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Here let us live, though in fall'n ftate, con

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So fpake, so wifh'd much-humbl'd Eve;

Subfcrib'd not:

but fate

Nature firft gave figns, im

prefs'd

On bird, beaft, air: air fuddenly eclips'd
After short blush of morn: nigh in her fight,
The bird of Jove, ftoop'd from his aery

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Two birds of gayeft plume before 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 hind:
Direct to th' caftern gate was bent their
* flight.

Adam obferv'd, and with his eye the chase
Persuing, not unmov'd, to Eve thus spake.

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O Eve! fome further change awaits us nigh, Which Heav'n by these mute figns in nature shows,

Forerunners of his purpose: or to warn 195
Us haply too fecure from death relas'd
Some days: how long, and what till then
our life,

Who knows, or more than this, that we are duft,

And thither muft return and be no more? 200

Why elfe this double object in our fight,

Of flight purfu'd in th' air, and o'er the ground,

One way the felf-fame hour? Why in the east Darkness e're day's mid course, and morning light

More orient in yon western cloud, that

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O'er the blue firmament a radiant white;
And flow defcends, with fomething heav'nly

fraught?

He err'd not; for by this the heav'nly

bands

210

Down from a fky of jafper lighted now
In Paradife, and on a hill made halt:
A glorious apparition! had not doubt
And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adam's eye.
Not that more glorious, when the Angels met
Jacob in Mahanaim, where he faw

The field pavilion'd with his guardians

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Nor that, which on the flaming mount appear'd

In Dothan, cov'd with a camp of fire,
Against the Syrian king; who to surprise
One man, assassin like, had levied war,
War unproclaim'd. The princely Hierarch 220
In their bright stand there left his Pow'rs, to
feize

Poffeffion of the garden: alone,

To find, where Adam shelter'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 obferv'd: for I defcry,

From yonder blazing cloud, that veils the hill
One of the heav'nly hoft, and by his gait 230
None of the meaneft: fome great Potentate,
Or of the Thrones above; fuch majesty
Invests him coming! yet not terrible
That I fhould fear, nor fociably mild,

As Raphael, that I should much confide. 235
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 shape celeftial, but as man
Clad to meet man: over his lucid arms

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A military veft of purple flow'd,
Livelier than Meliboean, or the grain
Of Sarra, worn by Kings and Heroes old
In time of truce: Iris had dipt the woof:
His 'ftarry helm unbuckl'd, fhew'd him

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In manhood, where youth ended: by his fide

As in a glift'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! Heav'n's high-beheft no preface

needs:

Sufficient that thy pray'rs are heard, and Death,

Then due by sentence when thou didst tranf

grefs,

Defeated of his seisure may day's

Giv'n thee of grace, wherein thou may'ft

repent,

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And one bad act with many deeds well

done

May'ft cover: well may then thy Lord, ap

peas'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 waft taken, fitter foil.

He added not; fr Adam at the news Heart-ftruck with chilling gripe of forrow

stood,

That all his fenfes bound!

Eve, who un

seen

265

Yet all had heard, with audible lament
Discover'd foon the place of her retire.

O unexpected stroke, worfe than of Death! Muft I thus leave thee, Paradife? thus leave Thee, native foil, these happy walks and` fhades,

270

Fit haunt of Gods? where I had hope to fpend,

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 visitation, and my last

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At ev'n, which I bred up with tender hand From the firft op'ning bud, and gave you

names,

Who now fhall rear you to the Sun, or rank Your tribes, and water from th' ambrofial fount?

Thee lastly, nuptial bow'r, by me adorn'd 280 With what to fight or smell was fweet, from thee

Hów fhall I part, and whither wander down Into a lower world; to this obscure

And wild? How fhall we breathe in other

air

Lefs pure, accuftom'd to immortal fruits? 285
Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild:
Lament not, Eve, put patiently refign,
What justly thou hast lost: nor set thy heart

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