Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/180

 PARADISE LOST

��BOOK IV

THE ARGUMENT

Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and Man, falls into many doubts with himself, and many passions fear, envy, and despair ; but at length confirms himself in evil ; journeys on to Paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described ; overleaps the bounds ; sits, in the shape of a Cormorant, on the Tree of Life, as highest in the Garden, to look about him. The Garden described ; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve ; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall ; overhears their dis- course ; thence gathers that the Tree of Knowledge was forbidden them to eat of under penalty of death, and thereon intends to found his temptation by seducing them to transgress ; then leaves them a while, to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel, descending on a sunbeam, warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of Paradise, that some evil Spirit had escaped the Deep, and passed at noon by his Sphere, in the shape of a good Angel, down to Paradise, dis- covered after by his furious gestures in the Mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night com- ing on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest : their bower described ; their evening worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of night-watch to walk the rounds of Paradise, appoints two strong Angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil Spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping : there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel ; by whom questioned, he scornfully answers ; prepares resistance ; but, hindered by a sign from Heaven, flies out of Para- dise.

O FOR that warning voice, which he who

saw

The Apocalypse heard cry in Heaven aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to second rout, Came furious down to be revenged on men, Woe to the inhabitants on Earth ! that now, While time was, our first parents had been

warned

The coming of their secret Foe, and scaped, Haply so scaped, his mortal snare ! For

now Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came

down, 9

The tempter, ere the accuser, of mankind, To wreak on innocent frail Man his loss Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell. Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold Far off and fearless, nor with cause to

boast, Begins his dire attempt; which, nigh the

birth Now rowling, boils in his tumultuous

breast,

And like a devilish engine back recoils Upon himself. Horror and doubt distract

��His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom

stir

The hell within him; for within him Hell He brings, and round about him, nor from

Hell One step, no more than from himself, can

%

By change of place. Now conscience wakes despair

That slumbered; wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be

Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue !

Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view

Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad ;

Sometimes towards Heaven and the full- blazing Sun,

Which now sat high in his meridian tower:

Then, much revolving, thus in sighs be- gan: 31 " O thou that, with surpassing glory crowned,

Look'st from thy sole dominion like the god

Of this new World at whose sight all the stars

Hide their diminished heads to thee I call,

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name,

Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what

state

1 fell, how glorious once above thy sphere, Till pride and worse ambition threw me

down, 40

Warring in Heaven against Heaven's

matchless King !

Ah, wherefore ? He deserved no such re- turn

From me, whom he created what I was In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his service hard. What could be less than to afford him

praise, The easiest recompense, and pay him

thanks, How due ? Yet all his good proved ill in

me, And wrought but malice. Lifted up so

high, I 'sdained subjection, and thought one step

higher 50

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