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Show That Beauty yet in vain he Ihould decree, TTniXc he made another Heart for me. U fi* W * how much Eafe I, whom I love, believe! Here, my inviolable Faith I plight . £ & /ftK/,-, her. So, Thou be my Defence, I thy Delight. L J ACT. III. SCENE. I. Paratfife. Lucif-r TP AIR Place! Yet what is this to Heav'n, where I Lucif,. |__. A IK ^ fo ^ ^ ^ . ^ tfie mQft High? I doubted, meafuring both, who was more ftrong: Then, willing to forget time fince fo long, Scarce thought I was created 3 vain Defire Or" Empire, in m y Thoughts, ftill (hot me higher, To move above his facred Head 3 ah why, W h e n he fo kind, was fo ungrateful 1 ? He bounteoufly beftow'd unenvy d Good On me 3 in arbitrary Grace I ftood : T'acknowledge this, was all he did cxa&3 Small Tribute, where the Will to pay was Ad. I mourn it now, unable to repent, As he, who knows m y Hatred to relent, Jealous of Pow'r once queftion'd: Hope, farewel 3 And with Hope, Fear 3 no Depth below m y Hell Can be prepar'd : Then, 111, be thou m y Good 3 And vaft Deftru&ion, be m y Envy's Food. Thus 1, with Heav'n, divided Empire gain 3 Sedi c'ng Man, I make his Project vain, And in one Hour, deftroy his Six Days Pain. They come again 3 I muft retire. F.nter Adam and Eve. Adam. Thus fhall we live in perfect Blifs, and fee, Deathlefb our felves, our num'rous Progeny. Thou young and beauteous, m y Defires to blefs3 I, ftill defiring, what 1 ftill poflefs. Eve. Heav'n, from whence Love (our greateft Bleffing) came Can give no more, but ftill to be the fame. Thou more of Pleafure mayft with me partake 3 I, mere of Pride, becaufe thy Blifs I make. Adam. W h e n to m y Arms thou brought'ft thy Virgin-Love, Fair Angels fung our Bridal H y m n above: Th'Eternal nodding fhook the Firmament, And confcious Nature gave her glad Confent. Rofes unbud, and evYy fragrant Flower, Flew from their Stalks, to ftrow thy Nuptial Bower: The furr'd and feather'd Kind, the Triumph did purfue, And Fifhes leapt above the Streams, the paffingPomp to view. Eve. W h e n your kind Eyes look'd languifhing on mine, And wreathing Arms did foft Embraces join, A doubtful Trembling feiz'd me firft all o'er 3 Then, Wi(hes5 and a Warmth, unknown before: What follow'd, was all Ecftafie and Trance3 Immortal Pleafures round m y fwimming Eyes did dance And fpeechlefs Joys, in whofe fweet Tumult toft I thought m y Breath, and m y new Being loft. L»cif. O Death to hear! And a worfe'Hell on Earth • f ACtde What mad Profufion on this Clod^born Birth I ' L f v W °f J°ys' as if Heav'n meant to ftew What, in bafe Matters, fuch a Hand could do- Or was his Virtue fpent, and Ire no more With Angels could fuppiy th/cxhanfted Store; Of which I fwept the Skv? , FALL of MAN. ^ And wanting Subjects to his haughty Will O n this mean W o r k employ'd his trifling Skill. Eve. Bleft m our felves, all Pleafures elfe abound, VVithout our care, behold th'unlabour'd Ground ' Bounteous of Fruit, above our fhady B o w e l T ' The creeping Jeffmin thrufts her fragrant Flowers, ?te Myrtle Orange, and the blumingtfi ' With bending HeaPs ft3nigh their Bloom's difclofe Each feems to fmell the Flavour which the other blows By thefe the Peach, the Guava, and the Pine ierDi0WS* And, creeping 'twixt 'em all, the mant'ling Vine Does round their Trunks her purple Clufters twine. wi cmi £ H thefe a r e o u r s> a" Nature's Excellence Whofe Tafte and Smell can blefs the feafted Senfe- One only Fruit, in the mid-Garden plac'd (The Tree of Knowledge) is deny'd our Tafte; ( Our Proof of Duty to our Maker's Will • ) Of Difobedience, Death's the threatned 111 Eve.Death is fome Harm, which tho' we know not y « Since threatned, we muft needs imagine great • } And fure he merits it, w h o difobeys That one Command, and one of fo much Eafe • Lucif. Muft they then die, if they attempt to know > He tees they would rebel, and keeps them low On this Foundation I their Ruine lay 3 Hope, to know more, fhall tempt to. difobey. • I k ] 1 b Y th'*s, and fince their Strength is lefs W h y fhould not equal Means give like Succefs> Adam. Come, m y fair Love, our Morning Task w e lofe- Some Labour, e'en the eafieft Life would chufe- Ours is not great, the dangling Boughs to crop ' Whofe too luxuriant Growth our Alleys ftop ' And choke the Paths: This our Delight requires • And Heav'n no more of daily W;ork defires. Eve. With thee to live is Paradife alone 5' Without the Pleafure of thy Sight is none'. I fear fmall Progrefs will be made this day, So much our KiiTes will our Task delay. ' f v Lucif. W h y have not I, like thefe, a Body too, i^eunt. Form'd for the fame Delights which they purfue? I eould (fo varioufly m y Paffions move) Enjoy, and blaft her in the Act of Love. Unwillingly I hate fuch Excellence 3 She wrong d m e not 3 but I revenge th'Offence, Through her, on Heav'n, whofe Thunder took away ? M y Birthright Skies! Live happy whilft you may, C Bleft Pair, y'arenot allow'd another day! $ f Ext [Gabriel and Ithuriel defeend, carried on bright Clouds ; and flyino crofs noh . other, then light on the Ground. Gabriel. Ithuriel, fince we two commiflion'd are From Heav'n the Guardians of the new-made Pair ' Eeach Mind his Charge 3 for, fee, the Night draws on, And rifing Miffs purfue the fetting Sun. Ithuriel. Bleft is our Lot to ferve 3 our Task w e know: To watch, left any from th' Abyfs below Broke loofe, difturb their Sleep with Dreams 3 or worfe Aflault their Being^ with fuperibr Force. [Uriel flies dewnfrom the Sm. Uriel. Kjabnel, if now the V\ atch be fet, prepare, W7ith ftricleft Guard, to fhow thy utmoft Care. This Morning came a Spirit, fair he feem'd, W h o m , by his Face, I fome young Cherub deem'd 3 Of Man he much enquir'd, and where his Place, With fhews of Zeal to praife his Maker's Grace 5 H h h h 2 But |