Ev'n to the feat of God. For, fince I fought:
By pray' th' offended Deity t'appease ;
Kneel'd, and before Him humbl'd all my heart;,
Methought I saw Him placable, and mild,,
Bending His ear: perfuafion in me grew
That I was heard with favor; peace return'd
Home to my breaft; and to my memory

His promife, that « thy feed shall bruife our foes
Which, then not minded in difmay, yet now
Affures me that the bitterness of death

Is paft, and we shall live. Whence, hail to thee !!
Eve rightly call'd, mother of all mankind,
Mosher of all things living, since by thee
Man is to live; and all things live man!

To whom thus Eve, with fad demeanor meek:
Ill-worthy I, fuch title should belong
To me tranfgreffor! who, for thee ordain'd
A help, became thy fnare: to me reproach
Rather belongs, diftruft, and all dispraise !
But, infinite in pardon was my Judge,

That 1, who first brought death on all, am grac’d
The fource of life: next favorable, thon;
Who highly thus t'intitle me vouchsaf'ft:
Far other name deferving! But, the field
To labor calls us, now with sweat impos'd,
Though after sleepless night: for fee! the morn,
All un-concern'd with our un-rest, begins
Her rofy progress smiling: let us forth;
I never from thy fide henceforth to stray,
Where-e'er our day's work lies; thơ' now enjoin'd

Laborious, 'till day droop: while here we dwell,
What can be toilsom in these pleasant walks ?
Here let us live, though in fall'n state, content !

So fpake, fo wish'd much-humbled Eve; but fate
Subscrib'd not: nature first gave figns, impress'd
On bird, beaft, air; air fuddenly eclips'd,
After short blush of morn: nigh in her fight,
The bird of Jove, stoop'd from his aëry tour,
Two birds of gayeft plume before him drove :
Down from a hill the beaft that reigns in woods
(Firft hunter then ) purfu'd a gentle brace
Goodlieft of all the foreft, hart, and hind;
Direct to th' eaftern gate was bent their flight
Adam obferv'd, and with his eye the chase
Pursuing, not unmov'd, to Eve thus fpake.

O Eve! fome further change awaits us nigh,
Which heav'n, by these mute figns in nature,shews,
Fore-runners of his purpose: or to warn
Us, haply too fecure, 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 duft,
And thither muft return, and be no more?
Why elfe this double object in our fight,
Of flight pursu'd in th' air, and o'er the ground,
One way the self-fame hour? Why in the east
Darkness e'er day's mid-courfe? and morning-light
More orient in yon western cloud, that draws
O'er the blue firmament, a radiant white;
And flow defcends, with fomething heav'nly
fraught:

He err'd not; for by this the heav'nly bands Down from a sky of jafper lighted now In Paradise, and on a hill made halt: A glorious apparition! had not doubt, And carnal fear, that day dim'd Adam's eye.. Not that more glorious, when the Angels met Jacob, in Mahanaim; where he faw

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 furprize.
One man,
affaffine like, had levy'd war;
War un-proclaim'd. The Princely-Hierarch
In their bright ftand there left his Pow'rs, to seize
Poffeffion of the garden: he alone

To find where Adam shelter'd, took his
way.j
Not un-perceiv'd of Adam, who to Eve,
Where the great visitant approach'd, thus spake.
Eve! now expe& great tidings, which perhaps,
Of us will foon determine; or impofe
New laws to be observ'd: for, I descry
From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill,
One of the heav'nly hoft; and by his gait
None of the meaneft: fome great Potentate,
Or of the Thrones above; fuch majesty
Invests him coming! yet not terrible,
That I should fear; nor fociably mild,
As Raphael, that I should much confide;
But folemn, and sublime : whom not t' offend,
With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.

He ended; and th' Arch-Angel soon drew nigh Not in his shap cœleftial, but as man

Clad to meet man: over his lucid arms
A military veft of purple flow'd ;
Livelier than Melibaan, or the grain

Of Sarra, worn by Kings and Heroes old,
In time of truce; Iris had dip'd the vooff;
His starry helm unbuckled, shew'd him prime
In manhood, where youth ended: by his fide
( As in a glistʼring zodiack ) hung the sword,,
Satan's dire dread; and in his hand the spear.
Adam bow'd low: he, kingly, from his state
Inclin'd not, but his coming thus declar'd.

Adam! heav'n's high beheft no preface needs:
Sufficient that thy pray'rs are heard, and death,
(Then due by fentence when thou didst transgress)
Defeated of his feizure; many days

Giv'n thee of grace, wherein thou may'ft repent, And one bad act with many deeds well done May'ft cover: well may then thy Lord; appeas'd, Redeem thee quite from death's rapacious claim.. But, longer in this Paradise to dwell

Permits not to remore thee I am come,

And send thee from the garden forth, to till3,
The Ground whence thou waft taken, fitter foil!
He added not; for Adam at the news
Heart-struck with chilling gripe of forrow stood,
That all his fenfes bound! Eve, who un-feen
Yet all had heard, with audible lament
Discover'd foon, the place of her retire.

O unexpected stroke, worfe than of death!
Muft 1 thus leave thee, Paradife? thus leave
Thee, natiye foil ! these happy walks, and shades,
Fit haunt of Gods? where I had hope to spend,
Quiet, thought fad, the refpite of that day
That must be mortal to us both! O flow'ss,
That never will in other climate grow;
My early visitation, and my last

At ev'n, which I bred up with tender hand
From the firft op'ning bud, and gav eye names
Who now shall rear ye to the sun, or rank
Your tribes, and wather from th' ambrofial fount
Thee laftly, nuptial bow'r ! by me adorn'd
With what to fight, or smell, was sweet ! from thee
How shall I part, and whither wander down
Into a lower world; to this obfcure,

And wild? How shall we breathe in other air
Lefs pure, accuftom'd to immortal fruits?

Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild:
Lament not, Eve! but patiently refign
What juftly thou haft loft: nor fet 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 foil.
Adam, by this from the cold sudden 'damp
Recov'ring, and his fcatter'd fpirits return'd;
To Michael thus his humble words addrefs'd.
Cœleftial! whether among the Thrones, or nam'd
Of them the higheft; for such of shape may feem