Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave
Thee, native soil! these happy walks and shades,
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 op'ning 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 bower 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
Recov'ring, and his scatter'd spirits return'd,
To Michael thus his humble words address'd:
"Celestial! whether among the thrones, or nam'd
Of them the highest, for such of shape may seein
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 bring,
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 prayer 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 footstep 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 heaven 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 power 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,
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.
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 replied:
"Ascend, I follow thee, safe guide, the path
Thou lead'st me', and to the hand of heaven submit,
liowever chast'ning, to the evil turn

Ascend

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 the amplest reach of prospect lay.
Not higher that hill, or wider looking round,
Whereon, for diff'rent 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 destined walls
Of Cambalu, seat of Cathaian Can,
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir's throne,
To Pekin of Sinæan kings, and thence
To Agra and Labor of great Mogul,

Down to the golden Chersonese, or where
The Persian in Ecbatan sat, or since
In Hispahan, or where the Russian Czar
In Moscow, 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, aud Sus,
Morocco, and Algiers, and Tremisen ;

On Europe, thence, and where Rome was to swayThe world in spirit perhaps he also saw

Rich Mexico the seat of Montezume,

And Cusco in Peru, the richer seat
Of Atabalipa, and yet unspoil'd
Guiana, whose great city Geryon's son
Call El Dorado. But to nobler sights
Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd,
Which that false fruit that promis'd clearer sight
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 power of these ingredients pierc'd,
Even 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 ;
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,

Y

Rustic, of grassy sod; thither anon
A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought
First fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf,
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 heaven
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 cried:
"O teacher, some great mischief hath befall'n
To that meek man, who well had sacrific'd;
Is piety thus and pure devotion paid?”

T'whom Michael thus, he also mov'd, replied:
"These two are brethren, Adam, and to come
Out of thy loins; th' unjust the just hath slain,
For envy that his brother's offering found
From heaven acceptance; but the bloody fact
Will be aveng'd, and th' other's faith approv'd
Lose no reward, though here thou see him die,
Rolling in dust and gore." To which our site:
"Alas, both for the deed and for the cause!
But have I now seen Death?
I must return to native dust?

Is this the way. C sight Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,

Horrid to think, how horrible to feel !"

To whom thus Michael: "Death thou hast seen In his first shape on man; but many shapes Of death, and many are the ways that lead To his grim cave, all dismal; yet to sense More terrible at th' entrance than within. Some, as thou saw'st, by violent stroke shall die, By fire, flood, famine; by intemp'rance more In meats and drink, which on the earth shall bring