ARGUMENT of Book XII.

The angel Michael continues from the flood" to relate

what shall succeed; then, in the mention of Abraham, comes by degrees to explain who that feed of the woman shall be, which was promised Adam and Eve ir the fall; his incarnation, death, resurrection, and afcenfion ; the state of the church till his second

: coming. Adam, greatly satisfied and recomforted by these relations and promises, defcends the hill with Michael ; wakens Eve, who all this while had sept, but with gentle dreams composed to quietness of mind and submission. Michael in either hand leads them out of Paradise, the fiery sword waving behind then, and the cherubim taking their stations to guard the place,

PARADISE

AS

S one who in his journey baits at noon,

Tho'bent on speed; fo here th' archangel paus'd
Betwixt the world deltroy'd and world restor's,
If Adam ought perhaps might interpofe;
Then with tranfition fweet new speech resumes. 5

Thus thou hast seen one world begin and end ;
And man as from a second stock proceed.
Much thou hast yet to fee; but I perceive
Thy mortal fight to fail; objects divine
Must needs impair and weary Iruman fenfe : IO
Henceforth what is to come I will relate,
Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.
This fécond source of men, while yet but few,
And while the dread of judgment past remains
Fresh in their minds, fearing the Deity,
With some regard to what is just and right
Shall lead their lives, and multiply a pace;
Lab'ring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop, .
Corn, wine, and oil; and from the herd or flock,
Oft facrificing bullock, lamb, or kid,
With large wine-offerings pour'd, and sacred feast,
Shall spend their days in joy unblam'd, and dwell
Long time in peace, by families and tribes,
Under paternal rule; till one shall rife

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OF

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of proud ambitious hea

heart, who, not content 25 With fair equality, fraternal state, Will arrogate dominion undeserv'd Over bis brethren, and quite dispossess Concord and law of nature from the earth, Hunting (and men, not bealts, shall be his game) 30 With war and hostile inare such as refuse Subjection to his empire týránnous: A mighty hunter thence he fhall be styl'd Hefore the Lord, as in defpite of heaven, Or from heav'n claiming second lov'reignty; 35 And from rebellion fall derive his name, Though of rebellion others he accuse. He with a crew, whom like ambition joins With him, or under him to tyrannize, Marching from Eden towards the welt, shall find 40 The plain, wherein a black bituininous gurge Boils out from under ground, the mouth of hell; Of brick, and of that stuff, they cast to build A city' and tow'r, whofe top may reach to heav'n; And get themselves a name; les far difpers’d In foreign lands, their memory be loft, Regardless whether good or evil fame. But God, who oft descends to visit men Unseen, and through their habitation walks To mark their doings, them beholding foon, Comes down to see their city, ere the tower Obstruct heaven-towers, and in derision sets Upon their tongues a various fpi'rit, to rase Quite out their native language, and instead To sow a jangling noise of words unknown: 55 Forthwith a hideous gabble rises loud Among the builders; each to other calls Not understood, till hoarse, and all in rage, As mock'd they form; great laughter was in heaver

And

And looking down to see the hubbub frange, 60
And hear the din ; thus was the building left
Ridiculous, and the work confufion nam'd.

Whereto thus Adam fatherly displeas’d,
O execrable son so to aspire
Above his brethren, to himself affuming

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Authority usurp’d, from God not given :
He gave us only over beast, fith, fowl,
Dominion absolute; that right we hold
By his donation: but man over men
He made not lord; such title to himself

70 Reserving, human left from human free, But this usurper his incroachment proud Stays not on man; to God his tow'r intends Siege and defiance. Wretched man! what food Will he convey up thither to sustain

75 Himself and his rath army, where thin air Above the clouds will pine his intrails gross,. And famifh him of breath, if not of bread?

To whom thus Michael. Juftly thou abhorr'lt That son, who on the quiet state of men 80 Such trouble brought, affecting to fubdue Rational liberty; yet know withal, Since thy original lapse, true liberty is loft, which always with right reason dwells, Twinn'd, and from her hath no dividual being: 85 Reafon in man obscur'd, or not obey'd, Immediately inordinate delires And upstart pallions catch the government From reason, and to fervitude reduce Man till then free. Therefore, since he permits 90 Within himself unworthy powers to reign Over free reason, God, in judgment just, Subjects him from without to violent lords; Who oft as undefervedly inthral R 2

His ICO

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His outward freedom: tyranny must be,

95 Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse. Yet sometimes nations will decline fo low From virtue, which is reason, that no wrong, But justice, and some fatal curse annex'd, Deprives them of their outward liberty, Their inward loit: witness th' irreverent fon Of him who built the ark, who, for the shame Done to his father, heard this heavy curse, Servant of servants, on his vicious race, Thus will this latter, as the former world, Still tend from bad to worse, till God at last, Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw His presence from among them, and avert His holy cyes; resolving from thenceforth To leave them to their own polluted ways; IIO And one peculiar nation to select From all the rest, of whom to be invok'd, A pation from one faithful man to spring: Him on this fide Euphrates yet refiding, Bred up in idol-worship; O that men,

115 (Canst thou believe?) should be fo Itupid grown, While yet the patriarch liy'd who 'scap'd the flood, As to forsake the living God, and fall To worship their own work in wood and stone For gods! yet him God the most High vouchsafes To call by vision from his father's house, His kindred, and false gods, into a land Which he will show him, and from him will raise A mighty nation, and upon him shower His benediction fo, that in his feed All nations shall be bless'd'; he Ztrait obeys, Not knowing to what land, yet firm believes, I see him, but thou canst not, with what faith He leaves his gods, his friends, and native loil

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