Season 4 Podcast 26 Milton’s Paradise Lost Bk X, Pt XXXIV, “The Fall Pt VI”

Season 4 Podcast 26 Milton’s Paradise Lost Bk X, Pt XXXIV, “The Fall Pt VI”  In the prologue to Book X, Milton writes.[Eve] persists, and at length appeases him; then, to evade the curse likely to fall on their offspring, proposes to Adam violent ways, which he approves not; but, conceiving better hope, puts her in mind of the late promise made them, that her seed should be revenged on the Serpent; and exhorts her with him to seek peace of the offended Deity, by repentance and supplication.Adam ended his lamentation; however, he is still in despair. He is burdened by a newly awakened conscience. Conscience is the first price that Adam must pay for the fall. Conscience brought guilt, sorrow, and despair. He lies prostrate on the ground.Thus Adam to himself lamented loudThrough the still Night, now, as ere man fell,Wholesome and cool, and mild, but with black AirAccompanied, with damps and dreadful gloom,Which to his evil Conscience representedAll things with double terror: On the groundOutstretcht he lay, on the cold ground, and oftCurs’d his Creation, Death as oft accus’dOf tardy execution, since denounc’tThe day of his offence. In his despair, Adam wishes for death. He questions why divine justice doesn’t immediately carry out its office and end his misery. Before the fall Adam gave no thought to justice. It is only because of his awakened conscience does he consider justice now. Adam did not comprehend what it meant to have a knowledge of both good and evil.Why comes not Death,Said he, with one thrice acceptable strokeTo end me? Shall Truth fail to keep her word,Justice Divine not hast’n to be just?But Death comes not at call, Justice DivineMends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries.O Woods, O Fountains, Hillocks, Dales and Bowrs,With other echo far I taught your ShadesTo answer, and resound far other Song.In his despair Adam sees Eve approaching. His anger turns on her.Whom thus afflicted when sad Eve beheld,Desolate where she sat, approaching nigh,Soft words to his fierce passion she assayed:But her with stern regard he thus repelled.Adam orders Eve to leave his presence. He detests Eve.Out of my sight, thou Serpent, that name bestBefits thee with him leagued, thy self as falseAnd hateful; nothing wants, but that thy shape,Like his, and color Serpentine may shewThy inward fraud, to warn all Creatures from theeHenceforth; least that too heav’nly form, pretendedTo hellish falshood, snare them. Adam blames Eve for everything. It is all her fault. Satan beguiled Eve, but Eve beguiled Adam. Adam sees no difference between the two. Adam chides himself for thinking Eve was wise. Now he calls her a crooked rib.But for theeI had persisted happy, had not thy prideAnd wandering vanity, when lest was safe,Rejected my forewarning, and disdainedNot to be trusted, longing to be seenThough by the Devil himself, him overweeningTo over-reach, but with the Serpent meetingFooled and beguiled, by him thou, I by thee,To trust thee from my side, imagined wise,Constant, mature, proof against all assaults,And understood not all was but a showRather than solid virtue, all but a RibCrooked by nature, bent, as now appears,More to the part sinister from me drawn,Well if thrown out, as supernumeraryTo my just number found.