This other ferv'd but to eternize woe;
Till I provided Death; fo Death becomes
His final remedy, and after Life
Try'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd
By Faith and faithful works, to fecond Life,
Wak'd in the renovation of the juft,
Refigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.
But let us call to Synod all the Bleft
Thro' Heav'ns wide bounds; from them I will not hide
My judgements, how with Mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant Angels late they faw;
And in their state, tho' firm, ftood more confirm'd.
He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright Minister that watch'd, he blew
His Trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more 75
To found at general Doom. Th' Angelic blast
Fill'd all the Regions: from their blissful Bow'rs
Of Amarantin Shade, Fountain or Spring,
By the waters of Life, where-e'er they fate
In fellowships of joy: the Sons of Light
Hafted, reforting to the Summons high,
And took their Seats; till from his Throne fupream
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his fov'reign Will.
O Sons, like one of us Man is become
To know both Good and Evil, fince his tafte
Of that defended Fruit; but let him boaft
His knowledge of Good loft, and Evil got,
Happier, had it fuffic'd him to have known
Good by it felf, and Evil not at all,
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite, 90
My motions in him, longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain
Self-left. Left therefore his now bolder hand
Reach alfo of the Tree of Life, and eat,
And live for ever, dream at least to live
For ever, to remove him I decree,
And send him from the Garden forth to Till
The Ground whence he was taken, fitter foil.
Michael, this my beheft have thou in charge,
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming Warriors, left the Fiend
Or in behalf of Man, or to invade
Vacant poffeffion fome new trouble raise :
Hafte thee, and from the Paradife of God
Without remorfe drive out the finful Pair,
From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce
To them and to their Progeny from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet left they faint
At the fad Sentence rigorously urg'd,
For I behold them foften'd and with tears
Bewailing their excefs, all terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Difmifs them not difconfolate; reveal
To Adam what fhall come in future days,
As I fhall thee enlighten, intermix
My Cov'nant in the woman's feed renew'd;
So fend them forth, tho' forrowing, yet in peace
And on the Eaft fide of the Garden place,
Where entrance up from Eden cafieft climbs,
Cherubic watch, and of a Sword the flame
Wide waving, all approach far off to fright,
And guard all paffage to the Tree of Life:
Left Paradife a receptacle prove
To Spirits foul, and all my Trees their prey,
With whofe ftol'n Fruit Man once more to delude.
He ceas'd; and th’Archangelic Pow'r prepar'd 126
For fwift defcent, with him the Cohort bright
Of watchful Cherubim; four faces each
Had, like a double Janus, all their shape
Spangl'd with eyes more numerous than thofe 130
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drouze,
Charm'd with Arcadian Prpe, the Paft'ral Reed
Of Hermes, or his opiate Rod. Mean while
To refalute the World with facred Light
Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm'd 135
The Earth, when Adam and firft Matron Eve
Had ended now their Orifons, and found
Strength added from above, new hope to spring
Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linkt;
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. 140
Eve, easily may Faith admit, that all
The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n defcends;
But that from us ought should ascend to Heav'n
So prevalent as to concern the mind
Of God high-bleft, or to incline his will,
Hard to belief may feem; yet this will Prayer,
Or one fhort figh of human breath, up-born
Ev'n to the feat of God. For fince I faught
By Prayer th'offended Deity to appease,
Kneel'd and before him humbl'd all my heart, 150
Methought I saw him placable and mild,
Bending his eare; persuasion in me grew
That I was heard with favour; peace return'd
Home to my Breast, and to my memory
His promife, that thy Seed shall bruise our Foe; ISS
Which then not minded in difmay, yet now
Affures me that the bitterness of death
Is paft, and we shall live. Whence Hail to thee,
Eve rightly call'd, Mother of all Mankind,
Mother of all things living, fince by thee
Man is to live, and all things live for Man.
To whom thus, Eve with fad demeanour meek.
Hi worthy I fuch title should belong
To me tranfgreffor, who for thee ordain'd
A help, became thy fnare; to me reproach
Rather belongs, diftrust and all dispraise;
But infinite in pardon was my Judge,
That I who first brought Death on all, am grac'd
The fource of life; next favourable thou,
Who highly thus to entitle me vouchsaf’st,
Far other name deferving. But the Field
To labour calls us now with fweat impos'd,
Though after sleepless Night: for see the Morn,
All unconcern'd with our unreft, begins
Her rofie progrefs fmiling; let us forth,
I never from thy fide henceforth to stray,
Where-e'er our days work lyes, though now enjoin'd
Laborious, till day droop; while here we dwell,
What can be toilfom in thefe pleasant Walks?
Here let us live, though in fall'n ftate, content. 180
So fpake, fo with'd much-humbl'd Eve, but Fate
Subfcrib'd not; Nature first gave Signs, imprest
On Bird, Beall, Aire, Aire fuddenly eclips'd
After fhort blush of Morn; nigh in her fight
The Bird of Jove, stoopt from his aery tour,
Two Birds of gayeft plume before him drove:
Down from a Hill the Beaft that reigns in Woods,
First hunter then, purfu'd a gentle brace,
Goodlieft of all the Foreft, Hart and Hinde; Direct to th'Eaftern Gate was bent their flight. 190 Adam obferv'd, and with his Eye the chafe Pursuing, not unmov'd to Eve thus fpake.
Eve, fome further change awaits us nigh,
Which Heav'n by these mute figns in Nature fhews
Forerunners of his purpose, or to warn
Us haply too fecure of our difcharge
From penalty, because from death releas'd
Some days; how long, and what till then our life, Who knows, or more than this, that we are duft, -And thither must return and be no more.
Why elfe this double object in our fight
Of flight purfu'd in th'Aire and o'er the ground
One way the self-same hour? why in the East
Darkness e'er Days mid-course, and Morning light
More orient in yon Western Clouds that draws 2rs
O'er the blew Firmament a radiant white,
And flow defcends, with something heav'nly fraught.
He err'd not, for by this the heav'nly Bands
Down from a Sky of Jasper lighted now
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