BOOK X.1

Man's transgression known, (he guardian-angels forsake Paradise, and return up to heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved; God declaring that the entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He sends his Son to judge the transgressors; who descends and gives sentence accordingly; then in pily clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Deaih, sitting till then at the gates of hell, by wondrous sympathy feeling the success of Satan in this new world, and the sin by man there committed, resolve to sit no longer confined in hell, but to follow Salan their sire up to the place of man to make the way easier from hell to this world to and fro, they pave a broad highway or bridge over Chaos, according to the track (hat Satan first made; then preparing for earth, they meet him, proud of his success, returning to hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium: in full assembly relates with boasting his success against man; instead of applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience, transformed with himself also suddenly into serpents according to his doom given in Paradise; then deluded with a show of the forbidden tree springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the fruit, chew dust and bitter ashes. The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretels the final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but for the present, commands his angels to make several alterations in the heavens and elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily bewails, rejects the condolemcnt of tve; she persists, and at length appeases him: then to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring, proposes to Adam violent ways, which he approves not; but conceiving belter hope, puts her in mind or the late promise made them, that her seed should be revenged on the serpent; and exhorts her with him to seek peace of the offended Deity, by repentance and supplication.

Meanwhile the heinous and despiteful act
Of Satan done in Paradise, and how
He, in the serpent, had perverted Eve,
Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit,

Was known in heaven; for what can 'scape the eye
Of God all-seeing, or deceive his heart

Omniscient? who, in all things wise and just,

Hinder'd not Satan to attempt the mind

Of man, with strength entire and free-will arm'd,

« The Tenth Book has a greater variety of persons in it than any other in the whole poem. The author, upon the winding up of his action, introduces all those who had any concern in it, and shows, with great beauty, the influence it had upon each of them. It is like the last act of a well-written tragedy, in which all who had a pari in it are generally drawn up before the audience, and represented under those circumstances in which the determination of the action places them.—{Ad.) In the first edition the poem ended with this book.

* The despiteful act of Satan was only mentioned in general before; and bere the word "and" Introduces two particulars of it.—(P.)

Complete to have discovered, and repuls'd,
Whatever wiles of foe, or seeming friend.

For still they knew, and ought to have still remember'd,
The high injunction—not to taste that fruit,
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying
Incurr'd (what could they less?) the penalty;

Up into heaven, from Paradise, in haste
The angelic guards ascended, mute and sad
For man! for of his state by this they knew;*
Much wond'ring how the subtle fiend had stol'n
Entrance unseen.
Soon as the unwelcome news

From earth arriv'd at heav'n-gate, displeas'd
All were who heard; dim sadness did not spare
That time celestial visages, yet, mix'd

With pity, violated not their bliss.

About the new arriv'd, in multitudes
The ethereal people ran, to hear and know
How all befel: they, towards the throne supreme,
Accountable made haste, to make appear,
With righteous plea, their utmost vigilance,
And easily approv'd: when the Most High
Eternal Father, from his secret cloud
Amidst, in thunder utter'd thus his voice:

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4

Assembled Angels, and ye Powers return'd
"From unsuccessful charge! be not dismay'd,
"Nor troubled at these tidings from the earth,
"Which your sincerest care could not prevent,
"Foretold so lately what would come to pass,
"When first this tempter cross'd the gulf from hell.
"I told ye then he should prevail, and speed
"On his bad errand; man should be sedue'd,
"And flatter'd out of all, believing lies

*'

Against his Maker; no decree of mine
"Concurring to necessitate his fall,
"Or touch with lightest moment of impulse
"His free-will, to her own inclining left

47 "In even scale. But fall'n he is; and now

6

1 Any wiles whatever, a pure Lalinism, "quoscunque dolos."

2 Many divines reckon up several sins as included in Ihis one of Adam, such as pride, curiosity, disobedience, etc.—(R.)

8 /. e. By this time.

In the occasional sense of the Latin probare, rendered it "approved."

See iii. 92.

6 See note on vi. 239.

A

82

"What rests,1 but that the mortal sentence pass
"On his transgression—death denounc'd that day?
"Which he presumes already vain and void,
"Because not yet inflicted, as he fear'd,

"By some immediate stroke; hut soon shall find
"Forbearance no acquittance, ere day end.
"Justice shall not return, as bounty, scorn'd.

"But whom send I to judge them? Whom but thee,
Vicegerent Son? To thee I have transferr'd

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

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"Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee,
"Man's friend, his Mediator—his design'd
"Both ransom and Bedeemer voluntary;
"And destin'd man himself to judge man fall'n."
So spake the Father; and, unfolding bright
Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son
Blaz'd forth unclouded deity: he full
Besplendent 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,

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May'st ever rest well pleas'd. I go to judge
"On earth these thy transgressors; but thou knowes
"Whoever judg'd, the worst on me must light
"When time shall be;3 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

4

"Justice with mercy,s as may illustrate most

"Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.

6

"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,

l What remains? "quid reslal?" a Latinism.

« Taken from John v. 22.—(H.)

a "Time," like the Latin tempus, the lit lime or opportunity. See iii. 236.

* Derivalus, brought on me like a stream.

s So Shakspeare, Merchant of Venice, act iv. sc. 1 :—

"And earthly power doth then show likosl God's,
When mercy seasons justice."—(N.)

"Illustrate " in the occasional sense of illuslrare, to show clearly. Satisfied," from the Latin satisfacere, "them fully atoned for." He has previously used "satisfaction" in this sense.

6 Shall be needful or necessary, the verb being here used in a neuler sense, bee III. 311.—UV.)

"Convict by flight, and rebel to all law:
"Conviction to the serpent none belongs."

Thus saying, from his radiant seat he rose

Of high collateral glory.1 Him Thrones, and Powers,
Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant,
Accompanied to heaven-gate; from whence
Eden, and all the coast, in prospect lay.

Down he descended straight: the speed of gods
Time counts not, though 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,
Came—the mild Judge, and Intercessor both—
To sentence man. The voice of God they heard,
Now walking in the garden, by soft winds

2

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 :

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"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.
"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
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 obstinacy, and hate, and guile.

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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, replied:

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

"So dreadful to thee? That thou art naked, who

122

"Hath told thee?

Hast thou eaten of the tree,

1 So Shakspeare, All's Well that end's Well, act i. sc. 1:

"In his bright radiance and collateral light
Must I he comforted, not in bis sphere."-(Steevens)

Gen. iii. 8, 9, etc.

162

"Whereof I gave thee charge thou should'st not eat?"

To whom thus Adam, sore beset, replied:

"0 heaven! in evil strait this day I stand

"Before my Judge; either to undergo

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Myself the total crime, or to accuse

My other self, the partner of my life;

"Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,

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"I should conceal, and not expose to blame
"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'ran Presence thus replied:
"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^
"Unseemly to bear rule; which was thy part
"And person, hadst thou known thyself aright."
So having said, he thus to Eve in few: 3

"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 replied:
"The serpent me beguil'd, and I did eat!"

i Milton, in his Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce, dwells on the propriety of making the wife subject to the husband.—(T.)

* Is here used in the Latin sense of persona, or character, used in a theatrical sense; hence, occupation.—(R.)

8 I. e. In few words. A common classical ellipsis.

In this passage Milton, as usual, follows Scripture.