Chapter 7 6

Because thou hast heard to the voice of thy Wife, And eaten of the Tree concerning which I chargd thee, saying: Thou shalt not eat therefore, [ 200 ] Cursed is the ground for thy sake, thou in sorrow Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy Life; Thorns also and Thistles it shall bring thee forth Unbid, and thou shalt eat th Herb of th Field, In the sweat of thy Face shalt thou eat Bread, [ 205 ] Till thou return unto the ground, for thou Out of the ground wast taken, know thy Birth, For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return. So judged he Man, both Judge and Savior sent,

And th instant stroke of Death denounct that day [ 210 ] Removd farr off; then pittying how they stood Before him naked to the aire, that now Must suffer change, disdained not to begin Thenceforth the form of servant to assume, As when he washed his servants feet so now [ 215 ] As Father of his Familie he clad Thir nakedness with Skins of Beasts, or slain, Or as the Snake with youthful Coate repaid; And thought not much to cloath his Enemies: Nor hee thir outward only with the Skins [ 220 ] Of Beasts, but inward nakedness, much more Opprobious, with his Robe of righteousness,

Araying covered from his Fathers sight. To him with swift ascent he up return, Into his blissful bosom reassumed [ 225 ] In glory as of old, to him appeal All, though all-knowing, what had past with Man Recounted, mixing interference sweet. Meanwhile ere thus was sind and judged on Earth, Within the Gates of Hell sate Sin and Death, [ 230 ] In counterview within the Gates, that now Stood open wide, belching outrageous flame Farr into Chaos, since the Fiend passed through, Sin opening, who thus now to Death began.