With pity, violated not their bliss.

About the new-arriv'd, in multitudes

Th' etherial people ran, to hear and know
How all befel; they towards the throne supreme,
Accountable made haste to make appear
With righteous plea their utmost vigilance,
And easily approv'd; when the most high
Eternal Father, from his secret cloud :
Amidst, in thunder utter'd thus his voice:

Assembled angels, and ye pow'rs return'd
From unsuccessful charge, be not dismay'd,
Nor troubled at these tidings from the earth,
Which your sincerest care could not prevent,
Foretold so lately what would come to pass.
When first this tempter cross'd the gulf from hell.
I told ye then he should prevail and speed
On his bad errand, man should be seduc'd
And flatter'd out of all, believing lies
Against his Maker; no decree of mine
Concurring to necessitate his fall,

Or touch with lightest moment of impulse
His free will, to her own inclining left
In even scale. But fallen he is, and now
What rests, but that the 'mortal sentence pass
On his transgression, death denounc'd that day?
Which he presumes already vain and void,
Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,

By some immediate stroke; but soon shall find
Forbearance no acquittance, ere day end
Justice shall not return as bounty scorn'd.
But whom send I to judge them? whom but thee
Vicegerent Son? to thee I have transferr'd
All judgment whether in heav'n, or earth, or hell.
Easy it may be seen that. I intend

Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee
Man's friend, his mediator, his design'd
Both ransom and redeemer voluntary,

And destin❜d man himself to judge man fall'n.

So spake the Father, and unfolding bright Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son Blaz'd forth unclouded deity; he full Resplendent all his Father manifest Express'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild: Father eternal, thine is to decree,

Mine both in heav'n and earth, to do thy will
Supreme, that thou in me thy Son belov'd
Mayst ever rest well pleas'd. I go to judge
On earth these thy transgressors, but thou know'st,
Whoever judg'd, the worst on me must light,
When time shall be, for so I undertook
Before thee; and not repenting, this obtain
Of right, that I may mitigate their doom
On me deriv'd, yet I shall temper so
Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most
Them fully satisfy'd, and thee appease.

Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none

Are to behold the judgment, but the jug'd,

Those two; the third best absent is condemn'd,
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
Conviction to the serpent none belongs.

Thus saying from his radiant seat he rose
Of high collateral glory: him thrones and powers,
Princedoms, and dominations ministrant
Accompanied to heav'n gate, from whence
Eden and all the coast in prospect lay.
Down he descended straight; the speed of gods
Time counts not, tho' with swiftest minutes wing'd.
Now was the sun in western cadence low
From noon, and gentle airs due at their hour
To fan the earth now wak'd, and usher in
The evening cool, when he from wrath more cool
Came the mild judge and intercessor both
To sentence man: the voice of God they heard
Now walking in the garden, by soft winds
Brought to their ears, while day declin'd; they heard,
And from his presence hid themselves among
The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God

Approaching, thus tó Adam call'd aloud:
Where art thou Adam, wont with joy to meet
My coming seen far off? I miss thee here,
Not pleas'd, thus entertain'd with solitude,
Where obvious duty erewhile appear'd unsought:
Or come I less conspicuous, or what change
Absents thee, or what chance detain? Come forth!
He came, and with him Eve, more loath, though
first

To offend, discount'nanc'd both, and discompos'd;
Love was not in their looks, either to God
Or to each other, but apparent guilt,

And shame, and perturbation, and despair,
Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile.
Whence Adam, falt'ring long, thus answer'd brief,
I heard thee in the garden, and of thy voice
Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom
The gracious judge, without revile reply'd:
My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not fear'd,
But still rejoic'd; how is it now become
So dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who
Hath told thee? hast thou eaten of the tree,
Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?
To whom thus Adam sore beset replied:
O heav'n! in evil strait this day I stand
Before my judge, either to undergo
Myself the total crime, or to accuse
My other self, the partner of my life;
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,
I should conceal, and not expose to blame
By my complaint; but strict necessity
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint.
Lest on my head both sin and punishment,
However insupportable, be all

Devolv'd though should I hold my peace, yet thou

Wouldst easily detect what I conceal.

This woman, whom thou mad'st to be my help,

And gav'st me as thy perfect gift, so good,

So fit, so acceptable, so divine,

That from her hand I could suspect no ill,
And what she did, whatever in itself,
Her doing seem'd to justify the deed;
She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

To whom the sov'reign Presence thus reply'd:
Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice, or was she made thy guide
Superior, or but equal, that to her

Thou didst thy manhood, and the place
Wherein God set thee above her made of thee,
And for thee, whose perfection far`excell❜d
Hers in real dignity? Adorn'd

She was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts
Were such as under government well seem'd,
Unseemly to bear rule, which was thy part
And person hadst thou known thyself aright.
So having said, he thus to Eve in few:
Say, woman, what is this which thou hast done?
To whom sad Eve with shame nigh overwhelm'd,
Confessing soon, yet not before her judge

Bold or loquacious, thus abash'd reply'd:
The serpent me beguil'd and I did eat.

Which when the Lord God heard, without delay
To judgment he proceeded on th' accus'd
Serpent though brute, unable to transfer
The guilt on him who made him instrument
Of mischief, and polluted from the end
Of his creation: justly then accurs'd.
As vitiated in nature; more to know
Concern'd not man (since he no further knew)
Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last
To satan first in sin his doom apply'd,

Though in mysterious terms, judged as then best:
And on the serpent thus his curse let fall:

Because thou hast done this, thou art accurs'd
Above all cattle, each beast of the field;
Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go,
And dust shall eat all the days of thy life.

-Between thee and the woman, I will put
Enmity, and between thine and her seed;

Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel.
So spake this oracle, then verify'd

When Jesus son of Mary, second Eve,

Saw Satan fall like lightning down from heav'n,
Prince of the air; then rising from his grave
Spoil'd principalities and pow'rs, triumph'd
In open show, and with ascension bright,
Captivity led captive through the air,
The realm itself of Satan long usurp'd,
Whom he shall tread at last under our feet;
Ev'n he who now foretold his fatal bruise,
And to the woman thus his sentence turn'd:
Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply

By thy conception; children thou shalt bring
In sorrow forth; and to thy husband's will
Thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule.

On Adam last thus judgment he pronounc'd: Because thou hast hearken'd to the voice of thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which

I charg'd thee saying, Thou shalt not eat thereof:
Curs'd is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow
Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life;
Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth
Unbid; and thou shalt eat th' herb of the field.
In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,
Till thou return unto the ground; for thou
Out of the ground wast taken, know thy birth,
For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return.

So judg'd he man, both judge and saviour sent,
And th' instant stroke of death denounc'd that day
Remov'd far off: then pitying how they stood
Before him naked to the air, that now
Must suffer change, disdain'd not to begin
Thenceforth the form of servant to assume.
As when he wash'd his servants' feet, so now,
As father of his family he clad

Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain,