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       Forbearance no acquittance ere day end.

       Justice shall not return as bountie scorn’d.

       But whom send I to judge them? whom but thee

       Vicegerent Son, to thee I have transferr’d

       All Judgement, whether in Heav’n, or Earth; or Hell.

       Easie it may be seen that I intend

       Mercie collegue with Justice, sending thee

       Mans Friend, his Mediator, his design’d

       Both Ransom and Redeemer voluntarie,

       And destin’d Man himself to judge Man fall’n.

      So spake the Father, and unfoulding bright

       Toward the right hand his Glorie, on the Son

       Blaz’d forth unclouded Deitie; he full

       Resplendent all his Father manifest

       Express’d, and thus divinely answer’d milde.

      Father Eternal, thine is to decree,

       Mine both in Heav’n and Earth to do thy will

       Supream, that thou in mee thy Son belov’d

       Mayst ever rest well pleas’d. I go to judge

       On Earth these thy transgressors, but thou knowst,

       Whoever judg’d, the worst on mee must light,

       When time shall be, for so I undertook

       Before thee; and not repenting, this obtaine

       Of right, that I may mitigate thir doom

       On me deriv’d, yet I shall temper so

       Justice with Mercie, as may illustrate most

       Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.

       Attendance none shall need, nor Train, where none

       Are to behold the Judgement, 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.

      Thus saying, from his radiant Seat he rose

       Of high collateral glorie: 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 strait; 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 Aires due at thir hour To fan the Earth now wak’d, and usher in The Eevning coole when he from wrauth more coole Came the mild Judge and Intercessor both To sentence Man: the voice of God they heard Now walking in the Garden, by soft windes Brought to thir 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 entertaind with solitude, Where obvious dutie erewhile appear’d unsaught: 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’t both, and discompos’d; Love was not in thir looks, either to God Or to each other, but apparent guilt, And shame, and perturbation, and despaire, Anger, and obstinacie, and hate, and guile. Whence Adam faultring long, thus answer’d brief.

      I heard thee in the Garden, and of thy voice

       Affraid, being naked, hid my self. To whom

       The gracious Judge without revile repli’d.

      My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not fear’d,

       But still rejoyc’t, how is it now become

       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 repli’d. O Heav’n! in evil strait this day I stand Before my Judge, either to undergoe My self the total Crime, or to accuse My other self, the partner of my life; Whose failing, while her Faith to me remaines, I should conceal, and not expose to blame By my complaint; but strict necessitie Subdues me, and calamitous constraint, Least 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 conceale. This Woman whom thou mad’st to be my help, And gav’st me as thy perfet gift, so good, So fit, so acceptable, so Divine, That from her hand I could suspect no ill, And what she did, whatever in it self, Her doing seem’d to justifie the deed; Shee gave me of the Tree, and I did eate.

      To whom the sovran Presence thus repli’d.

       Was shee thy God, that her thou didst obey

       Before his voice, or was shee made thy guide,

       Superior, or but equal, that to her

       Thou did’st resigne thy Manhood, and the Place

       Wherein God set thee above her made of thee,

       And for thee, whose perfection farr excell’d

       Hers in all real dignitie: Adornd

       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 beare rule, which was thy part

       And person, had’st thou known thy self aright.

      So having said, he thus to Eve in few: 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 abasht repli’d.

      The Serpent me beguil’d and I did eate.

      Which when the Lord God heard, without delay

       To Judgement he proceeded on th’ accus’d

       Serpent though brute, unable to transferre

       The Guilt on him who made him instrument

       Of mischief, and polluted from the end

       Of his Creation; justly then accurst,

       As vitiated in Nature: more to know

       Concern’d not Man (since he no further knew)

       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 accurst

       Above all Cattel, each Beast of the Field;

       Upon thy Belly groveling thou shalt goe,

       And dust shalt eat all the days of thy Life.

       Between Thee and the Woman I will put

       Enmitie, and between thine and her Seed;

       Her Seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel.

      So spake this Oracle, then verifi’d

       When Jesus son of Mary second Eve, Saw Satan fall like Lightning down from Heav’n, Prince of the Aire; then rising from his Grave Spoild Principalities and Powers, triumpht In open shew, and with ascention bright Captivity led captive through the Aire, The Realme it self of Satan long usurpt, Whom he shall tread at last under our feet; Eevn hee who now foretold his fatal bruise, And

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