And know not that I call'd, and drew them thither, My hell hounds, to lick up the draff and filth,
Which man's polluting fin with taint had shed On what was pure: 'till cram'd and gorg'd, nigh burst, With fuck'd and glutted offal, at one fling
Of Thy victorious arm, well-pleafing SON!
Both SIN and DEATH, and yawning GRAVE, at last, Through Chaos hurl'd, obftruct the mouth of hell For ever, and feal up his ravenous jaws.
Then heav'n and earth renew'd, fhall be made pure To fanctity, that shall receive no stain:
'Till then, the curfe pronounc'd on both proceeds. 640
He ended, and the heav'nly audience loud Sung hallelujah, as the found of feas,
Through multitude that fung! "Juft are Thy ways, Righteous are Thy decrees on all Thy works; "Who can extenuate Thee? Next, to the Son, "Deftin'd reflorer of mankind, by whom "New heav'n and earth fhall to the ages rife "Or down from heav'n defcend." Such was their fong, While the Creator calling forth by name His mighty Angels, gave them feveral charge, As forted beft with present things. The fur Had first his precept fo to move, fo fhine, As might affect the earth with cold, and heat, Scarce tolerable: and from the north to call Decrepit winter: from the fouth to bring Solftitial fummer's heat. To the blanc moon Her office they prescrib'd: to th' other Five, Their planetary motions, and afpects, In Sextije, Square, and Trine, and Oppofite, Of noxious efficacy; and when to join In fynod unbenign: and taught the Fix'd Their influence malignant when to show'r; Which of them, rifing with the fun, or falling, Should prove tempeftuous. To the winds they fet Their corners; when with blufter to confound Sea, air, and fhoar: the thunder, when to roll With terror through the dark aëreal hall.
Some fay, He bid His Angels turn ascanse The poles of earth, twice ten degrees, and more, From the fun's axle; they with labour pufh'd Oblique the centric globe: fome say, the fun Was bid turn reins from th' æquinoctial road Like diftant breadth to Taurus, with the fev'n ATLANTIC fifters, and the SPARTAN twins, Up to the Tropic Crab; thence, down amain By Leo, and the Virgin, and the Scales, As deep as Capricorn; to bring in change Of feafons to each clime: elfe had the spring Perpetual fmil'd on earth with vernant flow'is, Equal in days and nights, except to those Beyond the polar circles: to them day Had unbenighted fhon, while the low fun To recompenfe his distance, in their fight Had rounded fill th' horizon, and not known Or eaft, or weft; which had forbid the fnow From cold ESTOTILAND; and fouth as far Beneath MAGELLAN. At that tafted fruit, The fun, as from THYESTEAN banquet, turn'd His courfe intended: elfe, how had the world Inhabited, though finlefs, more than now Avoiding pinching cold, and fcorching heat? Thefe changes in the heav'ns (tho' flow) produc'd Like change on fea and land; fidereal blast, Vapour, and mift, and exhalation hot; Corrupt and peftilent! Now, from the north Of NORUMBEQUE, and the SA MOED fhoar, Burfing their brazen dungeon, arm'd with ice, And fnow, and heil, and stormy guft, and flaw, Boreas, and Cacias, and Argcites loud,
And Thrafcias, rend the woods, and feas up-turn: With adverse blast up-turns them from the fouth Notus, and Afer, black with thund'rous clouds From SIERRA LIONA: thwart of these, as fierce, Forth rush the Levant, and the Ponent winds, Eurus, and Zephyrs with their lateral noise, Sirocco, and Libecchio. Thus began Cutrage from-lifelefs things: but Discord first
(Daughter of SIN) among th' irrational DEATH introduc'd, through fierce antipathy: Beast now with beaft gan war, and fowl with fowl, And fish with fish: to graze the herb all leaving, Devour'd each other: nor ftood much in awe Of man, but filed him; or, with count'nance grim, Glar'd on him paffing. These were from without The growing miferies, which ADAM faw Already in part, though hid in gloomie shade, To forrow abandon'd; but worse felt within! And in a troubled fea of paffion toft,
Thus to disburden fought with fad complaint.
O miferable of happy! is this the end Of this new glorious world, and me fo late The glory of that glory, who now become Accurs'd of bleffed? Hide me from the face Of GOD, Whom to behold was then my height Of happiness!- -Yet well, if here would end The mifery; I deferv'd it, and would bear My own defervings; but this will not serve! All that I eat, or drink, cr shall beget, Is propagated curfe. O voice! once heard Delightfully, Increase and multiply;
Now death to hear! For what can I increase, Or multiply, but curfes on my head? Who of all ages to fucceed, but feeling The evil on him brought by me, will curfe My head? ill fare our ancestor impure!
For this we may thank ADAM! but his thanks Shall be the execration! So befides
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: Heavy, though in their place! O fleeting joys Of Paradife, dear-bought with lafting woes! Did I requeft Thee, Maker! from my clay, To mould me man? Did I folicite Thee From darkness to promote me? Or here place In this delicious garden? As my will
Concurr'd not to my Being, it were but right, And equal, to reduce me to my duft; Defirous to refign, and render back All I receiv'd; unable to perform
Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold The good I fought not. To the lofs of that, (Sufficient Penalty!) why haft thou added The fenfe of endless woes: Inexplicable Thy juftice feems. Yet, to fay truth, too late I thus conteft: then fhould have been refus'd
These terms, whatever, when they were propos'd. Thou didst accept them: wilt thou enjoy the good, Then cavil the conditions? And though GoD
Made thee without thy leave, what if thy fon
Prove disobedient, and reprov'd, retort,
Wherefore didft thou beget me? I fought it not!
Wouldst thou admit, for his contempt of thee,
That proud excufe? Yet him, not thy election,
But natural neceffity begot,
GOD made thee of choice His own, and of His own
To ferve Him: thy reward was of His grace;
Thy punishment then juftly is at His Will. Be it fo! for I fubmit: His doom is fair, That duft I am, and shall to dust return. O welcome hour whenever! Why delays His hand to execute, what His decree Fix'd on this day? Why do I over-live?
Why am I mock'd with death, and lengthen'd out
To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet Mortality my fentence, and be earth
Infenfible! How glad would lay me down, As in my mother's lap! There I should rest, And fleep fecure: His dreadful voice no more Would thunder in my ears; no fear of worfe To me, and to my off-spring, would torment me With cruel expectation! -Yet one doubt
Purfues me ftill, left All I cannot die Left that pure breath of life, the spirit of man, Which God infpir'd, cannot together perish With this corporeal clod: then, in the grave, Ꮓ
Or in fome other difmal place, who knows But I fhall die a living death! O thought Horrid, if true! Yet why, it was but breath Of life that finn'd: what dies, but what had life, And fin? The body properly hath neither. All of me then fhall die: let this appease The doubt, fince human wretch no further knows. For though the LORD of All be infinite,
Is His wrath alfo? Be it! man is not fo, 1 But mortal doom'd. How can He exercise
Wrath without end on man, whom death must end?
Of weakness, not of pow'r. Will He draw out, For anger fake, finite to infinite.
Can He make deathlefs death? that were to make Strange contradiction, which to God Himself Impoffible is held; as argument
In punish'd man, to fatisfy His rigour, Satisfied never? That were to extend
His fentence beyond duft, and nature's law: By which all caufes elfe, according ftill To the reception of their matter, act;
Not to th❜extent of their own fphere. But fay That death be not one stroke, as I fuppos'd, Bereaving fense: but endless mifery From this day onward; which I feel begun Both in me and without me; and fo last
*Comes thund'ring back with dreadful revolution defenfeless head: both Death and I,
Nor I on my part fingle; in me all
Am found eternal, and incorporate both.
Pofterity stands curs'd! fair patrimony
That I must leave you, fons! O were I able,
To wafte it all myself, and leave you none,
So difinherited, how would ye blefs
Me, now your curfe! Ah! why should all mankind,
For one man's fault, thus guiltless be condemn'd,
If guiltless? But from me what can proceed,
But all corrupt; both mind and will deprav'd; Not to do only, but to will the fame
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