THE ARGUMENT.—Man’s
transgression known, the guardian Angels forsake Paradise, and return up to
Heaven to approve their vigilance, and are approved; God declaring that the
entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He sends his Son to judge
the Transgressors; who descends, and gives sentence accordingly; then, in
pity, clothes them both, and reascends. Sin and Death, sitting till then at
the gates of Hell, by wondrous sympathy feeling the success of Satan in this
new World, and the sin by Man there committed, resolve to sit no longer
confined in Hell, but to follow Satan, their sire, up to the place of Man:
to make the way easier from Hell to this World to and fro, they pave a broad
highway or bridge over Chaos, according to the track that Satan first made;
then, preparing for Earth, they meet him, proud of his success, returning to
Hell; their mutual gratulation. Satan arrives at Pandemonium; in full
assembly relates, with boasting, his success against Man; instead of
applause is entertained with a general hiss by all his audience,
transformed, with himself also, suddenly into Serpents, according to his
doom given in Paradise; then, deluded with a shew of the Forbidden Tree
springing up before them, they, greedily reaching to take of the Fruit, chew
dust and bitter ashes. The proceedings of Sin and Death; God foretells the
final victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but, for
the present, commands his Angels to make several alterations in the Heavens
and Elements. Adam, more and more perceiving his fallen condition, heavily
bewails, rejects the condolement of Eve; she persists, and at length
appeases him: then, to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring,
proposes to Adam violent ways; which he approves not, but, conceiving better
hope, puts her in mind of the late promise made them, that her seed should
be revenged on the Serpent, and exhorts her, with him, to seek peace of the
offended Deity by repentance and supplication.
tl;dr God saw it all. God knew it all. And judgement happens. Just read it, this is also an important book.
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MEANWHILE the hainous and despiteful act | God obviously knew all about the bad news. | |
Of Satan done in Paradise, and how | God knew about Satan | |
He, in the Serpent, had perverted Eve, | and how he had took the form of a snake to tempt Eve. | |
Her Husband she, to taste the fatal Fruit, | And God definitely knew that Adam would fall to temptation too. | |
Was known in Heaven; for what can scape the eye |
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You just can't hide anything from God. |
Of God all—seeing, or deceive his heart | ||
Omniscient? who, in all things wise and just, | He sees it all, | |
Hindered not Satan to attempt the mind | but he still didn't do anything to stop anything from happening | |
Of Man, with strength entire and free will armed | because Adam and Eve have free will. | |
Complete to have discovered and repulsed |
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Whatever wiles of foe or seeming friend. | Free will is their biggest defense against all. | |
For still they knew, and ought to have still remembered, | ||
The high injunction not to taste that Fruit, | ||
Whoever tempted; which they not obeying | Unfortunately, they still disobeyed God | |
Incurred (what could they less?) the penalty, |
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and now they have to pay the price. |
And, manifold in sin, deserved to fall. | ||
Up into Heaven from Paradise in haste | A few guardian angels ascended | |
The Angelic Guards ascended, mute and sad | up to Heaven. They were sad because | |
For Man; for of his state by this they knew, | of the fall of man. | |
Much wondering how the subtle Fiend had stolen |
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They were also sad that Satan snuck right by them. |
Entrance unseen. Soon as the unwelcome news | ||
From Earth arrived at Heaven-gate, displeased | Soon, every other angel in Heaven knew about the bad news. | |
All were who heard; dim sadness did not spare | ||
That time celestial visages, yet, mixed | ||
With pity, violated not their bliss. |
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About the new-arrived in multitudes, | A host of angels surrounded the guardian angels to | |
The Ethereal People ran, to hear and know | learn more. | |
How all befell. They towards the Throne supreme, | ||
Accountable, made haste, to make appear, | But the guardian angels were rushing straight to | |
With righteous plea, their utmost vigilance, |
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And easily approved; when the Most High, | God's throne to explain what happened. | |
Eternal Father, from his secret Cloud | God was understanding and reassuring, | |
Amidst, in thunder uttered thus his voice:— | he spoke, | |
“Assembled Angels, and ye Powers returned | "Angels, | |
From unsuccessful charge, be not dismayed |
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you shouldn't feel so bad about what happened. |
Nor troubled at these tidings from the Earth, | ||
Which your sincerest care could not prevent, | ||
Foretold so lately what would come to pass, | There was really nothing you could have done to stop anything. | |
When first this Tempter crossed the gulf from Hell. | Remember back then, when Satan was on the move, I told you this was going to happen. | |
I told ye then he should prevail, and speed |
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On his bad errand—Man should be seduced, | ||
And flattered out of all, believing lies | And there was nothing I did that made a direct difference. | |
Against his Maker; no decree of mine, | Adam and Eve have free will. I have no influence on that. | |
Concurring to necessitate his fall, | ||
Or touch with lightest moment of impulse |
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His free will, to her own inclining left | ||
In even scale. But fallen he is; and now | Man has fallen. | |
What rests, but that the mortal sentence pass | So we must pass the sentence on him, | |
On his transgression, Death denounced that day | which is death! | |
Which he presumes already vain and void, |
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Because not yet inflicted, as he feared, | They think death isn't coming at all because it didn't happen immediately, | |
By some immediate stroke, but soon shall find | ||
Forbearance no acquittance ere day end. | but it is coming. | |
Justice shall not return, as bounty, scorned. | ||
But whom send I to judge them? whom but thee, |
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I wouldn't send anyone else down to judge them, but you my Son. |
Vicegerent Son? To thee I have transferred | ||
All judgment, whether in Heaven, or Earth, or Hell. | Because you have the power of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. | |
Easy it may be seen that I intend | ||
Mercy colleague with justice, sending thee, | By sending you down there to them, | |
Man’s Friend, his Mediator, his designed |
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it will be merciful. You are man's friend, and |
Both Ransom and Redeemer voluntary, | you have also volunteered to become man | |
And destined Man himself to judge Man fallen.” | yourself one day and be mankind's savior." | |
So spake the Father; and, unfolding bright | ||
Toward the right hand his glory, on the Son | The Son appeared to the right side of God. | |
Blazed forth unclouded deity. He full |
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Resplendent all his Father manifest | ||
Expressed, and thus divinely answered mild:— | The Son replied, | |
“Father Eternal, thine is to decree; | "Hey, whatever you want me to do... I'll do it. | |
Mine both in Heaven and Earth to do thy will | I just want to please you. | |
Supreme, that thou in me, thy Son beloved, |
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May’st ever rest well pleased. I go to judge | I'll go down there and judge the | |
On Earth these thy transgressors; but thou know’st, | earthly sinners. | |
Whoever judged, the worst on me must light, | ||
When time shall be; for so I undertook | But we both know that I'll suffer a punishment too in the future from mankind (crucifixion y'all...) | |
Before thee, and, not repenting, this obtain |
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I won't have |
Of right, that I may mitigate their doom | any regrets about it. | |
On me derived. Yet I shall temper so | ||
Justice with mercy as may illustrate most | I will judge them fairly. | |
Them fully satisfied, and thee appease. | ||
Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none |
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And i will go alone. |
Are to behold the judgment but the judged, | ||
Those two; the third best absent is condemned, | ||
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law; | Satan has already fled the scene, | |
Conviction to the Serpent none belongs.” | and the reptile snake shouldn't be at fault." | |
Thus saying, from his radiant Seat he rose |
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Of high collateral glory. Him Thrones and Powers, | ||
Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant, | ||
Accompanied to Heaven-gate, from whence | Angels accompanied the Son to Heaven's gate, | |
Eden and all the coast in prospect lay. | from there you couod see all of Eden. | |
Down he descended straight; the speed of Gods |
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And in no time, |
Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes winged. | the Son arrived on earth. | |
Now was the Sun in western cadence low | The sun was setting. | |
From noon, and gentle airs due at their hour | ||
To fan the Earth now waked, and usher in | ||
The evening cool, when he, from wrauth more cool, |
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Came, the mild Judge and Intercessor both, | The Son was ready to be judge and mediator in sentencing man. | |
To sentence Man. The voice of God they heard | ||
Now walking in the Garden, by soft winds | ||
Brought to their ears, while day declined; they heard, | ||
And from his presence hid themselves among |
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The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God, | Adam and Eve felt God's word and they hid in the trees. | |
Approaching, thus to Adam called aloud:— | The Son called out, | |
“Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet | "Adam, where are you? | |
My coming, seen far off? I miss thee here, | you're usually so happy to see me! | |
Not pleased thus entertained, with solitude, |
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Where obvious duty erewhile appeared unsought. | ||
Or come I less conspicuous, or what change | Anyone there? Hello?? | |
Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth!” | Come on out." | |
He came, and with him Eve, more loth, though first | Adam came out along with Eve. | |
To offend, discountenanced both, and discomposed. |
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Love was not in their looks, either to God | They looked like a hot mess. | |
Or to each other, but apparent guilt, | And guilty. | |
And shame, and perturbation, and despair, | ||
Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile. | They looked hopeless, full of shame and despair. | |
Whence Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief:— |
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Adam said, stuttering, |
“I heard thee in the Garden, and, of thy voice | "I heard you in the Garden, | |
Afraid, being naked, hid myself.” To whom | but I was scared to come out because I'm... naked." | |
The gracious Judge, without revile, replied:— | The Son calmly replied, | |
“My voice thou oft has heard, and hast not feared, | "But you heard my voice so many times before, | |
But still rejoiced; how is it now become |
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why are you so afraid now? |
So dreadful to thee? That thou art naked who | And... who told you that you were naked? | |
Hath told thee? Hast thou eaten of the Tree | Did you eat the fruit from the forbidden tree? | |
Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst not eat?” | You know.. the one we told you not to eat from?" | |
To whom thus Adam, sore beset, replied:— | Adam replied, | |
“O Heaven! in evil strait this day I stand |
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"...I don't know what to say... |
Before my Judge—either to undergo | ||
Myself the total crime, or to accuse | should I take the blame or | |
My other self, the partner of my life, | accuse the person who I love? Eve, the one I should be protecting from everything. | |
Whose failing, while her faith to me remains, | ||
I should conceal, and not expose to blame |
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By my complaint. But strict necessity | I don't know what to do. | |
Subdues me, and calamitous constraint, | I don't think I'm strong enough to bear the entire responsibility. | |
Lest on my head both sin and punishment, | ||
However insupportable, be all | ||
Devolved; though, should I hold my peace, yet thou |
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There's no point anyway, in keeping things from you. |
Wouldst easily detect what I conceal. | ||
This Woman, whom thou mad’st to be my help, | You made Eve to be my wife, the perfect individual, | |
And gav’st me as thy perfect gift, so good, | and it seemed like she could do no wrong... | |
So fit, so acceptáble, so divine, | ||
That from her hand I could suspect no ill, |
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And what she did, whatever in itself, | but she gave me the fruit... | |
Her doing seemed to justify the deed— | ||
She gave me of the Tree, and I did eat.” | and I ate it." | |
To whom the Sovran Presence thus replied:— | The Son replied,. | |
“Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey |
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"Hmmm, sounds like you decided to obey her |
Before his voice? or was she made thy guide, | rather than obeying me. | |
Superior, or but equal, that to her | So is she your God now? | |
Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the place | Or did you just give up your manhood | |
Wherein God set thee above her, made of thee | and let her become your master and conqueror? Did you forget that we made you to be master of all, to be her superior. | |
And for thee, whose perfection far excelled |
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Hers in all real dignity? Adorned | She was made to attract your love | |
She was indeed, and lovely, to attract | and affection, | |
Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts | but not your obedience. | |
Were such as under government well seemed— | She was made to obey you, not to become your leader. | |
Unseemly to bear rule; which was thy part |
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And person, hadst thou known thyself aright.” | You should have known your place, Adam. | |
So having said, he thus to Eve in few:— | Eve, explain yourself." | |
“Say, Woman, what is this which thou hast done?” | ||
To whom sad Eve, with shame nigh overwhelmed, | Eve replied, | |
Confessing soon, yet not before her Judge |
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Bold or loquacious, thus abashed replied:— | ||
“The Serpent me beguiled, and I did eat.” | "The snake tricked me and I ate the fruit from the forbidden tree." | |
Which when the Lord God heard, without delay | ||
To judgment he proceeded on the accused | When God heard this, he put a curse on the snake. | |
Serpent, though brute, unable to transfer |
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The guilt on him who made him instrument | He deemed the snake to be unholy. | |
Of mischief, and polluted from the end | ||
Of his creation—justly then accursed, | ||
As vitiated in nature. More to know | ||
Concerned not Man (since he no further knew), |
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Nor altered his offence; yet God at last | ||
To Satan, first in sin, his doom applied, | ||
Though in mysterious terms, judged as then best; | ||
And on the Serpent thus his curse let fall:— | God spoke to the snake, | |
“Because thou hast done this, thou art accursed |
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"I curse you. |
Above all cattle, each beast of the field; | You will crawl below all other animals, | |
Upon thy belly grovelling thou shalt go, | crawl on your belly and | |
And dust shalt eat all the days of thy life. | eat dirt. | |
Between thee and the Woman I will put | You will be enemies with man. | |
Enmity, and between thine and her seed; |
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Her seed shall bruise thy head, thou bruise his heel.” | If you bruise man's heel, man will bruise your head." | |
So spake this oracle—then verified | ||
When Jesus, son of Mary, second Eve, | ||
Saw Satan fall like lightning down from Heaven, | ||
Prince of the Air; then, rising from his grave, |
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Spoiled Principalities and Powers, triumphed | ||
In open shew, and, with ascension bright, | ||
Captivity led captive through the Air, | ||
The realm itself of Satan, long usurped, | ||
Whom He shall tread at last under our feet, |
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Even He who now foretold his fatal bruise, | ||
And to the Woman thus his sentence turned:— | Then God/Son spoke to Eve, | |
“Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply | "You and future women will be in misery | |
By thy conception; children thou shalt bring | through the conception of all the children that come after. | |
In sorrow forth, and to thy husband’s will |
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Childbirth is going to suck for y'all now. |
Thine shall submit; he over thee shall rule.” | And you'll have to obey your husbands' rules. Future women will endure all of this." | |
On Adam last thus judgment he pronounced:— | Then God/Son spoke to Adam, | |
“Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, | "As for you, since you listened to your wife and ate the fruit we told you not to eat... | |
And eaten of the Tree concerning which | ||
I charged thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat thereof, |
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Curs’d is the ground for thy sake; thou in sorrow | I'm going to curse the ground it grew out of. | |
Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life; | From now on, you will be miserable... | |
Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth | ||
Unbid; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; | working hard and sweating, trying to grow food on your own. | |
In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, |
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Till thou return unto the ground; for thou | Then when you finally die, you will return to what you were made from... the dirt." | |
Out of the ground wast taken: know thy birth, | ||
For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return.” | ||
So judged he Man, both Judge and Saviour sent, | This was God's judgement. | |
And the instant stroke of death, denounced that day, |
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Instead of an instant stroke of death on man that day, |
Removed far off; then, pitying how they stood | man would not die until later on. | |
Before him naked to the air, that now | God/Son felt bad for Adam and Eve for being shameful that they were naked, especially since the weather was getting grim. | |
Must suffer change, disdained not to begin | ||
Thenceforth the form of servant to assume. | ||
As when he washed his servants’ feet, so now, |
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As Father of his family, he clad | ||
Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain, | He used the skins of beasts that were killed, and fur from | |
Or, as the snake, with youthful coat repaid; | other animals that stayed alive—he just let them grow their fur right back. | |
And thought not much to clothe his enemies. | He didn't mind clothing Adam and Eve even though they had betrayed him. | |
Nor he their outward only with the skins |
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Of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more | ||
Opprobrious, with his robe of righteousness | ||
Arraying, covered from his Father’s sight. | ||
To him with swift ascent he up returned, | Then he left and went back. upto Heaven. | |
Into his blissful bosom reassumed |
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In glory as of old; to him, appeased, | ||
All, though all-knowing, what had passed with Man | Even thought God knew everything that happened, the Son | |
Recounted, mixing intercession sweet. | told God everything anyway (weird right? since God and the Son are basically the same-ish). | |
Meanwhile, ere thus was sinned and judged on Earth, | Meanwhile, | |
Within the gates of Hell sat Sin and Death, |
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at the gates of Hell were Sin and Death. |
In counterview within the gates, that now | Sin said to her son, | |
Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame | ||
Far into Chaos, since the Fiend passed through, | ||
Sin opening; who thus now to Death began:— | ||
“O Son, why sit we here, each other viewing |
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"Why are we sitting here, just staring? |
Idly, while Satan, our great author, thrives | Satan went out there to find us a better world, | |
In other worlds, and happier sent provides | and so far nothing has really happened. | |
For us, his offspring dear? It cannot be | ||
But that success attends him; if mishap | If he ran into trouble, | |
Ere this he had returned, with fury driven |
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I'm sure he would have come back here... |
By his Avengers, since no place like this | there's no other place he'd be. | |
Can fit his punishment, or their revenge. | ||
Methinks I feel new strength within me rise, | Besides, I'm feeling a new strength growing within me. | |
Wings growing, and dominion given me large | That tells me that Satan is okay. | |
Beyond this Deep—whatever draws me on, |
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Or sympathy, or some connatural force, | ||
Powerful at greatest distance to unite | ||
With secret amity things of like kind | ||
By secretest conveyance. Thou, my shade | ||
Inseparable, must with me along; |
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I'm going to find and meet him, and you must come with me. |
For Death from Sin no power can separate. | ||
But, lest the difficulty of passing back | It could be the difficulty of traveling through | |
Stay his return perhaps over this gulf | the chaos of space that is slowing his arrival back. | |
Impassable, impervious, let us try | ||
(Adventrous work, yet to thy power and mine |
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Let's work. oncreating a bridge, a pathway |
Not unagreeable!) to found a path | ||
Over this Main from Hell to that new World | from Hell to Earth. | |
Where Satan now prevails—a monument | ||
Of merit high to all the infernal Host, | ||
Easing their passage hence, for intercourse |
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We have the power to do this. This pathway helps Satan and other devils to travel swiftly. |
Or transmigration, as their lot shall lead. | ||
Nor can I miss the way, so strongly drawn | ||
By this new-felt attraction and instinct.” | Let's do this." | |
Whom thus the meagre Shadow answered soon:— | Sin replied, | |
“Go whither fate and inclination strong |
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"I'm right behind you. I'll help. |
Leads thee; I shall not lag behind, nor err | ||
The way, thou leading: such a scent I draw | ||
Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste | ||
The savour of death from all things there that live. | I can almost taste all. theliving things just waiting for me." | |
Nor shall I do the work thou enterprisest |
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Be wanting, but afford thee equal aid.” | ||
So saying, with delight he snuffed the smell | Sin was like a hungry vulture, | |
Of mortal change on Earth. As when a flock | ||
Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote, | ||
Against the day of battle, to a field |
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that could smell |
Where armies lie encamped come flying, lured | living armies marching to battle | |
With scent of living carcases designed | ||
For death the following day in bloody fight; | and knowing with excitement that they will be dead. | |
So scented the grim Feature, and upturned | ||
His nostril wide into the murky air, |
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Sagacious of his quarry from so far. | ||
Then both, from out Hell-gates, into the waste | Both Sin and Death | |
Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark, | flew into the Chaos | |
Flew diverse, and, with power (their power was great) | and used their great power to | |
Hovering upon the waters, what they met |
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Solid or slimy, as in raging sea | ||
Tossed up and down, together crowded drove, | ||
From each side shoaling, towards the mouth of Hell; | create a foundation to connect Hell to Earth. | |
As when two polar winds, blowing adverse | It looked like mountains of ice being pushed together. | |
Upon the Cronian sea, together drive |
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Mountains of ice, that stop the imagined way | ||
Beyond Petsora eastward to the rich | ||
Cathaian coast. The aggregated soil | ||
Death with his mace petrific, cold and dry, | Death used a trident | |
As with a trident smote, and fixed as firm |
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to turn it all to stone. |
As Delos, floating once; the rest his look | ||
Bound with Gorgonian rigour not to move, | ||
And with asphaltic slime; broad as the gate, | It was like asphalt. | |
Deep to the roots of Hell the gathered beach | This foundation was rooted in Hell, | |
They fastened, and the mole immense wraught on |
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Over the foaming Deep high-arched, a bridge | and they both built an arched highway | |
Of length prodigious, joining to the wall | that led to Earth. | |
Immovable of this now fenceless World, | ||
Forfeit to Death—from hence a passage broad, | ||
Smooth, easy, inoffensive, down to Hell. |
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So, if great things to small may be compared, | ||
Xerxes, the liberty of Greece to yoke, | ||
From Susa, his Memnonian palace high, | ||
Came to the sea, and, over Hellespont | ||
Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined, |
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And scourged with many a stroke the indignant waves. | ||
Now had they brought the work by wondrous art | They admired their work, | |
Pontifical—a ridge of pendent rock | a great stone bridge | |
Over the vexed Abyss, following the track | suspended through the chaos. | |
Of Satan, to the self-same place where he |
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First lighted from his wing and landed safe | ||
From out of Chaos—to the outside bare | ||
Of this round World. With pins of adamant | ||
And chains they made all fast, too fast they made | ||
And durable; and now in little space |
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Much like Heaven had a short connection to Earth, |
The confines met of empyrean Heaven | ||
And of this World, and on the left hand Hell, | there was this long connection to Hell. | |
With long reach interposed; three several ways | Each of the three places was connected to the other two in a way. | |
In sight of each of these three places led. | ||
And now their way to Earth they had described, |
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Son and Death were on their way to Earth, |
To Paradise first tending, when, behold | ||
Satan, in likeness of an Angel bright, | until they saw Satan disguised as a good angel. | |
Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion steering | ||
His zenith, while the Sun in Aries rose! | ||
Disguised he came; but those his children dear |
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Sin and Death knew it was him right away. |
Their parent soon discerned, though in disguise. | ||
He, after Eve seduced, unminded slunk | After Satan tempted Eve, he | |
Into the wood fast by, and, changing shape | hid in the woods | |
To observe the sequel, saw his guileful act | to observe Eve tempting Adam. | |
By Eve, though all unweeting, seconded |
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Upon her husband—saw their shame that sought | ||
Vain covertures; but, when he saw descend | When the | |
The Son of God to judge them, terrified | Son of God went down to Earth to judge them, | |
He fled, not hoping to escape, but shun | Satan fled. | |
The present—fearing, guilty, what his wrauth |
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Satan ran away in fear of what God/Son might do to him. |
Might suddenly inflict; that past, returned | ||
By night, and, listening where the hapless pair | ||
Sat in their sad discourse and various plaint, | ||
Thence gathered his own doom; which understood | ||
Not instant, but of future time, with joy |
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And tidings fraught, to Hell he now returned, | ||
And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot | At the new bridge, Satan met up with his children Sin and Death. | |
Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhoped | ||
Met who to meet him came, his offspring dear. | He was in awe of the bridge. | |
Great joy was at their meeting, and at sight |
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Of that stupendious bridge his joy increased. | ||
Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his fair | Sin said to Satan, | |
Inchanting daughter, thus the silence broke:— | ||
“O Parent, these are thy magnific deeds, | "This is all because of you. | |
Thy trophies! which thou view’st as not thine own; |
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We knew you would be successful in your plan on Earth. |
Thou art their Author and prime Architect. | ||
For I no sooner in my heart divined | ||
(My heart, which by a secret harmony | ||
Still moves with thine, joined in connexion sweet) | ||
That thou on Earth hadst prospered, which thy looks |
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Now also evidence, but straight I felt— | ||
Though distant from thee worlds between, yet felt— | ||
That I must after thee with this thy son; | ||
Such fatal consequence unites us three. | ||
Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds, |
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Hell could no longer hold us in her bounds, |
Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure | and the chaos of space couldn't stop us. | |
Detain from following thy illustrious track. | ||
Thou hast achieved our liberty, confined | Satan, you have won freedom for us. | |
Within Hell-gates till now; thou us impowered | That's why we were able to build this bridge. | |
To fortify thus far, and overlay |
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With this portentous bridge the dark Abyss. | ||
Thine now is all this World; thy virtue hath won | Now the world is yours. | |
What thy hands builded not; thy wisdom gained, | ||
With odds, what war hath lost, and fully avenged | ||
Our foil in Heaven. Here thou shalt Monarch reign, |
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If you can't be king in Heaven, you will be king on earth." |
There didst not; there let him still victor sway, | ||
As battle hath adjudged, from this new World | ||
Retiring, by his own doom alienated, | ||
And henceforth monarchy with thee divide | ||
Of all things, parted by the empyreal bounds, |
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|
His quadrature, from thy orbicular World, | ||
Or try thee now more dangerous to his Throne.” | ||
Whom thus the Prince of Darkness answered glad:— | Satan replied, | |
“Fair daughter, and thou, son and grandchild both, | "Sin, my daughter | |
High proof ye now have given to be the race |
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and you Death, my Son... |
Of Satan (for I glory in the name, | you have proven yourselves worthy. | |
Antagonist of Heaven’s Almighty King), | ||
Amply have merited of me, of all | ||
The Infernal Empire, that so near Heaven’s door | I'm glad that we could meet here on this bridge, | |
Triumphal with triumphal act have met, |
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so close to Heaven and Earth. |
Mine with this glorious work, and made one realm | ||
Hell and this World—one realm, one continent | It's as if you've made Hell, Heaven, and Earth a single place! | |
Of easy thoroughfare. Therefore, while I | ||
Descend through Darkness, on your road with ease, | I'm on my way back. to Hell, | |
To my associate Powers, them to acquaint |
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With these successes, and with them rejoice | ||
You two this way, among these numerous orbs, | I want the both of you to go to earth, it's all yours. | |
All yours, right down to Paradise descend; | ||
There dwell and reign in bliss; thence on the Earth | You will dwell there, | |
Dominion exercise and in the air, |
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enslave mankind, |
Chiefly on Man, sole lord of all declared; | ||
Him first make sure your thrall, and lastly kill. | and then kill him and all the generations after. | |
My substitutes I send ye, and create | ||
Plenipotent on Earth, of matchless might | ||
Issuing from me. On your joint vigour now |
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My hold of this new kingdom all depends, | ||
Through Sin to Death exposed by my exploit. | ||
If your joint power prevail, the affairs of Hell | As long as Sin and Death can stay strong, nothing can stop us." | |
No detriment need fear; go, and be strong.” | ||
So saying, he dismissed them; they with speed |
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Sin and Death made their way to Earth, the stars dimmed as they passed them by. |
Their course through thickest constellations held, | ||
Spreading their bane; the blasted stars looked wan, | ||
And planets, planet-strook, real eclipse | ||
Then suffered. The other way Satan went down | Satan went the other way toward Hell. | |
The causey to Hell-gate; on either side |
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|
Disparted Chaos overbuilt exclaimed, | ||
And with rebounding surge the bars assailed, | ||
That scorned his indignation. Through the gate, | ||
Wide open and unguarded, Satan passed, | He arrived to the gate of Hell, it was unguarded. | |
And all about found desolate; for those |
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|
Appointed to sit there had left their charge, | Everyone was deep inside | |
Flown to the upper World; the rest were all | ||
Far to the inland retired, about the walls | ||
Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat | at the city of Pandemonium. | |
Of Lucifer, so by allusion called |
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|
Of that bright star to Satan paragoned. | ||
There kept their watch the legions, while the Grand | ||
In council sat, solicitous what chance | ||
Might intercept their Emperor sent; so he | ||
Departing gave command, and they observed. |
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|
As when the Tartar from his Russian foe, | ||
By Astracan, over the snowy plains, | ||
Retires, or Bactrian Sophi, from the horns | ||
Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond | ||
The realm of Aladule, in his retreat |
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|
To Tauris or Casbeen; so these, the late | ||
Heaven-banished host, left desert utmost Hell | ||
Many a dark league, reduced in careful watch | ||
Round their Metropolis, and now expecting | ||
Each hour their great Adventurer from the search |
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|
Of foreign worlds. He through the midst unmarked, | Satan entered the palace of Pandemonium | |
In shew plebeian Angel militant | ||
Of lowest order, passed, and, from the door | disguised as a low-rank soldier of Hell. | |
Of that Plutonian hall, invisible | ||
Ascended his high Throne, which, under state |
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|
He went up to his throne, |
Of richest texture spread, at the upper end | nobody noticed him. | |
Was placed in regal lustre. Down a while | ||
He sat, and round about him saw, unseen. | He sat. | |
At last, as from a cloud, his fulgent head | Until he showed off his true self. | |
And shape star-bright appeared, or brighter, clad |
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|
With what permissive glory since his fall | Everyone around was startled by | |
Was left him, or false glitter. All amazed | his bright light. | |
At that so sudden blaze, the Stygian throng | ||
Bent their aspect, and whom they wished beheld, | ||
Their mighty Chief returned: loud was the acclaim. |
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Forth rushed in haste the great consulting Peers, | They all flocked to him and cheered. | |
Raised from their dark Divan, and with like joy | ||
Congratulant approached him, who with hand | ||
Silence, and with these words attention, won:— | Satan raised his hand to silence them, | |
“Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers!— |
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"Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers! |
For in possession such, not only of right, | That's right, I'm callin gyou all by your old titles again, | |
I call ye, and declare ye now, returned, | because you deserve to be called by them. | |
Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth | I have succeeded. | |
Triumphant out of this infernal Pit | ||
Abominable, accursed, the house of woe, |
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I will lead you out of this damned place |
And dungeon of our tyrant! Now possess, | to another one as | |
As lords, a spacious World, to our native Heaven | beautiful as Heaven. And it will be all ours. | |
Little inferior, by my adventure hard | ||
With peril great achieved. Long were to tell | ||
What I have done, what suffered, with what pain |
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I've had a long journey. |
Voyaged the unreal, vast, unbounded Deep | It is a long way through the chaos of space. | |
Of horrible confusion—over which | ||
By Sin and Death a broad way now is paved, | But Sin and Death have made the path easier for all of you. | |
To expedite your glorious march; but I | ||
Toiled out my uncouth passage, forced to ride |
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Before that easy path. |
The untractable Abyss, plunged in the womb | I had to navigate the abyss of chaos myself, | |
Of unoriginal Night and Chaos wild, | ||
That, jealous of their secrets, fiercely opposed | ||
My journey strange, with clamorous uproar | ||
Protesting Fate supreme; thence how I found |
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until I found God's newly created world. |
The new-created World, which fame in Heaven | ||
Long had foretold, a fabric wonderful, | ||
Of absolute perfection; therein Man | Man lives there. | |
Placed in a Paradise, by our exile | ||
Made happy. Him by fraud I have seduced |
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But I was able to get Man |
From his Creator, and, the more to increase | to disobey his creator God. | |
Your wonder, with an apple! He, thereat | With an apple! | |
Offended—worth your laughter!—hath given up | ||
Both his beloved Man and all his World | Here's the kicker, God was so offended that he gave up his beloved Man to Sin and Death. And to us! | |
To Sin and Death a prey, and so to us, |
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|
Without our hazard, labour, or alarm, | We are free to roam Earth | |
To range in, and to dwell, and over Man | ||
To rule, as over all he should have ruled. | without fear. | |
True is, me also he hath judged; or rather | ||
Me not, but the brute Serpent, in whose shape |
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My only punishment |
Man I deceived. That which to me belongs | is that man will be my enemy forever. | |
Is enmity, which he will put between | ||
Me and Mankind: I am to bruise his heel; | There was something said about I will bruise man's heel, and man will bruise my head... | |
His seed—when is not set—shall bruise my head! | whatever... something like that! | |
A world who would not purchase with a bruise, |
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Or much more grievous pain? Ye have the account | ||
Of my performance; what remains, ye Gods, | Anyway, what do y'all think?" | |
But up and enter now into full bliss?” | ||
So having said, a while he stood, expecting | ||
Their universal shout and high applause |
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Satan stood up expecting cheers and applause. |
To fill his ear; when, contrary, he hears, | ||
On all sides, from innumerable tongues | Instead he heard hissing. | |
A dismal universal hiss, the sound | ||
Of public scorn. He wondered, but not long | ||
Had leisure, wondering at himself now more. |
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(FUN FACT read the original lines aloud, and there's a lot of S words to make it sound like you're hissing.) |
His visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare, | The next thing Satan knew, he felt his | |
His arms clung to his ribs, his legs entwining | arms sticking to his ribs and sides and his legs wrapping | |
Each other, till, supplanted, down he fell, | around each other. He fell down. | |
A monstrous serpent on his belly prone, | He turned into a snake. | |
Reluctant, but in vain; a greater power |
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God turned him back into the shape he was |
Now ruled him, punished in the shape he sinned, | when he sinned. | |
According to his doom. He would have spoke, | ||
But hiss for hiss returned with forkèd tongue | He tried to speak, but all he could do was hiss | |
To forkèd tongue; for now were all transformed | like the rest of the fallen angels in the palace. | |
Alike, to serpents all, as accessories |
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To his bold riot. Dreadful was the din | ||
Of hissing through the hall, thick-swarming now | ||
With complicated monsters, head and tail— | (This part just compares the snakes to mythical ones...) | |
Scorpion, and Asp, and Amphisbæna dire, | ||
Cerastes horned, Hydrus, and Ellops drear, |
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|
And Dipsas (not so thick swarmed once the soil | ||
Bedropt with blood of Gordon, or the isle | ||
Ophiusa); but still greatest the midst, | ||
Now Dragon grown, larger than whom the Sun | ||
Ingendered in the Phythian vale on slime, |
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|
Huge Python; and his power no less he seemed | Satan was the biggest snake. of them all. | |
Above the rest still to retain. They all | ||
Him followed, issuing forth to the open field, | All the snakes followed him outside, | |
Where all yet left of that revolted rout, | where more angel soldiers were. They were expecting a | |
Heaven-fallen, in station stood or just array, |
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king to come out... |
Sublime with expectation when to see | instead it was an army of silly snakes. | |
In triumph issuing forth their glorious Chief. | ||
They saw, but other sight instead—a crowd | The rest of the angel soldiers also turned into snakes. | |
Of ugly serpents! Horror on them fell, | ||
And horrid sympathy; for what they saw |
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|
They felt themselves now changing. Down their arms, | Like a wave of disease, | |
Down fell both spear and shield; down they as fast, | bodies were falling to the ground | |
And the dire hiss renewed, and the dire form | transforming into snakes. | |
Catched by contagion, like in punishment | ||
As in their crime. Thus was the applause they meant |
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|
Turned to exploding hiss, triumph to shame | The collective hissing grew louder and louder. | |
Cast on themselves from their own mouths. There stood | ||
A grove hard by, sprung up with this their change, | God then made a | |
His will who reigns above, to aggravate | grove of trees from below | |
Their penance, laden with fair fruit, like that |
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because he wasn't done torturing them yet. |
Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve | The trees were like the ones you would find in Eden. | |
Used by the Tempter. On that prospect strange | ||
Their earnest eyes they fixed, imagining | ||
For one forbidden tree a multitude | ||
Now risen, to work them further woe or shame; |
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|
Yet, parched with scalding thirst and hunger fierce | All the snakes grew hungry and thirsty, | |
Though to delude them sent, could not abstain, | ||
But on they rowled in heaps, and, up the trees | so they all swarmed toward the trees | |
Climbing, sat thicker than the snaky locks | climbing up the trunks and | |
That curled Megæra. Greedily they plucked |
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|
The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew | lunging at the delicious fruits. | |
Near that bituminous lake where Sodom flamed; | ||
This, more delusive, not the touch, but taste | But whenever the snakes would bite | |
Deceived; they fondly thinking to allay | at the | |
Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit |
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|
Chewed bitter ashes, which the offended taste | fruit, their mouths would be filled with ash. | |
With spattering noise rejected. Off they assayed, | They spit it out, | |
Hunger and thirst constraining; drugged as oft, | but they were still so hungry | |
With hatefulest disrelish writhed their jaws | they continued to eat the fruit | |
With soot and cinder filled; so oft they fell |
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which would still turn to ash in their mouths. |
Into the same illusion, not as Man | It's similar to the temptation that Man fell for once, | |
Whom they triumphed’ once lapsed. Thus were they plagued, | ||
And, worn with famine, long and ceaseless hiss, | but the devils-turned-snakes would fall for temptation over and over again. | |
Till their lost shape, permitted, they resumed— | God allowed this to happen for a long while, | |
Yearly enjoined, some say, to undergo |
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|
This annual humbling certain numbered days, | until he turned them back into their normal forms. | |
To dash their pride, and joy for Man seduced. | ||
However, some tradition they dispersed | ||
Among the Heathen of their purchase got, | ||
And fabled how the Serpent, whom they called |
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|
Ophion, with Eurynome (the wide— | ||
Encroaching Eve perhaps), had first the rule | ||
Of high Olympus, thence by Saturn driven | ||
And Ops, ere yet Dictæan Jove was born. | ||
Meanwhile in Paradise the Hellish pair |
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|
Meanwhile, |
Too soon arrived—Sin, there in power before | Sin and | |
Once actual, now in body, and to dwell | ||
Habitual habitant; behind her Death, | Death arrived in Paradise. | |
Close following pace for pace, not mounted yet | ||
On his pale horse; to whom Sin thus began:— |
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|
Sin spoke to Death, |
“Second of Satan sprung, all-conquering Death! | "So, what do you think of your new home?" | |
What think’st thou of our empire now? though earned | ||
With travail difficult, not better far | ||
Than still at Hell’s dark threshold to have sat watch, | ||
Unnamed, undreaded, and thyself half-starved?” |
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|
Whom thus the Sin-born Monster answered soon:— | Death replied, | |
“To me, who with eternal famine pine, | "Hmmm, | |
Alike is Hell, or Paradise, or Heaven— | Hell, Paradise, Heaven... | |
There best where most with ravin I may meet: | it is all the same to me. | |
Which here, though plenteous, all too little seems |
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|
To stuff this maw, this vast unhide-bound corpse.” | I'll go wherever I can eat." | |
To whom the incestuous Mother thus replied:— | Sin said, | |
“Thou, therefore, on these herbs, and fruits, and flowers, | "Well, in that case, | |
Feed first; on each beast next, and fish, and fowl— | go ahead and start with these flowers, | |
No homely morsels; and whatever thing |
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|
fruits, beasts, fish, and birds. |
The scythe of Time mows down devour unspared; | ||
Till I, in Man residing through the race, | ||
His thoughts, his looks, words, actions, all infect, | ||
And season him thy last and sweetest prey.” | Then mankind will be your last and most satisfying meal." | |
This said, they both betook them several ways, |
610
|
Both Sin and Death went their separate ways |
Both to destroy, or unimmortal make | to wreak havoc on life | |
All kinds, and for destruction to mature | and remove any sense of immortality | |
Sooner or later; which the Almighty seeing, | so that everything would inevitably die | |
From his transcendent Seat the Saints among, | sooner or later. | |
To those bright Orders uttered thus his voice:— |
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|
God was watching all of this happening, he said, |
“See with what heat these dogs of Hell advance | "Look at those dogs of Hell walking around | |
To waste and havoc yonder World, which I | laying waste and ruining this world that I made. | |
So fair and good created, and had still | ||
Kept in that state, had not the folly of Man | They think that I would | |
Let in these wasteful furies, who impute |
620
|
|
Folly to me (so doth the Prince of Hell | just give away the world to them | |
And his adherents), that with so much ease | so easily. | |
I suffer them to enter and possess | ||
A place so heavenly, and, conniving, seem | ||
To gratify my scornful enemies, |
625
|
|
That laugh, as if, transported with some fit | They think I just gave up on everything because | |
Of passion, I to them had quitted all, | I was being emotional. | |
At random yielded up to their misrule; | ||
And know not that I called and drew them thither, | They have no idea that | |
My Hell-hounds, to lick up the draft and filth |
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|
I indirectly sent both of them there |
Which Man’s polluting sin with taint hath shed | to remove all the tainted things | |
On what was pure; till, crammed and gorged, nigh burst | because of man's sin. | |
With sucked and glutted offal, at one sling | ||
Of thy victorious arm, well-pleasing Son, | My son, when they are finished doing that... | |
Both Sin and Death, and yawning Grave, at last |
635
|
you will toss them |
Through Chaos hurled, obstruct the mouth of Hell | back into Hell. | |
For ever, and seal up his ravenous jaws. | And their bodies will seal the entrance of Hell forever. | |
Then Heaven and Earth, renewed, shall be made pure | Then the earth will be pure again." | |
To sanctity that shall receive no stain: | ||
Till then the curse pronounced on both precedes.” |
640
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|
He ended, and the Heavenly Audience loud | The angels in Heaven cheered | |
Sung Halleluiah, as the sound of seas, | and sang about how nobody could undermine God and his work, | |
Through multitude that sung:—“Just are thy ways, | and how the Son would restore the earth to its former glory. | |
Righteous are thy decrees on all thy works; | ||
Who can extenuate thee? Next, to the Son, |
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|
Destined restorer of Mankind, by whom | ||
New Heaven and Earth shall to the ages rise, | ||
Or down from Heaven descend.” Such was their song, | ||
While the Creator, calling forth by name | God called together a few certain angels | |
His mighty Angels, gave them several charge, |
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|
|
As sorted best with present things. The Sun | to make some changes on earth. | |
Had first his precept so to move, so shine, | He tasked the angels to command the sun to | |
As might affect the Earth with cold and heat | shine on earth in a certain way: the weather would be cold in the winter | |
Scarce tolerable, and from the north to call | and hot in the summer. | |
Decrepit winter, from the south to bring |
655
|
|
Solstitial summer’s heat. To the blanc Moon | And the position of the moon and planets in the sky would | |
Her office they prescribed; to the other five | affect conditions on Earth. | |
Their planetary motions and aspects, | ||
In sextile, square, and trine, and opposite, | ||
Of noxious efficacy, and when to join |
660
|
|
In synod unbenign; and taught the fixed | ||
Their influence malignant when to shower— | ||
Which of them, rising with the Sun or falling, | ||
Should prove tempestuous. To the winds they set | The winds were to create | |
Their corners, when with bluster to confound |
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|
|
Sea, air, and shore; the thunder when to roll | storms and | |
With terror through the dark aerial hall. | cause the seas to become violent. | |
Some say he bid his Angels turn askance | Some say that this is when God had | |
The poles of Earth twice ten degrees and more | the Angels tilt the axis of the Earth. | |
From the Sun’s axle; they with labour pushed |
670
|
|
Oblique the centric Globe: some say the Sun | That's how the seasons would change in the way that they do. | |
Was bid turn reins from the equinoctial road | ||
Like distant breadth—to Taurus with the seven | ||
Atlantic Sisters, and the Spartan Twins, | ||
Up to the Tropic Crab; thence down amain |
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|
By Leo, and the Virgin, and the Scales, | ||
As deep as Capricorn; to bring in change | ||
Of seasons to each clime. Else had the spring | ||
Perpetual smiles on Earth with vernant flowers, | ||
Equal in days and nights, except to those |
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|
|
Beyond the polar circles; to them day | At the poles, the sun would | |
Had unbenighted shon, while the low Sun, | be low across the horizon and always shine throughout the day, with no night time. | |
To recompense his distance, in their sight | ||
Had rounded still the horizon, and not known | ||
Or east or west—which had forbid the snow |
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|
|
From cold Estotiland, and south as far | ||
Beneath Magellan. At that tasted Fruit, | ||
The Sun, as from Thyestean banquet, turned | ||
His course intended; else how had the world | ||
Inhabited, though sinless, more than now |
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|
|
Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat? | All these changes would influence dangerous conditions on land and sea. | |
These changes in the heavens, though slow, produced | ||
Like change on sea and land—sidereal blast, | ||
Vapour, and mist, and exhalation hot, | ||
Corrupt and pestilent. Now from the north |
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|
|
Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shore, | ||
Bursting their brazen dungeon, armed with ice, | ||
And snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw, | ||
Boreas and Cæcias and Argestes loud | ||
And Thrascias rend the woods, and seas upturn; |
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|
|
With adverse blasts upturns them from the south | ||
Notus and Afer, black with thundrous clouds | ||
From Serraliona; thwart of these, as fierce | ||
Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent winds, | ||
Eurus and Zephyr, with their lateral noise, |
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|
|
Sirocco and Libecchio. Thus began | ||
Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first, | Discord was Sin's first daughter, | |
Daughter of Sin, among the irrational | and she would work with Death to | |
Death introduced through fierce antipathy. | make animals fight among themselves. | |
Beast now with beast ’gan war, and fowl with fowl, |
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|
|
And fish with fish. To graze the herb all leaving | Instead of minding their own business and grazing on the fields, | |
Devoured each other; nor stood much in awe | animals would start hunting and preying on each other. | |
Of Man, but fled him, or with countenance grim | They would also be wary of man, and flee whenever he would come close. | |
Glared on him passing. These were from without | ||
The growing miseries; which Adam saw |
715
|
Adam noticed all these changes happening around him. |
Already in part, though hid in gloomiest shade, | ||
To sorrow abandoned, but worse felt within, | ||
And, in a troubled sea of passion tost, | ||
Thus to disburden sought with sad complaint:— | He spoke to himself, | |
“O miserable of happy! Is this the end |
720
|
"Is this where happiness ends? |
Of this new glorious World, and me so late | ||
The glory of that glory? who now, become | Will I ever see God again? | |
Accursed of blessèd, hide me from the face | ||
Of God, whom to behold was then my highth | I guess I deserve this, | |
Of happiness! Yet well, if here would end |
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|
|
The misery! I deserved it, and would bear | but I'm sure it doesn't end here. | |
My own deservings. But this will not serve: | ||
All that I eat or drink, or shall beget, | I remember he blessed us and said | |
Is propagated curse. O voice, once heard | ||
Delightfully, ’Encrease and multiply,’ |
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|
'Increase and multiply' |
Now death to hear! for what can I encrease | but now that feels like a curse. | |
Or multiply but curses on my head? | The only thing multiplying are the curses and negate emotions in my mind. | |
Who, of all ages to succeed, but, feeling | ||
The evil on him brought by me, will curse | ||
My head? ‘Ill fare our Ancestor impure! |
735
|
Now all of my ancestors will have me |
For this we may thank Adam!’ but his thanks | to thank for all of their struggles and misery. | |
Shall be the execration. So, besides | ||
Mine own that bide upon me, all from me | ||
Shall with a fierce reflux on me redound— | ||
On me, as on their natural centre, light; |
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|
|
Heavy, though in their place. O fleeting joys | It's like the small joys of Paradise were exchanged | |
Of Paradise, dear bought with lasting woes! | for long-lasting misery. | |
Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay | I didn't ask for any of this, I didn't even ask to be born. | |
To mould me Man? Did I solicit thee | ||
From darkness to promote me, or here place |
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|
God, you made me and put me in this Paradise |
In this delicious Garden? As my will | ||
Concurred not to my being, it were but right | ||
And equal to reduce me to my dust, | Your simply commands were too hard for me, | |
Desirous to resign and render back | ||
All I received, unable to perform |
750
|
So please. goahead and just turn me back into dust! |
Thy term too hard, by which I was to hold | ||
The good I sought not. To the loss of that, | Would that be enough? | |
Sufficient penalty, why hast thou added | Why should I suffer and make everyone else suffer too? | |
The sense of endless woes? Inexplicable | ||
Thy justice seems. Yet, to say truth, too late |
755
|
This doesn't make much sense to me. |
I thus contest; then should have been refused | ||
Those terms, whatever, when they were proposed. | ||
Thou didst accept them: wilt thou enjoy the good, | And now it's too late. I accept these terms I guess... | |
Then cavil the conditions? And, though God | ||
Made thee without thy leave, what if thy son |
760
|
Like... what if I had a son, that got into trouble, then he said the excuse of 'I didn't ask to be born...' |
Prove disobedient, and, reproved, retort, | I don't think I'd accept that excuse either. | |
‘Wherefore didst thou beget me? I sought it not!’ | ||
Wouldst thou admit for his contempt of thee | ||
That proud excuse? yet him not thy election, | ||
But natural necessity, begot. |
765
|
|
God made thee of choice his own, and of his own | God chose to make me, and | |
To serve him; thy reward was of his grace; | reward me when I was good, | |
Thy punishment, then, justly is at his will. | it's fair that he punishes me when I am bad. | |
Be it so, for I submit; his doom is fair, | ||
That dust I am, and shall to dust return. |
770
|
If you are going to turn be back into dust, then so be it. |
O welcome hour whenever! Why delays | What's taking so long? | |
His hand to execute what his decree | ||
Fixed on this day? Why do I overlive? | Why do I have to suffer any longer? | |
Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out | I'd be happy to just die. | |
To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet |
775
|
|
Mortality, my sentence, and be earth | ||
Insensible! how glad would lay me down | This voice inside my head is anguish. | |
As in my mother’s lap! There I should rest, | ||
And sleep secure; his dreadful voice no more | I don't want to live because I don't want to feel what is going to happen to my descendants. | |
Would thunder in my ears; no fear of worse |
780
|
|
To me and to my offspring would torment me | One thing that scares me... | |
With cruel expectation. Yet one doubt | ||
Pursues me still—lest all I cannot die; | is what if I can't die at all! | |
Lest that pure breath of life, the Spirit of Man | What if my spirit will live on, | |
Which God inspired, cannot together perish |
785
|
|
With this corporeal clod. Then, in the grave, | and once my body dies, I'll still feel alive?! | |
Or in some other dismal place, who knows | ||
But I shall die a living death? O thought | ||
Horrid, if true! Yet why? It was but breath | That would be a nightmare. | |
Of life that sinned: what dies but what had life |
790
|
It was my soul that sinned, not just my body. |
And sin? The body properly hath neither. | All of me should die. | |
All of me, then, shall die: let this appease | ||
The doubt, since human reach no further knows. | There's no other way. | |
For, though the Lord of all be infinite, | God is infinite, but man is not. | |
Is his wrauth also? Be it, Man is not so, |
795
|
|
But mortal doomed. But can he exercise | Would God be angry at man forever? | |
Wrauth without end on Man, whom death must end? | How could God punish man forever, if death would end man? | |
Can he make deathless death? That were to make | ||
Strange contradiction; which to God himself | Does death live forever? None of this makes sense. | |
Impossible is held, as argument |
800
|
|
Of weakness, not of power. Will he draw out, | What if God would make sure man is punished after death... | |
For anger’s sake, finite to infinite | ||
In punished Man, to satisfy his rigour | ||
Satisfied never? That were to extend | ||
His sentence beyond dust and Nature’s law; |
805
|
|
By which all causes else according still | ||
To the reception of their matter act, | ||
Not to the extent of their own sphere. But say | ||
That death be not one stroke, as I supposed, | Maybe death is not a one time affair. | |
Bereaving sense, but endless misery | 810 | It could be endless misery from that point forward. |
From this day onward, which I feel begun | Like how it feels right now. | |
Both in me and without me, and so last | ||
To perpetuity——Ay me! that fear | ||
Comes thundering back with dreadful revolution | Which leads me to the thought of how death lives forever. | |
On my defenceless head! Both Death and I |
815
|
|
Am found eternal, and incorporate both: | ||
Nor I on my part single; in me all | And that curse isn't just for me, it's | |
Posterity stands cursed. Fair patrimony | ||
That I must leave ye, sons! Oh, were I able | for all my descendants. I am sorry my sons... | |
To waste it all myself, and leave ye none! | 820 | I wish I could take all that pain and misery for myself |
So disinherited, how would ye bless | so you wouldn't have to suffer. | |
Me, now your curse! Ah, why should all Mankind, | ||
For one man’s fault, thus guiltless be condemned? | Why must all of mankind suffer | |
If guiltless! But from me what can proceed | for one man's sin? | |
But all corrupt—both mind and will depraved |
825
|
All of mankind is and should be innocent! |
Not to do only, but to will the same | ||
With me? How can they, then, acquitted stand | Why must they inherit my sin? | |
In sight of God? Him, after all disputes, | ||
Forced I absolve. All my evasions vain | There's no point in arguing against God's plan. | |
And reasonings, though through mazes, lead me still | 830 | |
But to my own conviction: first and last | I'm just going around in circles with these questions. | |
On me, me only, as the source and spring | ||
Of all corruption, all the blame lights due. | ||
So might the wrauth! Fond wish! could’st thou support | ||
That burden, heavier than the Earth to bear— |
835
|
|
Than all the world much heavier, though divided | ||
With that bad Woman? Thus, what thou desir’st, | ||
And what thou fear’st, alike destroys all hope | ||
Of refuge, and concludes thee miserable | ||
Beyond all past example and future’— |
840
|
I'm going to be stuck with these dark thoughts forever." |
To Satan only like, both crime and doom. | ||
O Conscience! into what abyss of fears | ||
And horrors hast thou driven me; out of which | ||
I find no way, from deeper to deeper plunged!” | ||
Thus Adam to himself lamented loud | 845 | |
Through the still night—not now, as ere Man fell, | Throughout the night, Adam was crying out loud. | |
Wholesome and cool and mild, but with black air | It was a night that was black | |
Accompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom; | damp and gloomy. | |
Which to his evil conscience represented | ||
All things with double terror. On the ground |
850
|
Adam was lying |
Outstretched he lay, on the cold ground, and oft | on the cold ground | |
Cursed his creation; Death as oft accused | ||
Of tardy execution, since denounced | and cried some more, | |
The day of his offence. “Why comes not Death,” | "Why don't I just die?! | |
Said he, “with one thrice-acceptáble stroke | 855 | |
To end me? Shall Truth fail to keep her word, | ||
Justice divine not hasten to be just? | ||
But Death comes not at call; Justice divine | ||
Mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries. | Death never comes when you want it to..." | |
O woods, O fountains, hillocks, dales, and bowers! | 860 | |
With other echo late I taught your shades | ||
To answer, and resound far other song.” | ||
Whom thus afflicted when sad Eve beheld, | Eve was sitting nearby, | |
Desolate where she sat, approaching nigh, | it was breaking her heart to see Adam act like this. | |
Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed; |
865
|
|
But her, with stern regard, he thus repelled:— | She walked over to try and comfort him, but Adam shouted | |
“Out of my sight, thou Serpent! That name best | "Get the fuck out of here you snake! | |
Befits thee, with him leagued, thyself as false | The only thing that is different between you and Satan is your shape. | |
And hateful: nothing wants, but that thy shape | You have a heavenly form | |
Like his, and colour serpentine, may shew | 870 | |
Thy inward fraud, to warn all creatures from thee | that takes advantage of others. | |
Henceforth, lest that too heavenly form, pretended | ||
To hellish falsehood, snare them. But for thee | ||
I had persisted happy, had not thy pride | It's because of you that I am unhappy. | |
And wandering vanity, when least was safe, |
875
|
You didn't listen, |
Rejected my forewarning, and disdained | you had to be the center of attention, | |
Not to be trusted—longing to be seen, | ||
Though by the Devil himself; him overweening | even if it was with the devil himself. | |
To overreach; but, with the Serpent meeting, | ||
Fooled and beguiled; by him thou, I by thee, |
880
|
He fooled you and you fooled me. |
To trust thee from my side, imagined wise, | I truested you! | |
Constant, mature, proof against all assaults, | I thought you were smart and intelligent, | |
And understood not all was but a shew, | but it was all just a joke. | |
Rather than solid virtue, all but a rib | ||
Crooked by nature—bent, as now appears, | 885 | |
More to the part sinister—from me drawn; | ||
Well if thrown out, as supernumerary | ||
To my just number found! O, why did God | Why did God create such a defective creature like you? | |
Creator wise, that peopled highest Heaven | ||
With Spirits masculine, create at last |
890
|
He should have filled the earth with more men like me. |
This novelty on Earth, this fair defect | ||
Of Nature, and not fill the World at once | ||
With men as Angels, without fiminine; | Like he did with the angels. | |
Or find some other way to generate | ||
Mankind? This mischief had not then befallen, | 895 | He could have found another way for men to reproduce. |
And more that shall befall—innumerable | ||
Disturbances on Earth through female snares, | That would save us all the trouble." | |
And strait conjunction with this sex. For either | ||
He never shall find out fit mate, but such | ||
As some misfortune brings him, or mistake; | 900 | |
Or whom he wishes most shall seldom gain, | ||
Through her perverseness, but shall see her gained | ||
By a far worse, or, if she love, withheld | ||
By parents; or his happiest choice too late | ||
Shall meet, already linked and wedlock—bound | 905 | |
To a fell adversary, his hate or shame: | ||
Which infinite calamity shall cause | ||
To human life, and household peace confound.” | ||
He added not, and from her turned; but Eve, | Adam turned away, | |
Not so repulsed, with tears that ceased not flowing, | 910 | |
And tresses all disordered, at his feet | but none of this scared Eve from trying to console him. | |
Fell humble, and, imbracing them, besought | ||
His peace, and thus proceeded in her plaint:— | In tears, she put her arms around Adam and said | |
“Forsake me not thus, Adam! witness Heaven | "Don't turn away from me Adam! | |
What love sincere and reverence in my heart | 915 | Heaven knows how much I love you, |
I bear thee, and unweeting have offended, | and I never meant to hurt you like this. | |
Unhappily deceived! Thy suppliant | ||
I beg, and clasp thy knees; bereave me not | ||
Whereon I live, they gentle looks, thy aid, | You can't leave me. | |
Thy counsel in this uttermost distress, |
920
|
|
My only strength and stay. Forlorn of thee, | You are my strength | |
Whither shall I betake me, where subsist? | and without you | |
While yet we live, scarce one short hour perhaps, | where would I be? | |
Between us two let there be peace; both joining, | We're still alive now, | |
As joined in injuries, one enmity | 925 | |
Against a Foe by doom express assigned us. | and even if it's for a short while, please let there be peace between us. | |
That cruel Serpent. On me exercise not | We have a shared enemy, the snake. | |
Thy hatred for this misery befallen— | Please don't hate me, I'm as miserable as you are. | |
On me already lost, me than thyself | ||
More miserable. Both have sinned; but thou |
930
|
We both sinned the same way, |
Against God only; I against God and thee, | but you sinned against God | |
And to the place of judgment will return, | whereas I sinned against God AND you. I'll go back to the place where God judged us and beg him to let you off the hook. All the blame should be on me." | |
There with my cries impor’tune Heaven, that all | ||
The sentence, from thy head removed, may light | ||
On me, sole cause to thee of all this woe, |
935
|
|
Me, me only, just object of His ire.” | ||
She ended, weeping; and her lowly plight, | Eve cried, and Adam was emotionally moved. | |
Immovable till peace obtained from fault | ||
Acknowledged and deplored, in Adam wraught | He could not stand to see the woman he loved in so much pain. | |
Commiseration. Soon his heart relented | 940 | |
Towards her, his life so late, and sole delight, | ||
Now at his feet submissive in distress— | ||
Creature so fair his reconcilement seeking, | ||
His counsel whom she had displeased, his aid. | ||
As one disarmed, his anger all he lost, |
945
|
But then Adam lost his anger. |
And thus with peaceful words upraised her soon:— | He replied to Eve, | |
“Unwary, and too desirous, as before | "There you go again, | |
So now, of what thou know’st not, who desir’st | ready to walk off and do things you know nothing about. | |
The punishment all on thyself! Alas! | You want to take on all of God's anger on yourself, | |
Bear thine own first, ill able to sustain | 950 | when you can't even stand me being angry with you. |
His full wrauth whose thou feel’st as yet least part, | ||
And my displeasure bear’st so ill. If prayers | If begging and prayers did anything, | |
Could alter high decrees, I to that place | I'd be the first to go. toGod and ask him what you are asking for. | |
Would speed before thee, and be louder heard, | ||
That on my head all might be visited, |
955
|
|
Thy frailty and infirmer sex forgiven, | ||
To me committed, and by me exposed. | ||
But rise; let us no more contend, nor blame | Get up now, | |
Each other, blamed enough elsewhere, but strive | we're done fighting and blaming. | |
In offices of love how we may lighten | 960 | We need to be supporting each other |
Each other’s burden in our share of woe; | through this trouble and misery. | |
Since this day’s death denounced, if aught I see, | Death won't come for us yet, | |
Will prove no sudden, but a slow—paced evil, | so we're here to suffer for the meantime." | |
A long day’s dying, to augment our pain, | ||
And to our seed (O hapless seed!) derived.” |
965
|
|
To whom thus Eve, recovering heart, replied:— | Eve felt a little better, | |
“Adam, by sad experiment I know | she replied, "Adam, I don't blame you if | |
How little weight my words with thee can find, | you don't want to listen to me anymore | |
Found so erroneous, thence by just event | there's just something on my mind and I want to say it. | |
Found so unfortunate. Nevertheless, | 970 | |
Restored by thee, vile as I am, to place | ||
Of new acceptance, hopeful to regain | ||
Thy love, the sole contentment of my heart, | I love you so much, | |
Living or dying from thee I will not hide | and I want this misery to leave us. | |
What thoughts in my unquiet breast are risen, |
975
|
|
Tending to some relief of our extremes, | ||
Or end, though sharp and sad, yet tolerable, | ||
As in our evils, and of easier choice. | ||
If care of our descent perplex us most, | We both don't want to bring our descendants | |
Which must be born to certain woe, devoured | 980 | into this world |
By Death at last (and miserable it is | that is full of pain | |
To be to others cause of misery, | ||
Our own begotten, and of our loins to bring | and sorrow. | |
Into this cursed world a woeful race, | ||
That, after wretched life, must be at last |
985
|
|
Food for so foul a Monster), in thy power | ||
It lies, yet ere conception, to prevent | ||
The race unblest, to being yet unbegot. | We both have the power to prevent this, | |
Childless thou art; childless remain. So Death | so we don't have to have any children. | |
Shall be deceived his glut, and with us two | 990 | |
Be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw. | And if we can't stand the thought | |
But, if thou judge it hard and difficult, | ||
Conversing, looking, loving, to abstain | of living together | |
From love’s due rites, nuptial imbraces sweet, | and never being able to have sex again | |
And with desire to languish without hope | 995 | |
Before the present object languishing | ||
With like desire—which would be misery | then we can end it | |
And torment less than none of what we dread— | ||
Then, both our selves and seed at once to free | right now. | |
From what we fear for both, let us make short; |
1000
|
|
Let us seek Death, or, he not found, supply | Let's go look for Death, | |
With our own hands his office on ourselves. | and if we can't find him | |
Why stand we longer shivering under fears | ||
That shew no end but death, and have the power, | then I don't think we need him. | |
Of many ways to die the shortest choosing, | 1005 | We can just kill ourselves. |
Destruction with destruction to destroy?” | Why should we put up with so much suffering that is only going to end with death anyway?" | |
She ended here, or vehement despair | ||
Broke off the rest; so much of death her thoughts | ||
Had entertained as dyed her cheeks with pale. | ||
But Adam, with such counsel nothing swayed, | 1010 | Adam was thinking a little bit more clearly now. |
To better hopes his more attentive mind | ||
Labouring had raised, and thus to Eve replied:— | He said to Eve, | |
“Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems | "Eve, it is wise of you | |
To argue in thee something more sublime | to think that there are things more important than life | |
And excellent than what thy mind contemns: |
1015
|
|
But self-destruction therefore sought refutes | but killing ourselves is not the way. | |
That excellence thought in thee, and implies | ||
Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret | It says to me that | |
For loss of life and pleasure overloved. | you love pleasure so much and you can't stand to lose it. You can't handle that. | |
Or, if thou covet death, as utmost end | 1020 | |
Of misery, so thinking to evade | ||
The penalty pronounced, doubt not but God | God is smarter than us. | |
Hath wiselier armed his vengeful ire than so | It'd be even worse if we just kill ourselves on our own, | |
To be forestalled. Much more I fear lest death | He'd make our suffering much worse. | |
So snatched will not exempt us from the pain |
1025
|
|
We are by doom to pay; rather such acts | ||
Of contumacy will provoke the Highest | ||
To make death in us live. Then let us seek | ||
Some safer resolution—which methinks | I think there's a better solution, | |
I have in view, calling to mind with heed |
1030
|
|
Part of our sentence, that thy seed shall bruise | Remember when God said something about 'bruising the snake's head'? | |
The Serpent’s head. Piteous amends! unless | ||
Be meant whom I conjecture, our grand foe, | ||
Satan, who in the Serpent hath contrived | Maybe it has something to do about Satan. | |
Against us this deceit. To crush his head | 1035 | |
Would be revenge indeed—which will be lost | ||
By death brought on ourselves, or childless days | If we kill ourselves, or never have children, | |
Resolved as thou proposest; so our foe | we'll lose any chance to get back at Satan. | |
Shall scape his punishment ordained, and we | If we remove ourselves from the equation, then Satan escapes his punishment. | |
Instead shall double ours upon our heads. |
1040
|
|
No more be mentioned, then, of violence | ||
Against ourselves, and wilful barrenness | ||
That cuts us off from hope, and savours only | ||
Rancour and pride, impatience and despite, | ||
Reluctance against God and his just yoke | 1045 | |
Laid on our necks. Remember with what mild | God was gentle when he judged us. And now that I think of it, the sentence isn't that bad. | |
And gracious temper he both heard and judged, | ||
Without wrauth or reviling. We expected | ||
Immediate dissolution, which we thought | ||
Was meant by death that day; when, lo! to thee | 1050 | |
Pains only in child-bearing were foretold, | You will only experience pain in childbirth, | |
And bringing forth, soon recompensed with joy, | but joy will come | |
Fruit of thy womb. On me the curse aslope | when the baby is born. | |
Glanced on the ground. With labour I must earn | For me I would have to sweat and toil to earn a living doing hard work, | |
My bread; what harm? Idleness had been worse; |
1055
|
|
My labour will sustain me; and, lest cold | but that doesn't sound so bad | |
Or heat should injure us, his timely care | because I'd be bored doing nothing anyway. God even clothed us, to protect us from the elements. | |
Hath, unbesought, provided, and his hands | ||
Clothed us unworthy, pitying while he judged. | God was still kind to us when he judged us. | |
How much more, if we pray him, will his ear |
1060
|
I am sure he would listen to us if we pray. |
Be open, and his heart to pity incline, | ||
And teach us further by what means to shun | Maybe he'll show pity on us. | |
The inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail, and snow! | ||
Which now the sky, with various face, begins | ||
To shew us in this mountain, while the winds | 1065 | |
Blow moist and keen, shattering the graceful locks | ||
Of these fair spreading trees; which bids us seek | ||
Some better shroud, some better warmth to cherish | It's getting late now, we must find warmth because it's cold now. | |
Our limbs benumbed—ere this diurnal star | ||
Leave cold the night, how we his gathered beams | 1070 | I wonder if there's a way |
Reflected may with matter sere foment, | ||
Or by collision of two bodies grind | to create a fire for us... I think God will show us how. | |
The air attrite to fire, as late the clouds, | ||
Justling, or pushed with winds, rude in their shock, | I've seen | |
Time the slant lightning, whose thwart flame, driven down, | 1075 | how lightning would strike trees to set them on fire. |
Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine, | ||
And sends a comfortable heat from far, | That could be a way to give us warmth. | |
Which might supply the Sun. Such fire to use, | ||
And what may else be remedy or cure | ||
To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought, | 1080 | |
He will instruct us praying, and of grace | God will help us with anything, I think we just need to have faith in prayer. | |
Beseeching him; so as we need not fear | ||
To pass commodiously this life, sustained | The more we pray, the less we have to be afraid. | |
By him with many comforts, till we end | ||
In dust, our final rest and native home. |
1085
|
|
What better can we do than, to the place | So for now, let's go back to | |
Repairing where he judged us, prostrate fall | where he judged us | |
Before him reverent, and there confess | and kneel and pray. | |
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears | ||
Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air | 1090 | |
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign | He was so angry, but still showed us kindness. | |
Of sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek? | He will give us mercy | |
Undoubtedly he will relent, and turn | ||
From his displeasure, in whose look serene, | ||
When angry most he seemed and most severe, | 1095 | |
What else but favour, grace, and mercy shon?” | as long as we pray from our hearts." | |
So spake our Father penitent; nor Eve | ||
Felt less remorse. They, forthwith to the place | ||
Repairing where he judged them, prostrate fell | ||
Before him reverent, and both confessed | 1100 | And so they kneeled, and prayed |
Humbly their faults, and pardon begged, with tears | and cried their hearts out to God. | |
Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air | ||
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign | ||
Of sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek. | ||
I'm taking a class on Milton this coming semester and this kind of plain-language "Satan getting up to some s---" notes is exactly my kind of notetaking. You're a saint.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot bud
ReplyDeletethere might be a mistake at line 264 "sin replied", I believe it is death replying to sin.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, good catch
Deleteyoure the GOAT
ReplyDeletei love you
ReplyDeleteyouve made this story so enjoyable to me
ReplyDeleteLove you too, homes
ReplyDeleteThank you. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteThis was crazy helpful thanks! Also nice music.
ReplyDeleteTHANKS SO MUCH
ReplyDeletetyty
ReplyDeleteyou angel.... u the soul of my soul.... i am almost certainly going to fail my exams but thanks to this ill fail less badly than i expected. i love you. you are my heart. you are so clever.
ReplyDeletemy a level is saved
ReplyDelete