of graffie Turfe, and pile up ev'ry Stone Of luftre from the brook, in memory,
Or monument to Ages, and thereon
Offer Sweet Imelling Gums and Fruits and Flow'rs;
In yonder nether World where fhall I feek
His bright appearances, or foot-fteps trace?
For though I fled him angry, yet recall'd
To life prolong'd and promis'd Race, Inow
Gladly behold though but his utmoft 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 Omniprefence fills
Land, Sea, and Air, and every kind that lives,
Fomented by his virtual power, and warm'd:
All th' Earth he gave thee to poffefs and rule,
No defpicable gift, furmise not then
His presence to these narrow bounds confin’d
Of Paradife or Eden: this had been
Perhaps thy Capital Seat, from whence had spread
All generations, and had thither come
From all the ends of th' Earth, to celebrate
And reverence thee their great Progenitor.
But this pre-eminence thou haft loft, brought down
To dwell on eyen ground now with thy Sons:
Yet doubt not but in Valley 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 thee round
With goodness and paternal Love, his Face.
Express, and of his fteps the track Divine.
Which that thou may'ft believe, and be confirm'd 355
E're thou from hence depart, know I am fent
To fhew thee what fhall come in future days
To thee and to thy Off-spring; good with bad.
Expect to hear, fupernal Grace contending
With finfulness of Men; thereby to learn
True patience, and to temper joy with fear
And pious forrow, equally enur'd
By moderation either ftate to bear,
Profperous or adverfe: fo fhalt thou lead
Safeft thy life, and beft prepar'd endure
Thy mortal paffage when it comes.
This Hill; let Eve (for I have drencht her eyes)
Here fleep below while thou to forefight wak'ft,
As once thou flep'ft, whilft fhe to life was form'd.
To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd.
Afcend, I follow thee, fafe Guide, the path
Thou lead'ft me, and to the hand of Heav'n submit,
However chaft'ning, to the evil turn
My obvious breast, arming to overcome
By fuffering and earn reft from labour won,
If fo I may attain. So both afcend
In the Visions of God: It was a Hill
Of Paradise the higheft, from whose top
The Hemisphere of Earth in clearest Ken
Stretcht out to th' ampleft reach of prospect lay.
Not higher that Hill nor wider looking round,
Whereon for different caufe the Tempter fet
Our fecond Adam in the Wilderness,
To fhew him all Earth's Kingdoms and their Glory.
His Eye might there command wherever stood
City of old or modern fame, the Seat
Of mightiest Empire, from the deftin'd Walls'
Of Cambalu, feat of Cathaian Can
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temirs Throne,
To Paquin of Sinaan Kings, and thence
To Agra and Lahor of great Mogul
Down to the golden Cherfonefe, or where
The Perfian in Ecbatan fate, or fince
In Hifpaban, or where the Ruffian Kşar
In Mofco, or the Sultan in Bizance,
Turcheftan born; nor could his eye not ken
Th' Empire of Negus, to his utmost Port.
Ercoco and the lefs Maritim Kings
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sofala thought Ophir, to the Realm
Of Congo, and Angola fartheft South;
Or thence from Niger Flood to Atlas Mount
The Kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez, and Sus,
Morocco and Algiers, and Tremifen;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to fway
The World in Spirit perhaps he also faw
Rich Mexico the feat of Montezume,
And Cufce in Peru, the richer feat
Of Atabalipa, and yet unspoil'd
Guiana, whofe great City Geryon's Sons
Call El Dorado: but to nobler fights
*Michael from Adam's eyes the Filme remov'd
Which that falfe Fruit that promis'd clearer fight
Had bred; then purg'd with Euphrafie and Rue
The visual Nerve, for he had much to fee;
And from the Well of Life three drops inftill'd.
So deep the power of these Ingredients pierc'd,
Even to the Inmost seat of mental fight,
That Adam now enforc'd to close his eyes,
Sunk down and all his Spirits became intranc'd:
But him the gentle Angel by the hand
Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd.
Adam, now ope thine eyes, and firft behold
Th' effects which thy original crime hath wrought
In fome to fpring from thee, who never touch'd
Th' excepted Tree, nor with the Snake confpir'd,
Nor finn'd thy fin, yet from that Sin derive
Corruption to bring forth more violent deeds.
His eyes he open'd, and beheld a field,
Part arable and tilth, whereon were Shaves
New reapt, the other part sheep-walks and foulds :
I' th' midft an Altar as the Land-mark stood
Ruftie, of graffie ford; thither anon
A fweaty Reaper from his Tillage brought
First Fruits, the green Ear, and the yellow Sheaf,
Uncull'd, as came to hand; a Shepherd next
More meek came with the Firstlings of his Flock
Choicest and best; then sacrificing, laid
The Inwards and their Fat, with Incense ftrew'd,
On the cleft Wood, and all due Rites perform'd.
His Off'ring foon propitious Fire from Heav'n
Confum'd with nimble glance, and grateful steam;
The other's not, for his was not fincere :
Whereat he inly rag'd, and as they talk'd,
Smote him into the Midriff with a stone
That beat out life; he fell, and deadly pale
Groan'd out his Soul with gufhing blood effus'd,
Much at the fight was Adam in his heart
Difmay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd.
O Teacher, fome great mischief hath befall'n
To that meek man, who well had facrific'd;
Is Piety thus and pure Devotion paid?
T'whom Michael thus, he also mov'd, reply'd.
These two are Brethren, Adam, and to come
Out of thy loins, th' unjust the just hath flain,
For envy that his Brother's Offering found
From Heav'n acceptance; but the bloody Fact
Will be aveng'd, and th' other's faith approv'd
Ļofe no reward, though here thou see him Die,
Rolling in duft and gore, To which our Sire.
Alas, both for the deed and for the caufe!
But have I now seen death? Is this the way
I must return to native duft? O fight
Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,
Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!
To whom thus Michael. Death thou haft feen
In his First shape on Man; but Many shapes
Of Death, and many are the ways that lead
To his grim Cave, all difmal; yet to fenfe
More terrible at the entrance than within.
Some, as thou faw'ft, by violent ftroke shall die,
By Fire, Flood, Famine, by intemperance more
In Meats and Drinks, which on the Earth fhall bring
Difeafes dire, of which a monstrous crew
Before thee fhall appear; that thou may'st know
What mifery th' Inabftinence of Eve,
Shall bring on Men. Immediately a place
Before his Eyes appear'd, fad, noyfom, dark,
A Lazar-house it feem'd, wherein were laid
Numbers of all difeas'd, all maladies
Of gaftly Spafm, or racking torture, qualmes
Of heart-fick Agony, all fevróus kinds,
Convulfions, Epilepfies, fierce Catarrhs,
Inteftin Stone and Ulcer, Colic pangs,
Damoniac Phrenzy, moaping Melancholy
And Moon-truck madness, pining Atrophy,
Marafmus, and wide-wafting Peftilence,
Dropfies, and Afthma's, and Joint-racking Rheums.
Dire was the toffing, deep the groans, Despair
Tended the fick bufieft from Couch to Couch;
And over them triumphant Death his Dart
Shook, but delay'd to ftrike, though oft invok'd
With vows, as their chief good, and final hope.
Sight fo deform what heart of Rock could long
Dry-ey'd behold? Adam could not, but
Though not of Woman born; compaffion quell'd
His beft of Man, and gave him up to tears
Afpace, till firmer thoughts restrain'd excess,
And scarce recovering words his plaint renew'd.
O miferable Mankind, to what fall Degraded, to what wretched state referv'd! Better end here unborn. Why is life giv'n To be thus wrefted from us rather why Obtruded on us thus who if we knew
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