BOOK THE FOURTH

THE ARGUMENT.

Satan, now in prospect of Eden, and nigh the place where he must now attempt the bold enterprise which he undertook alone against God and man, falls iuto many doubts with himself, and many passions, fear, envy, and despair, but at length confirms himself in evil; journeys on to paradise, whose outward prospect and situation is described; overleaps the bounds; sits in the shape of a cormorant on the tree of life, as highest in the garden, to look about him. The garden described; Satan's first sight of Adam and Eve; his wonder at their excellent form and happy state, but with resolution to work their fall; overhears their discourse, thence gathers that the tree of knowledge was forbidden them to eat of, under penalty of death; and thereon intends to found his temptation by seducing them to transgress then leaves them awhile to know further of their state by some other means. Meanwhile Uriel descending on a sunbeam warns Gabriel, who had in charge the gate of paradise, that some evil spirit had escaped the deep, and passed at noon by his sphere in the shape of a good angel down to paradise, discovered afterwards by his furious gestures in the mount. Gabriel promises to find him ere morning. Night coming on, Adam and Eve discourse of going to their rest: their bower described; their evening-worship. Gabriel, drawing forth his bands of nightwatch to walk the round of paradise, appoints two strong angels to Adam's bower, lest the evil spirit should be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve sleeping; there they find him at the ear of Eve, tempting her in a dream, and bring him, though unwilling, to Gabriel: by whom questioned, he scornfully answers; prepares resistance; but, hindered by a sign from heaven, flies out of paradise.

0, for that warning voice, which he, who saw

The Apocalypse, heard cry in heaven aloud,

LIBRO QUARTO

ARGOMENTO.

Satano già in vista di Eden e vicino al luogo dove egli deve omhai tentare l'ardito fatto che solo ha intrapreso contro Dio e l'uomo, cade in molti dubbi con se medesimo e in molte passioni, timore, invidia e disperazione; ma alfine s'indura nel male; inoltra al paradiso di cui descrivesi la veduta esterpa e la situazione; salta sui confini; siede in forma di smergo sull'albero di vita come il più alto nel giardino, per guardarsi intorno. Descrizione del giardino; Satáno vede la prima volta Adamo ed Eva; sua maraviglia alle loro forme illustri e stato felice, ma con fermezza ad operare la loro ruina; ascolta i loro discorsi donde raccoglie che l'albero di scienza era proibito loro a mangiarne sotto pena di morte; e qui disegna fondare la sua tentazione con sedurli a disobbedire. Quindi li lascia alquanto per conoscere meglio lo stato loro per alcune altre vie. Uriele intanto scendendo su di un raggio solare avvisa Gabriele, il quale avea incarico di guardar la porta di paradiso, esser fuggito da inferno qualche reo spirito e passato a mezzodi per la sua sfera in forma dị angelo buono giù verso il paradiso, sè averlo scoperto poi agli atti furiosi di lui nel montė. Gabriello promette di trovarlo pria del mattino. Venendo la notte Adamo ed Eva parlano di andare a riposo descrizione del loro albergo; loro preghiera di sera. Gabriello educendo le sue schiere di scolta per correre il dintorno di paradiso, invia due strenui angeli all'ostello di Adamo temendo non forse il malo spirito tenti un qualche danno ad Adamo ed Eva che dormono; vel trovano all' orecchio d' Eva tentandola in un sogno, e conduconlo benchè restio a Gabriello: da cui interrogato risponde con disprezzo; si prepara a combattere; ma impaurito da un segno apparso in cielo fugge di paradiso.

0

:

voce, o nunzio, cui il rapito spirto Di patmos alto udi suonar nel cielo,

25

Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
Woe to the inhabitants on earth! that now,
While time was, our first parents had been warn'd
The coming of their secret foe, and 'scap'd,

Haply so 'scap'd his mortal snare : for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The tempter ere the accuser of mankind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his loss
Of that first battle, and his flight to hell:
Yet, not rejoicing in his speed, though bold,
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth,
Now rolling boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish engine back recoils
Upon himself; horror and doubt distract

His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir
The hell within him; for within him hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from hell
One step, no more than from himself, can fly
By change of place: now conscience wakes despair,
That slumber'd; wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensuc.
Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes sad;
Sometimes towards heaven, and the full-blazing sun,
Which now sat high in his meridian tower,
Then, much revolving, thus in sighs began:

O thou, that, with surpassing glory crown'd,
Look'st from thy sole dominion like the God
Of this new world; at whose sight all the stars

Quando il dragon di nuovo rotto in guerra ́
Piombo furioso a vendicar sull' uomo,
Guai terrestri abitanti! Ora opportuna
Suonato avesse ai primi padri il cheto
Venir del ler nemico; ah! forse ai lacci-
Suoi mortali campato avrian: chè d' ira
Satano acceso il primo or giù ne venne
Tentator, quindi accusator dell' uomo,
A riversar su lui innocente e frale
Di pugna sua di sua ruina i danni.

Pur non lieto al suo giugner, benchè audace
E intrepido da lunge, nè spavaldo

Comincia sua rea prova, che in sfogando
Gli torce e versa ribellante in petto,
E qual tormento bellico rincula
Sopra se stessa; orror e dubbio mesce
Suoi turbati pensieri, e in lui l'inferno
Desta dall' imo; chè entro a se ed intorno
Ei reca inferno, nè da inferno un passo,
Non più che da se stesso può ritrarsi.
Per cambiar siti; la coscienza or scote
Il disperar sopito e l' aspra imago

Di quel ch' ei fu, ch' egli è, e che fia peggiore;
Chè peggiori opre peggior duolo incalza.

Or mira all' Eden che a sua fronte s'apre
Lieto, ú dolente gli occhi mesti ei fige,
Or mira al cielo e al folgorante sole
Che culmina sublime in suo meriggio,
Quando tra ambascie e tra sospiri erompe:
O tu che di superba gloria cinto,
Guardi dal solo regno tuo qual Dio
D' esto novello mondo, al cui cospetto

Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call,
But with no friendly voice, and add thy name,
O sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what state
I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;
Till pride and worse ambition threw me down,
Warring in heaven against heaven's matchless king:
Ah, wherefore! he deserv'd no such return
From me, whom he created what I was
In that bright eminence, and with his good
Upbraided none; nor was his service hard.
What could be less, than to afford him praise,
The easiest recompense, and pay him thanks,
How due yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice, lifted up so high
I sdeind subjection, and thought one step higher
Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
The debt immense of endless gratitude,
So burdensome still paying, still to owe,
Forgetful what from him I still receiv'd;
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but still pays, at once
Indebted and discharg'd; what burden then?
O had his powerful destiny ordain'd
Me some inferior angel, I had stood

Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition. Yet why not? some other power

As great might have aspir'd, and me, though mean,
Drawn to his part; but other powers as great
Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.

Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand?