, which, whether waking or asleep,
Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice
Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,
Her hand soft touching, whisper'd thus:-

LIVRE V.

ARGUMENT.

Le matin approchoit; Eve raconte à Adam son rêve fâcheux. Il n'aime pas ce rêve; cependant il la console. Ils sortent pour leurs travaux du jour : leur hymne du matin à la porte de leur berceau. Dieu, afin de rendre l'homme inexcusable, envoie Raphael pour l'exhorter à l'obéissance, lui rappeler son état libre, le mettre en garde contre son ennemi, qui est proche, lui apprendre quel est cet ennemi, pourquoi il est son ennemi, et tout ce qu'il est utile en outre à Adam de connoître. Raphael descend au Paradis; sa figure décrite; sa venue découverte au loin par Adam, assis à la porte de son berceau. Adam va à la rencontre de l'ange, l'amène à sa demeure et lui offre les fruits les plus choisis, cueillis par Ève; leurs discours à table. Raphael accomplit son message, fait souvenir Adam de son état et de son ennemi; à la demande d'Adam, il raconte quel est cet ennemi, comment il l'est devenu, en commençant à la première révolte de Satan dans le ciel; il dit la cause de cette révolte; comment l'esprit rebelle entraîna ses légions après lui dans les parties du Nord, comment il les incita à se révolter avec lui, les persuada tous, excepté Abdiel, le séraphin, qui combat ses raisons, s'oppose à lui et l'abandonne.

Déjà le matin, avançant ses pas de rose dans les régions de l'est, semait la terre de perles orientales, lorsque Adam s'éveilla, telle était sa coutume, car son sommeil, léger comme l'air, entretenu par une digestion pure et des vapeurs douces et tempérées, étoit légèrement dispersé par le seul bruit des ruisseaux fumants, des feuilles agitées (éventail de l'aurore), et par le chant matinal et animé des oiseaux sur toutes les branches : il est d'autant plus étonné de trouver Ève non éveillée, la chevelure en désordre et les joues rouges comme dans un repos inquiet. Il se soulève à demi, appuyé sur le coude; penché amoureusement sur elle, il contemple avec des regards d'un cordial amour la beauté qui, éveillée ou endormie, brille de grâces particulières. Alors d'une voix douce, comme quand Zéphyre Souffle sur Flore, touchant doucement la main d'Ève. il murmure

ces mots :

"Awakc,

My fairest, my espoused, my latest found,
Heaven'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 myrrh, and what the balmy reed,
How nature paints her colours, how the bee
Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet."

Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye
On Adam; whom embracing, thus she spake: -
"O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose,
My glory, my perfection; glad I sce

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 sleep'st thou, Eve? now is the pleasant time,
The cool, the silent, save where silence yields
To the night-warbling bird, that now awake
Tunes sweetest his love-labour'd song: now reigns
Full-orb'd the moon, and with more pleasing light
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,

:

:

If none regard heaven wakes with all his eyes.
Whom to behold but thee, nature's desire?
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Attracted by thy beauty still 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 ways
That brought me on a sudden to the tree

Of interdicted knowledge: fair it seem'd,

Much fairer to my fancy than by day :

And, as I wondering look'd, beside it stood

One shaped and wing'd like one of those from heaven By us oft seen; his dewy locks distill'd

Ambrosia; on that tree he also gazed:

"And, O fair plant,' said he,' with fruit surcharged, Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, Nor God, nor man? is knowledge so despised? Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold Longer thy offer'd good; why else set here?'

"This said, he paused not, but with venturous arm

He pluck'd, he tasted; me damp horror chill'd

At such bold words vouch'd with a deed so bold