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Religion satisfy'd; truth shall retire

535

Bestruck with sland'rous darts, and works of faith
Rarely be found: so shall the world go on,
To good malignant, to bad men benign,
Under her own weight groaning, till the day
Appear of respiration to the just,

And vengeance to the wicked, at return
Of him so lately promis'd to thy aid,

540

The Woman's Seed, obscurely then foretold,
Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,
Last in the clouds from Heav'n to be reveal'd 545
In glory of the Father, to dissolve

555

Satan with his perverted world, then raise
From the conflagrant mass, purg'd and refin'd,
New Heav'ns, new Earth, ages of endless date,
Founded in righteousness, and peace, and love, 550
To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss."
He ended; and thus Adam last reply'd:
"How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,
Measur'd this transient world, the race of time,
Till time stand fix'd? beyond is all abyss,
Eternity, whose end no eye can reach.
Greatly instructed I shall hence depart,
Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill
Of knowledge, what this vessel 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 presence, ever to observe
His providence, and on him sole depend,
Merciful over all his works, with good
Still overcoming evil, and by small

560

565

Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise

By simply meek; that suffering for truth's sake

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 blest."

570

To whom thus also th' Angel last reply'd: "This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum 575 Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars Thou knew'st by name, and all th' etherial pow'rs, All secrets of the deep, all nature's works, Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea, And all the riches of this world enjoy'dst, And all the rule, one empire; only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith, Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love, By name to come call'd charity, the soul Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loth

580

585

To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A Paradise within thee, happier far.

Let us descend now therefore from this top
Of speculation; for the hour precise

Exacts our parting hence; and see the guards, 590
By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect

595

Their motion, at whose front a flaming sword,
In signal of remove, waves fiercely round:
We may no longer stay. Go, waken Eve;
Her also I with gentle dreams have calm'd
Portending good, and all her spi'rits compos'd
To meek submission: thou at season fit
Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard,
Chiefly what may concern her faith to know,
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."

600

605

He ended, and they both descend the hill; Descended, Adam to the bow'r where Eve Lay sleeping ran before, but found her wak'd; And thus with words not sad she him receiv'd: "Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st, I

know;

For God is also' in sleep, and dreams advise,

610

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 Heav'n, all places thou,
Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence.
This further consolation yet secure

615

620

I carry hence; though all by me is lost,
Such favour I unworthy am vouchsaf'd,
By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore."

So spake our mother Eve, and Adam heard

624

Well pleas'd, but answer'd not: for now too nigh

Th' Arch-Angel 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 Ris'n from a river o'er the marish glides, And gathers ground fast at the lab'rer's heel Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd The brandish'd sword of God before them blaz'd Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat, And vapour as the Libyan air adust, Began to parch that temp'rate clime; whereat In either hand the hast'ning Angel caught Our ling'ring parents, and to th' eastern gate Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast To the subjected plain; then disappear'd. They, looking back, all th' eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces throng'd and fiery arms:

630

635

640

644

Some natural tears they dropt, but wip'd them soon.

The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide. They hand in hand, with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.

THE END.
O

BOD

ANA

INDEX.

Note, The numeral letters refer to the Book, the figures
to the Line.

AARON and Moses, their mission to Egypt, xii. 170
Abdiel, a Seraph, his opposition to Satan, respecting the
revolt of the Angels, v. 803. his fidelity, v. 896. aban-
dous the party of Satan, vi. 1. soliloquy on viewing him
at their head, vi. 114. his conquest of Ariel, Arioch, and
Ramiel, vi. 369

Abel and Cain, their story, xi. 429

Abraham and the Patriarchs, story of, xii. 113

Adam and Eve, general description of them, iv. 288. more
minutely described, iv. 295. their state of innocence, iv.
312 492 738. v. 211 303. vii. 510. entertainment of the
angel Raphael, v. 313 391. their nuptial bed described,
iv. 708. their behaviour after the fall, and on finding
themselves naked, ix. 1004 1051. attempt to avoid God,
x. 97. appear before him, x. 109. their expulsion from
Paradise, xii. 265

Adam, his discourse with Eve on the prohibition of the
tree of knowledge, iv. 411. on viewing her sleeping,
v. 8. his answer to her dream relative to Satan's first
temptation, v. 94. his discourse in the bower with
Raphael, v. 460. his creation and dominion, ix. 524.
his first view of the Divine Presence, &c. viii. 311. his
speech to God on his solitude in Paradise, viii. 357. his
passion for Eve, viii. 521. discourses with her on Satan's
subtilty, ix. from 205 to 384. soliloquy on her trans-
gression, ix. 896. resolves to die with her, ix. 907. eats
the forbidden fruit, ix. 996, solicits her to submit to
sexual pleasures, and their consequences, ix. 1011 1016.
speech to her on their fall, &e. ix. 1067. the sentence
on him, x. 197. reflects on the immortality of the soul,
&c. x. 782. his resolution against the advice of Eve to
commit suicide, x. 1028. behaviour on receiving the
message for their expulsion, xi. 263

Adramelech and Asmalia, falien angels, their defeat, vi. 365
Amaranth, a flower, transplanted to Heaven, iii. 352

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