pear within these hallow'd Limits, I'll drag thee back chain'd to the infernal Pit, and feal thee fo, that thou fhalt not henceforth fcorn the eafy Gates of Hell, as barr'd too flightly.

So he threaten'd; but SATAN heeded no Threats, but growing still more enrag'd, reply'd: Proud limitary Cherub! when I am thy Captive, then begin to talk about Chains, but 'till then expect to feel a far heavier Load from my powerful Arm; though the King of Heaven ride upon thy Wings, and thou with thy Fellow Slaves, us'd to the Yoke, draweft his triumphal Car, in Progrefs through the star-pav'd Road of Heaven,

WHILE he spoke thus, the angelical Squadron turn'd fiery red, fharpening their Phalanx into Half Moons, and began to enclofe him round with prefented Spears; as thick as Ears of Corn, ripe for the Harvest bend to the Wind; on the other Side, SATAN being alarm'd and collecting all his Might, ftood fixed and enlarg'd like Mount TENERIF, (m) or ATLAS: His Stature reach'd the Sky, and on his Creft fat Horror for a Plume; nor did he want in his Grafp what feem'd both Spear and Shield. Now ve

(m) Tenerife, Tenerif, or Tenerife; Portug. i. e. Holding up on High. It is the Chief of the Canary Islands, which are feven in Number, in the Western Ocean, and about thirty Leagues from the Continent. It is overagainft Morocco in Africa, about 48 Spanish Leagues round, Pto-, lomy reckoned the Longitude from them because the Antients efteemed them the remoteft Part of the Ocean; and fome modern Geographers follow him ftill. ThePike of Teneriffe is one of the

ry dreadful Deeds might have enfu'd, not only PARADISE had gone to wreck in this Commotion, but perhaps the ftarry Cope of Heaven, all the Elements had been difturb'd and torn with the Violence of this great Conflict, had not GOD to prevent fuch horrid Fray, hung forth his golden Scales in Heaven, which are yet feen between ASTREA (0) and the Sign SCORPIO, (wherein he first weigh'd all Things created, the pendulous round Earth, and counterpoiz'd it with ballanc'd Air, and now weighs in them all Events of Battles, and Realms) in these he put two Weights, one of them to fhow the Confequence of SATAN's retreating, and the other of his fighting; the latter Scale flew up quick and ftruck the Beam; which GABRIEL feeing thus fpoke to the Fiend.

SATAN! I know thy Strength, and thou too, knoweft mine, neither of them our own, but both given us: What Folly is it for us then to boast what Arms can do, fince thine can do as much as Heaven permits, and mine can do no more, tho' my Strength be doubled now to trample thee: For a Proof look up in yonder celeftial Sign where thou art weigh'd, and fhewn how light and weak thou art, if thou fhouldft refift.----The Fiend look'd up, and faw and knew his Scale mounted aloft; nor did he ftay, but fled away murmuring, and with him likewife fled the Shade of the Night.

(n) Area; Lat. i. e. A Star. The Daughter of Jupiter and Themis, and Goddess of Juftice. In the Golden Age or State of Innocency the lived amongMen; but in the Iron Age, or after the Fall, fhe deferted the Earth, laf

of all the Gods; because of the Wickedness of Men, and flew up to Heaven, where he became the Sign Virgo, next to Libra, i. e. A Scale. Juftice's Ballance, another of the twelve Signs.

The End of the FIFTH BOOK.

THE

FIFTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

T

The ARGUMENT.

HE Morning approaching Eve relates to Adam her troublefome Dream; be does not like it, yet comforts her; they

come forth to their Day-Labonr: Their Morning Hymn at the Door of the Bower. GOD to render MAN inexcufable, fends Raphael to admonifh him of his Obedience, of his free Eftate, of bis Enemy near at Hand; who he is; and why his Enemy, and whatever elfe may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradife; his Appearance defcrib'd, his Coming difcern'd by Adam afar off, fitting at the Door of his Bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his Lodge, entertains him with the choiceft Fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their Difcourfe at Table: Raphael performs his Meffage, and puts Adam in mind of

bis

bis State, and of his Enemy. Raphael at the Re queft of Adam, relates who his great Enemy is, and how he came to be fo, beginning from his first Revolt in Heaven, and the Occafion thereof; how be drew his Legions after him to the Parts of the North, and therein incited them to rebel with him, perfuading all, but only Abdiel, a Seraph, who in Argument diffuades and oppofes him, then forfakes

him.

CHAP.

I.

Éve relates to Adam her Dream; they come fortb to their Day-Labour: Their Morning Hymn.

OW the Morning advancing with red Streaks in the Eaft, cover'd the Earth' with fhining Drops of Dew, when ADAM awak'd, being fo accuftorn'd; for his Sleep was light, bred from pure Digeftion and temperate pleafing Fumes, which the bare Sound of Leaves, and running Streams and the fhrill Morning Song of Birds on every Bough lightly difpers'd: His Wonder was fo much the more to find Eve not yet awake; with her Hair difcompos'd and her Cheeks glowing, as through unquiet Sleep: He on his Side half-rais'd and leaning, hung over her enamour'd with Looks of Cordial Love, and beheld Beauty, which whether asleep or awake caft forth peculiar Graces: Then with Voice as mild as when the gentleft Winds breath on the Flowers, foftly touching her Hand, whisper'd thus: Awake, my Faireft! my Spouse! my last found Good! Heaven's laft, beft Gift! My ever-new Delight! Awake! for now the Morning fhines, and the fresh Field calls for us; we loose the Prime to obferve how our tender Plants

fpring, how the Citron Grove blows, what the Balmtree and the Myrrh drop, how Nature paints her Colour, and how the Bee fits upon the Flowers extracting Honey. Such whispering awak'd her; but with ftartled Eyes, turn'd upon ADAM; to whom (embracing him) fhe spoke thus:

O THOU! in whom alone my Thoughts find any Repose, my Perfection and my Glory! Gladly I fee thy Face and the Morning return'd; for I this Night have dream'd, (if indeed it was a Dream, for fuch a Night till this I never pafs'd before) not as I am often us'd about thee, the Work of the påfs'd Day, or that next defign'd for the Morrow; but I have dream'd of Offence and Trouble, which 'till this irksome Night my Mind never knew. Methought that one clofe at my Ear with a gentle Voice call'd me to walk, I thought it was thine: It faid, Eve, why doft thou fleep? Now is the pleafant, cool and filent Time, only where Silence yields to the Nightingale, that now awake tunes in the sweetest Notes, his lovelabour'd Song: Now the Full Moon reigns, and with a pleasanter Light fets off the Face of Things, but all in vain if none regard it: Heaven wakes with all his Eyes, and who is it to behold but thee, who art the Defire of Nature? in whofe Sight all Things have Joy, attracted by thy Beauty, ftill to gaze with Ravishment. I arofe thinking it to be thy Call, but could not find thee, to which End I then directed my Walk; and alone, methought, I pafs'd on through Ways that brought me on a fudden to the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. It feem'd very fair, much fairer to my Fancy than it did by Day; and as I look'd on it with Wonder, there ftood by the Side of it, one fhap'd and wing'd, like thofe that come from Heaven, which we often fee; his dewy Locks dropp'd Sweetnefs; and he also gaz'd on that Tree: And O fair Plant, faid he, overcharg'd with Fruit! Does not

Body