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. PARADISE LOST. 369 For though I fled him angry, yet recall'd To life prolong'd and promis'd 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'ft Heav'n his, and all the Earth, Not this rock only; his omnipresence fills

Land, fea, and air, and every kind that lives,
Fomented by his virtual pow'r and warm'd:

336

All th' earth he gave thee to poffefs and rule,
No despicable gift; furmise not then
His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd
Of Paradife or Eden: this had been

340

Perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread All generations, and had hither come

From all the ends of th'earth, to celebrate

And reverence thee, their great progenitor.

345

But this præeminence thou haft loft, brought down
To dwell on even ground now with thy fons:
Yet doubt not but in valley and in plain

God is as here, and will be found alike
Prefent, and of his presence many a sign

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Still following thee, ftill compaffing 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 355 Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent

To show thee what shall come in future days

To

36

To thee and to thy ofspring; 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 inur'd,
By moderation, either state to bear,
Profperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead
Safest thy life, and best prepar'd indure
Thy mortal paffage when it comes. Afcend
This hill; let Eve (for I have drench'd her eyes)
Here fleep below, while thou to foresight wak'st;
As once thou fleptft, while fhe to life was form'd.
To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd.
Afcend, I follow thee, safe Guide, the path

3

3

Thou lead'ft me, and to the hand of Heav'n fubm

However chaft'ning, to the evil turn

My obvious breast, arming to overcome

By fuffering, and earn rest from labor 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 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 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 destin❜d walls
Of Cambalu, feat 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 Cherfonese, or where
The Perfian in Ecbatan fat, or fince

In Hifpahan, or where the Ruffian Kfar

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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 less maritim kings
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sofala thought Ophir, to the realm
Of Congo, and Angola farthest south;

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Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount
The kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez and Sus,

Marocco and Algiers, and Tremisen;

On Europe thence, and where Rome was to fway

Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd,
Which that falfe fruit, that promis'd clearer fight,

Had

41

Had bred; then purg'd with euphrafy and rue
The visual nerve, for he had much to fee;
And from the well of life three drops instill'd.
So deep the pow'r of these ingredients pierc'd,
E'en to the inmost seat of mental sight,
That Adam,now enforc'd to close his eyes,
Sunk down, and all his fpirits became intranc'd; 42
But him the gentle Angel by the hand

Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd.

Adam, now ope thine eyes, and first behold Th'effects which thy original crime hath wrought In fome to spring from thee, who never touch'd 4 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 sheaves

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New reap'd, the other part sheep-walks and folds;
I' th' midft an altar as the land-mark stood,
Ruftic, of graffy 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 fhepherd next,
More meek,came with the firstlings of his flock
Choiceft and beft; then facrificing, laid
The inwards and their fat, with incense strow'd,
On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd.
His offering foon propitious fire from Heaven

Confur

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Confum'd with nimble glance, and grateful steam;
The other's not, for his was not sincere:
Whereat he inly rag'd, and as they talk'd,
Smote him into the midriff with a ftone
That beat out life; he fell, and deadly pale
Groan'd out his foul,with gufhing blood effus'd.
Much at that fight was Adam in his heart
Difmay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd.

O Teacher, some great mischief hath befall'n 450
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 slain, 455 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 Lose no reward, though here thou see him die, Rolling in duft and gore. To which our fire. Alas, both for the deed and for the cause! But have I now feen Death? Is this the I must return to native duft? O fight

way

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Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,

Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!

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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 difmal; yet to fenfe