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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 foil.

Adam, by this from the cold fudden damp Recovering, and his fcatter'd fpirits return'd, To Michael thus his humble words ad

drefs'd.

£95 Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or

nam'd

Of them the higheft; for fuch of shape may

seem

*Prince above Princes! gently haft thou told Thy meflage, which might elfe in telling wound,

And in performing end us, what befides 300 Of forrow, and dejection, and despair,

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Our frailty can fuftain, thy tidings bring,
Departure from this happy place, our sweet
Recefs, and only confolation left
Familiar to our eyes! all places elfe
Inhofpitable appear, and defolate;
Nor knowing us, nor known.

pray'r

305

And if by

Inceffant, I could hope to change the will

310

Of him, who all things can, I would not cease
To weary him with my affiduous cries.
But pray'r against his abfolute decree'
No more avails than breath against the wind;

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Blown ftifling back on him, that breathes it forth:

Therefore to his great bidding I submit.
This moft afflicts me, that departing hence, 315
As from his face I fhall be hid depriv'd

His bléffed count'nance! Here I could fre

quent

With worship place by place, where he vouchfaf'd

Prefence divine; and to my fons relate: ,,On this mount he appear'd; under this

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„Stood visible; among these pines his voice ,,I heard; here with him at this fountain

talk'd."

325

So many grateful altars I would rear
Of graffy turf; and pile up every stone
Of luftre from the brook; in memory,
Or monument to ages: and thereon
Offer Sweet fnuelling gums, and fruits, and
flow'rs.

I yonder nether world where fhall I feek
His bright appearances, or foot-step 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 fteps adore.

To whom thus Michael with regard
benign.

Adam! thou know'ft Heav'n his, and all the

Not this rock only.

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His omnipresence fills Land, fea, and air, and every kind that lives, Fomented by his virtual pow'r, and warm'd. All th' earth he gave thee to possess, and rule: No defpiciable gift! furmife not then 340 His prefence to these narrow bounds confin'd

Of Paradife or Eden: this had been

Perhaps thy capital feat, from whence had fpread

All generations; and had hither come

From all the ends of th' earth, to cele

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And reverence thee their great progenitor,
But this praeeminence thou hast lost, brought

down

To dwell on even ground now with thy

fons.

350

Yet doubt not but in vallay and in plain
God is as here, and will be found alike
Prefent, and of his prefence many a fign
Still following thee, ftill compaffing the
round

With goodness, and paternal love, his face
Exprefs, and of his steps the track divine.
Which that thou may'ft believe and be con-

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Ere thou from hence depart, know, I am fent
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 finfulness of men; thereby to learn 360
True patience, and to temper joy with fear
And pious forrow, equally inur'd

By moderation either state to bear,
Profperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead
Safeft thy life, and best prepar❜d indure 365
Thy mortal paffage when it comes. Afcend
This hill. Let Eve, for I have drench'd her

eyes,

Here fleep below, while thou to forefight wak'ft,

As once thou flept'ft, whilft she to life was form'd.

To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd: 370 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 labor

attain. may

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won:

So both afcend,

It fo I
In the visions of God. It was a hill,
Of Paradife the higheft; from whofe top
The hemisphere of earth, in clearest ken
E

375

Stretch'd out to th'amplect reach of profpect

lay.

380

Not higher that hill nor wider looking round, Whereon for different cause the tempter fet Our fecond Adam, in the wilderness;

To fhew him earth's kingdoms and their

glory.

His eye might there command,

ftood

wherever 385

City of old or modern fame, the feat
Of mightiest empire! from the diftin'd walls
Of Cambalu, feat of Cathian Cham:
And Samarchand by Oxus, Tatemi'rs throne;
To Peking, of Sinean kings: and thence 390
To Agra and Lahor of great Mogul

Down to the golden Cherfonefe; or where
The Perfian in Ecbatan fat: or fince
In Hifpahan: or, where the Ruffian Zfar
In Mofcow; or the Sultan in Biyance, 395
Turcheftan-born: nor could his eye not ken
*) Th' empire of Negus, to his utmost port
Ercoco; and the lefs maritim Kings,
Moubaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sofala thought Ophir, to the realm 40p
Of Congo, and Angola fartheft fouth:

Or thence, from Niger flood to Atlas mount
The Kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez and Suz,

*) Ethiopia.

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