Shall be deceiv'd his glut, and with us two Be forc'd to fatisfy his ravenous maw.
But if thou judge it hard and difficult, Converfing, looking, loving, to abstain From love's due rites, nuptial embraces sweet, And with defire, to languish without hope, Before the present object languishing
With like defire, which would be misery
And torment less than none of what we dread; Then both ourselves and feed at once to free From what we fear for both, let us make short, Let us feek Death, or he not found, supply With our own hands his office on ourselves : Why stand we longer fhivering under fears, That show no end but death, and have the Of many ways to die the shortest choofing, Destruction with deftruction to destroy?
1004. and have the power, Of many ways to die the shortest choofing,
Deftruction with deftruction to de
Atroy?] So thefe verfes are pointed in Milton's original editions; and the conftruction is this, and have the power to destroy deftruction with deftruction, choofing the shortest of many ways to die. Mr. Fenton and
Dr. Bentley have taken away the comma after power, and have put the one a comma, and the other a femicolon after to die: but of many ways to die is not to be join'd in conftruction with the power, and have the power of many ways to die; but is to be join'd in conftruction with the shorteft, choofing the shorteft of many ways to die: and this makes
She ended here, or vehement despair
Broke off the reft; fo much of death her thoughts 'Had entertain'd, as dy'd her cheeks with pale. But Adam with fuch counsel nothing fway'd, 1010 To better hopes his more attentive mind
Lab'ring had rais'd, and thus to Eve reply'd. Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems
in thee something more fublime
And excellent than what thy mind contemns; 1015
But self-deftruction therefore fought, refutes
That excellence thought in thee, and implies, Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret For lofs of life and pleasure overlov'd.
Or if thou covet death, as utmost end Of mifery, fo thinking to evade
The penalty pronounc'd, doubt not but God Hath wifelier arm'd his vengeful ire than so
To be foreftall'd; much more I fear left death.
So fnatch'd will not exempt us from the pain 1025 We are by doom to pay; rather fuch acts Of contumacy will provoke the Highest To make death in us live: Then let us feek Some fafer refolution, which methinks I have in view, calling to mind with heed Part of our sentence, that thy feed fhall bruife The Serpent's head; piteous amends, unless Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand foe Satan, who in the ferpent hath contriv'd Against us this deceit: to crufh his head
Would be revenge indeed; which will be loft By death brought on ourselves, or childless days Refolv'd as thou propofeft; fo our foe Shall 'scape his punishment ordain'd, and we Inftead fhall double ours upon our heads.
No more be mention'd then of violence Against ourselves, and wilful barrenness,
calling to mind with heed their fentence, as it is ver. 1030.
1024. To be foreftall'd;] This word appears too low for heroic
That cuts us off from hope, and favors only Rancor and pride, impatience and despite, Reluctance against God and his juft yoke
Laid on our necks. Remember with what mild And gracious temper he both heard and judg’d Without wrath or reviling; we expected Immediate diffolution, which we thought
Was meant by death that day, when lo, to thee 1050 Pains only in child-bearing were foretold, And bringing forth, foon recompens'd with joy, Fruit of thy womb: on me the curse aflope Glanc'd on the ground; with labor I must earn My bread; what harm? Idleness had been worse; My labor will fuftain me; and left cold
Or heat should injure us, his timely care
Hath unbefought provided, and his hands Cloth'd us unworthy, pitying while he judg'd; How much more, if we pray him, will his ear 1060 Be open, and his heart to pity' incline,
And teach us further by what means to fhun Th' inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail and fnow? Which now the sky with various face begins To show us in this mountain, while the winds 1065. Blow moist and keen, fhattering the graceful locks Of these fair spreading trees; which bids us seek Some better shroud, fome better warmth to cherish Our limbs benumm'd, ere this diurnal star
Leave cold the night, how we his gather'd beams Reflected, may with matter fere foment,
Or by collifion of two bodies grind
Nutrimenta dedit, rapuitque in fo
mite flammam. Hume.
I find the word fere used likewife by
So finks the day ftar in the ocean Spenfer in his Shepherd's Calendar,
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