Which of them rising with the sun, or falling,
Should prove tempestuous: To the winds they set
Their corners, when with bluster to confound
Sea, air, and shore, the thunder when to roll
With terror through the dark aerial hall.'
Some say he bid his Angels turn ascance
The poles of earth twice ten degrees and more
From the sun's axle; they with labour push'd
Oblique the centric globe: Some say the sun
Was bid turn reins from th' equinoctial road
Like distant breadth to Taurus with the seven
Atlantic Sisters, and the Spartan Twins
Up to the Tropic Crab; thence down amain
By Leo and the Virgin and the Scales,

665

670

675

As deep as Capricorn, to bring in change

Of seasons to each clime; else had the spring

Perpetual smil'd on earth with vernant flowers,
Equal in days and nights, except to those
Beyond the polar circles; to them day

680

Had unbenighted shone, while the low sun

To recompense his distance, in their sight

Had rounded still th' horizon, and not known

Or east or west, which had forbid the snow

685

From cold Estotiland, and south as far
Beneath Magellan. At that tasted fruit
The sun, as from Thyéstean banquet, turn'd
His course intended; else how had the world

Inhabited, though sinless, more than now,

690

Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat?

These changes in the Heav'ns, though slow, produc'd

Like change on sea and land, sideral blast,

Vapour, and mist, and exhalation hot,

Corrupt and pestilent: Now from the north
Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shore,

695

Bursting their brazen dungeon, arm'd with ice
And snow and hail and stormy gust and flaw,
Boreas and Cæcias and Argestes loud

And Thrascias rend the woods and seas upturn;
With adverse blast upturns them from the south
Notus and Afer black with thund'rous clouds
From Serraliona; thwart of these as fierce

700

Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent winds

Eurus and Zephyr with their lateral noise,
Siroccho, and Libecchio. Thus began

Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first

Daughter of Sin, among th' irrational,

Death introduc'd through fierce antipathy :

705

709

Beast now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl,
And fish with fish; to graze the herb all leaving,
Devour'd each other; nor stood much in awe
Of Man, but fled him, or with count'nance grim
Glar'd on him passing. These were from without
The growing miseries, which Adam saw
Already' in part, though hid in gloomiest shade,
To sorrow' abandon'd, but worse felt within,
And in a troubled sea of passion tost,
Thus to disburden sought with sad complaint.
O MISERABLE of happy! is this the end
Of this new glorious world, and me so late
The glory of that glory, who now become

715

720

Accurs'd of blessed, hide me from the face

Of God, whom to behold was then my height
Of happiness! yet well if here would end
The misery; I deserv'd it, and would bear

725

My own deservings; but this will not serve;
All that I eat or drink, or shall beget,

Is propagated curse. O voice once heard
Delightfully, “ Increase and multiply,”

730

Now death to hear! for what can I increase
Or multiply, but curses on my head?

Who of all ages to succeed, but feeling

The evil on him brought by me, will curse

My head? Ill fare our ancestor impure,

735

For this we may thank Adam; but his thanks
Shall be the execration; so besides

Mine own that bide upon me, all from me

Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound,

On me as on their natural centre light

740

Heavy, though in their place. O fleeting joys

Of Paradise, dear bought with lasting woes!
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay

To mould me Man, did I solicit thee,

From darkness to promote me, or here place

745

In this delicious garden? as my will

Concurr'd not to my be'ing, it were but right
And equal to reduce me to my dust,

Desirous to resign and render back

All I receiv'd, unable to perform

750

Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold

The good I sought not. To the loss of that,