With finfulness of Men; thereby to learn
True patience, and to temper joy with fear
And pious forrow, equally enur'd
By moderation either ftate to bear,
Profperous or adverfe: fo fhalt thou lead
Safest thy life, and best prepar'd endure
Thy mortal paffage when it comes. Afcend
This Hill; let Eve (for I have drencht her eyes)
Here sleep below while thou to foresight wak’st,
As once thou flepft, while the to life was form'd.
To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd.
Afcend, I follow thee, fafe Guide, the path
Thou lead'ft me, and to the hand of Heav'n fubmit,
However chaft'ning, to the evil turn
My obvious breast, arming to overcome
By fuffering, and earn reft from labour won, 375 If fo I may attain. So both afcend
In the Vifions of God: It was a Hill
Of Paradife the highest, from whose top
The Hemisphere of Earth in clearest Ken
Stretcht out to th'ampleft reach of profpect lay. 380
Not higher that Hill nor wider looking round,
Whereon for different caufe the Tempter fet
Our fecond Adam in the Wilderness,
To fhew him all Earth's Kingdoms and their Glory.
His Eye might there command whatever stood 385
City of old or modern Fame, the Seat
Of mighticft Empire, from the deftin'd Walls
Of Cambalu, feat of Cathaian Can
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temirs Throne,
To Paquin of Sinaan Kings, and thence
To Agra and Labor of great Mogul
Down to the golden cherfonefe, or where
The Perfian in Ecbatan fate, or fince
In Hifpalan, or where the Ruffian Kfar
In Mofco, or the Sultan in Bizance,
Turcheftan-born; nor could his eye not ken
Th' Empire of Negus to his utmost Port
Ercoco and the lefs Maritim Kings
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sojala thought Ophir, to the Realm
Of Congo, and Angola fartheft South;
Or thence from Niger Flood to Atlas Mount
The Kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez and Sus,
Morocco and Algiers, and Tremifen;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to fway 405
The World: in Spirit perhaps he also faw
Rich Mexico the feat of Montezume,
And Cufco in Peru, the richer feat
Of Atabalipa, and yet unfpoil'd
Guiana, whofe great City Geryons Sons
Call El Dorado: but to nobler fights
Michael from Adam's eyes the Filme remov'd
Which that falfe Fruit that promis'd clearer fight Had bred; then purg'd with Euphrafie and Rue The vifual Nerve, for he had much to fee;
nd from the Well of Life three drops inftill'd. So deep the power of these Ingredients pierc'd, Even to the Inmoft feat of mental fight, That Adam now enforc'd to clofe his eyes,
Sunk down and all his Spirits became intranc'd: 420 But him the gentle Angel by the hand
Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd..
Adam, now ope thine eyes, and first behold Th'effects which thy original crime hath wrought In fome to fpring from thee, who never touch'd 425 Th' excepted Tree, nor with the Snake conspir'd, Nor finn'd thy fin, yet from that derive Corruption to bring forth more violent deeds.
His eyes he open'd, and beheld a field,
Part arable and tilth, whereon were Sheaves
New reapt, the other part fheep-walks and foulds;
I' th' midft an Altar as the Land-mark stood
Ruftic, and graffie ford; thither anon
A fweaty Reaper from his Tillage brought
First Fruits, the green Ear, and the yellow Sheaf,
Uncull'd, as came to hand; a Shepherd next 436
More meek came with the Firftlings of his Flock
Choiceft and beft; then facrificing, laid
The Inwards and their Fat, with Incenfe ftrew'd,
On the cleft Wood, and all due Rites perform'd. 44®
His Off'ring foon propitious Fire from Heav'n
Confum'd with nimble glance, and grateful fteam;
The others not, for his was not fincere:
Whereat he inly rag'd, and as they talk'd,
Smote him into the Midriff with a ftone
That beat out life; he fell, and deadly pale
Groan'd out; his Soul with gushing blood effus'd.
Much at the fight was Adam in his heart
Difmay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd.
O Teacher, fome great mischief hath befall'n 45′ To that meek man, who well had facrifie'd; Is Piety thus and pure Devotion paid?
T'whom Michael thus, he also mov'd, reply'd
These twe are Brethren, Adam, and to come
Out of thy loyns; tl'unjust the juft hath flain, 453
For envy that his Brother's Offering found
From Heav'n acceptance; but the bloody Fact
Will be aveng'd, and th’others faith approv'd
Lofe no reward, though here thou see him die,
Rolling in duft and gore. To which our Sire. 460
Alas, both for the deed and for the caufe!
But have I now feen Death? Is this the way
I nuft return to native duft? O fight
Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,
Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!
To whom thus Michael. Death thou haft feen
In his first shape on man; but many shapes
Of Death, and many are the ways that lead
To his grim Cave, all difmal; yet to sense
More terrible at th'entrance than within.
Some, as thou faw'ft, by violent ftroke fhall die,
By Fire, Flood, Famine, by Intemperance more
In Meats and Drinks, which on the Earth fhall bring
Difeafes dire, of which a monstrous crew
Before thee hall appear; that thou mayft know 475
What mifery th' inabftinence of Eve
Shall bring on men. Inmediately a place
Before his eyes appear'd, fad, noysom, dark,
A Lazar-house it seem'd, wherein were laid
Numbers of all difeas'd, all maladies
Of gaftly Spafm, or racking torture, qualmes
Of heart-fick Agony, all feavorous kinds,
Convullions, Epilepfies, fierce Catarrhs,
Inteftin Stone and Ulcer, Colic pangs,
Dæmoniac Phrenzy, moaping Melancholy
And Moon-ftruck madness, pining Atrophy,
Marafmus, and wide-wafting Peftilence,
Dropfies, and Asthma's, and joint-racking Rheums.
Dire was the toffing, deep the groans, defpair
Tended the fick bufieft from Couch to Couch; 450
And over them triumphant Death his Dart
Shook, but delay'd to ftrike, though oft invok'd
With vows, as their chief good, and final hope.
Sight fo deform what heart of Rock could long
Dry-ey'd behold? Adam could not, but wept,
Though not of Woman born; compaffion quell'd
His beft of Man, and gave him up to tears
A space, till firmer thoughts reftrain'd excels,
And scarce recovering words his plaint renew’d.
O miferable Mankind, to what fall
Degraded, to what wretched ftate referv'd!
Better end here unborn. Why is life giv`n
To be thus wrested from us? rather why
Obtruded on us thus? who if we knew
What we receive, would either not accept
Life offer'd, or foon beg to lay it down,
Glad to be fo difmift in peace. Can thus
Th' Image of God in man created once
So goodly and erect, though faulty fince,.
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