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

990

995

ΙΟΟΙ

power,

1005

She

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

better

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

To argue

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

1020

Το

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

1030

1035

1040

That cuts us off from hope, and favors only
Rancor and pride, impatience and despite,
Reluctance against God and his juft yoke

1045

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

1056

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

1071

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,

bed:

Ecl. II.