The great deliverance by her seed to come,
For by the woman's seed, on all mankind ;
That ye may live, which will be many days.
Both in one faith unanimous, though sad
With cause for evils past, yet much more cheer'd
With meditation on the happy end

He ended, and they both descend the hill;
Descended, Adam to the bower, wnere Eve
Lay sleeping, ran before, but found her waked ;
And thus with words not sad she him received :

Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st I know ;
For God is also in sleep, and dreams advise,
Which he hath sent propitious some great good
Presaging, since, with sorrow and heart's distress
Wearied, I fell asleep : but now lead on ;
In me is no delay ; with thee to go
Is to stay here ; without thee here to stay
Is to go hence unwilling ; thou to me
Art all things under heaven, all places thou.
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence
This further consolation yet secure
I carry hence ; though all by me is lost,
Such favour I unworthy am vouchsafed,
By me the promised Seed shall all restore.

So spake our mother Eve; and Adam heard, Well pleased, but answer'd not; for now, too nigh The archangel stood; and from the other hill To their fix'd station, all in bright array, The cherubim descended, on the ground Gliding meteorous, as evening mist, Risen from a river, o'er the marish glides, And gathers ground fast at the labourer's heel, Homeward returning. High in front advanced, The brandish'd sword of God before them blazed, Fierce as a comet ; which, with torrid heat, And vapour as the Libyan air adust, Began to parch that temperate clime; whereat In either hand the hastening angel caught Our lingering parents, and to the eastern gate Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast To the subjected plain ; then disappear'd. They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Waved over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces throng'd and fiery arms. Somė natural tears they dropt, but wiped them soon ; The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide. They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.

APPENDIX TO PARADISE LOST.

Mr. Milton's Agreement with Mr. Symons for Paradise Lost,

dated 27th April, 1667. These presents, made the 27th day of April, 1667, between John Milton, gentleman, of the one part, and Samuel Symons, printer, of the other part, witness That the said John Milton, in consideration of five pounds to him now paid by the said Samuel Symons, and other the considerations herein mentioned, hath given, granted, and assigned, and by these presents doth give, grant, and assign unto the said Samuel Symons, his executors and assignees, All that book, copy, or manuscript of a Poem entitled Paradise Lost, or by whatsoever other title or name the same is or shall be called or distinguished, now lately licensed to be printed, together with the full benefit, profit, and advantage thereof, or which shall or may arise thereby. And the said John Milton, for him, his executors and administrators, doth covenant with the said Samuel Symons, his executors and assignees, that he and they shall at all times hereafter have, hold, and enjoy the same and all impressions thereof accordingly, without the let or hindrance of him, the said John Milton, his executors or assignees, or any person or persons by his or their consent or privity. And that he, the said John Milton, his executors or administrators, or any other by his or their means or consent, shall not print or cause to be printed, or sell, dispose or publish the said book or manuscript, or any other book or manuscript of the same tenor or subject, without the consent of the said Samuel Symons, his executors or assignees : In consideration whereof the said Samuel Symons, for him, his executors and administrators, doth covenant with the said John Milton, his executors and assignees, well and truly to pay unto the said John Milton,

executors and administrators, the sum of five pounds of lawful English money at the end of the first impression, which the said Samuel Symons, his executors or assignees, shall make and publish of the said copy or manuscript, which impression shall be accounted to be ended when thirteen hundred books of the said whole copy or manuscript imprinted shall be sold and retailed off to particular reading customers. And shall also pay other five pounds unto the said John Milton, or his assignees, at the end of the second impression, to be accounted as aforesaid : and five pounds more at the end of the third impression, to be in like manner accounted. And that the said three first impressions shall not exceed fifteen hundred books or volumes of the said whole copy or manuscript, apiece. And further, that he, the said Samuel Symons, and his executors, administrators, and assignees, shall be ready to make oath before a Master in Chancery concerning his or their knowledge and belief of or concerning the truth of the disposing and selling the said books by retail, as aforesaid, whereby the said Mr. Milton is to be entitled to his said money from time to time, upon every reasonable request in that behalf; or, in default thereof,

shall pay the said five pounds agreed to be paid upon every impression, as aforesaid, as if the same were due, and for and in lieu thereof. In witness whereof, the said parties have to this writing indented, interchangeably set their hands and seals the day and year first above written.

JOHN MILTON. (Seal.) Sealed and delivered in Benjamin Greene, servant to Mr. Milton.

John Fisher. the presence of us,

April 26, 1669. Received then of Samuel Symons five pounds, being the second five pounds to be paid-mentioned in the covenant. I

say, received by me,

JOHN MILTON. Witness, Edmund Upton. I do hereby acknowledge to have received of Samuel Symons,

Citizen and Stationer of London, the sum of eight pounds, which is in full payment for all my right, title, or interest, which I have or ever had in the copy of a Poem entitled Paradise Lost, in twelve books, in 8vo, by John Milton, gentleman, my late husband. Witness my hand, this 2 Ist day of December 1680.

ELIZABETH MILTON. Witness, William Yopp, Ann Yopp. Know all men by these presents, that I, Elizabeth Milton, of

London, widow, late wife of John Milton, of London, gentle-
man, deceased, have remissed, released, and for ever quit
claim and by these presents do remiss, release, and for ever
quit claim unto Samuel Symons, of London, printer, his
heirs, executors, and administrators, all and all manner of
action and actions, cause and causes of action, suits, bills,
bonds, writings, obligatory debts, dues, duties, accounts, sum
and sums of money, judgments, execution, extents, quarrels,
either in law or equity, controversies and demands, and all and
every other matter, cause, and thing whatsoever which against
the said Samuel Symons I ever had, and which I, my heirs,
executors, or administrators shall or may have claim and
challenge or demand for or by reason or means of any matters,
cause, or thing whatsoever from the beginning of the world
unto the day of these presents. In witness whereof, I have
hereunto set my hand and seal the twenty-ninth day of April,
in the thirty-third year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord
Charles, by the grace of God, of England, Scotland, France,
and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, and A.D. 1681.

ELIZABETH MILTON.
Signed and delivered

in the presence of
Jos. Leigh, Wm. Wilkins.

I, WHO erewhile the happy garden sung,
By one man's disobedience lost, now sing
Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,
By one man's firm obedience fully tried
Through all temptation, and the tempter foil'd
In all

his wiles, defeated, and repulsed, And Eden raised in the waste wilderness.

Thou Spirit, who ledd'st this glorious eremite
Into the desert, his victorious field,
Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence
By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire,
As thou art wont, my prompted song, else mute,
And bear through height or depth of nature's bounds,
With prosperous wing full summ’d, to tell of deeds
Above heroic, though in secret done,
And unrecorded left through many an age,
Worthy to have not remain'd so long unsung.

Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice
More awful than the sound of trumpet, cried
Repentance, and heaven's kingdom nigh at hand
To ali baptized : to his great baptism fock'd
With awe the regions round, and with them came
From Nazareth, the son of Joseph deem'd
To the flood Jordan; came, as then obscure,
Unmark’d, unknown; but him the Baptist soon
Descried, divinely warn’d, and witness bore
As to his worthier, and would have resign'd
To him his heavenly office, nor was long
His witness unconfirm'd : on him baptized
Heaven open'd, and in likeness of a dove
The Spirit descended, while the Father's voice
From heaven pronounced him his beloved Son.

That heard the adversary, who, roving still
About the world, at that assembly famed
Would not be last, and, with the voice divine
Nigh thunder-struck, the exalted man, to whom
Such high attest was given, a while survey'd
With wonder; then, with envy fraught and rage,
Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air
To council summons all his mighty peers,
Within thick clouds, and dark, ten-fold involved,
A gloomy consistory ; and them amidst,
With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake :

O ancient powers of air, and this wide world,
For much more willingly I mention air,
This our old conquest, than remember hell,
Our hated habitation ; well ye know
How many ages, as the years of men,
This universe we have possess’d, and ruled
In manner at our will, the affairs of earth,
Since Adam and his facile consort Eve
Lost Paradise, deceived by me, though since
With dread attending when that fatal wound
Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve
Upon my head ; long the decrees of Heaven
Delay, for longest time to him is short;
And now, too soon for us, the circling hours
This dreaded time have compass’d, wherein we
Must bide the stroke of that long-threaten’d wound,
At least, if so we can, and, by the head
Broken, be not intended all our power
To be infringed, our freedom, and our being,
In this fair empire won of earth and air :
For this ill news I bring, the woman's Seed,
Destined to this, is late of woman born;
His birth to our just fear gave no small cause,
But his growth now to youth's full flower, displaying
All virtue, grace, and wisdom to achieve
Things highest, greatest

, multiplies my fear.
Before him a great prophet, to proclaim
His coming, is sent harbinger, who all
Invites, and in the consecrated stream
Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them, so
Purified, to receive him pure, or rather
To do him honour as their King : all come,
And he himself among them was baptized,
Not thence to be more pure, but to receive
The testimony of Heaven, that who he is
Thenceforth the nations may not doubt. I saw
The prophet do him reverence; on him, rising
Out of the water, heaven above the clouds
Unfold her crystal doors, thence on his head
A perfect dove descend, whate'er it meant,
And out of heaven the sovereign voice I heard,