16

Some say he bid his Angels turne ascanse

The Poles of Earth twice ten degrees and more

From the Suns Axle; they with labour pushd [ 670 ]

Oblique the Centric Globe: Som say the Sun

Was bid turn Reines from th Equinoctial Rode

Like distant breadth to Taurus with the Seavn

Atlantick Sisters, and the Spartan Twins

Up to the Tropic Crab; thence down amaine [ 675 ]

By Leo and the Virgin and the Scales,

As deep as Capricorne, to bring in change

Of Seasons to each Clime; else had the Spring

Perpetual smild on Earth with vernant Flours,

Equal in Days and Nights, except to those [ 680 ]

Beyond the Polar Circles; to them Day

Had unbenighted shon, while the low Sun

To recompence his distance, in thir sight

Had rounded still th Horizon, and not known

Or East or West, which had forbid the Snow [ 685 ]

From cold Estotiland, and South as farr

Beneath Magellan. At that tasted Fruit

The Sun, as from Thyestean Banquet, turnd

His course intended; else how had the World

Inhabited, though sinless, more then now, [ 690 ]

Avoided pinching cold and scorching heate?

These changes in the Heavns, though slow, producd

Like change on Sea and Land, sideral blast,

Vapour, and Mist, and Exhalation hot,

Corrupt and Pestilent: Now from the North [ 695 ]

Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shoar

Bursting thir brazen Dungeon, armd with ice

And snow and haile and stormie gust and flaw,

Boreas and Cæcias and Argestes loud

And Thrascias rend the Woods and Seas upturn; [ 700 ]

With adverse blast up-turns them from the South

Notus and Afer black with thundrous Clouds

From Serraliona; thwart of these as fierce

Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent Windes

Eurus and Zephir with thir lateral noise, [ 705 ]

Sirocco, and Libecchio. Thus began

Outrage from liveless things; but Discord first

Daughter of Sin, among th irrational,

Death introducd through fierce antipathie:

Beast now with Beast gan war, and Fowle with Fowle, [ 710 ]

And Fish with Fish; to graze the Herb all leaving,

Devourd each other; nor stood much in awe

Of Man, but fled him, or with countnance grim

Glard on him passing: these were from without

The growing miseries, which Adam saw [ 715 ]

Alreadie in part, though hid in gloomiest shade,

To sorrow abandond, but worse felt within,

And in a troubld Sea of passion tost,

Thus to disburdn sought with sad complaint.