there the neighbouring Moon (call that oppofite fair Star fo) timely interpofes her Aid, her monthly Round ftill ending and still renewing, thro' the Midst of Heaven; with borrow'd Light the fills her increafing and decreafing Face to enlighten the Earth, and checks the Night in her pale Dominion. That Spot to which I point now is PARADISE, the Abode of ADAM; thofe lofty Shades are his Bower; the Way thither thou canst not mifs, that which requires me lies quite contrary.

WHEN he had faid this, he turn'd; and SATAN bowing low, (as is ufual to fuperior Spirits in Heaven, where none neglects due Honour and Reverence) took Leave, and toward the Coaft of Earth, down from the ECLIPTICK, (b) haften'd with the Hopes of Succefs, throws himself down in fteep Flight, wheeling fwiftly through the Air; nor did he make the leaft Stop, 'till he lighted upon the Mountain NIPHATES. (c)

(b) Ecliptic, of Eclipfe; Lat. Gr. A Defect of Light. An Aftron. T. A great wide Circle in the Heavens, extending between the two Tropics, cross the Equator; wherein the Sun moves thro' the 12 Signs of the Zodiac in his yearly Courfe; and there the Eclipfes do hap

(c) Niphates; Lat. Gr. i. e. Snowy; because it is generally covered with Snow. It is a very high Mountain, part of Mount Taurus, between Armenia and Mefopotamia, not far from Paradife, and the Source of Euphrates and Tygris.

pen.

The End of the THIRD BOOK.

THE

FOURTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

S

The ARGUMENT.

ATAN, now in Profpect of Eden, and nigh the Place he must now attempt the bold Enterprize which he undertook alone against GOD and Man, falls into many Doubts with himself, and many Paffions, Fear, Envy, and Defpair; but at length confirms himSelf in Evil, journies on to Paradife, whofe outward Profpect and Situation is defcrib'd. Satan overleaps the Bounds, fits in the Shape of a Cormorant on the Tree of Life, as the highest in the Garden, to look about him. The Garden defcrib'd; Satan's first Sight of Adam and Eve; his Wonder at their excellent Form and happy State, but with Refolution to work their Fall; overhears their Difcourfe from thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under Penalty of Death; and thereon intends to found

bis

his Temptation, by feducing them to tranfgrefs; then leaves them for fome Time to know further of their State by fome other Means. In the Interim Uriel defcending on a Sun-beam warns Gabriel, (who had in Charge the Gate of Paradife) that Jome evil Spirit bad efcaped the Deep, and past at Noon by his Sphere in the Shape of a good Angel down to Paradife, difcover'd afterwards by his furious Gestures in the Mount: Gabriel promises to find him out e're Morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve difcourfe of going to their Reft: Their Bower deferib'd; their Evening-worship. Gabriel drawing forth his Bands of Night-watch to walk the Round of Paradife, appoints two ftrong Angels to Adam's Bower, left the evil Spirit should be there doing fome Harm to Adam and Eve, fleeping; there they find him at the Ear of Eve, tempting her in a Dream, and bring him, tho' unwilling to Gabriel; by whom queftion'd, he fcornfully anfwers, prepares Refiftance, but binder'd by a Sign from Heaven, flies out of Paradise,

CHA P. I.

Satan, in Profpect of Eden, falls into many Doubts with bimfelf, yet journies on to Paradife, which is defcrib'd.

EVER was there more Need than now for that warning Voice, which Saint JOHN heard cry aloud in Heaven, when the Dragon, put a fecond Time to Rout, came furiously down to be reveng❜d on Men, WOE TO THE INHABITANTS ON EARTH! that now while Time was, our firft Parents

had

had been given Notice of the Coming of their fecret Enemy, and fo perchance have efcap'd his mortal Snare: For SATAN now enflam'd with Rage came, (the Tempter before he was the Accufer of Mankind) to revenge on frail innocent MAN his Lofs of that first Battel, and his Flight to Hell. His Courage now began a little to fail him, though afar off he was bold and fearless; nor had he Caufe to boast the fatal Attempt, the Execution of which being near its Birth, raises dark Thoughts in him, rowls and boils in his tumultuous Breaft, and like a devilish Engine recoils back upon himself: Horror and Doubt diftract his troubled Mind, and from the Bottom ftir the Hell within him; for within him he brings Hell, and round about him; nor can fly one Step from Hell by Change of Place, no more than he can fly from himself: Now Confcience wakes Despair that flumber'd, wakes the bitter Remembrance of what he was, Confideration of what he is, and what must be, worfe; for of worse Deeds worfe Sufferings must be the Confequence. Sometimes he fixes his griev'd Look towards EDEN, which now lay pleasant in his View, and fometimes towards Heaven and the full blazing Sun, which was just now arriv'd to its Meridian Height; then revolving much within himself, he thus began fighing:

OH Thou! that crown'd with furpaffing Glory, look'ft from thy fole Dominion, like the God of this new World; at the Sight of whom all the Stars hide their diminish'd Heads; to Thee! I call, but with no friendly Voice, and add thy Name, O Sun! to tell Thee how much I hate thy Beams, that bring to my Remembrance from what State I fell: How glorious once did I fit, far above thy Sphere! 'till Pride and worse Ambition was the Caufe of my being thrown down, for waging War in Heaven against its matchlefs King. Ah wherefore did I fo! he deferv'd from me no fuch Return, whom he created what I was in

that

that bright Eminence: He upbraided none with the good Gifts he gave; nor was it any Hardship to ferve him: What could there be lefs than to afford him Praife, (which is the eafieft Recompence) and pay him Thanks? How juftly was all this due! yet all his Good prov'd Ill in me, and work'd nothing but Malice: for being lifted up fo high fo high I difdain'd Subjection, and thought that one Step higher would fet me higheft of all, and fo in a Moment quit me of the immenfe Debt of endless Gratitude; fo burthenfome it is always to be paying, and ftill to owe; forgetful that from him I was ftill receiving; and did not confider, that a grateful Mind by acknowledging the Benefit, owes not, but fo pays, at the fame Time indebted and discharg'd: Where was the Hardship then? O had his powerful Destiny ordain'd and made me fome inferior Angel! then I had ftood happy; no unlimited Hope had rais'd Ambition in me! and yet why not? Some other Power as great as I might have afpir'd, and drawn me, though a Spirit of meaner Rank, to his Party: But other Powers as great did not fall, but stand now unshaken, arm'd against all Temptation, either from without or within. Hadft Thou the fame free Will and Power to ftand as they? Thou hadft! whom haft Thou then to accufe? or what? but Heaven's free Love equally dealt to all? Accurs'd be his Love then! fince be it Love or Hate, it alike deals out to me eternal Mifery: Nay, let me be accurs'd! fince I chose freely against his Will what I now fo juftly repent. Miferable Wretch that I am! which Way fhall I fly from infinite Wrath, and from infinite Defpair? Which ever Way I fly is Hell; I myfelf am Hell, and in the lowest Depth; a lower Deep opens wide, always threatning to devour me, to which the prefent Hell I fuffer feems to be a Heaven. O then relent at laft! Is there no Place left for Repentance? Is there none left for Pardon? No, there is none left, but by Submiffion; and that Difdain forbids

me