To whom the FATHER, without cloud, ferene.

All Thy request for man, Accepted SoN!

Obtain; all Thy requeft was My decree.
But longer in that Paradife to dwell,

The law I gave to nature him forbids.
Thofe pure immortal elements, that know
No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him, tainted now; and purge him off,
(As a distemper) grofs, to air as grofs,
And mortal food; as may difpofe him beft
For diffolution wrought by fin, that first
Diftemper'd all things; and of incorrupt,
Corrupted. I, at first, with two fair gifts
Created him endow'd, with happiness,
And immortality: that, fondly loft;
This other, ferv'd but to eternize woe ;
'Till I provided death; fo death becomes
His final remedy: and (after life
Try'd in fharp tribulation, and refin'd
By faith and faithful works ;) to fecond life,

46

55

(Wak'd in the renovation of the juft)

65

Refigns him up, with heav'n and earth renew'd.

But let US call to fynod all the Bleft,

Thro' heav'n's wide bounds: from them I will not hide

My judgments, how with mankind I proceed;

As how with peccant Angels late they faw:

70

And in their state, tho' firm, ftood more confirm'd.

He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright Minifter that watch'd: he blew
His trumpet (heard in OREB fince, perhaps,
When God defcended; and, perhaps, once more
To found at general doom.) Th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bow'rs
Of amarantin fhade, fountain or fpring,
By the waters of life, where-e'er they fat
In fellowships of joy, the Sons of Light
Hafted, reforting to the fummons high;

And took their feats: 'till from his throne fupreme
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd His Sov'reign Will.

75

80

O Sons! like one of Us man is become
To know both good and evil, fince his tafte
Of that defended fruit: but let him boast
His knowledge of good loft, and evil got:
Happier! had it fuffic'd him to have known
Good by it self, and evil not at all.
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite ;
My motions in him: longer than they move,
His heart I know how variable, and vain,
Self-left. Left therefore his now bolder hand
Reach also of the tree of life, and eat,
And live for ever (dream at least to live
For ever) to remove him I decree,

And fend him from the garden forth, to till
The ground whence he was taken; fitter foil!

MICHAEL, this My beheft have thou in charge :
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming warriors; left the fiend,
(Or in behalf of man, or to invade

Vacant poffeffion) fome new trouble raise. ́
Hafte thee, and from the Paradise of God,
Without remorse, drive out the finful pair;
From hallow'd ground th' unholy and denounce
To them and to their progeny, from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet left they faint,
At the fad fentence rigorously urg'd,
(For I behold them foften'd, and with tears
Bewailing their excess) all terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Bifmifs them not difconfolate reveal
To ADAM what fhall come in future days,
As I shall thee inlighten: intermix

:

My covenant in the woman's feed renew'd:
So fend them forth, tho' forrowing, yet in peace.
Ánd on the east-fide of the garden place
(Where entrance up from EDEN eafieft climbs)
Cherubic watch; and of a fword the flame
Wide-waving all approach far off to fright,

And guard all paffage to the tree of life:
Left Paradife a receptacle prove

To fpirits foul, and all My trees their prey;

With whofe ftol'n fruit man once more to delude.

1.25

He ceas'd; and th' Arch-Angelic Pow'r prepar'd
For swift descent; with him the cohort bright
Of watchful Cherubim: four faces each
Had like a double JANUS; all their shape
Spangled with eyes, more numerous than those
Of ARGUS; and more wakeful than to drouze,
Charm'd with ARCADIAN pipe, the past'ral reed
Of HERMES, or his opiate rod. Mean-while,
To re-falute the world with facred light
LEUCOTHEA wak'd; and with fresh dews imbalm'd
The earth; when ADAM, and first matron EVE,
Had ended now their orifons; and found
Strength added from above; new hope to fpring
Out of defpair; joy, but with fear yet link'd;
Which thus to EVE his welcome words renew'd.

130

134

EVE! eafily may faith admit, that all
The good which we enjoy, from heav'n defcends :

14

But, that from us ought fhould afcend to heav'n,
So prevalent, as to concern the mind

Of GOD High-Bleft; or, to incline His Will;
Hard to belief may feem: y t, this will pray'r,
Or one short figh of human breath, up-born
Ev'n to the feat of GOD. For fince fought
By pray'r th' offended Deity t'appease ;

145

Kneel'd, and before Him humbled all my heart;

150

Methought I faw Him placable, and mild,

Bending His ear: perfuafion in me grew

That I was heard with favour; peace return'd

Home to my breast; and to my memory

154

His promife, that, "Thy feed fhall bruise our foe :"

Which, then not minded in difmay, yet now
Affures me that the bitterness of death

Is paft, and we shall live. Whence, hail to thee
EVE rightly call'd, mother of all mankind,

A a 2

Mo

Mother of all things living, fince by thee

Man is to live; and all things live for man!

160

To whom thus EVE, with fad demeanor meek:
Ill-worthy I, fuch title fhould belong
To me tranfgreffor! who, for thee ordain'd
A help, became thy fnare: to me reproach
Rather belongs, diftruft, and all difpraise !
But infinite in pardon was my Judge,

165

That I, who firft brought death on all, am grac'd
The fource of life, next favourable, thou;

Who highly thus t'intitle me vouchfaf'ft;

170

Far other name deferving! But the field
To labour calls us, now with fweat impos'd,

Though after fleepless night: for feef the morn,
All unconcern'd with our unreft, begins
Her rofy progrefs fmi ing: let us forth;
I never from thy fide henceforth to firay,
Where-e'er our day's work lies; tho' now enjoin'd
Laborious, till day droop: while here we dwell,
What can be toilfom in these pleasant walks ?
Here let us live, though in fall'n ftate, content!

So fpake, fo wifh'd much-humbled Eve; but fate
Subfcrib'd not: nature firft gave figns, imprefs'd
On bird, beaft, air; air fuddenly eclips'd,
After fhort blush of morn: nigh in her fight,
The bird of JOVE, ftoop'd from his aery tour,
Two birds of gayeft plume before him drove :
Down from a hill the beaft that reigns in woods,
(First hunter then) purfu'd a gentle brace,
Goodlieft of all the forest, hart and hind;
Direct to th' eastern gate was bent their flight.
ADAM obferv'd, and with his eye the chase
Pursuing, not unmov'd, to EvE thus fpake.

Q EVE! fome further change awaits us nigh,
Which heav'n, by thefe mute figns in nature, fhews
Forerunners of His purpose: or to warn
Us, haply too fecure, of our discharge

From

From penalty, becaufe from death releas'd

Some days: how long, and what till then our life,
Who knows? Or more than this, that we are dust,
And thither muft return, and be no more?
Why elfe this double object in our fight,
Of flight purfu'd in th'air, and o'er the ground,
One way the self-fame hour; Why in the caft
Darkness ere day's mid-courfe? and morning-light
More orient in yon western cloud, that draws
O'er the blue firmament a radiant white,

200

205

And flow descends, with fomething heavenly fraught?

He err'd not, for by this the heav'nly bands.
Down from a sky of jafper lighted now
In paradife, and on a hill made halt:
A glorious apparition! had not doubt,
And carnal fear, that day dim'd ADAM's eye.
Not that more glorious, when the Angels met
JACOP in MAHANAIM; where he faw
The field pavilion'd with his guardians bright:
Nor that, which on the flaming mount appear'd
In DOTHAN, Cover'd with a camp of fire,.
Against the SYRIAN king; who to furprize.
One man, affaffine like, had levy'd war;
War unproclaim'd. The Princely Hierarch
In their bright ftand there left his pow'rs, to feife
Poffeffion of the garden :.he alone,

To find where ADAM fhelter'd, took his way ;:
Not unperceiv'd of ADAM, who to EVE,

210

215

220

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,
None of the meaneft: fome great potentate,,
Or of fhe Thrones above, fuch majefty,
Invefts him coming! yet not terrible,
That I fhould fear; nor fcciably mild,,

2309

A a 3