In Paradise, and on a Hill made alt,
A glorious Apparition, had not doubt
And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adam's eye.
Nor that more glorious, when the Angels met
Jacob in Mahanaim, where he faw
The field Pavilion'd with his Guardians bright; 215
Nor that which on the flaming Mount appear'd
In Dothan, cover'd with a Camp of Fire,
Against the Syrian King, who to furprize
One Man, Affaffine like, had levied War,
War unproclaim'd. The Princely Hierarch
In their bright fland, there left his Pow'rs to feife
Poffeffion of the Garden; he alone,
To find where Adam fhelter'd, took his way,
Not unperceiv'd of Adam, who to Eve,
While the great Vifitant approach'd, thus fpake. 225
Eve, now expect great tidings, which perhaps
Of us will foon determine, or impofe
New Laws to be observ'd; for I defcry
From yonder Blazing Cloud that veils the Hill
One of the heav'nly Hoft, and by his Gate
None of the meaneft, fome great Potentate
Or of the Thrones above, fuch Majefty
Invefts him coming; yet not terrible,
That I fhould fear, nor fociably mild,
As Raphael, that fhould much confide,
But folemn and fublime, whom not t'offend,
With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.
He ended; and th' Arch-Angel foon drew nigh,
Not in his fhape Celeftial, but as Man
Clad to meet Man; over his lucid Arms
A military Veft of purple flow'd
Livelier than Melibran, or the grain
Of Serra, worn by Kings and Heroes old
In time of truce; Iris had dipt the wooff;
His ftarry Helm unbuckl'd fhew'd him prime 245
In Manhood where Youth ended; by his fide
As in a gliftering Zodiac hung the Sword,
Satan's dire dread, and in his hand the Spear.
Adam bow'd low, he Kingly from his State
Inclin'd not, but his coming thus declar'd.
Adam, Heav'ns high beheft no Preface needs: Sufficient that thy Prayers are heard, and Death, Then due by fentence when thou didst tranfgrefs, Defeated of his feifure many days Giv'n thee of Grace, wherein thou mayst repent, And one bad Act with many Deeds well done Mayft cover well may then thy Lord appeas'd Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious claim; But longer in this Paradife to dwell
Permits not; to remove thee I am come,
And fend thee from the Garden forth to till The ground whence thou waft tak'n, fitter Soil.
He added not, for Adam at the news Heart-ftruck with chilling gripe of forrow food, That all his fenfes bound; Eve, who unfeen Yet all had heard, with audible lament Difcover'd foon the place of her retire.
O unexpected ftroke, worfe than of Death! Muft I thus leave thee, Paradife: thus leave
Thee, Native Soile, these happy Walks and Shades.
Fit haunt of Gods? where I had hope to spend,
Quiet, though fad, the refpit of that day
That must be mortal to us both. O flow'rs,
That never will in other Climate grow,
My early vifitation, and my last
At Ev'n, which I bred up with tender hand
From the first op'ning bud, and gave you Names,
Who now shall rear you to the Sun, or rank
Your Tribes, and water from th' ambrofial Fount?
Thee laftly, nuptial Bowre, by me adorn'd
with what to fight or smell was sweet; from thee
How fhall I part, and whither wander down.
Into a lower World, to this obfcure
And wild, how shall we breathe in other Aire
Lefs pure, accuftom'd to immortal Fruits?
Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild.
Lament not, Eve, but patiently refign
What justly thou haft loft; nor fet thy heart,
Thus over-fond, on that which is not thine;
Thy going is not lonely, with thee goes
Thy Husband, him to follow thou art bound
Where he abides, think there thy native foil.
Adam by this from the cold fudden damp
Recovering, and his fcatter'd spirits return'd,
To Michael thus his humble words addrefs'd.
Celeftial, whether among the Thrones, or nam'd Of them the Higheft, for fuch of fhape may feem Prince above Princes, gently haft thou told Thy Meffage, which might elfe in telling wound,
And in performing end us; what befides
Of forrow and dejection and despair
Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring,
Departure from this happy place, our fweet
Recefs, and only confolation left
Familiar to our eyes, all places else
Inhofpitable appear and defolate.
Nor knowing us nor known: and if by prayer
F. Inceffant I could hope to change the will
Of him who all things can, I would not cease
To weary him with my affiduous cries:
But prayer against his abfolute Decree
No more avails than breath against the wind,
Blown ftifling back on him that breaths it forth:
Therefore to his great bidding I submit.
This most afflicts me, that departing hence,
As from his face I fhall be hid, depriv'd
His bleffed count'nance; here I could frequent,
With worship, place by place where he vouchfaf'd
Prefence Divine, and to my Sons relate;
On this Mount he appear'd, under this Tree
Stood visible, among these Pines his voice
I heard, here with him at this Fountain talk'd:
So many grateful Altars I would rear
af graffie Turfe, and pile up every Stone
Of luftre from the brook, in memory,
Or monument to Ages, and thereon
Offer Sweet fmelling Gums and Fruits and Flow'rs:
In yonder nether World where fhall I feek
His bright appearances, or foot-ep trace?
For though I fled him angry, yet recall'd
To life prolong'd and promis'd Race, I now
Gladly behold though but his utmoft skirts
Of glory, and far off his fteps adore.
To whom thus Michael with regard benign.
Adam, thou know'ft Heav'n his, and all the Earth.
Not this Rock only; his Omnipresence fills 336
Land, Sea, and Aire, and every kind that lives,
Fomented by his virtual power and warm'd :
All th' Earth he gave thee to possess and rule,
No defpicable gift, furmife not then
His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd
Of Paradife or Eden: this had been
Perhaps thy Capital Seat, from whence had spread
All generations, and had thither come
From all the ends of th' Earth, to celebrate
And reverence thee their great Progenitor.
But this pre-eminence thou haft loft, brought down
To dwell on even ground now with thy Sons:
Yet doubt not but in Valley and in plain
God is as here, and will be found alike
Present, and of his prefence many a fign
Still following thee, ftill compaffing thee round
With goodness and paternal Love, his Face
Exprefs, and of his fteps the track Divine.
Which that thou may ft believe, and be confirm'd 355
E'er thou from hence depart, know I am fent
To fhew thee what shall come in future days
To thee and to thy Off-fpring; good with bad
Expect to hear, fupernai Grace contending
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