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01 - Paradise Lost - John Milton · Sacred Texts Archive

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Book eight, Part one. No more of talk where God or Angel guessed
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with Man, as with his friend familiar, used to sit indulgent and with
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him partake rural repast, permitting him the while venial discourse unblamed. I now
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must change those notes to tragic foul, distrust and breach, disloyal on the
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part of Man, revolt and disobedience on the part of Heaven, now alienated,
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distance and distaste, anger and just rebuke and judgment, given that brought
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into this world a world of woe, sin and her shadow, death and
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misery, Death's harbinger sad task yet argument not less but more heroic than the
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wrath of stern Achilles on his foe pursued thrice fugitive about troy Wall or rage
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of Turnus for Lavinia disespoused, or Neptune's ire or Juno's that so long perplexed
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the Greek and Scythia's son. If answerable style, I can obtain of my
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celestial patroness who deigns her nightly visitation unimplored and dictates to me slumbering or inspires
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easy my unpremeditated verse. Since first this subject for heroic song pleased me long
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choosing and beginning late, not sedulous by nature to indict wars hitherto the only
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argument heroic deemed chief mastery to dissect with long and tedious havoc, Fabled knights
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in battles feigned the better fortitude of patience and heroic martyrdom unsung, Or to
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describe races and games, or tilting furniture, emblazoned shields, impresses, quaint
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caparisons and steeds, basses and tinsel trappings, gorgeous nights at joust and tournament,
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then martialed feasts served up in hall with sewers and senesials. The skill
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of art or office mean not that which justly gives heroic name to person or
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to poem. Me of these, nor skilled nor studious. Higher argument remains
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sufficient of itself to raise that name, unless an age too late, or
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cold climate, or year's damp. My intended wing depressed, and much they
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may if all be mine, not hers who brings it nightly to my ear.
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The sun was sunk, and after him the star of Hesperus, whose
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office is to bring twilight upon the earth short arbiter TwixT day and night,
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and now from end to end Knight's hemisphere had veiled the horizon round. When
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Satan, who late fled before the threats of Gabriel out of Eden, now
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improved in meditated fraud and malice, bent on man's destruction, Maugre what might
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hap of heavier on himself, fearless returned by night he fled, and at
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midnight retire turned from compassing the earth, cautious of day, since Uril region
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of the sun descried his entrance and forewarned the Cherubim that kept their watch.
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Thence full of anguish, driven the space of seven continued nights, he rode
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with darkness thrice the equinoctial line he circled four times, crossed the car of
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night from pole to pole, traversing each collure. On the eighth returned and
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on the coast, averse from entrance or Cherubic watch, by stealth, found
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unsuspected way there was a place now not though sin not Time first wrought the
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change where Tigris at the foot of Paradise into a gulf shot underground till part
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rose up a fountain by the tree of life. In with the river sunk,
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and with it rose Satan involved in rising mist. Then sought where to
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lie hid sea he had searched, and land from Eden over Pontus and the
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pool Meiotis up beyond the river ob downward as far Antarctic, and in length
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west from Orantes to the ocean barred at Darien, thence to the land where
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flows Ganges and Indus. Thus the orb he roamed, with narrow search and
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with inspection deep considered every creature, which of all most opportune might serve his
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wiles, and found the serpent, subtlest beast of all the field him.
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After long debate, irresolute of thoughts, revolved his final sentence, chose fit
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vessel, fittest imp of fraud, in whom to enter, and his dark
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suggestions hide from sharpest sight. For in the wily snake, whatever slights,
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none would suspicious mark as from his wit and native subtlety, proceeding which in
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other beasts observed doubt might beget of diabolic power active within beyond the sense of
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brute. Thus he resolved, but first from inward grief, his bursting passion
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into plaints. Thus poured o earth, how like to Heaven, if not
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preferred more justly seat worthier of gods, as built with second thoughts, reforming
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what was old for what God after better worse would build terrestrial heaven danced round
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by other heavens that shine yet bear their bright, officious lamps, light above
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light for THEE alone, as seems in THEE, concentering all their precious beams
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of sacred influence, as God in heaven is center, yet extends to all.
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So thou centering receivest from all these orbs in THEE, not in themselves.
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All their known virtue appears productive in herb, plant and nobler birth of
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creatures, animate, with gradual life, of growth, sense, reason,
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all summed up in man with what delight? Could I have walked THEE round
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if I could joy in aught sweet interchange of hill and valley, rivers,
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woods and plains, now land, now sea and shores with forest crowned rocks,
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dens and caves. But I in none of these fine place or refuge.
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And the more I see pleasures about me, so much more I feel
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torment within me, as from the hateful siege of contraries. All good to
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me becomes bane, and in heaven much worse would be my state. But
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neither here seek I no nor in heaven to dwell unless by mastering Heavens supreme,
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nor hope to be myself less miserable by what I seek, but others
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to make such as I, though thereby worse to me redound. For only
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in destroying I find ease to my relentless thoughts, and him destroyed, or
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one to what may work his utter loss, for whom all this was made,
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All this will soon follow, as to him linked in weal or woe
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in woe, then that destruction wide may range to me shall be the glorious
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soul among the infernal powers, in one day to have marred what he Almighty
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styled. Six nights and days continued making, and who knows how long before
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had been contriving, though perhaps not longer than since I, in one night
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freed from servitude in glorious well, nigh half the angelic name, and thinner
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left the throng of his adorers, he to be avenged and to repair his
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numbers, thus impaired. Whether such virtues spent of old now failed more angels
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to create, if they at least are His created, or to spite us
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more determined to advance into our room, a creature formed of earth and him
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endow, exalted from so base original with heavenly spoils, our spoils. What
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he decreed, he affected, Man he made, and for him built magnificent
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this world and earth his seat him Lord pronounced, and oh indignity subjected to
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his service, angel wings and flaming ministers, to watch and tend their earthly
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charge. Of these the vigilance I dread and to elude. Thus wrapped in
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mist of midnight, vapor, glide, obscure, and pry in every bush
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and break wherehap may find the serpent sleeping in whose mazy folds to hide me
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and the dark intent I bring o foul descent that I, who erst contended
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with gods to sit the highest, am now constrained into a beast and mixed
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with bestial slime, this essence to incarnate and imbrute that to the height of
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deity aspired. But what will not ambition and revenge descend to who aspires must
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down as low as high he soared, obnoxious first or last to basest things,
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revenge at first, those sweet bitterer long back on itself recoils, Let
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it I reck not so it light well aimed, Since higher I fall short
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on him who next provokes my envy, this new favorite of Heaven, this
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man of Clay, son of Despite, who must the more to spite his
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maker. Raised from dust, spite, then with spite his best repaid.
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So saying through each thicket dank or dry, like a black mist, low
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creeping, he held on his midnight search where soonest he might find the serpent
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him fast sleeping. Soon he found in labyrinth of many a round self rolled
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his head, the midst well stored with subtle wiles, not yet in horrid
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shade or dismal den nor noisent yet, But on the grassy herb, fearless,
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unfeared, he slept in at his mouth. The devil entered, and
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his brutal sense in heart or head possessing soon inspired with act intelligential, but
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his sleep disturbed, not waiting close the approach of morn. Now, when
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as sacred light began to dawn in Eden, on the humid flowers that breathed
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their morning in, when all things that breathe from the Earth's great altar send
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up silent praise to the Creator, and his nostrils fill with grateful smell,
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Forth came the human pair and joined their vocal worship to the choir of creature's
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wanting voice, that done partake the season prime for sweetest scents and airs,
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then commune how that day they best may ply their growing work. For much
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their work out grew the hand's dispatch of two gardenings so wide and eve first
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to her husband thus began Adam, Well, may we labor still to dress
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this garden, still to tend, plant, herb and flower. Our pleasant
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task enjoined. But till more hands aid us, the work under our labor
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grows luxurious. By restraint. What we by day lop overgrown, or prune,
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or prop or bind one night or two with wanton growth derides tending to
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wild. Thou therefore, now advise or hear what to my mind first thoughts,
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pre Let us divide our labors Thou where choice leads thee or where most
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needs, whether to wind the woodbine round this arbor, or direct the clasping
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ivy where to climb, While I in yonder spring of roses intermixed with myrtle,
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find what to redress till noon. For while so near each other,
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Thus all day our task we choose what wonder if so near looks intervene and
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smiles or object new casual discourse draw on which intermits our day's work brought to
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little, though begun early, and the hour of supper comes unearned, to
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whom mild answer. Adam thus returned soul, Eve, associate's soul to me
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beyond compare above all living creatures. Dear well, hast thou motioned, well,
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thy thoughts employed, how we might best fulfill the work which here God
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hath assigned us. Nor of me shalt pass unpraised. For nothing lovelier can
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be found in woman than to study household good and good works in her husband,
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and to promote. Yet not so strictly hath our Lord imposed labor as
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to debar us when we need refreshment, whether food or talk, between food
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of the mind or this sweet intercourse of looks and smiles for smiles from reason
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flow to brute denied, and are of love. The food love not the
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lowest end of human life, For not to irksome toil, but to delight
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He made us, and delight to reason. Joined these paths and bowers,
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doubt not, but our joint hands will keep from wilderness with ease as white
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as we need walk till younger hands ere long assist us. But if much
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converse, perhaps THEE satiate to short absence I could yield, for solitude sometimes
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is best society, and short retirement urges sweet return. But other doubt possesses
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me lest harm befall THEE severed from me. For thou knowest what hath been
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warned us? What malicious foe, envying our happiness and of his own despairing,
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seek to work us woe and shame by sly assault, And somewhere nigh
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at hand watches no doubt, with greedy hope to find his wish and best
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advantage us asunder hopeless to circumvent us join'd where each to other speedy aid might
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land at need, whether his first design be to withdraw our fealty from God,
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or to disturb conjugal love than which perhaps no bliss enjoyed by us excites
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his envy more or this or worse leave not the faithful side that gave THEE
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being still shades THEE and protects the wife where danger or dishonor lurks, safest
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and seemlest by her husband's stays, Who guards her or with her the worst
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endures to whom the virgin Majesty of Eve, as one who loves and some
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unkindness meets with sweet austere composure. Thus replied, offspring of Heaven and Earth
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and all Earth's Lord, that such an enemy we have who seeks our ruin,
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both by thee informed thy learn and from the parting angel overheard as in
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a shady nook, I stood behind, just then returned at shut of evening
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flowers. But that thou shouldst my firmness therefore doubt to God or THEE,
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because we have a foe may tempt it. I expected not to hear his
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violence. Thou fear'st not being such as we, not capable of death or
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pain, can either not receive or can repel his fraud. Is then thy
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fear, which plain infers Thy equal fear that my firm faith and love can
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by his fraud be shaken or seduced. Thoughts which, how found they harbor
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in thy breast. Adam misthought of her to THEE, so dear to whom
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with healing words, Adam replied, daughter of God and Man immortal Eve,
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for such thou art from sin and blame entire, not diffident of THEE do
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I dissuade thy absence from my sight, but to avoid the attempt itself intended
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by our foe. For he who tempts, though in vain, at least
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asperses the tempted with dishonor foul supposed not incorruptible of faith, not proof against
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temptation. Thou thyself, with scorn and anger, wouldst resent the offered wrong,
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though ineffectual found misdeem Not then if such affront I labor to avert from
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thee alone which on us both at once the enemy, though bold will hardly
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dare or daring first on me, the assault shall light. Nor thou his
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malice and false guile contemn subtle. He needs must be who could seduce angels,
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nor think superfluous others, aid I, from the influence of thy looks,
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receive access in every virtue in thy sight. More wise, more watchful,
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stronger if need were of outward strength, while shame Thou looking on shame
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to be overcome or overreached with utmost vigor rays and raised unite. Why shouldst
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not thou, like sense within THEE feel when I am pressed and thy trial,
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choose with me best witness of thy virtue tried, so spake domestic atom
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in his care and matrimonial love. But Eve, who thought less, attributed
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to her faith sincere. Thus her reply with accent sweet renewed. If this
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be our condition, thus, to dwell in narrow circuits straightened by a foe,
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subtle or violent, we not in endued, single with like defense wherever
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met, How are we happy? Still in fear of harm? But harm
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precedes not sin. Only our foe attempting affronts us with his foul esteem of
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our integrity. His foul esteem sticks no dishonor on our front, but turns
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foul on himself. Then, wherefore, shunned or feared by us, who
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rather double honor gain from his surmise proved false, find peace within favor from
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Heaven, our witness from the event. And what is faith love virtue unassayed
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alone without exterior help sustained. Let us not then suspect our happy state left
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so imperfect by the maker wise as not secure to single or combined, frail
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is our happiness? If this be so, and Eden were no Eden thus
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exposed to whom Thus Adam fervently replied, O, woman, best are all
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things as the will of God ordained them his creating hand. Nothing imperfect or
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deficient left of all that he created, much less man or aught that might
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his happy state secure, secure from outward force within himself. The danger lies
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yet lies within his power. Against his will. He can receive no harm.
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But God left free the will for what obeys reason is free, and
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reason he made right. But bid her well beware and still erect lest by
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some fair appearing good. Surprised, she dictate false and misinformed, the will
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to do what God expressly had forbid. Not then mistrust, but tender love
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enjoins that I should mind thee oft and mind thou me firm. We subsist,
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yet possible to swerve, since reason not impossibly may meet some specious object
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by the foe suborned and fall into deception, unaware, not keeping strictest watch,
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as she was warned, seek not temptation, then, which to avoid
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were better, and most likely if from me thou sever not, trial will
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come unsought, which thou approve thy constancy, approve first thy obedience the other
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who can know, not seeing thee attempted, who attest. But if thou
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think trial unsought, may find us both securer than thus warned thou seemest go
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for thy stay not free absents thee more go, in thy native innocence,
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rely on what thou hast of virtue summon all for God towards thee hath done
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his part. Do thine, so spake the patriarch of mankind. But Eve
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persisted, yet submiss though last replied with thy permission. Then, and thus
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forewarned chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words touched only that our trial,
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when least sought, may find us both perhaps far less prepared. The willinger
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I go, nor much expect a foe, so proud will first the weaker
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seek, so bent the more shall shame him his repulse. Thus saying,
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from her husband's hand, her hand soft, she withdrew, and like a
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wood nymph light oread or dryad Or of Delia's train betook her to the groves.
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But Delia's self, in gait surpassed, and goddess like deport though not
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as she with bow and quiver, armed, but with such gardening tools as
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art yet rude, guiltless of fire had formed, or angels brought to Pali's
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or Pomona thus adorned, likely as she seemed. Pomona when she fled vertumnus
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or to Ceres in her prime, yet virgin of Proserpina, from jove her
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long with ardent look, his eye pursued, delighted, but desiring more her
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stay oft he to her his charge of quick return. Repeated she to him,
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as oft engaged to be returned by noon, amid the bower and all
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things in best order, to invite noontide repast or afternoon's repose. O much
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deceived, much failing, hapless eve of thy presumed return event perverse thou never
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from that hour in paradise founst either sweet repast or sound repose. Such ambush
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hid among sweet flowers and shades, waited with hellish rancor imminent to intercept thy
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way or send thee back, despoiled of innocence, of faith, of bliss.
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For now and since the break of dawn, the fiend mere serpent in
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appearance forth was come, and on his quest where likeliest he might find the
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only two of mankind, but in them the whole included race his purposed prey.
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In bower and field he sought where any tuft of grove or garden plot
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more pleasant lay their tendons or plantation for delight by fountain or by shady rivulet.
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He sought them both, but wished his hap might find Eve separate.
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He wished, but not with hope of what so seldom chanced. When to
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his wish, beyond his hope, Eve separate, he spies, veiled in
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a cloud of fragrance, where she stood half spied, so thick the roses
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bushing round about her glowed oft, stooping to support each flower of slender stock,
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whose head, though gay carnation, purple azure, or specked with gold,
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hung drooping, unsustained them. She upstays gently with myrtle band mindless,
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the while herself, though fairest, unsupported flower from her best props so far,
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and storms so nigh nearer he drew, and many a walk traversed of
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stateless covert cedar pine or palm, then voluble and bold, now hid,
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now seen among thick woven arborates and flowers embroidered on each bank. The hand
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of Eve spot more delicious than those gardens famed, or of revived Adonis,
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or renowned alcinous host of old Laertes's son, or that not mystic where the
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sapient king held dalliance with his fair Egyptian spouse. Much he the place admired
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the person more as one who long in populous city Pent, where houses thick
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and sewers annoy the air. Forth, issuing on a summer's morn to breathe
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among the pleasant villages and farms adjoin'd from each thing met conceives delight, the
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smell of grain or teaded grass, or kine or dairy, each rural sight,
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each rural sound, if chance, with nymph like step fairer urgon pass.
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What pleasing seemed for her now pleases more she most, and in her
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look sums all delight. Such pleasure took the serpent to behold this flowery plat,
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the sweet recess of Eve, thus early, thus alone, her heavenly
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form, angelic but more soft and feminine, her graceful innocence. Her every
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air of gesture or least action overawed his malice, and with rapid sweet bereathed
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his fierceness of the fierce intended, brought that space. The evil one abstracted,
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stood from his own evil, and for the time remained stupidly good of
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enmity, disarmed of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge,
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But the hot hell that always in him burns, though in mid heaven soon
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ended his delight and tortures him now more the more he sees of pleasure not
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for him ordained, Then soon fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts
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of mischief gratulating thus excites thoughts, whither have ye led me with what sweet
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compulsion thus transported? To forget what hither brought us hate, not love nor
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hope of paradise for hell hope here to taste of pleasure, but all pleasure
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to destroy, save what is in destroying other joy to me is lost.
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Then let me not let pass occasion, which now smiles behold alone the woman
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opportune to all attempts her husband, For I view far around, not nigh,
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whose higher intellectual more I shun, and strength of courage, haughty and
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of limb, heroic built, though of terrestrial mold, foe not informidable,
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exempt from wound, I not so much hath held debased and pain enfeebled me
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to what I was in heaven. She fair, divinely fair, fit love
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for God's not terrible, though terror be in love and beauty not approached by
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stronger hate hate stronger under show of love, well feigned the way which to
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her ruin now I tend so spake the enemy of mankind, enclosed in serpent
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inmate bad and toward Eve, addressed his way, not with indented wave prone
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on the ground, as sense, but on his rear circular base of rising
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folds that towered fold above fold, a surging maze, his head crested,
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aloft and carbuncle, his eyes with burnished neck of verdant gold, erect amidst
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his circling spires, that on the grass floated redundant. Pleasing was his shape
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and lovely, never since of serpent kind lovelier. Not those that in Illyria
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changed Hermione and Cadmus, or the god in Epidaurus, nor to which transformed
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Ammonian, Jove or Capitaline was seen He with Olympius, this with her who
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bore ship. He o the h height of room, with tract oblique,
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at first, as one who sought access, but feared to interrupt Sidelong he
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works his way. End of Book eight, Part one,