Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or named Of them the highest; for such of shape may seem Prince above princes! gently hast thou told Thy message, which might else in telling wound, And in performing end us; what besides Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring, Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recess, and only consolation left
Familiar to our eyes! all places else Inhospitable appear, and desolate;
Nor knowing us, nor known: and, if by prayer Incessant I could hope to change the will Of Him who all things can, I would not cease To weary him with my assiduous cries: But prayer against his absolute decree
No more avails than breath against the wind, Blown stifling back on him that breathes it forth: Therefore to his great bidding I submit. This most afflicts me, that, departing hence, As from his face I shall be hid, deprived His blessed countenance: here I could frequent With worship place by place where he vouchsafed Presence Divine; and to my sons relate, On this mount he appear'd; under this tree Stood visible; among these pines his voice I heard; here with him at this fountain talk'd: So many grateful altars I would rear Of grassy turf, and pile up every stone Of lustre from the brook, in memory, Or monument to ages; and thereon
Offer sweet-smelling gums, and fruits, and flowers: In yonder nether world where shall I seek His bright appearances, or footstep trace? For though I fled him angry, yet, recall'd To life prolong'd and promised race, I now Gladly behold though but his utmost skirts Of glory; and far off his steps adore.
To whom thus Michael with regard benign: Adam, thou know'st Heaven his, and all the Earth; Not this rock only; his Omnipresence fills Land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives, Fomented by his virtual power and warm'd: All the earth he gave thee to possess and rule, No despicable gift; surmise not then
His presence to these narrow bounds confined Of Paradise, or Eden; this had been
Perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread All generations; and had hither come
From all the ends of the earth, to celebrate And reverence thee, their great progenitor. But this preeminence thou hast lost, brought down To dwell on even ground now with thy sons: Yet doubt not but in valley and on plain God is, as here; and will be found alike Present; and of his presence many a sign Still following thee, still compassing thee round With goodness and paternal love, his face Express, and of his steps the track divine. Which that thou mayst believe, and be confirm'd Ere thou from hence depart; know, I am sent To show thee what shall come in future days To thee and to thy offspring; good with bad Expect to hear; supernal grace contending With sinfulness of men; thereby to learn True patience, and to temper joy with fear And pious sorrow; equally inured By moderation either state to bear, Prosperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead Safest thy life, and best prepared endure Thy mortal passage when it comes.-Ascend This hill; let Eve (for I have drench'd her eyes) Here sleep below; while thou to foresight wakest; As once thou slept'st, while she to life was form'd. To whom thus Adam gratefully replied: Ascend; I follow thee, safe Guide, the path
Thou lead'st me; and to the hand of Heaven submit,
However chastening; to the evil turn
My obvious breast; arming to overcome
By suffering, and earn rest from labour won, If so I may attain.-So both ascend
In the visions of God. It was a hill, Of Paradise the highest; from whose top The hemisphere of earth, in clearest ken, Stretch'd out to the amplest reach of prospect lay. Not higher that hill, nor 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. His eye might there command wherever stood City of old or modern fame, the seat
Of mightiest empire, from the destined wall 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 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 maritime kings Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind, And Sofala, thought Ophir, to the realm Of Congo, and Angola furthest south; Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount The kingdoms of Almansor, Fez and Sus, Morocco, and Algiers, and Tremisen:
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway 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 unspoil'd
Guiana, whose great city Geryon's sons Call El Dorado. But to nobler sights 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 instill'd. So deep the power of these ingredients pierced, Even to the inmost seat of mental sight, That Adam, now enforced to close his eyes, Sunk down, and all his spirits became entranced; But him the gentle Angel by the hand Soon raised, and his attention thus recall'd: Adam, now ope thine eyes; and first behold The effects which thy original crime hath wrought In some to spring from thee; who never touch'd The excepted tree; nor with the snake conspired; Nor sinn'd thy sin; 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 sheaves New reap'd; the other part sheep-walks and folds; I' 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, 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 strow'd, On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd. 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 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 gushing blood effused.
Much at that sight was Adam in his heart Dismay'd, 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 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 In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew Before thee shall appear; that thou mayst know What misery the inabstinence of Eve
Shall bring on Men. Immediately a place Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark; A lazar-house it seem'd; wherein were laid Numbers of all diseased; all maladies Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms Of heartsick agony, all feverous kinds, Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs, Intestine stone and ulcer, colic-pangs, Demoniac frenzy, moping melancholy,
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