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