Justice with mercy, as may illuftrate most
Them fully fatisfy'd, and thee appease.
Attendence none fhall need, nor train, where none 80 Are to behold the judgment, but the judg'd, Those two; the third best absent is condemn'd, Convict by flight, and rebel to all law: Conviction to the ferpent none belongs.
Thus faying, from his radiant seat he rose Of high collateral glory: him Thrones and Powers, Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant, Accompanied to Heaven gate, from whence Eden, and all the coaft in profpect lay. Down he defcended ftrait; the speed of Gods
Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes wing'd. Now was the fun in western cadence low
From noon, and gentle airs,due at their hour,
To fan the earth now wak'd, and usher in
The evening cool; when he, from wrath more cool,95 Came, the mild judge and intercessor both,
To sentence Man: the voice of God they heard Now walking in the garden, by soft winds Brought to their ears, while day declin'd; they heard, And from his presence hid themselves among The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God Approaching, thus to Adam call'd aloud. Where art thou Adam, wont with joy to meet My coming feen far off? I miss thee here, Not pleas'd, thus entertain'd with folitude,
Where obvious duty ere while appear'd unfought: Or come I lefs confpicuous, or what change Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth. He came, and with him Eve, more loath, though first To' offend, discount'nanc'd both, and discompos'd; Love was not in their looks, either to God Or to each other; but apparent guilt, And shame, and perturbation, and despair, Anger, and obftinacy, and hate, and guile. Whence Adam, faltring long, thus answer'd brief. 115 I heard thee in the gard'n, and of thy voice Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom The gracious judge, without revile,reply'd, My voice thou oft hast heard, and haft not fear'd, But ftill rejoic'd; how is it now become
So dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who Hath told thee? haft thou eaten of the tree, Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?
To whom thus Adam, fore beset, reply'd,
O Heav'n! in evil strait this day I stand Before my judge, either to undergo Myself the total crime, or to accuse My other felf, the partner of my life;
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains, I should conceal, and not expose to blame By my complaint; but ftrict neceffity
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint,
head both fin and punishment,
However infupportable, be all
Devolv'd; though should I hold my peace, yet thou Wouldst easily detect what I conceal. This Woman, whom thou mad'ft to be And gav'st me as thy perfect gift, so good, So fit, fo acceptable, so divine,
That from her hand I could suspect no ill, And what she did, whatever in itself,
Her doing feem'd to justify the deed;
She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
To whom the sovran Presence thus reply'd, Was fhe thy God, that her thou didst obey
Before his voice, or was she made thy guide, Superior, or but equal, that to her
Thou didst refign thy manhood, and the place Wherein God fet thee, above her, made of thee, And for thee, whose perfection far excell'd Hers in all real dignity? Adorn'd
She was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts Were fuch as under government well seem'd, Unseemly to bear rule; which was thy part And perfon, hadft thou known thyself aright. So having said, he thus to Eve in few. Say Woman, what is this which thou haft done? To whom fad Eve,with fhame nigh overwhelm'd, Confeffing foon, yet not before her judge Bold or loquacious, thus abash'd reply'd,
The Serpent me beguil'd and I did eat.
Which when the Lord God heard, without delay To judgment he proceeded on th'accus'd Serpent,though brute, unable to transfer The guilt on him who made him inftrument Of mischief, and polluted from the end Of his creation; juftly then accurs'd, As vitiated in nature: more to know
Concern'd not Man (since he no further knew) 170 Nor alter'd his offence; yet God at last To Satan, first in fin,his doom apply'd,
Though in mysterious terms, judg'd as then beft: And on the Serpent thus his curse let fall. Because thou haft done this, thou art accurs'd Above all cattel, each beast of the field; Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go, And duft fhalt eat all the days of thy life. Between thee and the Woman I will put Enmity, and between thine and her feed;
Her feed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel.
So fpake this oracle, then verify'd
When Jefus, son of Mary, fecond Eve,
Saw Satan fall like lightning down from Heaven, Prince of the air; then, rifing from his grave, Spoil'd Principalities and Pow'rs, triumph'd In open show, and with ascension bright Captivity led captive through the air, The realm itself of Satan long ufurp'd,
Whom he shall tread at laft under our feet; Ev'n he who now foretold his fatal bruise, And to the Woman thus his fentence turn'd. Thy forrow I will greatly multiply
By thy conception; children thou shalt bring In forrow forth; and to thy husband's will Thine fhall fubmit; he over thee shall rule.
On Adam laft thus judgment he pronounc'd. Because thou' haft hearken'd to the voice of thy wife, And eaten of the tree, concerning which
I charg'd thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat thereof: Curs'd is the ground for thy fake; thou in forrow Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth Unbid; and thou shalt eat th' herb of the field, In the fweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread, Till thou return unto the ground; for thou Out of the ground waft taken, know thy birth, For duft thou art, and fhalt to duft return.
So judg'd he Man, both judge and saviour sent, And th' inftant ftroke of death,denounc'd that day, 210 Remov'd far off; then pitying how they stood Before him naked to the air, that now Must suffer change, difdain'd not to begin Thenceforth the form of fervant to affume,
As when he wafh'd his fervants feet, fo now, As father of his family, he clad
Their nakedness with skins of beafts, or flain,
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