Gabriel and his troops prepare for battle, but God cuts the conflict short by holding up a pair of golden scales in the sky. In anger, Satan rises to his full height, still magnificent even though diminished. After further discussion, Gabriel accuses Satan of shifting arguments and threatens to drag the demon back to Hell in chains if he does not immediately return on his own. He had come to scout out Earth but not to do evil. Satan craftily replies that those in Hell seek a better place. The two angels bring him out to face Gabriel, who questions Satan about his motives for entering Eden. The devil, "squat like a toad," is beside Eve, whispering in her ear, trying to produce nightmares. Zephron and Ithuriel find Satan in the bower of Adam and Eve. Outside Gabriel assembles his troops and sends them to search Eden for the interloper. Then, hand in hand, they enter their bower for bed, where they enjoy the sexual love of husband and wife and fall asleep. He also reminds her of their one proscription from God - not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Adam reminds Eve that they must work tending the Garden, keeping nature within bounds. He adds that if someone has managed to come into the Garden by crossing the wall, he and his assistants will find them by morning. Gabriel responds that no one unauthorized has come to the gate. Uriel arrives at the gate of Eden to inform Gabriel about the interloper in the form of a cherub. While Satan admires the pair and admits that he could love them, he adds that he, nonetheless, means to destroy them and their peaceful life in Paradise. Satan sees Man for the first time as Adam and Eve walk through the Garden. Even so, he begins to plot the destruction of God's new creation. From this vantage, Satan is impressed with the beauty of Eden and the pure air he breathes. Once there, he sits in the Tree of Life in the form of a cormorant, a bird of prey. Satan gains access to the Garden by leaping the wall like an animal or thief.
The Garden is on top of a mountain offering only limited and difficult access.
Satan meanwhile moves toward Earth and Paradise - the Garden of Eden. Uriel sets off to find Gabriel to inform him of the being in the guise of a cherub. On the sun, Uriel notices these emotions and realizes that the cherub cannot be an angel because the minds of angels are always at peace. As Satan considers these ideas, his face changes, revealing his conflicting emotions. He will carve out a place where he can reign.
He concludes that his only recourse is evil, and from now on, all his efforts will be to, if not destroy, at least divide God's kingdom. Niphrates toward Earth, he thinks on all that he has done and the options open to him.
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