John Milton

If weakness may excuse,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it?
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If weakness may excuse,
What murderer, what traitor, parricide,
Incestuous, sacrilegious, but may plead it?
All wickedness is weakness; that plea, therefore,
With God or man will gain thee no remission.

No mighty trance, or breathed spell
Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

No mighty trance, or breathed spell
Inspires the pale-eyed priest from the prophetic cell.

But all was false and hollow; though his tongue
Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear
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But all was false and hollow; though his tongue
Dropt manna, and could make the worse appear
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest counsels.

And now the herald lark
Left his ground-nest, high tow'ring to descry
The morn's approach, and greet read more

And now the herald lark
Left his ground-nest, high tow'ring to descry
The morn's approach, and greet her with his song.

O dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,
Irrecoverably dark! total eclipse,
Without all hope of day.

O dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon,
Irrecoverably dark! total eclipse,
Without all hope of day.