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Leaves of thofe Trees they gather'd, which were very broad, and with what Skill they had few'd them together, to gird their Waifts. Vain Covering, if defign'd to hide their Guilt, and the Shame that they dreaded! O how unlike to their firft naked Glory! Juft fo COLUMBUS (f) found the AMERICANS, (g) only girt round with Feathers; who else were naked and wild among the Trees, on Islands, or by the Sea Shore. ADAM and EVE having made thefe Aprons, and as they thought in Part cover'd their Shame, were nevertheless not at Reft or Eafe in their Minds

(f) Columbus; Gr. Lat. i. e. A Dove. Chriftopher Columbus or Colon, born in Cugureo, but others fay at Neray, near Genoa in Italy. He from his own Knowledge in Geography, and from the Information of an old Sailor Alphonfus Santrius, (whom he faved in a Shipwreck) difcovered America, under the Name and Aid of Ferdinand King of Spain, A. D. 1492. But it was firft difcovered about 300 Years before, A. D. 1170, by Madoc a valiant Prince andSon of Owen Guinneth King of Wales; as is related by Lynwric Ap Grano, Galyn Orven, Peter Martyr, Humphry Lloyd, David Powell, Sir John Price, Richard Hackluyt, Sir Thomas Herbert, &c. which was farther confirmed by the Reverend Mr. Morgan Jones, Chaplain of South Carolina, who lived four Months with the Doeg Indians, and converfed with them in the Old British Language. Laftly, that Prince Madoc was buried in Mexico, appears by the Epitaph. on his Monument lately found See the Gloucester Jourzal and Daily Poft, &c. March

there.

6, 1740. After all the Service done to Spain, Columbus was buried at Sevil, with Contempt.

(g) Americans; the People of America; fo called from Americus Vespucci or Vefpufius, a Florentine, who difcovered this New Worla, A. D. 1597. and five Years after Columbus. America is furrounded with the Ocean on all Sides, and is not contiguous to Afia; as the Ruffians have lately discovered. It is as large as the three known Quarters of the World; for Mexico (or North America) is reckoned by fome to be about 23000 Miles, and Peru (or South America) 17000 Miles in Compass: That is, if all the Land upon Gulphs, Promontories and Inlands were duly measured. It contains from N. to S. about 8220 Miles, and from E. to W. 6540 M. Plato, Ariftotle, Diodorus Siculus, and other Antients gave fome dark Hints of America; and other Authors affirm that the old Carthaginians traded to it. But how could that be done without the Ufe of the Compafs and other Helps of Navigation, not known to the Antients?

Minds, but they fat them down to weep. Not only Tears fell from their Eyes, but high Storms began to rife within, high Paffions, Anger, Hate, Miftrust, Sufpicion, and Difcord, which forely fhook the inward State of their Minds, that once were quite calm and full of Peace, now reftlefs and turbulent; for the Understanding rul'd no longer, nor did the Will take it any longer for a Guide, but was in Subjection now to fenfual Appetite, who ufurping, claim'd a fuperior Sway over fovereign Reafon. ADAM, from a Breaft thus diftemper'd, eftrang'd in Look, and in a different Stile, again renew'd his Speech to EVE:

I WISH thou hadst hearken'd to what I faid, and staid with me as I befought thee, when that strange Defire of wandering this unhappy Morning, I know not whence, poffefs'd thee! we had then remain'd happy ftill; not as we are now, difpoil'd of all our Good, fham'd, naked, and miferable. ------ Henceforth, let none feek needlefs Causes to prove the Faith they owe; but conclude, when they earnestly seek fuch Proof, that then they begin to fail in their Duty. To whom EvE, foon mov'd with ADAM's laying the Blame upon her, thus anfwer'd:

ADAM, what very fevere Words have pafs'd thy Lips? Wilt thou impute that to my Default, or Will of wandering, (as thou calleft it) which, who knows, might have happen'd as ill if thou hadst been by, or perhaps have happen'd to thee, hadft thou been there, or had the Attempt been made here? Thou thyfelf could'ft not have difcern'd any Fraud in the Serpent, fpeaking as he fpoke; there was no Ground of Enmity known between us, why fhould he mean me any Ill, or do me any Harm? What, was I never then to have parted from thy Side? As well I might hive grown there ftill one of thy Ribs, and lifelefs! Being as I am, and thou the Head, why didft not thou abfolutely command me not to go, efpecially going into fuch Danger as thou faid'ft? But thou wert too

eafy

eafy then, and didft not much oppose me; nay, thou didft permit me to go, approve of my going, and difmifs'd me fairly: Hadit thou been firm and fix'd (as thou ought'ft to have been) in with-holding me, then had not I tranfgrefs'd, nor thou with me.

To whom then ADAM (the first Time of his being angry) reply'd: Is this thy Love, and this the Recompence of mine to thee, which I prov'd unchangeable, ungrateful EVE! when thou wert loft, not I, who might have liv'd and enjoy'd immortal Happiness; yet willingly rather chofe DEATH with thee: And am I now upbraided, as the Cause of thy Tranfgreffion? ----- I was not, it feems, fevere enough in my Restraint! ---- What could I do more? I warn'd thee, I counsel'd and admonish'd thee; told thee before-hand of the Danger, and the lurking Enemy that lay in wait: What I had done beyond this had been Force, and Force can have no Effect upon Free-will. But then Confidence bore thee on; thou thought'st thyself very secure, either to meet no Danger at all, or elfe to find Matter of Glory in the Tryal: And perhaps I was alfo in an Error, in admiring too much what feem'd in thee to be fo very perfect, that I thought nothing evil durft make an Attempt upon thee; but I rue that Error now, which is become my Crime, and thou become my Accufer too!------ Thus fhall it happen to MAN, who putting too much Confidence in the Worth of WOMAN, lets her Will rule: She won't bear to be reftrain'd, and yet if she is left to herself, and any Evil enfue from thence, fhe'll first accufe his weak Indulgence of her. Thus they spent the Hours in mutual Accufation of each other; but neither of them would condemn themselves, and there appear'd no End to their vain and fruitlefs Contention.

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The End of the NINTH BOOK.

THE

TENTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

M

The ARGUMENT.

AN's Tranfgreffion known, the guardian Angels for fake Paradife, and returning up to Heaven are approv'd of, GOD declar'd that the Entrance of Satan could not be by them prevented. He fends his Son to judge the Tranfgreffors; who defcends, and gives Sentence accordingly; in Pity cloaths them both, and re-afcends. Sin and Death fitting till then at the Gates of Hell, by wondrous Sympathy, feeling the Success of Satan in this new World, and the Sin by Man there committed, refolv'd to fit no longer in Hell, but to follow Satan their Father up to the Place of Man: To make the Way eafy from Hell to this World to and fro, they

pave a broad Highway or Bridge over Chaos, according to the Track that Satan first made; then preparing for Earth, they meet him, proud of Succefs returning to Hell: Their mutual Gratulation: Satan arrives at Pandemonium in full Affembly relates with boafting his Succefs against Man; instead of Applaufe is entertain'd with a general Hifs by all his Audience, transform'd, with him alfo, fuddenly into Serpents, according to his Doom given in Paradife: Then deluded with a Show of the Forbidden Tree fpringing up before them, they greedily reaching to taste of the Fruit, chew Duft and bitter Afbes. The Proceedings of Sin and Death; GOD foretells the final Victory of his Son over them, and the renewing of all things; but, for the prefent commands his Angels to make feveral Alterations in the Heavens and Elements. Adam more and more perceiving his fallen Condition heavily bewails; rejects the Condolement of Eve; fhe perfifts, and at length appeases him; then to evade the Curfe likely to fall on their Offpring propofes to Adam violent Ways, which he approves not; but, conceiving better Hope, puts her in Mind of the late Promife, that her Seed fhould be reveng'd on the Serpent; and exhorts her with him to feek Peace of the offended Deity, by Repentance and Supplication.

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