BOOK TENTH
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��Attendance none shall need, nor train, where none 80
Are to behold the judgment but the judged, Those two; the third best absent is con- demned,
Convict by flight, and rebel to all law; Conviction to the Serpent none belongs." Thus saying, from his radiant Seat he
rose Of high collateral glory. Him Thrones and
Powers,
Princedoms, and Dominations ministrant, Accompanied to Heaven-gate, from whence Eden and all the coast in prospect lay. Down he descended straight; the speed of Gods 90
Time counts not, though with swiftest min- utes winged.
Now was the Sun in western cadence low 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,
Came, the mild Judge and Intercessor both, 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 100
The thickest trees, both man and wife, till
God,
Approaching, thus to Adam called aloud: " Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy
to meet My coming, seen far off ? I miss thee
here,
Not pleased thus entertained, with solitude, Where obvious duty erewhile appeared
unsought.
Or come I less conspicuous, or what change Absents thee, or what chance detains ?
Come forth ! " He came, and with him Eve, more loth,
though first
To offend, discountenanced both, and dis- composed. 1 10 Love was not in their looks, either to God Or to each other, but apparent guilt, And shame, and perturbation, and despair, Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile. Whence Adam, faltering long, thus an- swered brief:
��" I heard thee in the Garden, and, of thy
voice Afraid, being naked, hid myself." To
whom
The gracious Judge, without revile, re- plied: " My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast
not feared,
But still rejoiced; how is it now become 120 So dreadful to thee ? That thou art naked
who Hath told thee ? Hast thou eaten of the
Tree Whereof I gave thee charge thou shouldst
not eat ? "
To whom thus Adam, sore beset, replied: " O Heaven ! in evil strait this day I
stand
Before my Judge either to undergo Myself the total crime, or to accuse My other self, the partner of my life, Whose failing, while her faith to me re- mains, 129 I should conceal, and not expose to blame By my complaint. But strict necessity Subdues me, and calamitous constraint, Lest on my head both sin and punishment, However insupportable, be all Devolved ; though, should I hold my peace,
yet thou
Wouldst easily detect what I conceal. This Woman, whom thou mad'st to be my
help,
And gav'st me as thy perfet gift, so good, So fit, so acceptable, so divine, That from her hand I could suspect no ill, 140
And what she did, whatever in itself, Her doing seemed to justify the deed She gave me of the Tree, and I did eat." To whom the Sovran Presence thus re- plied: " Was she thy God, that her thou didst
obey Before his voice ? or was she made thy
guide,
Superior, or but equal, that to her Thou didst resign thy manhood, and the
place
Wherein God set thee above her, made of thee 149
And for thee, whose perfection far excelled Hers in all real dignity ? Adorned She was indeed, and lovely, to attract Thy love, not thy subjection; and her gifts
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