The Adamus exul of Grotius; or The Prototype of Paradise Lost — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A TRAGEDY.-—aACT I. 13 And carking cares assault him. Let no art Of malice be forgot. In Eden’s bound Hath God two trees, of Life and Knowledge, placed. The first, of faith symbolic, he permits Adam to eat; the other he denies, Lest eating, he grow wise in that sad lore, Knowledge of good and ill, and good by ill, Which we have proved full bitter, for with this Is death inseparably linked. E’en here The broad Euphrates flows, and on his banks This fair and notable tree, with leafy hair Splintering the purple day-beam. On each branch The odorous and spirit-tempting fruit Hangs lusciously : the colour, burnished gold, Raptures the eye, and wakes refined desire To taste the inviting store voluptuously. But God forbids to touch, much more to pluck, The delicate banquet; and his fixed command Hath ratified by penalties of death. As yet this man is innocent, unshamed By aught of vice; he walks the middle track Of virtue: yet in vain self-confidence, Whene’er he lists, may turn to each extreme. When Satan blows the wind, shall it not bend This strained freewill, so boasted, yet so frail ? On this I build my hope ; for on this warped, This weak, this blind, this hoodwinked side of man, Will I begin the assault. Here I obtest Thee, my presiding genius. All thy powers Of infinite invention, and each art, Graceful to cheat, and flattering to destroy ;— If man’s temptation-proof, not so his spouse. Him I'll befool by her; for lighter far Her soul, and more fantastic, sound command Prone to forget, and mischief apt to learn, And variable as fancy. Much she longs Herself to indulge, and in o’erweening hope, Preoccupies high things ; and most she loves All gifts denied her: all habitual goods With her grow stale, and pall upon her sense ; While with preposterous curiosity She probes the unknown, and doats upon the strange. Already sick of permanent bliss, and tired Of blest repose, her rash inconstancy, Her hot antbition, and the unmatchable hue Of these mysterious and most magical fruits— All, all are in my favour: and without These friendly adjuncts, could I else but win The Devil 'gainst the Woman, shrewd enough Without my aid to cull the flowers of sin. But will she hear me, one whom she esteems COL (>) DOO <S (c@