22

But rise, let us no more contend, nor blame

Each other, blamd enough elsewhere, but strive

In offices of Love, how we may lightn [ 960 ]

Each others burden in our share of woe;

Since this days Death denounct, if ought I see,

Will prove no sudden, but a slow-pact evill,

A long days dying to augment our paine,

And to our Seed (O hapless Seed!) derivd. [ 965 ]

To whom thus Eve, recovering heart, replid.

Adam, by sad experiment I know

How little weight my words with thee can finde,

Found so erroneous, thence by just event

Found so unfortunate; nevertheless, [ 970 ]

Restord by thee, vile as I am, to place

Of new acceptance, hopeful to regaine

Thy Love, the sole contentment of my heart

Living or dying, from thee I will not hide

What thoughts in my unquiet brest are risn, [ 975 ]

Tending to some relief of our extremes,

Or end, though sharp and sad, yet tolerable,

As in our evils, and of easier choice.

If care of our descent perplex us most,

Which must be born to certain woe, devourd [ 980 ]

By Death at last, and miserable it is

To be to others cause of misery,

Our own begotten, and of our Loines to bring

Into this cursed World a woful Race,

That after wretched Life must be at last [ 985 ]

Food for so foule a Monster, in thy power

It lies, yet ere Conception to prevent

The Race unblest, to being yet unbegot.

Childless thou art, Childless remaine:

So Death shall be deceavd his glut, and with us two [ 990 ]

Be forcd to satisfie his Ravnous Maw.

But if thou judge it hard and difficult,

Conversing, looking, loving, to abstain

From Loves due Rites, Nuptial imbraces sweet,

And with desire to languish without hope, [ 995 ]

Before the present object languishing

With like desire, which would be miserie

And torment less then none of what we dread,

Then both our selves and Seed at once to free

From what we fear for both, let us make short, [ 1000 ]

Let us seek Death, or he not found, supply

With our own hands his Office on our selves;

Why stand we longer shivering under feares,

That shew no end but Death, and have the power,

Of many ways to die the shortest choosing, [ 1005 ]

Destruction with destruction to destroy.