Invells him coming; yet not terrible,
That I should fear; nor sociably mild,
As Raphaël, that I thould much confide;

235
But folenn and sublime, whom not to'offend,
With reverence I mu!t meet, and thou retire,

He ended; and th'archangel soon drew nigb,
Not in his shape celestial, but as man
Clad to meet man ; over his lucid arms 240
A military vest of purple flow'd,
Livelier than Melibæan, or the grain
Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old
In time of truce; Iris had dipp'd the woof;
His ftarry helm unbuckled fhow'd him prime

245
In manhood, where youth ended; by his fide,
es in a glist'ring 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. 250

Adam, heaven's high behelt no preface needs :
Sufficient that thy prayers are heard, and death,
Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress,
Defeated of his feifure many days
Giv'n thee of grace, wherein thou mayst repent, 255
And one bad act with many deeds well done
Mayst cover ; well may then thy Lord appeas'd
Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious claim;
But longer in this Paradise to dwell
Permits not; to remove thee I am come, 260
And fend thee from the garden forth to till
The ground whence thou wait taken, fitter foil.

He added not ; for Adam at the news
Heart-struck with chilling gripe of forrow stood,
That all his senses bound: Eve, who unseen 265
Yet all had heard, with audible lament
Discover'd foon the place of her retire.

a

O unexpected stroke, worse than of death! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise ! thus leave Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades, 270 Fit haunt of gods? where I had hope to spend, Quiet though fad, the respite of that day That must be mortal to us both? O flowers, That never will in other climate grow, My early vification, and my last

275 At ev'n, which I bred up with tender hand From the first op’ning bud, and gave ye names, Who now thall rear ye to the fun, or rank Your tribes, and water from th' ambrofial fount? Thee lastly, nuptial bower, by me adorn'd 2 So With what to fight or smell was sweet, from thee How shall I part, and whither wander down Into a lower world, to this obfcure And wild ? how shall we breathe in other air Less pure, accuftom'd to immortal fruits? 285

Whom thus the angel interrupted mild. Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign What justly thou hast lost; nor set thy heart, Thus over-fond, on that which is not thine: Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes 290 Thy husband; him to follow thou art bound; Where he abides, think there thy native soil.

Adam by this from the cold sudden damp Recovering, and his scatter'd fpi'rits return'd, To Michael thus his humble words address’d.

295 Celestial, whether among the thrones, or nam'd Of them the high'est, for înch of shape may seem Prince above princes, gently haft thou told Thy message, which might elfe in telling wound, And in performing end us; what besides goo Of forrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring,

Q 3

Departure

310

:

Departure from this happy place, our sweet
Rece's, and only consolation left
Familiar to our eyes; all places elfe

305
In hospitable' appear, and defolate,
Nor knowing us nor known; and if by prayer
Inceffant I could hope to change the will
Of him who all things can, I would not cease
To weary him with my afliduous cries:
But prayer again!t his absolute decree
No more avails than breath against the wind,
Blown stilling back on hin that breathes it forth :
Therefore to his great bidding I submit.
This most afflicts me, that departing hence, 315
As from his face I thall be hid, depriv'd
His bleffed count'nance; here I could frequent
With worship place by place where he vouchsaf'd
Presence divine, and to my sons relate,
On this mount he appeard, under this tree
Stood visible, among these pines bis voice
I heard, here with him at this fountain talk'd;
So many grateful altars I would rear
Of graffy turf, and pile up every stone
Of lustre from the brook, in memory,

325 Or monument to ages, and thereon Offer sweet smelling gums, and fruits, and flowers: In yonder nether world where shall I reek His bright appearances, or footiep trace? For though I fled him angry, yet recall'd

330
To life prolong'd and promis'd race, I now
Gladly behold though but his utmost skirts
Of glory, and far off his steps 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
Land, fea, and air, and every kind that lives,

Fomented

320

336

350

Fomented by his virtual power and warm’d:
All th' earth he gave thee to poffefs and rule,
No despicable gift ; surmise not then

340 His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd Of Paradise or Eden ; this had been,

2 Perhaps, thy capital feat, from whence had spread All generations, and had hither come From all the ends of th' earth, to celebrate 345 And reverence thee their great progenitor, But this præeminence thou' hast lost, brought down To dwell on even ground now with thy fons: Yet doubt not but in valley and in plain God is as here, and will be found alike Present, and of his presence many a fign Still following thee, ftill coinpalling the round With goodness and paternal love, his face Express, and of his steps the track divine. Which that thou mayst believe, and be confirm'u 355 Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent To show thee what shall come in future days To thee and to thy offspring; good with bad Expect to hear, fupernal grace contending With sinfulness of men ; thereby to learn True patience, and to temper joy with fear And pious forrow, equally inur'd By moderation either state to bear, Prosperous or adverse : so shalt thou lead Safelt thy life, and best prepar'd endure

365 Thy mortal passage when it comes Ascend This hill; let Eve (for I have drench'd her eyes) Here sleep below, while thou to foresight wak'st; As once thou slepft, while she to life was form’d.

To whoin thus Adam gratefully reply'd 370 Ascend, I follow thee, fafe guide, the path Thou lead'st me', and to the hand of heav'n submit,

Q4

However

3667

However chastning, to the evil turn
My obvious breast, arming to overcome
By suffering, and earn reft from labour won, 375
If so I may attain. So both ascend
In the visions of God: It was a bill
Of Paradise the highest, from whose top
The hemisphere of earth in cleareft ken
Stretch'd out to th’amplelt reach of prospect lay: 380
Not high'er that hill, nor wider looking round,
Whereon for different cause the tempter set
Our second Adam in the wilderness,
To show him all earth's kingdoms, and their glory'.
His eye might there command wherever stood 385
City of old or modern fame, the seat
Of mightiest empire, from the destin'd walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Can,
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir's throne,
To Paquin of Sinzan kings, and thence

390
To Agrà and Lahor of great Mogul,
Down to the golden Chersonese, or where
The Persian in Ecbatan fat, or since
In Ispahan, or where the Russian Czar
In Mosco, or the Sultan in Bizance,

395
Turchestan-born; nor could his eye pot ken
Th' empire of Negus to his utmost port
Ercoco, and the less maritime kings,
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sofala, thought Ophir, to the realm
Of Congo, and Angola farthest fouth;
Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount,
The kingdoms of Almanzor, Fez, and Sus,
Morocco and Algiers, and Tremisen ;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway
The world : in fpi'rit perhaps he also saw
Rich Mexico the feat of Montezume,

And

400

406