Chapter 24 twenty three

She ended heer, or vehement despair Broke off the rest; so much of Death her thoughts Had entertained, as did her Cheeks with pale. But Adam with such counsel nothing swayed, [ 1010 ] To better hopes his more attentive minde Laboring had raided, and thus to Eve replied. 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 thought, refutes That excellence thought in thee, and implies, Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret For loss of life and pleasure overloving.

Or if thou covet death, as extreme end [ 1020 ] Of miserie, so thinking to evade The penalty pronounct, doubt not but God Hath wiselier armd his vengeful ire then so To be forestalled; 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 ]