On all who in the worship perfevere Of fpi'rit and truth; the reft, far greater part, Religion fatisfied; truth fhall retire 535 Beftuck with fland'rous darts, and works of faith Rarely be found fo fhall the world go on, To good malignant, to bad men benign, And vengeance to the wicked, at return Of him fo lately promis'd to thy aid The Woman's Seed, obfcurely then foretold, 540 Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord, Eternity, whofe end no eye can reach. 545 550 555 560 And And love with fear the only God, to walk 565 Accomplishing great things, by things deem'd weak By fimply meek; that fuffering for truth's fake And to the faithful death the gate of life; 570 To whom thus alfo th' Angel laft reply'd. Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea, 580 585 To leave this Paradise, but shalt poffefs A Paradise within thee, happier far. Let us defcend now therefore from this top Exacts our parting hence; and fee the guards, 590 By me incamp'd on yonder hill, expect Their motion, at whose front a flaming fword, 595 Let her with thee partake what thou haft heard, 600 The That ye may live, which will be many days, Both in one faith unanimous, though fad With cause for evils paft, yet much more chear'd 605 He ended, and they both descend the hill ; Defcended, Adam to the bow'r where Eve Lay fleeping ran before, but found her wak'd; And thus with words not fad fhe him receiv'd. Whence thou return'ft, and whither went'ft, I know; For God is alfo' in fleep, and dreams advise, Which he hath fent propitious, fome great good Prefaging, fince with forrow' 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 confolation yet fecure I carry hence; though all by me is loft, 615 620 Such Such favor I unworthy am vouchfaf'd, By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore. 630 So fpake our mother Eve, and Adam heard Well pleas'd, but answer'd not; for now too nigh 625 Th' Arch-Angel ftood, and from the other hill To their fix'd station, all in bright array The Cherubim defcended; on the ground Gliding meteorous, as evening mist Ris'n from a river o'er the marish glides, And gathers ground faft at the lab'rer's heel Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd The brandifh'd fword of God before them blaz'd Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat, And vapor as the Libyan air aduft, Began to parch that temp'rate clime; whereat In either hand the haft'ning Angel caught Our ling'ring parents, and to the eastern gate Led them direct, and down the cliff as faft To the fubjected plain; then disappear'd. They looking back, all th' eastern fide beheld Of Paradife, fo late their happy feat, 635 640 Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate THE |