Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, More to the part finifter, from me drawn, Well if thrown out, as fupernumerary To my juft number found. O why did God, Creator wife, that peopled highest Heaven With Spirits mafculine, create at last This novelty on earth, this fair defect
Of nature, and not fill the world at once With Men as Angels without feminine, Or find fome other way to generate
Mankind? this mischief had not then befall'n, 895 And more that fhall befall, innumerable Disturbances on earth through female fnares, And ftrait conjunction with this fex: for either He never fhall find out fit mate, but fuch As fome misfortune brings him, or mistake; 900 Or whom he wishes moft fhall feldom gain Through her perverfenefs, but fhall fee her gain'd By a far worse, or, if fhe love, withheld By parents; or his happiest choice too late Shall meet, already link'd and wedlock-bound To a fell adverfary', his hate or shame : 906 Which infinite calamity fhall caufe To human life, and houshold peace confound.
He added not, and from her turn'd; but Eve Not fo repuls'd, with tears that ceas'd not flowing, And treffes all diforder'd, at his feet
Fell humble, and embracing them, befought His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus, Adam: witnefs Heaven What love fincere, and reverence in my heart 915 I bear thee, and unweeting have offended, Unhappily deceiv'd; thy fuppliant
Bear thine own first, ill able to sustain His full wrath, whose thou feel'st as yet leaft part, And my difpleasure bear'ft fo ill. If prayers Could alter high decrees, I to that place Would speed before thee, and be louder heard, That on my head all might be visited, Thy frailty and infirmer fex forgiven, To me committed and by me expos'd. But rife, let us no more contend, nor blame Each other, blam'd enough elsewhere, but strive In offices of love, how we may lighten 960 Each other's burden, in our fhare of woe; Since this day's death denounc'd, if ought I fee, Will prove no fudden, but a flow-pac'd evil, A long day's dying to augment our pain, And to our feed (O hapless feed!) deriv'd. 965 To whom thus Eve, recovering heart, reply'd. Adam, by fad experiment I know
How little weight my words with thee can find, Found fo erroneous, thence by just event Feund fo unfortunate; nevertheless, Reftor'd by thee, vile as I am, to place Of new acceptance, hopeful to regain Thy love, the fole contentment of my heart Living or dying, from thee I will not hide What thoughts in my unquiet breast are risen, 975 Tending to fome relief of our extremes, Or end, though sharp and fad, yet tolerable, As in our evils, and of eafier choice. If care of our descent perplex us most, Which must be born to certain woe, devour'd By Death at laft; and miferable it is To be to others caufe of mifery,
Our own begotten, and of our loins to bring Into this curfed world a woful race,
That after wretched life must be at last Food for fo foul a monster; in thy power It lies, yet ere conception to prevent The race unbleft, as be'ing yet unbegot. Childlefs thou art, childless remain: fo Death Shall be deceiv'd his glut, and with us two Be forc'd to fatisfy his ravenous maw.
But if thou judge it hard and difficult, Converfing, looking, loving, to abitain From love's due rites, nuptial embraces fweet, And with defire to languish without hope, Before the prefent object languishing With like defire, which would be misery And torment lefs than none of what we dread; Then both ourselves and feed at once to free From what we fear from both, let us make short, Let us feek Death, or, he not found, fupply 1001 With our own hands his office on ourselves: Why stand we longer fhivering under fears, That show no end but death, and have the power, Of many ways to die the fhortelt choofing, 1005 Deftruction with destruction to deftroy?
She ended here, or vehement despair Broke off the reft; fo much of death her thoughts Had entertain'd, as dy'd her cheeks with pale. But Adam with fuch counsel nothing fway'd 1010 To better hopes his more attentive mind Lab'ring had rais'd, and thus to Eve reply'd. Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure feems To argue in thee fomething more fublime
The penalty pronounc'd, doubt not but God Hath wifelier arm'd his vengeful ire than fo To be foreftall'd; much more I feel left death
So fnatch'd will not exempt us from the pain 1025 We are by doom to pay; rather such acts Of contumacy will provoke the Highest To make death in us live: Then let us feek Some fafer refolution, which methinks
I have in view, calling to mind with heed Part of our fentence, that thy feed fhall bruise The Serpent's head; pitcous amends, unless Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand foe Satan, who in the ferpent hath contriv'd Against us this deceit to crush his head Would be revenge indeed; which will be loft By death brought on ourselves, or childless days Refolv'd as thou propofeft; so our foe Shall 'fcape his punishment ordain'd, and we Inftead fhall double ours upon our heads. No more be mention'd then of violence Against ourselves, and wilful barrenness, That cuts us off from hope, and favors only Rancor and pride, impatience and defpite, Reluctance against God and his juft yoke Laid on our necks. Remember with what mild And gracious teniper he both heard and judg'd Without wrath or reviling; we expected Immediate diffolution, which we thought Was meant by death that day, when lo, to thee Pains only in child-bearing were foretold, 1051 And bringing forth, foon recompens'd with joy, Fruit of thy womb on me the curfe aflope Glanc'd on the ground; with labor I must earn My bread; what harm? Idlenefs had been worfe; My labor will fuftain me; and left cold 1056 Or heat should injure us, his timely care Hath unbefought provided, and his hands Cloth'd us unworthy, pitying while he judg'd; How much more, if we pray him, will his ear Be open, and his heart to pity' incline,
And teach us further by what means to fhun 'T'h' inclement feafons, rain, ice, hail, and fnow? Which now the sky with various face begins To fhow us in this mountain, while the winds 1065 Blow moift and keen, fhattering the graceful lock Of thofe fair spreading trees; which bids us feck Some better shroud, fome better warmth to cherish. Our limbs benumb'd, ere this diurnal star Leave cold the night, how we his gather'd beams Reflected, may with matter fere foment Or by collifion of two bodies grind The air attrite to fire, as late the clouds Juftling or push'd with winds rude in their. fhock Tine the flant lightning, whose thwart flame driv'n
Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine,
The Son of God prefents to his Father the prayers of our first parents now repeating, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradife; fends Michael with a band of Cherubim to difpoffefs them; bu first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam fhows t Eve certain ominous figns; he difcerns Michael's approach, goes out to meet him the Angel denounces their departure. Eve's Lamentation. Adam pleads, but fub mits: The Angel leads him up to a high hill, fets before him in vifion what tha happen till the flood.
HUS they in lowlieft plight repentant flood Praying, for irom the mercy-feat above Prevenient grace defcending had remov'd The ftony from their hearts, and made new fiel Regenerate grow instead, that fighs now breath'd Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer Infpir'd, and wing'd for Heaven with speedier flight
Than londeft oratory: yet their port
Not of mean fuitors, nor important lefs
From innocence. Now therefore bend thine eat To fupplication, hear his fighs though mute; Unfkilful with what words to pray, let me Interpret for him, me his advocate And propitiation; all his works on me Good or not good ingraft, my merit thofe Shall perfect, and forthefe my death fhall pay." Accept me, and in me from thefe receive The imell of peace tow'ard mankind; let him li Before thee reconcil'd, at leaft his days
Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair Number'd, though fad, till death, his don
In fables old, lefs ancient yet than thefe, Deucalion and chatte Pyrrha, to reftore The race of mankind drown'd, before the brine Of Themis stood devout. To Heav'n their prayers Flew up, nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds Blown vagabond or fruftrate: in they pats'd 16 Dimenfioniefs through heav'nly doors; then clad With incenfe, where the golden altar fum'd, By their great interceffor, came in fight Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son Preienting, thus to intercede began.
Sce, Father, what firft fruits on earth are fprung From thy implanted grace in Man, thefe fighs And pray'rs, which in this golden cenfer, nix'd With incende, I tay prieit before thee bring; Fruits of more pleafing favor from thy feed Sown with contrition in his heart, than those his own hand manuring all the trees Of Paradife could have produc'd, ere fall'n
To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse) To better life fhall yield him, where with me All my redeem'd may dwell in joy and blifs, Made one with me as I with thee am one.
To whom the Father, without cloud, ferene. All thy request for Man, accepted Son, Obtain; all thy requeft was my decree: But longer in that Paradife to dwell, The law I gave to nature him forbids: Thofe pure immortal elements that know No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul, Eject him tainted now, and purge him off As a distemper, grofs to air as grofs, And mortal food, as may difpofe him beft For diffolution wrought by fin, that first Diftemper'd all things, and of incorrupt Corrupted. I at firft with two fair gifts Created him endow'd, with happiness
He ended, and the Son gave fignal high To the bright minifter that watch'd; he blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps When God defcended, and perhaps once more 75 To found at general doom. Th' angelic blaft Fill'd all the regions: from their blifsful bowers Of amarantin fhade, fountain or spring, By the waters of life, where'er they fat In fellowships of joy, the fons of light Hafted, reforting to the fummons high, And took their feats; till from his throne fupremé Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his fovran will. O Sons, like one of us Man is become To know both good and evil, fince his taste Of that defended fruit; but let him boast His knowledge of good loft, and evil got, Happier, had it fuffic'd him to have known Good by itfelf, and evil not at all.
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite, 90 My motions in him; longer than they move, His heart I know, how variable and vain Self-left. Left therefore his now bolder hand Reach alfo of the tree of life, and eat, And live for ever, dream at least to live For ever, to remove him I decree, And fend him from the garden forth to till The ground whence he was taker, fitter foil. Michael, this my beheft have thou in charge, Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriers, left the Fiend, Or in behalf of Man, or to invade
Vacant poffeffion, fome new trouble raife: Hafte thee, and from the Paradise of God Without remorfe drive out the finful pair From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce To them and to their progeny from thence Perpetual banishment. Yet left they faint At the fad fentence rigorously urg'd, For I behold them foften'd and with tears Bewailing their excefs, all terror hide. If patiently thy bidding they obey, Difmifs them not difconfolate; reveal To Adam what shall come in future days, As I fhall thee inlighten; intermix My covenant in the Woman's feed renew'd; So fend them forth, though forrowing, yet in
And on the eaft fide of the garden place, Where entrance up from Eden eafictt climbs, Cherubic watch, and of a sword the flante
Wide-waving, all approach far off to fright, And guard all paffage to the tree of life: Left Paradife a receptacle prove
To Spirits forl, and ail ny tries their prey, 124 With whofe thol'n fuit Man once more to delude. He ceas'd; and th' archangelic Pow'r prep.r'd For fwift deicent. with him the cohort bright Of watchful Cherubim; four fa es cach Had, like a double Janus, all their shape Spangled with eyes, more numerous than those Of Argus, and more wakeful than to doufe, 131 Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the paft'ral reed Of Hermes, or his piate rod. Men while To refalute the world with facred light Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm'd The earth, when Adain and firit matron Eve 136 Had ended now their orifons, and found Strength added from above, new hope to fpring Out of defpair, joy, but with fear yet link'd; Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. Eve, eafily may faith admit, that all The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n defcends; But that from us ought fhould afcend to Heaven So prevalent as to concern the mind Of God high-bleft, or to incline his will, Hard to belief may feem; yet this will prayer Or one fhort figh of human breath, upborne Ev'n to the feat of God. For fince 1 fought By pray'r th' offended Deity to' appease, Kncel'd and before him humbled all my heart, 150 Methought I saw him placable and mild, Bending his ear; perfuafion in me grew That I was heard with favor; peace return'd Home to my breaft, and to my memory His promife, that thy feed fhall bruife our foe; Which then not minded in difmay, yet now 156 Affures me that the bitterness of death
Forerunners of his purpose, or to warn Us haply too fecure of our discharge From penalty, because from death releas'd Some days; how long, and what till then our life, Who knows, or more than this, that we are duft, And thither must return and be no more? Why clfe this double object in our fight Of flight purfu'd in th' air, and o'er the ground, One way the felf-fame hour? why in the caft Darkness ere day's mid-courfe, and morning light More orient in yon western cloud, that draws 205 O'er the blue firmament a radiant white, And flow defcends, with fomething heav'nly fraught?
He err'd not, for by this the heav'nly bands Down from a sky of jafper lighted now In Paradife, and on a hill made halt, A glorious apparition, had not doubt And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adam's eye. Not that more glorious, when the Angels met Jacob in Mahanaim, where he faw
The field pavilion'd with his guardians bright; Nor that which on the flaming mount appear'd In Dothan, cover'd with a camp of fire, Against the Syrian king, who to furprife One man, affafhin like, had levied war, War unproclaim'd. The princely Hierarch 220 In their bright stand there left his Pow'rs to feife Poffeffion of the garden; he alone,
To find where Aaam fhelter'd, took his way, Not unperceiv'd of Adam, who to Eve, While the great vifitant approach'd, thus fpake.. Eve, now expect great tidings, which perhaps Of us will foon determin, or impofe New laws to be obferv'd; for I defery From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill One of the heav'nly hoft, and by his gait None of the mcaneft, fome great Potentate Or of the Thrones above, fuch majefty Invefts him coming; yet not terrible That I should fear, nor fociably mild, As Raphael, that I should much confide, But folemn and fublime, whom not to' offend, With reverence I must meet, and thou retire. He ended; and th' Arch-Angelfoon drew nigh, Not in his shape celeftial, but as man Clad to meet man; over his lucid arms A military veft of purple flow'd, Livelier than Meliban, or the grain Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old In time of truce; Iris had dipt the woof;
His ftarry helm unbuckled fhow'd him prime 245 In manhood where youth ended; by his fide
Adam, Heav'n's high beheft no preface needs: Sufficient that thy pray'rs are heard, and Death, Then due by fentence when thou didst tranfgrefs, Defeated of his feisure many days
Giv'n thee of grace, wherein thou may'st repent, And one bad act with many deeds well done 256 Mayft cover: well may then thy Lord appeas'd Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious clame; But longer in this Paradife to dwell Permits not; to remove thee I am come, And fend thee from the garden forth to till The ground whence thou waft taken, fitter foil. He added not, for Adam at the news Heart-ftruck with chilling gripe of forrow flood, That all his fenfes bound: Eve, who unfeen 265 Yet all had heard, with audible lament Discover'd foon the place of her retire.
O unexpected ftroke, worse than of Death! Muft I thus leave thee, Paradife? thus leave Thee, native soil, thefe happy walks and shades, Fit haunt of Gods? where I had hope to spend, Quiet though fad, the respite of that day That must be mortal to us both. O flowers, That never will in other climate grow, My early vifitation, and my last
At even, which I bred up with tender hand From the first opening bud, and gave you names, Who now shall rear you to the fun, or rank Your tribes, and water from the ambrofial fount? Thee laftly, nuptial bow'r, by me adorn'd 283 With what to fight or fmell was fweet, from the How shall I part, and whither wander down Into a lower world, to this obfcure
And wild? how shall we breathe in other air Lefs pure, accuftom'd to immortal fruits?
Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild. Lament not, Evc, but patiently refign What juftly thou haft loft; nor fet thy heart, Thus over-fond, on that which is not thine. Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes Thy hufband; him to follow thou art bound; Where he abides, think there thy native foil. Adam by this from the cold fudden damp Recovering, and his scatter'd spi'rits return'd, To Michael thus his humble words addrefs'd. 295 Celestial, whether among the Thrones, nam'd
Of them the high'eft, for fuch of shape may feem Prince above princes, gently haft thou told Thy meffage, which might elfe in telling wound, And in performing end us; what befides Of forrow and dejection and despair Our frailty can fuftain, thy tidings bring, Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recefs, and only confolation left Familiar to our eyes, all places elfe Inhofpitable' appear and defolate,
Nor knowing us nor known: and if by prayer Inceffant I could hope to change the will Of him who all things can, I would not cease To weary him with my affiduous cries:
« 上一頁繼續 » |