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Cherubic watch, and of a sword the flame
Wide waving, all approach far off to fright,
And guard all passage to the Tree of Life:
Lest paradise a receptacle prove

120

To spirits foul, and all my trees their prey,
With whose stol'n fruit man once more to delude. 125
He ceas'd; and th' archangelic pow'r prepar'd
For swift descent, with him the cohort bright
Of watchful Cherubim; four faces each
Had, like a double Janus; all their shape
Spangled with eyes more numerous than those
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drouze,
Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the pastoral reed
Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Mean while,
To resalute the world with sacred light

130

Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm❜d 135
The earth, when Adam and first matron Eve
Had ended now their orisons, and found
Strength added from above, new hope to spring

Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet link'd;
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. 140
Eve, easily may faith admit, that all

The good which we enjoy from heav'n descends;
But that from us aught should ascend to heav'n
So prevalent as to concern the mind
Of God high-bless'd, or to incline his will,
Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer,
Or one short sigh of human breath, upborne
Ev'n to the seat of God. For since I sought

131 Of] Of fabled Argus, wakeful not to drouze.' Bentl. MS.

145

By prayer th' offended Deity to appease,
Kneel'd and before him humbled all my heart,
Methought I saw him placable and mild,
Bending his ear: persuasion in me grew
That I was heard with favour; peace return'd
Home to my breast, and to my memory

150

His promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe; 155
Which, then not minded in dismay, yet now
Assures me that the bitterness of death

Is past, and we shall live. Whence hail to thee,
Eve rightly call'd, mother of all mankind,
Mother of all things living, since by thee
Man is to live, and all things live for man.

To whom thus Eve with sad demeanour meek.

Ill worthy I such title should belong

To me transgressor, who, for thee ordain'd

A help, became thy snare: to me reproach
Rather belongs, distrust, and all dispraise:
But infinite in pardon was my Judge,
That I, who first brought death on all, am grac'd
The source of life; next favourable thou,
Who highly thus to entitle me vouchsaf'st,
Far other name deserving. But the field
To labour calls us now with sweat impos'd,
Though after sleepless night; for see, the morn,
All unconcern'd with our unrest, begins
Her rosy progress smiling; let us forth,

174 begins] Shakesp. Hen. IV. p. i. act iii. sc. 1.
"The heavenly-harness'd team
Begins his golden progress in the east.'
2

VOL. II.

Newton.

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I never from thy side henceforth to stray,
Where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoin'd
Laborious, till day droop; while here we dwell,
What can be toilsome in these pleasant walks?
Here let us live, though in fall'n state, content.

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185

So spake, so wish'd much-humbled Eve; but fate Subscrib'd not; nature first gave signs, impress'd On bird, beast, air, air suddenly eclips'd After short blush of morn: nigh in her sight The bird of Jove, stoop'd from his aery tow'r, Two birds of gayest plume before him drove : Down from a hill the beast that reigns in woods, First hunter then, pursu'd a gentle brace, Goodliest of all the forest, hart and hind; Direct to th' eastern gate was bent their flight. 190 Adam observ'd, and, with his eye the chase Pursuing, not unmov'd to Eve thus spake.

195

O Eve, some further change awaits us nigh,
Which heav'n by these mute signs in nature shows
Forerunners of his purpose, or to warn
Us haply too secure of our discharge
From penalty, because from death releas'd

Some days; how long, and what till then our life,
Who knows, or more than this, that we are dust,
And thither must return and be no more?
Why else this double object in our sight

Of flight pursu'd in th' air, and o'er the ground,

182 Subscrib'd] Shakespeare's Meas. for Meas. act ii. sc. 4. 'Admit no other way to save his life,

[blocks in formation]

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One way the selfsame hour? Why in the east
Darkness ere day's mid-course, and morning light
More orient in yon western cloud, that draws
O'er the blue firmament a radiant white,
And slow descends, with something heav'nly fraught?
He err'd not, for by this the heav'nly bands
Down from a sky of jasper lighted now
In paradise, and on a hill made halt,

A glorious apparition, had not doubt
And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adam's eye.
Not that more glorious, when the angels met
Jacob in Mahanaim, where he saw

The field pavilion'd with his guardians bright;
Nor that which on the flaming mount appear'd
In Dothan, cover'd with a camp of fire,
Against the Syrian king, who to surprise
One man assassin-like had levy'd war,
War unproclaim'd. The princely hierarch

In their bright stand there left his powers to seise

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215

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204 morning light] So in the Adamus Exsul of Grotius, p. 73.

Eve says,

'Quis subitus ardor iste? quæ lux emicat?
Corripuit hortum flamma, et excelsæ arbores
Ardent sine igne, fervidumque incendium
Trepide vagatur: qualibus cœlum nitet
Illustre facibus, integrum flagrat nemus.

Fugiamus æstus! ista divinæ manus

Sunt opera, quæ nos ire in exsilium jubet.'

205 draws] So D. Heinsius;

'Rubore cœlum prævio Aurora imbuit,

Primamque puræ purpuram nubes trahunt.' Herodes, p. 220.

215 pavilion'd] Shakesp. Henry V. act i. sc. 2.

'And lie pavilion'd in the fields of France.' Bowle.

Possession of the garden; he alone,

To find where Adam shelter'd, took his way,
Not unperceiv'd of Adam, who to Eve,
While the great visitant approach'd, thus spake. 225
Eve, now expect great tidings, which perhaps
Of us will soon determine, or impose

New laws to be observ'd; for I descry

From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill
One of the heav'nly host, and by his gait
None of the meanest, some great potentate,
Or of the thrones above, such majesty
Invests him coming; yet not terrible,
That I should fear, nor sociably mild,
As Raphael, that I should much confide,
But solemn and sublime, whom not to offend
With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.

He ended; and th' archangel soon drew nigh,

Not in his shape celestial, but as man
Clad to meet man; over his lucid arms
A military vest of purple flow'd,
Livelier than Meliboan, or the grain

Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old
In time of truce; Iris had dipp'd the woof;
His starry helm unbuckled show'd him prime
In manhood where youth ended; by his side
As in a glistering zodiac hung the sword,

232 Or] Lord of the Thrones above. Bentl. MS. 242 Melibaan] Virg. Æn. V. 251.

'Purpura mæandro duplici Melibea cucurrit.' and Georg. ii. 506. 'Sarrano indormiat ostro.'

Hume.

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