Those pure immortal elements, that know
No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him, tainted now, and purge him off
him,tainted
As a diftemper, grofs,to air as gross,
And mortal food, as may dispose him best
For diffolution wrought by fin, that first
Diftemper'd all things, and of incorrupt
Corrupted. I at first with two fair gifts
Created him endow'd, with happiness
And immortality: that fondly loft,
This other serv'd but to eternize woe;
Till I provided death; fo death becomes
His final remedy, and after life

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Try'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd

By faith and faithful works, to second life,

Wak'd in the renovation of the juft,

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Resigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.

But let us call to fynod all the Blest

(hide

Through Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not

My judgments, how with mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant Angels late they saw,

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And in their state, though firm, ftood more confirm'd.
He ended, and the Son gave signal high
To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at general doom. Th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bowers
Z z 2

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Of

Of amarantin shade, fountain or spring,
By the waters of life, where'er they fat
In fellowships of joy, the fons of light
Hafted, reforting to the fummons high,

And took their feats; till from his throne fuprem
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his sovran will.
O Sons, like one of us Man is become,
To know both good and evil, fince his taste
Of that defended fruit; but let him boaft
His knowledge of good loft, and evil got;
Happier, had it fuffic'd him to have known
Good by itself, and evil not at all.
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite,
My motions in him; longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain,
Self-left. Left therefore his now bolder hand
Reach alfo of the tree of life, and eat,
And live for ever, dream at least to live
For ever, to remove him I decree,
And send him from the garden forth to till
The ground whence he was taken, fitter foil.
Michael, this my behest have thou in charge;
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming warriors, left the Fiend,
Or in behalf of Man, or to invade
Vacant poffeffion, fome new trouble raise:
Hafte thee, and from the Paradife of God
Without remorse drive out the sinful pair,

From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce
To them and to their progeny from thence
Yet left they faint

Perpetual banishment.

At the fad fentence, rigorously urg'd,

For I behold them soften'd,and with tears
Bewailing their excess, all terror hide.

If patiently thy bidding they obey,

Dismiss them not difconfolate; reveal

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To Adam what shall come in future days,
As I fhall thee inlighten; intermix

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My covenant in the Woman's feed renew'd;

So fend them forth, though forrowing, yet in peace:
And on the east side of the garden place,

Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs,
Cherubic watch; and of a sword the flame
Wide-waving, all approach far off to fright,
And guard all paffage to the tree of life:
Left Paradise a receptacle prove

To Spirits foul, and all

my trees their prey,

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With whose ftol'n fruit Man once more to delude. 125
He ceas'd; and th' archangelic Pow'r prepar'd
For fwift 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 130
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drouse,
Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the past'ral reed
Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Mean while

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To refalute the world with facred light

Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm'd 131
The earth, when Adam and first matron Eve
Had ended now their orifons, 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

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The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n descends;
But that from us ought should ascend to Heaven
So prevalent as to concern the mind.
Of God high-bleft, or to incline his will,
Hard to belief may feem; yet this will prayer,
Or one short sigh of human breath, upborne
Ev'n to the feat of God. For fince I fought
By pray'r th' offended Deity to appease,
Kneel'd,and before him humbled all my heart, 15
Methought I faw him placable and mild,
Bending his ear; persuasion in me grew
That I was heard with favor; peace return'd
Home to my breast, and to my memory

His promise, that thy feed shall bruise our foe; 1
Which then not minded in dismay, yet now
Affures 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, fince by thee
Man is to live, and all things live for Man.

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T

To whom thus Eve with fad demeanour 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, distrust and all dispraise: But infinite in pardon was my Judge,

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That I,who first brought death on all, am grac'd
The fource of life; next favorable thou,
Who highly thus to intitle me vouchsaf'st,
Far other name deferving. But the field
To labor calls us now, with fweat impos'd,
Though after sleepless night; for fee, the morn,
All unconcern'd with our unrest, begins
Her rofy progress smiling; let us forth,
I never from thy fide henceforth to stray,
Where'er our day's work lies, though now injoin'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 ftate, content. 180
So spake, so wish'd much-humbled Eve, but fate
Subfcrib'd not; Nature first gave figns, imprefs'd
On bird, beast, air; air fuddenly eclips'd
After short blush of morn; nigh in her fight
The bird of Jove, ftoop'd from his aery tour,

Two birds of gayest plume before him drove:
Down from a hill the beast that reigns in woods,
First hunter then, purfu'd a gentle brace,
Goodliest of all the foreft, hart and hind;

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