ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

From the conflagrant mafs, purg'd and refin'd,
New heav'ns, new earth, ages of endless date,
Founded in righteoufnefs, and peace, and love;
To bring forth fruits, joy, and eternal bliss.

He ended; and thus ADAM last reply'd.
How foon hath thy prediction, Seer bleft!
Meafur'd this tranfient world the race of time;
'Till time stand fix'd? Beyond is all abyss,
Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach !
Greatly inftructed I fhall hence depart;
Greatly in peace of thought; and have my fill
Of knowledge, what this veffel can contain:
Beyond which was my folly to aspire!
Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,
And love with fear the only GOD; to walk
As in His prefence; ever to obferve

His providence; and on Him fole depend;
Merciful over all His works! with good
Still overcoming evil; and by fmall

Accomplishing great things; by things deem'd weak
Subverting worldly ftrong; and worldly wife,

By fimply meek; that fuffering for truth's fake,
Is fortitude to highest victory;

And, to the faithful, death the gate of life;
Taught this by His example, Whom I now
Acknowledge my REDEEMER ever bleft!

To whom thus alfo th' Angel laft replied:
This having learn'd, thou haft attain'd the fum
Of wisdom; hope no higher; though all the stars

550

555

560

565

570

575

Thou knew'ft by name; and all th' ethereal pow'rs;
All fecrets of the Deep; all nature's works;
Or works of GOD in heav'n, air, earth, or fea;

And all the riches of this world enjoy'dft;
And all the rule, one empire; only add

580

Deeds to thy knowledge anfwerable; add faith;:

Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
(By name to come call'd charity, the foul
Of all the reft) then wilt thou not be loth

585

Dd 2

To

To leave this Paradife, but shalt poffefs

A Paradife within thee, happier far!

Let us defcend now therefore from this top
Of fpeculation; for the hour precife

Exacts our parting hence: and fee! the Guards,
By me incamp'd on yonder hill, expect

590

Their motion; at whose front a flaming fword,
In fignal of remove, waves fiercely round.
We may no longer ftay: go! waken Eve;
Her alfo I with gentle dreams have calm'd,
Portending good; and all her fpirits compos'd
To meek fubmiffion; thou, at feafon fit,

595

Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard ;

Chiefly, what may concern her faith to know,

The great deliverance by her feed to come

600

(For by the woman's feed; on all mankind.

'That ye may live (which will be many days)

Both in one faith unanimous, though fad,

(With caufe!) for evils paft; yet, much more cheer'd With meditation on the happy end.

605

He ended; and they both defcend the hill:
Defcended, ADAM to the bow'r, where Eve
Lay fleeping, ran before; but found her wak'd;
And thus with words not fad fhe him receiv'd.

Is to ftay here; without thee here to stay,
Is to go hence unwilling: thou to me

For God is alfo in fleep, and dreams advise ;
Which he hath fent propitious, fome great good
Prefaging, fince with forrow, and heart's diftrefs
Wearied I fell asleep: but now, lead on!
In me is no delay; with thee to go,

Whence thou return'ft, and whither went'st, I know

611

615

Art all things under heav'n, all places thou;
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence.
This further confolation yet fecure

I carry hence; though all by me is loft,
Such favour I unworthy am vouchfaf'd,
By me the Promis'd Seed fhall all restore.

620

So

So fpake our mother EVE; and ADAM heard
Well-pleas'd, but anfwer'd not: for now, too nigh
Th' Arch-Angel ftood; and from the other hill
To their fix'd ftation, all in bright array,
The Cherubim defcended, on the ground
Gliding meteorous, as ev'ning mift,
Ris'n from a river, o'er the marish glides;

626

630

And gathers ground faft at the lab'rer's heel,

Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd,

The brandish'd fword of God before them blaz'd; -

Fierce as a Comet; which with torrid heat,

And vapours as the LIBYAN air a duft,

635

640

Began to parch that temperate clime: whereat
In either hand the haft'ning Angel caught
Our lingring Parents; and to th' eastern gate
Led them direct; and down the cliff as faft,
To the fubjected plain; then disappear'd.
They looking back, all th' eaftern fide beheld
Of Paradise, so late their happy feat!
Wav'd over by that flaming brand; the gate
With dreadful faces throng'd, and fiery arms.
Some natural tears they drop'd, but wip'd them foon:
The world was all before them, where to chuse
Their place of reft, and Providence their guide.
They, hand in hand, with wand'ring steps, and flow,
Through EDEN took their folitary way.

THE EN D.

644

[merged small][ocr errors]

A

INDE X.

A

Aron and Mofes, their miffion to Egypt
Abdiel (a Seraph) oppofes Satan promot-
ing the Angels revolt, &c.

[blocks in formation]

Reply to his anfwer

5 877

His fidelity, &c. celebrated

5

896

Retreat from Satan's party

Soliloquy on view of him at their head

[blocks in formation]

Speech to him thereon

[blocks in formation]

Reply to his anfwer

[blocks in formation]

Encounters him in the battel -

[blocks in formation]

Vanquishes Ariel, Arioc and Ramiel (fallen

Angels)

[blocks in formation]

Abel and Cain, their fory related

It 429

Acheron, a river of ball

Abraham's and the patriarchs

All nations bis fons by faith

Adam and Eve defcrib'd generally

[blocks in formation]

particularly

4 295 4.312

4

Their fate of innocence

492 4 738

[blocks in formation]

Night oraifon

4 720 Morn

Morning oraifon

Preparations to entertain the Angel Raphael
The Table and Entertainment defcrib'd

[blocks in formation]

Vide Similes.

Adam, bis difcourfe with EvE on the prohibition

of the Tree of Knowledge

To her at night

Answer to her question about the nightly lumi

naries

Viewing her fleeping

Answer to her relating her dream, (the Sub
ject of Satan's firft illufive Temptation)
To her weeping

Invites the Angel Raphael to his bow'r, &c.
Difcourfe with him

Continu'd on various fubjects

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Vide Raphael.

9 524

His creation and dominion, &c. over the crea

tures

Prohibited the Tree of Knowledge

{

Account of himself, and the objects about him, &c. on his creation

Of his first view of the Divine Prefence, in fta

tion in Paradife, &c.

Speech to God thereon, and on

there. Reply to God's anfwer

876

542 332

8 253

8 311

bis. folitude

[blocks in formation]
« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »