23

She ended heer, or vehement despaire

Broke off the rest; so much of Death her thoughts

Had entertaind, as did her Cheeks with pale.

But Adam with such counsel nothing swayd, [ 1010 ]

To better hopes his more attentive minde

Labouring had raisd, and thus to Eve replid.

Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems

To argue in thee somthing more sublime

And excellent then what thy minde contemnes; [ 1015 ]

But self-destruction therefore saught, refutes

That excellence thought in thee, and implies,

Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret

For loss of life and pleasure overlovd.

Or if thou covet death, as utmost end [ 1020 ]

Of miserie, so thinking to evade

The penaltie pronounct, doubt not but God

Hath wiselier armd his vengeful ire then so

To be forestalld; much more I fear least Death

So snatcht will not exempt us from the paine [ 1025 ]

We are by doom to pay; rather such acts

Of contumacie will provoke the highest

To make death in us live: Then let us seek

Some safer resolution, which methinks

I have in view, calling to minde with heed [ 1030 ]

Part of our Sentence, that thy Seed shall bruise

The Serpents head; piteous amends, unless

Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand Foe

Satan, who in the Serpent hath contrivd

Against us this deceit: to crush his head [ 1035 ]

Would be revenge indeed; which will be lost

By death brought on our selves, or childless days

Resolvd, as thou proposest; so our Foe

Shall scape his punishment ordaind, and wee

Instead shall double ours upon our heads. [ 1040 ]