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 strew'd,
On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd. 440
His off'ring 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 cry'd.
O teacher, some great mischief hath befall'n 450
To that meek man, who well had sacrific'd ;
Is piety thus and pure devotion paid?
T'whom Michael thus, he also mov'd, reply'd.
433 sord] So in Shakesp. Winter's Tale. (ed. folio, 1623, p. 292.) 'Ran on the greene-sord.' Fenton prints 'sod;' which all succeeding editions adopted, till Newton restored the original word; except that Bentley printed it (very affectedly, says Newton) swerð. Todd. 435 green] Brown. Bentl. MS.
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 sire.
Alas, both for the deed and for the cause!
But have I now seen Death? is this the way
I must return to native dust? O 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 intemperance more
In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring
Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew
Before thee shall appear; that thou may'st know 475
What misery th' inabstinence of Eve
Shall bring on men. Immediately a place
467 many shapes] Compare A. Ramsæi Poem. Sacr. vol. i. p. 61. O quot millia mittent
Rupis inaccessæ prærupta cacumina Letho.'
467 many] Seneca Phon. I. 151.
'Ubique mors est,-Mille ad hanc aditus patent.'
Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark;
A lazar-house it seem'd, wherein were laid
Numbers of all diseas'd; all maladies
Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds,
Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs,
Intestine stone and ulcer, colic-pangs,
Dæmoniac frenzy, moping melancholy,
And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy,
Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence,
Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.
Dire was the tossing, deep the groans. Despair
Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch;
And over them triumphant Death his dart
Shook, but delay'd to strike, though oft invok'd
With vows, as their chief good, and final hope.
Sight so deform what heart of rock could long
Dry-ey'd behold? Adam could not, but wept,
Though not of woman born; compassion quell'd
His best of man, and gave him up to tears
A space, till firmer thoughts restrain'd excess,
And scarce recovering words his plaint renew'd.
O miserable mankind, to what fall
Degraded, to what wretched state reserv'd!
Better end here unborn. Why is life giv'n
To be thus wrested from us? rather why
482 feverous] Hor. Od. i. iii. 30. Febrium cohors.' Todd.
gave him up] Shakesp. Hen. V. act iv. sc. 6.
But all my mother came into my eyes,
And gave me up to tears.'
Obtruded on us thus ? who, if we knew
What we receive, would either not accept
Life offer'd, or soon beg to lay it down,
Glad to be so dismiss'd in peace. Can thus
Th' image of God in man, created once
So goodly and erect, though faulty since,
To such unsightly sufferings be debas'd
Under inhuman pains? Why should not man,
Retaining still divine similitude
In part, from such deformities be free,
And for his Maker's image sake exempt?
Their Maker's image, answer'd Michael, then 515 Forsook them, when them selves they vilify'd To serve ungovern'd appetite, and took His image whom they serv'd, a brutish vice, Inductive mainly to the sin of Eve. Therefore so abject is their punishment, Disfiguring not God's likeness, but their own, Or if his likeness, by them selves defac'd, While they pervert pure nature's healthful rules To loathsome sickness, worthily, since they God's image did not reverence in them selves.
I yield it just, said Adam, and submit. But is there yet no other way, besides These painful passages, how we may come To death, and mix with our connatural dust? There is, said Michael, if thou well observe The rule of not too much, by temperance taught In what thou eat'st and drink'st, seeking from thence Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,
Till many years over thy head return:
So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop 535
Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease
Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature.
This is old age; but then thou must outlive
Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change
To wither'd, weak, and gray: thy senses then
Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forego
To what thou hast; and for the air of youth
Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign
A melancholy damp of cold and dry
To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume
The balm of life. To whom our ancestor.
Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong
Life much, bent rather how I may be quit
Fairest and easiest of this cumbrous charge,
Which I must keep till my appointed day
Of rend'ring up, and patiently attend
My dissolution. Michael reply'd.
Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st Live well, how long or short permit to heaven: And now prepare thee for another sight.
537 mature] v. Cic. de Senectute. xix. Et quasi poma ex arboribus, cruda si sint, vi avelluntur: si matura, et cocta, decidunt.' Newton. 551 attend] In the first edition;
'Which I must keep till my appointed day
Of rendering up. Michael to him replied.' Newton.
553 hate] Martial, lib. x.
'Summum nec metuas diem, nec optes.' Newton. 554 permit] Permitte Divis. Hor. Od. i. ix. 9. Newton.
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