All judgment, whether in heaven, or earth, or hell. Easy it may be seen that I intend

60

65

70

Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee
Man's friend, his mediator, his design'd
Both ransom and redeemer voluntary,
And destin❜d man himself to judge man fallen.
So spake the Father, and, unfolding bright
Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son
Blaz'd forth unclouded Deity; he full
Resplendent all his Father manifest
Express'd, and thus divinely answer'd mild.
Father eternal, thine is to decree;
Mine both in heaven and earth to do thy will
Supreme, that thou in me thy Son belov'd
May'st ever rest well pleas'd. I go to judge
On earth these thy transgressors; but thou know'st,
Whoever judg'd, the worst on me must light,
When time shall be, for so I undertook
Before thee, and not repenting this obtain
Of right, that I may mitigate their doom
On me deriv'd; yet I shall temper so
Justice with mercy, as may illustrate most
Them fully satisfy'd, and thee appease.
Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none
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 serpent none belongs.

75

81

58 may] The second edition, and others, give, Easy it might be seen.'

Thus saying, from his radiant seat he rose

Of high collateral glory: him thrones and powers,
Princedoms and dominations ministrant

Accompany'd to heaven-gate, from whence
Eden and all the coast in prospect lay.

85

Down he descended straight; the speed of gods 90
Time counts not, tho' with swiftest minutes wing'd.
Now was the sun in western cadence low
From noon, and gentle airs due at their hour
To fan the earth now wak'd, and usher in

The ev'ning 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 seen far off? I miss thee here,
Not pleas'd, thus entertain❜d with solitude,
Where obvious duty erewhile appear'd unsought:

100

105

86 collateral] Shakesp. All's Well that Ends Well, act i. scene i. 'In his bright radiance and collateral light,

Must I be comforted, not in his sphere.' Steevens.

103 Where art thou] See A. Ramsæi Poem. Sacr. vol. i. p. 35. vocisque volutat imago,

6

Per nemus ingeminans, Adam! Adam! quæ loca, quæ te

Terrarumque tenent sedes? Commercia nostra

Congressusque fugis? Silvis quid te abdis opacis ?'

Or come I less conspicuous? or what change Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth. He came, and with him Eve, more loth, though

first

111

To offend, discountenanc'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 obstinacy, and hate, and guile.
Whence Adam, faltering long, thus answer'd brief.
I heard thee in the garden, and of thy voice
Afraid, being naked, hid myself. To whom
The gracious Judge without revile reply'd.

116

My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not fear'd, But still rejoic'd; how is it now become

120

So dreadful to thee? that thou art naked, who Hath told thee? hast thou eaten of the tree Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?

To whom thus Adam sore beset reply'd.

O heaven! in evil strait this day I stand
Before my Judge, either to undergo
Myself the total crime, or to accuse
My other self, the partner of my life;
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,
I should conceal, and not expose to blame

116 I heard] So in Grotii Adamus Exsul, p. 67.

'Audivi truces,

Metuende rector! per nemus sacrum sonos'

membra concussit pavor

125

130

Tremuique totus.'

By my complaint; but strict necessity
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint,
Lest on my head both sin and punishment,
However insupportable, be all

Devolv'd though should I hold my peace, yet thou
Wouldst easily detect what I conceal.

This woman, whom thou mad'st to be my help,
And gav'st me as thy perfect gift, so good,
So fit, so acceptable, so divine,

That from her hand I could suspect no ill,
And what she did, whatever in itself,
Her doing seem'd to justify the deed;
She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

To whom the sov'reign Presence thus reply'd. Was she 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 resign thy manhood, and the place
Wherein GoD set 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 such as under government well seem'd,

137 This woman] Consortem dederas thalami;

per te dotale venenum

Hoc ego concepi. Nam quæ mihi lege jugali
Juncta fuit, nostro per te dignata cubili,
Blanditiis teneris nostris amplexibus hærens,
Ferales epulas, inimicaque fercula suasit.'

A. Rams. P. S. i. p. 37.

136

140

145

150

Unseemly to bear rule, which was thy part
And person, hadst thou known thyself aright.
So having said, he thus to Eve in few:

155

Say, woman, what is this which thou hast done?
To whom sad Eve with shame nigh overwhelm'd,
Confessing soon, yet not before her Judge
Bold or loquacious, thus abash'd reply'd.
The serpent me beguil'd, and I did eat.

160

165

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 instrument Of mischief, and polluted from the end Of his creation; justly 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 sin his doom apply'd,

Though in mysterious terms, judg'd as then best: And on the serpent thus his curse let fall.

Because thou hast done this, thou art accurs'd 175 Above all cattle, each beast of the field; Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go,

6

155 thy part] A pure Latinism, the personæ dramatis. So Cic. pro Mur. c. 2. Has partes lenitatis et misericordiæ, quas me Natura ipsa docuit, semper ago libenter: illam vero gravitatis, severitatis personam non appetivi.' Richardson.

157 in few] So K. Hen. IV. P. ii. act i. s. 1.

'In few; his death, whose spirit lent a fire.'

and Warner's Alb. Engl. 1608, p. 40.

'In few; the wars are full of woes.' Todd.