Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious claim; But longer in this Paradise to dwell
Permits not; to remove thee I am come, And send thee from the garden forth to till The ground whenee thou wast taken, fitter soil." He added not, for Adam at the news Heart-struck with chilling gripe of sorrow stood, That all his senses bound; Eve, who unseen Yet all had heard, with audible lament Discover'd soon the place of her retire.
"O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave
Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades, 270 Fit haunt of gods? where I had hope to spend,
Quiet though sad, the respite of that day
That must be mortal to us both. O flowers, That never will in other climate grow, My early visitation, and my last
At even, which I bred up with tender hand From the first opening bud, and gave ye names, Who now shall rear ye to the sun, or rank Your tribes, and water from th' ambrosial fount? Thee, lastly, nuptial how'r, by me adorn'd With what to sight or smell was sweet! from thee How shall I part, and whither wander down Into a lower world, to this obscure
And wild? how shall we breathe in other air
Less pure, accustom'd to immortal fruits?" Whom thus the angel interrupted mild. "Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign What justly thou hast lost; nor set thy heart, Thus over-fond, on that which is not thine: Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes Thy husband; him to follow thou art bound; Where he abides, think there thy native soil." Adam, by this from the cold sudden damp Recovering, and his scatter'd spi'rits return'd, To Michael thus his humble words address'd. "Celestial, whether among the thrones, or nam'd
Of them the high'st, for such of shape may seem Prince above princes! gently hast thou told Thy message, which might else in telling wound, And in performing end us; what besides Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bringy Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recess, and only consolation left
Familiar to our eyes! all places else Inhospitable' appear, and desolate,
Nor knowing us nor known: and, if by prayer Incessant I could hope to change the will
Of him who all things can, I would not cease
To weary him with my assiduous cries:
But pray'r against his absolute decree
No more avails than breath against the wind,
Blown stifling back on him that breathes it forth: Therefore to his great bidding I submit.
This most afflicts me, that, departing hence,
As from his face I shall be hid, depriv'd
His blessed count'nance: here I could frequent
With worship place by place where he vouchsaf'd Presence divine; and to my sons relate,
'On this mount he appear'd; under this tree
Stood visible; among these pines his voice
I heard; here with him at this fountain talk'd:"
So many grateful altars I would rear
Of grassy turf, and pile up every stone
Of lustre from the brook, in memory,
Or monument to ages, and thereon
Offer sweet-smelling gums, and fruits, and flowers: In yonder nether world where shall I seek His bright appearances, or foot-step trace? 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'st Heav'n his, and all the Earth,
Not this rock only'; his omnipresence fills Land, sea, and air, and every kind that lives, Fomented by his virtual pow'r and warm'd: All th' earth he gave thee to possess and rule, No despicable gift; surmise not then
His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd Of Paradise or Eden: this had been
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.
But this pre-eminence thou' hast lost, brought down To dwell on even ground now with thy sons: Yet doubt not but in valley, and in plain, God is, as here, and will be found alike Present, and of his presence many a sign Still following thee, still compassing thee round With goodness and paternal love, his face Express, and of his steps the track divine.
Which that thou may'st 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 thee and to thy offspring; good with bad Expect to hear; supernal grace contending With sinfulness of men; thereby to learn True patience, and to temper joy with fear And pious sorrow, equally inur'd By moderation either state to bear, Prosperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead Safest thy life, and best prepar'd endure Thy mortal passage when it comes. Ascend This hill; let Eve (for I have drench'd her eyes) Here sleep below, while thou to foresight wak'st; As once thou slept'st, while she to life was form'd." To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd. "Ascend, I follow thee, safe guide, the path Thou lead'st me', and to the hand of Heav'n submit, However chast'ning; to the evil turn
My obvious breast, arming to overcome
By suffering, and earn rest from labour 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' amplest reach of prospect lay. 380 Not high'er that hill, nor wider looking round, Whereon, for different cause, the tempter set Our second 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, seat of Cathaian Can, And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir's throne, To Paquin of Sinaan kings; and thence To Agra and Lahor of great Mogul Down to the golden Chersonese; or where The Persian in Ecbatan sat, or since In Hispahan; or where the Russian ksar In Mosco; or the sultan in Bizance, Turchestan-born; nor could his eye not ken Th' empire of Negus to his utmost port Ercoco, and the less maritime kings Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind, And Sofala, thought Ophir, to the realm Of Congo, and Angola farthest south; Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount The kingdoms of Almansor, Fez, and Sus, Morocco, and Algiers, and Tremisen;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway 405 The world: in spirit perhaps he also saw
Rich Mexico, the seat of Montezume,
And Cusco in Peru, the richer seat
Had bred; then purg'd with euphrasy and rue The visual nerve, for he had much to see; 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 spirits became entranc'd; 420 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 some to spring from thee, who never touch'd Th' excepted tree, nor with the snake conspir'd, Nor sinn'd thy sin, 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 New reap'd, the other part sheep-walks and folds; I' th' midst an altar as the land-mark stood, Rustic, of grassy sord; thither anon
A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought
First fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf, 435 Uncull'd, as came to hand; a shepherd next, More meek, came with the firstlings of his flock Choicest and best; then, sacrificing, laid The inwards and their fat, with incense strow'd, On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform❜d. His offering soon propitious fire from Heav'n Consum'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 stone That beat out life; he fell; and, deadly pale, Groan'd out his soul with gushing blood effus'd. Much at that sight was Adam in his heart Dismay'd, and thus in haste to th' angel cry'd.
"O teacher, some great mischief hath befall'n To that meek man, who well had sacrific'd; Is pięty thus and pure devotion paid?"
« PreviousContinue » |