So both ascend

If so I may attain."

In the visions of God. It was a hill,

Of Paradise the highest, from whose top
The hemisphere of earth in clearest ken

Stretched out to the amplest reach of prospect lay.
Not higher that hill, or 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.

379

His eye might there command wherever stood
City of old or modern fame, the seat

385

Of mightiest empire, from the destined walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Can,
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir's throne,
To Paquin of Sinæan kings; and thence
To Agra and Lahor of Great Mogul,
Down to the golden Chersonese; or where
The Persian in Ecbatan sat, or since
In Hispahan, or where the Russian Ksar

390

conqueror, who extended his dominions over the western and southwestern parts of Asia.

390. Paquin, Pekin. - Sincan here means Chinese. The Sinæ were the easternmost people of Asia, as known to the ancients.

391. Agra and Lahor (Lahore) are cities in the north of Hindostan. The latter, situated in the district of the Punjaub, was of great extent in the times of the Great Mogul; a name given to the descendants of the Mongul conqueror who established an empire in India in the sixteenth century.

392. the golden Chersonese, the peninsula of Malacca.

393. Ecbatan, or Ecbatăna, was a great city of ancient Persia, in which was a magnificent palace, the summer residence of the Persian kings.

394. Hispahan, Ispahan.

In Mosco, or the Sultan in Bizance,
Turchestan-born; nor could his eye not ken
The empire of Negus, to his utmost port
Ercoco, and the less marítime kings,
Mombaza and Quiloa and Melind,
And Sofala, thought Ophir, to the realm
Of Congo, and Angola farthest south;
Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount,
The kingdoms of Almansor, Fez and Sus,
Morocco and Algiers and Tremisen ;

395

400

On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway 405 The world in spirit perhaps he also saw

Rich Mexico the seat of Montezume,

And Cusco in Peru, the richer seat
Of Atabalipa, and yet unspoiled
Guiana, whose great city Geryon's sons

395. Mosco, Moscow, formerly the capital of the Muscovite or Russian Empire, and the seat of the Czar. Bizance, Byzantium, now Constantinople

395. Turchestan - born, de scended from the natives of Turchestan, or Turkestan, a province of Central Asia. - nor could his eye not ken, and his eye could ken. See I. 335.

397. The empire of Negus, Abyssinia, the ancient Ethiopia, lying west of the Red Sea. In the Ethiopian language, Negus signifies king.-his, its.

398. Ercoco, Erocco, or Arkeeks, a port on the Red Sea. - the less maritime kings, the maritime kings (those whose dominions lay along the coast) who were less than the Negus, or inferior in power to him.

399. These seaports are on the eastern coast of Africa. - Melind, Melinda or Melinde.

400. thought Ophir. It has been conjectured that Sofala is the Ophir of Scripture, whence gold and precious stones were brought to Solomon. See 1 Kings

x. 11

410

401. Congo and Angola are on the western coast of Africa. Angola is south of Congo.

402. Niger flood, the river Niger. Atlas mount, the chain of mountains on the south of the Barbary States.

403, 404. The kingdoms of Almansor were in the northwestern and northern part of Africa. Morocco and Fez are on the western or Atlantic, while Sus (or Susa) and Algiers, are on or near the northern or Mediterranean coast.

404. Tremisen was between Tunis and Morocco.

407 Montezume, Montezuma, who reigned in Mexico at the time that it was invaded by the Spaniards under Cortez.

408. Cusco was the capital of Peru under the Incas, or native kings.

409. Atabalipa was the last of the Incas, and was conquered by Pizarro. yet unspoiled, not yet spoiled or robbed of its riches.

410. Geryon's sons, the Spaniards. Geryon was a monster, slain by Hercules after he had crossed the straits which sepa

"

Michael from Adam's eyes the film removed,
Which that false fruit that promised clearer sight
Had bred; then purged with euphrasy and rue
The visual nerve (for he had much to see),
And from the well of life three drops instilled.
So deep the power of these ingredients pierced,
Even to the inmost seat of mental sight,

That Adam, now enforced to close his eyes,

415

Sunk down, and all his spirits became intranced; 420 But him the gentle angel by the hand

Soon raised, and his attention thus recalled:

"Adam, now ope thine eyes, and first behold The effects which thy original crime hath wrought In some to spring from thee, who never touched The excepted tree, nor with the snake conspired, Nor sinned thy sin, yet from that sin derive Corruption to bring forth more violent deeds."

His eyes he opened, and beheld a field, Part arable and tilth, whereon were sheaves New reaped, the other part sheep-walks and folds; In the midst an altar as the landmark stood, Rustic, of grassy sord; thither anon A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought First-fruits, the green ear and the yellow sheaf Unculled, as came to hand; a shepherd next,

rate Africa from Spain, in or near which country Geryon is fabled to have reigned.

411. El Dorado (the Gilded or Golden), the great city always sought in vain.

413. that false fruit. See Gen

esis iii. 6.

414. euphrasy, the plant called eye-bright. This, as well as the herb rue, was formerly supposed to benefit the sight.

426. The excepted tree. Genesis ii. 16, 17.

425

430

435

See

"And in

430 tilth, tilled ground. 433. sord, sward. 435. First fruits. process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord." Genesis iv. 3.

436-447. See Genesis iv. 4-8.

More meek, came with the firstlings of his flock
Choicest and best; then sacrificing laid

The inwards and their fat with incense strewed
On the cleft wood, and all due rites performed.
His offering soon propitious fire from heaven
Consumed with nimble glance and grateful steam ;
The other's not, for his was not sincere;
Whereat he inly raged, and as they talked
Smote him into the midriff with a stone
That beat out life; he fell, and deadly pale
Groaned out his soul with gushing blood effused.
Much at that sight was Adam in his heart
Dismayed, and thus in haste to the angel cried :

"O teacher, some great mischief hath befallen To that meek man, who well had sacrificed; Is piety thus and pure devotion paid ?”

To whom Michael thus, he also moved, replied:
"These two are brethren, Adam, and to come
Out of thy loins; the unjust the just hath slain,
For envy that his brother's offering found
From Heaven acceptance; but the bloody fact
Will be avenged, and the other's faith approved
Lose no reward, though here thou see him die,
Rolling in dust and gore." To which our sire:

"Alas, both for the deed and for the cause! But have I now seen death? Is this the way I must return to native dust? O sight

Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,
Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!"

To whom thus Michaël: "Death thou hast seen

443. not, it consumed not. 452. paid, repaid.

453. moved, affected.
457. fact, deed.

44C

445

450

455

460

46E

In his first shape on man; but many shapes
Of death, and many are the ways that lead
To his grim cave, all dismal; yet to sense
More terrible at the entrance than within.
Some, as thou saw'st, by violent stroke shall die,
By fire, flood, famine; by intemperance more

470

In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew

Before thee shall appear; that thou may'st know 475
What misery the inabstinence of Eve

Shall bring on men." Immediately a place
Before his eyes appeared, sad, noisome, dark;
A lazar-house it seemed, wherein were laid
Numbers of all diseased, all maladies

Of ghastly spasm or racking torture, qualms
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds,
Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs,
Intestine stone and ulcer, colic pangs,
Demoniac phrenzy, moping melancholy,
And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy,
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence,
Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.
Dire was the tossing, deep the groans; Despair
Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;
And over them triumphant Death his dart
Shook, but delayed to strike, though oft invoked
With vows, as their chief good and final hope.
Sight so deform what heart of rock could long
Dry-eyed behold?

Adam could not, but wept,
compassion quelled

Though not of woman born;

467. many shapes, many are the shapes.

476. inabstinence, indulgence of appetite; excess.

479. lazar-house, a hospital or pest-house.

480. of all diseased, having all kinds of diseases.

480

485

490

495