LITMIR.BIZ

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sorrow I will greatly multiplie

       By thy Conception; Children thou shalt bring

       In sorrow forth, and to thy Husbands will

       Thine shall submit, hee over thee shall rule.

      On Adam last thus judgement he pronounc’d. Because thou hast heark’nd to the voice of thy Wife, And eaten of the Tree concerning which I charg’d thee, saying: Thou shalt not eate thereof, Curs’d is the ground for thy sake, thou in sorrow Shalt eate thereof all the days of thy Life; Thornes also and Thistles it shall bring thee forth Unbid, and thou shalt eate th’ Herb of th’ Field, In the sweat of thy Face shalt thou eate Bread, Till thou return unto the ground, for thou Out of the ground wast taken, know thy Birth, For dust thou art, and shalt to dust returne.

      So judg’d he Man, both Judge and Saviour sent,

       And th’ instant stroke of Death denounc’t that day

       Remov’d farr off; then pittying how they stood

       Before him naked to the aire, that now

       Must suffer change, disdain’d not to begin

       Thenceforth the forme of servant to assume,

       As when he wash’d his servants feet, so now

       As Father of his Familie he clad

       Thir nakedness with Skins of Beasts, or slain,

       Or as the Snake with youthful Coate repaid;

       And thought not much to cloath his Enemies:

       Nor hee thir outward onely with the Skins

       Of Beasts, but inward nakedness, much more

       Opprobrious, with his Robe of righteousness,

       Araying cover’d from his Fathers sight.

       To him with swift ascent he up returnd,

       Into his blissful bosom reassum’d

       In glory as of old, to him appeas’d

       All, though all-knowing, what had past with Man

       Recounted, mixing intercession sweet.

       Meanwhile ere thus was sin’d and judg’d on Earth,

       Within the Gates of Hell sate Sin and Death,

       In counterview within the Gates, that now

       Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame

       Farr into Chaos, since the Fiend pass’d through, Sin opening, who thus now to Death began.

      O Son, why sit we here each other viewing

       Idlely, while Satan our great Author thrives

       In other Worlds, and happier Seat provides

       For us his ofspring deare? It cannot be

       But that success attends him; if mishap,

       Ere this he had return’d, with fury driv’n

       By his Avenger, since no place like this

       Can fit his punishment, or their revenge.

       Methinks I feel new strength within me rise,

       Wings growing, and Dominion giv’n me large

       Beyond this Deep; whatever drawes me on,

       Or sympathie, or som connatural force

       Powerful at greatest distance to unite

       With secret amity things of like kinde

       By secretest conveyance. Thou my Shade

       Inseparable must with mee along:

       For Death from Sin no power can separate.

       But least the difficultie of passing back

       Stay his returne perhaps over this Gulfe

       Impassable, impervious, let us try

       Adventrous work, yet to thy power and mine

       Not unagreeable, to found a path

       Over this Maine from Hell to that new World

       Where Satan now prevailes, a Monument

       Of merit high to all th’ infernal Host,

       Easing thir passage hence, for intercourse,

       Or transmigration, as thir lot shall lead.

       Nor can I miss the way, so strongly drawn

       By this new felt attraction and instinct.

      Whom thus the meager Shadow answerd soon.

       Goe whither Fate and inclination strong

       Leads thee, I shall not lag behinde, nor erre

       The way, thou leading, such a sent I draw

       Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste

       The savour of Death from all things there that live:

       Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest

       Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.

      So saying, with delight he snuff’d the smell

       Of mortal change on Earth. As when a flock

       Of ravenous Fowl, though many a League remote,

       Against the day of Battel, to a Field,

       Where Armies lie encampt, come flying, lur’d

       With sent of living Carcasses design’d

       For death, the following day, in bloodie fight.

       So sented the grim Feature, and upturn’d

       His Nostril wide into the murkie Air,

       Sagacious of his Quarrey from so farr.

       Then Both from out Hell Gates into the waste

       Wide Anarchie of Chaos damp and dark Flew divers, & with Power (thir Power was great) Hovering upon the Waters; what they met Solid or slimie, as in raging Sea Tost up and down, together crowded drove From each side shoaling towards the mouth of Hell. As when two Polar Winds blowing adverse Upon the Cronian Sea, together drive Mountains of Ice, that stop th’ imagin’d way Beyond Petsora Eastward, to the rich Cathaian Coast. The aggregated Soyle Death with his Mace petrific, cold and dry, As with a Trident smote, and fix’t as firm As Delos floating once; the rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move, And with Asphaltic slime; broad as the Gate, Deep to the Roots of Hell the gather’d beach They fasten’d, and the Mole immense wraught on Over the foaming deep high Archt, a Bridge Of length prodigious joyning to the Wall Immoveable of this now fenceless world Forfeit to Death; from hence a passage broad, Smooth, easie, inoffensive down to Hell. So, if great things to small may be compar’d, Xerxes, the Libertie of Greece to yoke, From Susa his Memnonian Palace high Came to the Sea, and over Hellespont Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joyn’d, And scourg’d with many a stroak th’ indignant waves. Now had they brought the work by wondrous Art Pontifical, a ridge of pendent Rock Over the vext Abyss, following the track Of Satan, to the selfsame place where hee First lighted from his Wing, and landed safe From out of Chaos to the outside bare Of this round World: with Pinns of Adamant And Chains they made all fast, too fast they made And durable; and now in little space The Confines met of Empyrean Heav’n And of this World, and on the left hand Hell With long reach interpos’d; three sev’ral wayes In sight, to each of these three places led. And now thir way to Earth they had descri’d, To Paradise first tending, when behold Satan in likeness of an Angel bright Betwixt the Centaure and the Scorpion stearing His Zenith, while the Sun in Aries rose: Disguis’d he came, but those his Children dear Thir Parent soon discern’d, though in disguise. Hee, after Eve seduc’t, unminded slunk Into the Wood fast by, and changing shape To observe the sequel, saw his guileful act By Eve, though all unweeting, seconded Upon her Husband, saw thir shame that sought Vain covertures; but when he saw descend The Son of God

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