For anger's fake, finite to infinite
In punisht man to satisfie his rigour Satisfi'd never; that were to extend His fentence beyond duft and nature's law, By which all caufes elfe according still To the reception of their matter act,
Not to th'extent of their own fpheare. But fay That death be not one ftroak, as I fuppos'd, Bereaving fenfe, but endless miferie
From this day onward, which I feel begun Both in me, and without me, and so last To perpetuitie; ay me, that fear
Comes thundring back with dreadful revolution On my defenceless head; both death and I Am found eternal, and incorporate both, Nor I on my part fingle, in me all Pofteritie stands curft: faire patrimonie That I must leave ye, fons; O were I able To waste it all myself, and leave ye none ! So difinherited how would ye blefs
Me now your curfe! ah, why should all mankind For one man's fault thus guiltlefs be condemn'd, If guiltlefs? but from me what can proceed, But all corrupt, both mind and will deprav'd Not to do only, but to will the same
With me? how can they then acquitted stand In fight of God? him after all disputes
Forc't I abfolve: all my evafions vain,
And reasonings, though through mazes, lead me still But to my own conviction: first and last On me, me only, as the fource and spring
f all corruption, all the blame lights due; might the wrauth. Fond wish! couldst thou support hat burthen heavier than the earth to bear, han all the world much heavier, though divided With that bad woman? thus what thou defir'st, nd what thou fear'st, alike destroys all hope f refuge, and concludes thee miserable eyond all past example and future,
o Satan onely like both crime and doom. confcience, into what abyss of fears
And horrours haft thou driv'n me: out of which find no way, from deep to deeper plung'd! Thus Adam to himself lamented loud
Through the still night, not now, as ere man fell, Wholsome and cool, and mild, but with black air Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom, Which to his evil conscience represented All things with double terror: on the ground Outstretcht he lay, on the cold ground, and oft Curs'd his creation, death as oft accus'd Of tardie execution, fince denounc't
The day of his offence. Why comes not death, Said he, with one thrice acceptable stroke To end me? shall truth fail to keep her word, Juftice divine not haften to be just ? But death comes not at call, justice divine Mends not her flowest pace for prayers or cries. O woods, O fountains, hillocks, dales and bowers, With other echo late I taught your shades To anfwer, and refound far other song. Whom thus afflicted when fad Eve beheld,
Defolate where the fate, approaching nigh, Soft words to his fierce passion she assay'd: But her with ftern regard he thus repell❜d.
Out of my fight, thou ferpent, that name beft Befits thee with him leagu'd, thyself as false And hateful; nothing wants, but that thy shape, Like his, and colour ferpentine may shew
Thy inward fraud, to warn all creatures from thee Henceforth; leaft that too heav'nly form, pretended To hellish falfhood, fnare them. But for thee I had perfifted happie, had not thy pride And wandring vanitie, when leaft was safe, Rejected my forewarning, and difdain'd Not to be trufted, longing to be seen Though by the devil himself, him overweening To over-reach, but with the ferpent meeting Fool'd and beguil'd, by him thou, I by thee, To truft thee from my side, imagin'd wise Conftant, mature, proof against all affaults, And understood not all was but a fhew Rather than folid vertue, all but a rib Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears, More to the part finifter from me drawn, Well if thrown out, as fupernumerarie To my juft number found. O why did God, Creator wife, that peopl'd highest heaven With fpirits masculine, create at last This noveltie on earth, this fair defect Of nature, and not fill the world at once With men as angels without feminine, Or find some other way to generate
Mankind? this mischief had not then befall'n, And more that shall befall, innumerable Disturbances on earth through female fnares, Änd ftraight conjunction with this fex: for either He never shall find out fit mate, but fuch As fome misfortune brings him or mistake, Or whom he wishes most shall seldom gain - Through her perverseness, but shall see her gain'd By a far worse, or if the love, withheld By parents, or his happiest choice too late Shall meet, alreadie linkt and wedlock-bound To a fell adversarie, his hate or shame: Which infinite calamitie fhall caufe
To human life, and houshold peace confound. He added not, and from her turn'd, but Eve Not fo repulft, with tears that ceas'd not flowing, And treffes all diforder'd, at his feet- Fell humble, and embracing them, besaught His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint.
Forfake me not thus, Adam, witness heav'a What love fincere, and reverence in my heart I beare thee, and unweeting have offended, Unhappilie deceav'd; thy fuppliant I beg, and clasp thy knees; bereave me not, Whereon I live, thy gentle looks, thy aid, Thy counsel in this uttermost distress,
My only strength and stay: forlorn of thee, Whither shall I betake me, where subsist? While yet we live, fcarce one short hour perhaps, Between us two let there be peace, both joyning, As join'd in injuries, one enmitie
Against a foe by doom express affign'd us. That cruel ferpent: on me exercise not Thy hatred for this miserie befall'n, On me alreadie loft, me than thyself More miferable; both have fin'd, but thou Against God only, I against God and thee, And to the place of judgment will return, There with my cries importune heav'n, that all The fentence from thy head remov'd may light On me fole cause to thee of all this woe, Me, me only just object of his ire.
She ended weeping, and her lowlie plight Immoveable till peace obtain'd from fault Acknowledg'd and deplor'd, in Adam wraught Commiferation; foon his heart relented Towards her, his life fo late and fole delight, Now at his feet fubmiffive in distress, Creature fo fair his reconcilement seeking, His counfel whom she had difpleas'd, his aide: As one difarm'd his anger all he loft,
And thus with peaceful words uprais'd her foon. Unwarie, and too defirous, as before,
So now of what thou knowest not, who defir'st The punishment all on thy felf; alas,
Bear thine own first, ill able to sustain
His full wrauth whose thou feelst as yet least part, And my displeasure bearft so ill. If prayers
Could altar high decrees, I to that place
Would speed before thee, and be louder heard,
That on my head all might be visited,
Thy frailtie and infirmer sex forgiv'n,
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