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Confufion heard His voice, and wild uproar
Stood rul'd, ftood vaft infinitude confin'd:
Till at His fecond bidding darkness fled,
Light shon, and order from diforder sprung.
Swift to their feveral quarters hasted then
The cumbrous elements, earth, flood, air, fire
And the ethereal quinteffence of heav'n
Flew upward, spirited with various forms,
That rowl'd orbicular, and turn'd to ftars,
Numberless, as thou feest, and how they move;
Each had his place appointed, each his course;
The reft in circuit walls this univerfe.

Look downward on that globe whofe hither side
With light from hence, tho' but reflected, shines:
That place is earth, the feat of man; that light
His day, which elfe, as th' other hemifphere,
Night would invade; but there the neighb'ring

moon

(So call that oppofite fair star) her aid

Timely interposes, and her monthly round
Still ending, ftill renewing through mid heav'n.
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills, and empties, to enlighten th' earth
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That spot to which I point is paradife,

Adam's abode, thofe lofty shades his bow'r ;
Thy way
thou can'ft not mifs, me mine requires.
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low
(As to fuperior spirits is wont in heav'n,

Where honor due, and reverence, none negle&s)

Took leave, and tow'rd the coast of earth beneath Down from th' ecliptic, sped with hop'd fuccefs, Throws his steep flight in many an aery wheel; Nor flaid, till on Niphates' top he lights.

The end of the third Book.

8-739)

PARADISE

*

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK IV.

The ARGUMENT.

Satan, now in profpect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprize which he undertook alone against God, and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many paffions, fear, envy, and defpair: but at length confirms himself in evil, journeys on to Paradife, whofe outward profpect and fituation is defcribed, overleaps the bounds, fits in the shape of a cormorant on the Tree of Life, as the highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden defcribed; Satan's first fight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy ftate, but with refolution to work Tome I. 1

their fall; overhears their difcourfe; thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden then to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temp tation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs: then leaves them awhile to know further of their State by fome other means. Mean – while Uriel defcending on a fun-beam warns Ga-` briel (who had in charge the gate of Paradife) that fome evil Spirit had escaped the Deep, and paft at noon by his fphere in the shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcovered afterwards by his furious geftures in the mount: Gabriel promises to find him out e'er morning. Night comes on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their rest: their bower defcribed; their evening worship, Gabriel drawing forth his bands of nightwatch to walk the round of Paradife, appoints two ftrong Angels to Adam's bower, left the evil Spirit should he there doing fome harm to Adam or Eve fleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, tho' unwilling to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he scornfully answers, prepares refiftance, but, hinder'd by a fign from heav'n, flies out of Paradife.

O FOR

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FOR that warning voice, which he who faw The Apocalyps heard cry in heav'n aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to second rout, Came furious down to be reveng'd on men Wo to th' inhabitants on earth! that now While time was, our first parents had been warn'd The coming of their fecret foe, and feap'd Haply fo fcap'd, his mortal snare : for now Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down, (The tempter, e'er th' accufer, of mankind,) To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battel, and his flight to hell. Yet not rejoycing in his fpeed, though bold, Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast, Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth Now rowling, boils in his tumultuous breaft, And like a devilish engine back recoils Upon himself: horror and doubt distract His troubled thoughts ; and from the bottom ftir The hell within him, ( for within him hell He brings, and round about him, nor from hell One ftep, no more than from himself, can fly By charge of place :) now conscience 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'rds Eden, which now in his view Lay pleafant, his griev'd look he fixes fad

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