He added not, for Adam at the news
Heart-ftruck with chilling gripe of forrow stood,
That all his fenfes bound; Eve, who unfeen
Yet all had heard, with audible lament
Discover'd foon the place of her retire.
O unexpected stroke, worfe than of Death!
Muft I thus leave thee, Paradife? thus leave
Thee, native foil, thefe happy walks and fhades, 270 Fit haunt of Gods? where I had hope to spend,
Quiet though fad, the refpit of that day
That must be mortal to us both.
That never will in other climate grow,
My early vifitation, and my last
At even, which I bred up with tender hand
From the first opening bud, and gave you names,
Who now fhall rear you to the fun, or rank
Your tribes, and water from th' ambrofial fount?
Thee laftly, nuptial bow'r, by me adorn'd
With what to fight or smell was sweet, from thee
How fhall I part, and whither wander down
Into a lower world, to this obfcure
And wild? how fhall 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 justly thou hast lost; 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 fudden damp Recovering, and his scatter'd spi'rits return'd, To Michael thus his humble words addrefs'd.
Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or nam'd
Of them the high'eft, for fuch of shape may seem
Prince above princes, gently haft thou told
Thy meffage, which might elfe in telling wound,
And in performing end us; what befides
Of forrow and dejection and despair
Our frailty can fuftain, thy tidings bring,
Departure from this happy place, our sweet
Recefs, and only confolation left
Familiar to our eyes, all places elfe
Inhofpitable' appear and defolate,
Nor knowing us nor known: and if by prayer
Inceffant I could hope to change the will
Of him who all things can, I would not ceafo
To weary him with my affiduous cries:
But pray'r against his abfolute decree
No more avails than breath against the wind,
Blown ftifling 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 blefied count'nance; here I could frequent
With worship place by place where he vouchsaf'd
Prefence divine, and to my fons relate,
On this mount he appear'd, under this tree
Stood vifible, among thefe pines his voice
I heard, here with him at this fountain talk'd:
So many grateful altars I would rear
Of graffy turf, and pile up every stone
Of luftre from the brook, in memory,
Or monument to ages, and thereon
Offer sweet smelling gums and fruits and flowers:
In yonder nether world where fhall I feek
His bright appearances, or foot-step 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'ft Heav'n his, and all the Earth,
Not this rock only'; his omniprefence fills
Land, fea, and air, and every kind that lives,
Fomented by his virtual power and warm'd :
All th' earth he gave thee to poffefs and rule,
No defpicable gift; furmife not then
His prefence to these narrow bounds confin'd
Of Paradife or Eden: this had been
Perhaps thy capital feat, 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 præeminence thou' haft loft, brought down
To dwell on even ground now with thy fons :
Yet doubt not but in valley and in plain
'God is as here, and will be found alike
Prefent, and of his prefence many a fign
Still following thee, ftill compaffing thee round
With goodness and paternal love, his face
Exprefs, and of his steps the track divine.
Which that thou may'ft believe, and be confirm'd 355
Ere thou from hence depart, know I am fent
To how thee what shall come in future days
To thee and to thy offspring; good with bad
Expect to hear, fupernal grace contending
With finfulness of men; thereby to learn
True patience, and to temper joy with fear
And pious forrow, equally inur'd
By moderation either state to bear,
Profperous or adverfe: fo fhalt thou lead
Safeft thy life, and beft prepar'd indure
Thy mortal passage when it comes.
This hill; let Eve (for I have drench'd her eyes)
Here fleep below, while thou to forefight wak'ft;
As once thou flept'ft, while fhe to life was form'd.
To whom thus Adam gratefully reply'd.
Ascend, I follow thee, fafe Guide, the path
Thou lead'ft me', and to the hand of Heav'n fubmit,
However chaft'ning, to the evil turn
My obvious breaft, arming to overcome
By fuffering, and earn reft from labor won,
If fo I may attain. So both afcend
In the vifions of God: It was a hill
Of Paradife the highest, from whose top
The hemifphere of earth in clearest ken
Stretch'd out to th' amplest reach of prospect lay. 380
Not high'er that hill nor wider looking round,
Whereon for different cause the Tempter set
Our fecond Adam in the wilderness,
To fhew him all earth's kingdoms and their glory.
His eye might there command wherever stood
City of old or modern fame, the feat
Of mightiest empire, from the destin❜d walls
Of Cambalu, feat of Cathaian Can,
And Samarchand by Oxus, Temir's throne,
To Paquin of Sinæan kings, and thence
To Agra and Lahor of great Mogul
Down to the golden Cherfonefe, or where
The Perfian in Ecbatan fat, or fince
In Hifpahan, or where the Ruffian Kfar
In Mofco, or the Sultan in Bizance,
Turcheftan-born; nor could his eye not ken
Th' empire of Negus to his utmost port
Ercoco, and the less maritim kings
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
And Sofala thought Ophir, to the realm
Of Congo, and Angola farthest fouth;
Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount
The kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez and Suz,
Marocco and Algiers, and Tremisen ;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to fway 405
The world in spi’rit perhaps he also saw
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