To which, frowning fternly, the Fiend anfwer'd: Infulting Angel, not that I can endure lefs, or fhrink from Pain; thou knoweft well: I ftood thy fierceft, when the blafting vollied Thunder made all Speed in the Battle to thy Affiftance, and feconded thy Spear, which elfe was not dreaded; but ftill thy Words, as they were before, are at Random, and argue thy Want of Experience, as to what behoves a faithful Leader, (from hard Trials and ill Succeffes paft) not to hazard all, through Ways of Danger which he had never try'd; therefore I alone undertook first to pass over the defolate Abyfs, and fpy out this new created World, whereof Fame is not filent in Hell; hoping to find here a better Abode, and fettle here upon Earth, or else in the Air, my afflicted Powers; tho' againit our taking Poffeffion, we try once more what thou and thy gay Legions can do, whofe eafier Bufinefs is, to ferve their Lord with Songs, and practice diitant Cringes, not to fight.

To whom the Warrior Angel made speedy Reply: To fay, and then immediately to unfay, pretending firft to be wife and to fly Pain, next profeffing to be a Spy, argues no Leader, but a trac'd Liar, SATAN! and could't thou add faithful? Oh Profanation of the facred Name of Faithfulnefs! Faithful to whom? To thy rebellious Crew, an Army of Devils? A fit Body to fuch a Head! Was this your Difcipline, your Faith engag'd, and your military Obedience, to diffolve Allegiance to the acknowledg'd fupreme Power? And thou, fly Hypocrite, who now would'ft feem Patron of Liberty, who once fawn'd and cring'd more than thou, and fervilely ador'd the awful King of Heaven? Wherefore? but in Hopes to difpoffels him, and reign thyfelf? But mark what I pronounce thee now; Avaunt! fly back again from whence thou art fled! for if from this Hour thou dar'ft but to ap

pear

pear within these hallow'd Limits, I'll drag thee back chain'd to the infernal Pit, and feal thee fo, that thou fhalt not henceforth fcorn the eafy Gates of Hell, as barr'd too flightly.

So he threaten'd; but SATAN heeded no Threats, but growing ftill more enrag'd, reply'd: Proud limitary Cherub! when I am thy Captive, then begin to talk about Chains, but 'till then expect to feel a far heavier Load from my powerful Arm; though the King of Heaven ride upon thy Wings, and thou with thy Fellow Slaves, us'd to the Yoke, draweft his triumphal Car, in Progrefs through the star-pav'd Road of Heaven.

WHILE he spoke thus, the angelical Squadron turn'd fiery red, fharpening their Phalanx into Half Moons, and began to enclose him round with prefented Spears; as thick as Ears of Corn, ripe for the Harvest bend to the Wind; on the other Side, SATAN being alarm'd and collecting all his Might, ftood fix» ed and enlarg'd like Mount TENERIF, (m) or ATLAS: His Stature reach'd the Sky, and on his Creft fat Horror for a Plume; nor did he want in his Grafp what feem'd both Spear and Shield. Now ve

(m) Teneriffe, Tenerif, or Tenerife Portug. i. e. Holding up on High. It is the Chief of the Canary Islands, which are seven in Number, in the Western Ocean, and about thirty Leagues from the Continent. It is overagainst Morocco in Africa, about 48 Spanish Leagues round, PtoLamy reckoned the Longitude from them because the Antients efteemed them the remoteft Part of the Ocean; and fome modern Geographers follow him ftill. ThePike of Teneriffe is one of the

ry

higheft Mountains upon our Globe; a Mafs of Rocks heaped confufedly together, like a rough Pyramid; computed to be between three or at most four Miles perpendicular above the Sea; and about fifteen Miles to them that afcend it. It may be seen 120 English Miles offat Sea, in clear Weather. There is a Vulcano on the Top of it, and it is alfo covered with Snow; there fore fome call it Nivaria, Lat, i. e. A Snowy Rock.

ry dreadful Deeds might have enfu'd, not only PARADISE, had gone to wreck in this Commotion, but perhaps the ftarry Cope of Heaven, all the Elements had been difturb'd and torn with the Violence of this great Conflict, had not GOD to prevent fuch horrid Fray, hung forth his golden Scales in Heaven, which are yet feen between ASTREA (0) and the Sign SCORPIO, (wherein he firft weigh'd all Things created, the pendulous round Earth, and counterpoiz'd it with ballanc'd Air, and now weighs in them all Events of Battles, and Realms) in these he put two Weights, one of them to fhow the Confequence of SATAN'S retreating, and the other of his fighting; the latter Scale flew up quick and ftruck the Beam; which GABRIEL feeing thus fpoke to the Fiend.

- SATAN! I know thy Strength, and thou too, knoweft mine, neither of them our own, but both given us: What Folly is it for us then to boast what Arms can do, fince thine can do as much as Heaven permits, and mine can do no more, tho' my Strength be doubled now to trample thee: For a Proof look up in yonder celeftial Sign where thou art weigh'd, and fhewn how light and weak thou art, if thou fhouldft refift.----The Fiend look'd up, and faw and knew his Scale mounted aloft; nor did he ftay, but fed away murmuring, and with him likewife fled the Shade of the Night.

(n) Aftrea; Lat. i. e. A Star. The Daughter of Jupiter and Themis, and Goddess of Juftice. In the Golden Age or State of Innocency the lived among Men; but in the Iron Age, or after the Fall, fhe deferted the Earth, lak

of all the Gods; because of the Wickedness of Men, and flew up to Heaven, where he became the Sign Virgo, next to Libra, i. e. A Scale. Juftice's Ballance, another of the twelve Signs.

The End of the FIFTH BOOK.

THE

FIFTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

T

The ARGUMENT.

HE Morning approaching Eve relates. to Adam ber troublefome Dream; be does not like it, yet comforts her; they come forth to their Day-Labonr: Their Morning Hymn at the Door of the Bower. GoD to render MAN inexcufable, fends Raphael to admonifh him of his Obedience, of bis free Eftate, of bis Enemy near at Hand; who he is; and why his Enemy, and whatever elfe may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradife; his Appearance defcrib'd, his Coming difcern'd by Adam afar off, fitting at the Door of his Bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to bis Lodge, entertains him with the choiceft Fruits of Paradife got together by Eve; their Difcourfe at Table: Raphael performs bis Meffage, and puts Adam in mind of

bis

bis State, and of his Enemy. Raphael at the Requeft of Adam, relates who his great Enemy is, and how he came to be fo, beginning from his firft Revolt in Heaven, and the Occafion thereof; how be drew his Legions after him to the Parts of the North, and therein incited them to rebel with him; perfuading all, but only Abdiel, a Seraph, who in Argument diffuades and oppofes him, then forfakes

bim.

Eve relates to Adam her Dream; they come fortb to their Day-Labour: Their Morning Hymn.

OW the Morning advancing with red Streaks in the Eaft, cover'd the Earth with fhining Drops of Dew, when ADAM awak'd, being fo accuftom'd; for his Sleep was light, bred from pure Digeftion and temperate pleafing Fumes, which the bare Sound of Leaves, and running Streams and the fhrill Morning Song of Birds on every Bough lightly difpers'd: His Wonder was fo much the more to find Eve not yet awake; with her Hair difcompos'd and her Cheeks glowing, as through unquiet Sleep: He on his Side half-rais'd and leaning, hung over her enamour'd with Looks of Cordial Love, and beheld Beauty, which whether asleep or awake caft forth peculiar Graces: Then with Voice as mild as when the gentleft Winds breath on the Flowers, foftly touching her Hand, whisper'd thus: Awake, my Faireft! my Spouse! my laft found Good! Heaven's laft, beft Gift! My ever-new Delight! Awake! for now the Morning fhines, and the fresh Field calls for us, we loose the Prime to obferve how our tender Plants