X.—Sin and Death Triumph
The Angels left on guard now slowly return from Paradise to Heaven to report their failure, but are reminded by God that it was ordained; and the Son is sent down to judge the guilty pair, after hearing their excuses, and to punish them with the curses of toil and death. Meantime Sin and Death "snuff the smell of mortal change" on Earth, and leaving Hell-gate "belching outrageous flame," erect a broad road from Hell to Earth through Chaos, and as they come in sight of the World meet Satan steering his way back as an angel, "between the Centaur and the Scorpion." He makes Sin and Death his plenipotentiaries on Earth, adjuring them first to make man their thrall, and lastly kill; and as they pass to the evil work "the blasted stars look wan." The return to Hell is received with loud acclaim, which comes in the form of a hiss, and Satan and all his hosts are turned into grovelling snakes. Adam, now in his repentance, is sternly resentful against Eve, who becomes submissive, and both pass from remorse to "sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek.'
XI.—Repentance and the Doom
The repentance of the pair is accepted by God, who sends down the Archangel Michael, with a cohort of cherubim, to announce that death will not come until time has been given for repentance, but Paradise can no longer be their home. Whereupon Eve laments.
"O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? Thus leave Thee, native soil? These happy walks and shades, Fit haunt of gods, where I had hoped to spend Quiet, though sad, the respite of that day That must be mortal to us both? O flowers, That never will in any other climate grow, My early visitation and my last At even, which I tied up with tender hand From the first opening bud and gave ye names, Who now shall rear ye to the Sun, or rank Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial fount? ... How shall we breathe in other air Less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits?"
The Angel reminds her:
"Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes Thy husband; him to follow thou art bound. Where he abides think there thy native soil."
Michael then ascending a hill with Adam shows him a vision of the world's history, while Eve sleeps.