And therefore was Law given them to evince Thir natural pravitie,

The holy One with mortal Men to dwell: By his prescript a Sanctuary is fram'd

But say, what mean those colourd streaks in Heavn

O Eve, some furder change awaits us nigh, Which Heav'n by these mute signs in Nature shews

Perpetual banishment

Against a Foe by doom express assign'd us,

The miserie, I deserv'd it, and would beare

Before him naked to the aire, that now Must suffer change, disdain'd not to begin

Lead then, said Eve. Hee leading swiftly rowld In tangles, and made intricate seem strait, To mischief swift.

Hung drooping unsustaind, them she upstaies

Of all that he Created, much less Man, Or aught that might his happie State secure,

To basest things. Revenge, at first though sweet, Bitter ere long back on it self recoiles; Let it; I reck not, so it light well aim'd,

Of Nature her th' inferiour, in the mind

Remember what I warne thee, shun to taste, And shun the bitter consequence: for know, The day thou eat'st thereof, my sole command Transgrest, inevitably thou shalt dye;

Leave them to God above, him serve and feare; Of other Creatures, as him pleases best, Wherever plac't, let him dispose: joy thou [ 170 ] In what he gives to thee, this Paradise

The mightie frame, how build, unbuild, contrive To save appeerances, how gird the Sphear With Centric and Eccentric scribl'd o're, Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb:

Of Spirits maligne a better Race to bring Into thir vacant room, and thence diffuse

Anough is left besides to search and know

Thee also from obedience, that with him

Whom to obey is happiness entire

Was Aerie light, from pure digestion bred,

a spot like which perhaps Astronomer in the Sun's lucent Orbe Through his glaz'd Optic Tube yet never saw

And after all thir tribulations long See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds

Or shall the Adversarie thus obtain His end, and frustrate thine, shall he fulfill His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,

Not free, what proof could they have givn sincere Of true allegiance

But now at last the sacred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of Heav'n [ 1035 ] Shoots farr into the bosom of dim Night A glimmering dawn; here Nature first begins

The perilous attempt; but all sat mute, [ 420 ] Pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and each In others count'nance read his own dismay

And Princely counsel in his face yet shon, Majestic though in ruin: sage he stood [ 305 ] With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear The weight of mightiest Monarchies; his look Drew audience and attention still as Night

And cannot cease to be, we are at worst [ 100 ] On this side nothing; and by proof we feel Our power sufficient to disturb his Heav'n, And with perpetual inrodes to Allarme, Though inaccessible, his fatal Throne: Which if not Victory is yet Revenge

His trust was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in strength, and rather then be less Care'd not to be at all; with that care lost Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse He reck'd not, and these words thereafter spake

Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd

Deep scars of Thunder

Soon recollecting, with high words, that boreSemblance of worth, not substance, gently rais'dThir fainting courage, and dispel'd thir fears.