BOOK IV

THE ARGUMENT

Satan, novr in prospect ofEdcn, and nigh the place uiicrt h« most now attempt the bold eoterprise virhksh he uodertook alonc against God and man, falU into many dooWs wlth hlmseU» and many passions , fear, ewry, and deipttf; but at Icngth confirma himaelf in cvll ; jouraeys on toljradlse, whose oulward prospect aod situatioa Is dMcribed ; overleaps thebounds: sils in the shape of a oormoraot oo the treeof Ufe, aslhe highest In the gardeo , to look ibort him. The garden described ; Satan's flrst sight of Adam aod Eve : his wondcr at thdr excellent form and hap^r atate. but wlth resoluUon to work thelr fall ; overhears tteir di» course, thencc gathers that the Iree of Knowledge ^ forbidden them lo eal of , under penalty of death; aod thereon inlenda lo found his temptatioo, by sedoclng «jw to transgress : then Icaves Ibem awhlle to ^''»^^^ of thcir State by aome other meaos. Meanwhile , Urid , «■ sccnding on a sunbeam , wams Gabriel, who had lo diargp the gâte of Paradtee, thaï some evil spiril had cacapcd Uk deep, and pasaed at noon by hb sphère in the sbape of a sood angel down lo Paradise, discovfrfd afler by h» furious gesturca in Ihe raounl. Gabriel promises to flnd hio ère moming. Night ooming on , Adam and Eve dlaeoof» of golng to the irrest : their bower described ; ihdr e% «ing worship. Gabriel, drawing forlb hb banda of nigbtwalch to walk the ruunds of Paradbe, appoints Iwo atroo? angeb to Adam's bower, lest the evil spirit sbouk! be there doing some harm to Adam or Eve aleeplog; tlicre they find hlm at the ear of Eve, temp Uog ber in a dreaja,