In Malabar or Decan fpreads her arms

Branching fo broad and long, that in the ground
The bended twigs take root, and daughters grow 1105
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 thickest shade: Those leaves
They gather'd, broad as Amazonian targe,
And with what skill they had, together fow'd,
To gird their waste, vain covering if to hide
Their guilt and dreaded shame; 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
Among the trees on iles and woody shores.

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

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 shook fore

Their inward state 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 reafon clam'd

Superior fway from thus diftemper'd breast,
Adam, estrang'd in lock and alter'd stile,

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1130

Speech

Speech intermitted thus to Eve renew'd.

Would thou hadst hearken'd to my words, and stay'd With me, as I befought thee, when that strange 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, miserable.
Let none henceforth feek needlefs caufe to' approve
The faith they owe; when earnestly they seek
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

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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? hadst thou been there,
Or here th' attempt, thou couldsft not have discern'd
Fraud in the Serpent, fpeaking as he spake;
No ground of enmity between us known,
Why he should mean me ill, or seck to harm.
Was I to' have never parted from thy fide?
As good have grown there still a lifeless rib.
Being as I am, why didst not thou the head
Command me abfolutely not to go,
Going into fuch danger as thou faidst?

Too facil then thou didst not much gainsay,
Nay didft permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Hadft thou been firm and fix'd in thy diffent,
Neither had I tranfgrefs'd, nor thou with me.

1155

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T.

To whom then first incens'd Adam reply'd. Is this the love, is this the recompenfe

It seems, in thy reftraint: what could I more?

1170

I warn'd thee, I admonish'd thee, foretold
The danger, and the lurking enemy

That lay in wait; beyond this had been force,
And force upon free will hath here no place.
But confidence then bore thee on, fecure

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Either to meet no danger, or to find

Matter of glorious trial; and perhaps

I also err'd in overmuch admiring

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

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That error now, which is become my crime,

And thou th' accufer. Thus it fhall befall

Him who to worth in woman overtrusting

Lets her will rule; reftraint fhe will not brook,
And left to' herself, if evil thence enfue,

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She firft his weak indulgence will accufe.
Thus they in mutual accusation spent

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

THE END OF THE NINTH BOOK.

THE

TENTH BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOS T.

Man's tranfgreffion known, the guardian Angels forfake Paradise, 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 clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Death fitting till then at the gates of Hell, by wondrous fympathy feeling the fuccefs of Satan in this new world, and the fin by Man there committed, refolve to fit no longer confin'd in Hell, but to follow Satan their fire up to the place of Man : To make the way easier 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; inftead of applaufe is entertained with a general hifs by all his 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 afhes. 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 prefent commands his Angels to make feveral alterations in the Heavens and elements. Adam more and more perceiving his fallen condition heavily bewails, rejects the condolement of Eve; the perfifts, and at length appeafes him then to evade the curfe 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 late promise made them, that her feed fhould be reveng'd on the Serpent, and exhorts her with him to feek peace of the offended Deity, by repentance and fupplication.

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