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THE ARGUMENT.

Satan having compafs'd the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mift by night into Paradife, enters into the Serpent fleeping. Adam and Eve in the morning go forth to their labors, which Eve propofes to divide in feveral places, each laboring apart: Adam confents not, alledging the danger, left that enemy, of whom they were forewarn'd, fhould attempt her found alone: Eve, loath to be thought not circumfpect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather defirous to make trial of her ftrength; Adam at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his fubtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling Eve above all other creatures. Eve, wondering to hear the Serpent speak, asks how he attain'd to human fpeech and fuch understanding not till now; the Serpent answers, that by tafting of a certain tree in the garden he attain'd both to speech and reason, till then void of both: Eve requires him to bring her to that tree, and finds it to be the tree of knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; fhe pleas'd with the taste deliberates a while whether to impart thereof to Adam or not, at last brings him of the fruit, relates what perfuaded her to eat thereof: Adam at first amaz'd, but perceiving her loft, refolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass eats alfo of the fruit: The effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover their nakedness; then fall to variance and accufation of one another.

Sift

Albert Breene [ 3 ] 1-18-1935

PARADISE LOST.

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IX.

O more of talk where God or Angel guest
With Man, as with his friend, familiar us'd

To fit indulgent, and with him partake

Rural repaft, permitting him the while

Venial difcourfe unblam'd: I now muft change
Thofe notes to tragic; foul diftruft, and breach
Difloyal on the part of Man, revolt,

And difobedience: on the part of Heaven
Now alienated, diftance and diftafte,
Anger and just rebuke, and judgment given,
That brought into this world a world of woe,
Sin and her fhadow Death, and Mifery
Death's harbinger: Sad tafk, yet argument
Not lefs but more heroic than the wrath
Of ftern Achilles on his foe purfu'd
Thrice, fugitive about Troy wall; or rage
Of Turnus for Lavinia difefpous'd,
Or Neptune's ire or Juno's, that so long
Perplex'd the Greek and Cytherea's son;
If anfwerable ftile I can obtain
Of my celestial patronefs, who deigns
Her nightly visitation unimplor'd

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