Minds, but they fat them down to weep. Not only Tears fell from their Eyes, but high Storms began to rife within, high Paffions, Anger, Hate, Miftrust, Sufpicion, and Difcord, which forely fhook the inward State of their Minds, that once were quite calm and full of Peace, now reftlefs and turbulent; for the Understanding rul'd no longer, nor did the Will take it any longer for a Guide, but was in Subjection now to fenfual Appetite, who ufurping, claim'd a fuperior Sway over fovereign Reafon. ADAM, from a Breast thus diftemper'd, eftrang'd in Look, and in a different Stile, again renew'd his Speech to EvE:

I WISH thou hadst hearken'd to what I faid, and staid with me as I befought thee, when that strange Defire of wandering this unhappy Morning, I know not whence, poffefs'd thee! we had then remain'd happy ftill; not as we are now, difpoil'd of all our Good, fham'd, naked, and miferable. ------ Henceforth, let none feek needlefs Caufes to prove the Faith they owe; but conclude, when they earnestly seek fuch Proof, that then they begin to fail in their Duty. To whom EvE, foon mov'd with ADAM's laying the Blame upon her, thus anfwer'd:

ADAM, what very fevere Words have pafs'd thy Lips? Wilt thou impute that to my Default, or Will of wandering, (as thou calleft it) which, who knows, might have happen'd as ill if thou hadst been by, or perhaps have happen'd to thee, hadft thou been there, or had the Attempt been made here? Thou thy felf could'ft not have difcern'd any Fraud in the Serpent, fpeaking as he fpoke; there was no Ground of Enmity known between us, why fhould he mean me any Ill, or do me any Harm? What, was I never then to have parted from thy Side? As well I might have grown there ftill one of thy Ribs, and lifeless! Being as I am, and thou the Head, why didft not thou abfolutely command me not to go, efpecially going into fuch Danger as thou faid't? But thou wert too

eafy

easy then, and didst not much oppofe me; nay, thou didft permit me to go, approve of my going, and difmifs'd me fairly: Hadit thou been firm and fix'd (as thou ought'ft to have been) in with-holding me, then had not I tranfgrefs'd, nor thou with me.

To whom then ADAM (the first Time of his being angry) reply'd: Is this thy Love, and this the Recompence of mine to thee, which I prov'd unchangeable, ungrateful EVE! when thou wert loft, not I, who might have liv'd and enjoy'd immortal Happiness; yet willingly rather chofe DEATH with thee: And am I now upbraided, as the Cause of thy Tranfgreffion? ----- I was not, it seems, fevere enough in my Restraint! ---- What could I do more? I warn'd thee, I counsel'd and admonish'd thee; told thee before-hand of the Danger, and the lurking Enemy that lay in wait: What I had done beyond this had been Force, and Force can have no Effect upon Free-will. But then Confidence bore thee on; thou thought'st thyself very secure, either to meet no Danger at all, or elfe to find Matter of Glory in the Tryal: And perhaps I was alfo in an Error, in admiring too much what feem'd in thee to be fo very perfect, that I thought nothing evil durft make an Attempt upon thee; but I rue that Error now, which is become my Crime, and thou become my Accufer too!------ Thus fhall it happen to MAN, who putting too much Confidence in the Worth of WOMAN, lets her Will rule: She won't bear to be reftrain'd; and yet if she is left to herself, and any Evil enfue from thence, fhe'll first accuse his weak Indulgence of her. Thus they fpent the Hours in mutual Accufation of each other; but neither of them would condemn themselves, and there appear'd no End to their vain and fruitless Con

tention.

The End of the NINTH BOOK.

THE

ΤΕΝΤΗ ΒΟΟΚ

O F

PARADISE LOST.

M

The ARGUMENT.

AN's Tranfgreffion known, the guardian Angels for fake Paradife, and returning up to Heaven are approv'd of, GOD declar'd that the Entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends bis Son to judge the Tranfgreffors; who defcends, and gives Sentence accordingly; in Pity cloaths them both, and re-afcends. Sin and Death fitting till then at the Gates of Hell, by wondrous Sympathy, feeling the Succefs of Satan in this new World, and the Sin by Man there committed, refolv'd to fit no longer in Hell, but to follow Satan their Father up to the Place of Man: To make the Way eafy from Hell to this World to and fro, they

pave

pave a broad Highway or Bridge over Chaos, according to the Track that Satan first made; then preparing for Earth, they meet him, proud of Succefs returning to Hell: Their mutual Gratulation: Satan arrives at Pandæmonium in full Affembly relates with boafting his Succefs against Man; inftead of Applaufe is entertain'd with a general Hifs by all his Audience, transform'd, with him alfo, fuddenly into Serpents, according to his Doom given in Paradife: Then deluded with a Show of the Forbidden Tree Springing up before them, they greedily reaching to tafte of the Fruit, chew Duft and bitter Afbes. The Proceedings of Sin and Death; GOD foretells the final Victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but, for the prefent commands his Angels to make feveral Alterations in the Heavens and Elements. Adam more and more perceiving his fallen Condition heavily bewails; rejects the Condolement of Eve; fhe perfifts, and at length appeases him; then to evade the Curfe likely to fall on their Offpring propofes to Adam violent Ways, which he approves not; but, conceiving better Hope, puts her in Mind of the late Promife, that her Seed Should be reveng'd on the Serpent; and exhorts her with him to feck Peace of the offended Deity, by Repentance and Supplication.

СНАР.

CHA P. I.

The Guardian Angels leave Paradife on Man's Tranfgreffion: GOD thereupon fends his Son to judge the Tranfgreffors.

M

EAN while the despiteful and heinous Action of SATAN, which he had done in PARADISE, was known in Heaven, and how he having poffefs'd the Serpent had perverted Ev E, and she her Hufband, to taste of the fatal forbidden Fruit: For what can efcape the Eye of GOD, who fees every Thing, or deceive him who knows all Things? Who just and wife in all his Ways, did not hinder SATAN from attempting to corrupt the Mind of MAN, who was arm'd with Free-will and Strength, compleatly fufficient to have difcover'd and repuls'd all Stratagems whatever, either of Foe or pretended Friend: For ftill they knew, and ought ever to have remember'd the high Injunction, not to taste of that Fruit whoever tempted them; which they not obeying, incurr'd (and what could they do lefs?) the Penalty; and having in that one Sin committed Rebellion, Difobedience, Pride, Senfuality, and Ingratitude, they deferv'd to fall.

THE Angels, whofe Charge it was to guard PARADISE, afcended from thence in Hafte up into Heaven, filent and forrowful for MAN; for by this Time they knew his fallen State, much wondering how the fubtle Fiend had found Entrance into PARADISE unfeen. As foon as the unwelcome News arrived from Earth to the Gates of Heaven, all were difpleas'd who heard it: That Time, dim Sadness did not fpare