That fpot to which I point is Paradise,

Adam's abode, those lofty fhades his bower;
Thy way thou canst not mifs, me mine requires. 735
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low,
As to fuperior fp'rits is wont in heaven

Where honour due and rev'rence none neglects,
Took leave, and tow'ard the coast of earth beneath,
Down from th' ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs, 740
Throws his steep flight in many an airy wheel;
Nor ftay'd, till on Niphates' top he lights.

END OF THE THIRD BOOK.

PARADISE LOST.

воок

IV.

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where be muft now attempt the bold enterprife which he undertook alone against God and man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy and despair; but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward prospect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as higheft in the garden, to look about bim. The garden defcribed; Satan's firft fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy State; but with refolution to work their fall; overhears their difcourfe, 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 feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them a while, to know further of their fate by fome other means. Mean while Uriel defcending on a fun beam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradife, that fome evil spirit had efcaped the deep, and passed at noon by his fphere in the fhape of a good angel down to paradife, difcovered after by his furious geftures in the mount. Gabriel

promifes to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their reft: their bower defcribed; their evening worship. Gabriel drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the rgund of Paradife, appoints two strong angels to Adam's bower, left the evil spirit fhould be there doing harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwil

ling, to Gabriel; by whom queftioned, he fcornfully anfwers: prepares refiftance, but hindered by a fign from heaven, flies out of Paradife.

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For that warning voice, which he who faw Th' Apocalyps heard cry in heav'n aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to fecond rout, Came furious down to be reveng'd on men, Woe to th' inhabitants on earth! that now, While time was, our fir parents had been warn'd The coming of their fecret foe, and 'fcap'd, Haply fo 'cap'd his mortal fnare: for now Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down, The tempter ere th' accufer of mankind, To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battle, and his flight to hell : Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed, though bold, Far off, and fearless, nor with caufe to boast. Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth Now rolling boils in his tumult'ous breaft; And like a devilifh engine back recoils Upon himself: horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir The hell within him; for within him hell He brings, and round about him, not from hell One step, no more than from himself, can fly By change of place: now confcience wakes despair, That flumber'd; wakes the bitter memory Of what he was, what is, and what must be Worfe; of worfe deeds worfe fufferings muft enfue. Sometimes tow'ards Eden, which now in his view Lay pleafant, his griev'd look he fixes fad; Sometimes toward heav'n and the full blazing fun, Which now fat high in his meridian tower: Then much revolving, thus in fighs began. O thou that, with furpafling glory crown'd, Look'it from thy fole dominion like the god Of this new world; at whofe fight all the ftars. Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name, O fun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,

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That bring to my remembrance from that state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;

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Till pride, and worse ambition, threw me down, 40
Warring in heav'n against heav'n's matchlefs King.
Ah wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return
From me, whom he created what I was,
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard.
What could be less, than to afford him praise,
The eafieft recompenfe, and pay him thanks,
How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high
I'fdeind fubjection, and thought one step higher 50
Would fet me high'eft, and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endless gratitude,
So burdenfome ftill paying, ftill to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd;
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and difcharg'd; what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior angel, I had stood

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Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet, why not? fome other power
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part: but other pow'rs as great
Fell not, but ftand unfhaken, from within

Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.

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Hadft thou the fame free will and pow'r to ftand?

Thou hadft. Whom haft thou then, or what t' accufe,

But heav'n's free love, dealt equally all?

Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate,

To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Nay, curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues.
Me miserable! which way fhall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?
Which way I fly is hell; myfelf am hell;
And, in the loweft deep, a lower deep
Still threat'ning to devour me opens wide,
To which the hell I fuffer feems a heav'n.
L

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O then at last relent: is there no place
Left for repentance, none for pardon left?
None left but by fubmiffion; and that word
Difdain forbids me, and my dread of fhame
Among the fp'rits beneath, whom I feduc'd
With other promises, and other vaunts
Than to fubmit, boafting I could subdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boaft so vain,
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of hell,
With diadem and fceptre high advanc'd,
The lower still I fall, only supreme
In mifery; fuch joy ambition finds.
But fay I could repent, and could obtain,
By act of grace, my former state, how foon

Would height recal high thoughts, how foon unfay 95
What feign'd fubmiffion swore? ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow

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Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep:
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse,
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear
Short intermiffion bought with double smart.
This knows my punisher: therefore as far
From granting he, as I from begging peace :
All hope excluded thus, behold instead
Of us outcast, exil'd, his new delight,
Mankind created, and for him this world.
So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,
Farewell remorse: all good to me is loft;
Evil be thou my good: by thee at least
Divided empire with heav'n's King I hold,
By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign;
As man ere long, and this new world, fhall know.
Thus while he fpake, each paffion dimm'd his face
Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and defpair; 115
Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd
Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.

For heav'nly minds from fuch distempers foul
ear. Whereof he foon aware,