head thir stings Then temporal death shall bruise the Victors heel Or theirs whom he redeems a death like sleep A gentle wafting to immortal Life Nor after resurrection shall he stay Longer on Earth then certaine times to appeer To his Disciples Men who in his Life Still follow'd him to them shall leave in charge To teach all nations what of him they learn'd And his Salvation them who shall beleeve Baptizing in the profluent streame the signe Of washing them from guilt of sin to Life Pure and in mind prepar'd if so befall For death like that which the redeemer dy'd All Nations they shall teach for from that day Not onely to the Sons of Abrahams Loines Salvation shall be Preacht but to the Sons Of Abrahams Faith wherever through the world So in his seed all Nations shall be blest Then to the Heav'n of Heav'ns he shall ascend With victory triumphing through the aire Over his foes and thine there shall surprise The Serpent Prince of aire and drag in Chaines Through all his realme there confounded leave Then enter into glory and resume His Seat at Gods right hand exalted high Above all names in Heav'n and thence shall come When this worlds dissolution shall be ripe With glory and power to judge both quick dead To judge th' unfaithful dead but to reward His faithful and receave them into bliss Whether in Heav'n or Earth for then the Earth Shall all be Paradise far happier place Then this of Eden and far happier daies So spake th' Archangel Michael then paus'd As at the Worlds great period and our Sire Replete with joy and wonder thus repli'd O goodness infinite goodness immense That all this good of evil shall produce And evil turn to good more wonderful Then that which by creation first brought forth Light out of darkness full of doubt I stand Whether I should repent me now of sin By mee done and occasiond or rejoyce Much more that much more good thereof shall spring To God more glory more good will to Men From God and over wrauth grace shall abound But say if our deliverer up to Heav'n Must reascend what will betide the few His faithful left among th' unfaithful herd The enemies of truth who then shall guide His people who defend will they not deale Wors with his followers then with him they dealt Be sure they will said th' Angel but from Heav'n Hee to his own a Comforter will send The promise of the Father who shall dwell His Spirit within them and the Law of Faith Working through love upon thir hearts shall write To guide them in all truth and also arme With spiritual Armour able to resist Satans assaults and quench his fierie darts What Man can do against them not affraid Though to the death against such cruelties With inward consolations recompenc't And oft supported so as shall amaze Thir proudest persecuters for the Spirit Powrd first on his Apostles whom he sends To evangelize the Nations then on all Baptiz'd shall them with wondrous gifts endue To speak all Tongues and do all Miracles As did thir Lord before them Thus they win Great numbers of each Nation to receave With joy the tidings brought from Heav'n at length Thir Ministry perform'd and race well run Thir doctrine and thir story written left They die but in thir room as they forewarne Wolves shall succeed for teachers grievous Wolves Who all the sacred mysteries of Heav'n To thir own vile advantages shall turne Of lucre and ambition and the truth With superstitions and traditions taint Left onely in those written Records pure Though not but by the Spirit understood Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names Places and titles and with these to joine Secular power though feigning still to act By spiritual to themselves appropriating The Spirit of God promisd alike and giv'n To all Beleevers and from that pretense Spiritual Lawes by carnal power shall force On every conscience Laws which none shall finde Left them inrould or what the Spirit within Shall on the heart engrave What will they then But force the Spirit of Grace it self and binde His consort Libertie what but unbuild His living Temples built by Faith to stand Thir own Faith not anothers for on Earth Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard Infallible yet many will presume Whence heavie persecution shall arise On all who in the worship persevere Of Spirit and Truth the rest farr greater part Will deem in outward Rites and specious formes Religion satisfi'd Truth shall retire Bestuck with slandrous darts and works of Faith Rarely be found so shall the World goe on To good malignant to bad men benigne Under her own waight groaning till the day Appeer of respiration to the just And vengeance to the wicked at return Of him so lately promiss'd to thy aid The Womans seed obscurely then foretold Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord Last in the Clouds from Heav'n to be reveald In glory of the Father to dissolve Satan with his perverted World then raise From the conflagrant mass purg'd and refin'd New Heav'ns new Earth Ages of endless date Founded in righteousness and peace and love To bring forth fruits Joy and eternal Bliss He ended and thus Adam last reply'd How soon hath thy prediction Seer blest Measur'd this transient World the Race of time Till time stand fixt beyond is all abyss Eternitie whose end no eye can reach Greatly instructed I shall hence depart Greatly in peace of thought and have my fill Of knowledge what this vessel can containe Beyond which was my folly to aspire Henceforth I learne that to obey is best And love with feare the onely God to walk As in his presence ever to observe His providence and on him sole depend Merciful over all his works with good Still overcoming evil and by small Accomplishing great things by things deemd weak Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply meek that suffering for Truths sake Is fortitude to highest victorie And to the faithful Death the Gate of Life Taught this by his example whom I now Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest To whom thus also th' Angel last repli'd This having learnt thou hast attaind the summe Of wisdom hope no higher though all the Starrs Thou knewst by name and all th' ethereal Powers All secrets of the deep all Natures works Or works of God in Heav'n Air Earth or Sea And all the riches of this World enjoydst And all the rule one Empire onely add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable add Faith Add Vertue Patience Temperance add Love By name to come call'd Charitie the soul Of all the rest then wilt thou not be loath To leave this Paradise but shalt possess A Paradise within thee happier farr Let us descend now therefore from this top Of Speculation for the hour precise Exacts our parting hence and see the Guards By mee encampt on yonder Hill expect Thir motion at whose Front a flaming Sword In signal of remove waves fiercely round We may no longer stay go waken Eve Her also I with gentle Dreams have calm'd Portending good and all her spirits compos'd To meek submission thou at season fit Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard Chiefly what may concern her Faith to know The great deliverance by her Seed to come For by the Womans Seed on all Mankind That ye may live which will be many dayes Both in one Faith unanimous though sad With cause for evils past yet much more cheer'd With meditation on the happie end He ended and they both descend the Hill Descended Adam to the Bowre where Eve Lay sleeping ran before but found her wak't And thus with words not sad she him receav'd Whence thou returnst whither wentst I know For God is also in sleep and Dreams advise Which he hath sent propitious some great good Presaging since with sorrow and hearts distress VVearied I fell asleep but now lead on In mee is no delay with thee to goe Is to stay here without thee here to stay Is to go hence unwilling thou to mee Art all things under Heav'n all places thou VVho for my wilful crime art banisht hence This further consolation yet secure I carry hence though all by mee is lost Such favour I unworthie am voutsaft By mee the Promis'd Seed shall all restore So spake our Mother Eve and Adam heard VVell pleas'd but answer'd not for now too nigh Th' Archangel stood and from the other Hill To thir fixt Station all in bright array The Cherubim descended on the ground Gliding meteorous as Ev'ning Mist Ris'n from a River o're the marish glides And gathers ground fast at the Labourers heel Homeward returning High in Front advanc't The brandisht Sword of God before them blaz'd Fierce as a Comet which with torrid heat And vapour as the Libyan Air adust Began to parch that temperate Clime whereat In either hand the hastning Angel caught Our lingring Parents and to th' Eastern Gate Led them direct and down the Cliff as fast To the subjected Plaine then disappeer'd They looking back all th' Eastern side beheld Of Paradise so late thir happie seat Wav'd over by that flaming Brand the â—…ate With dreadful Faces throng'd and fierie Armes Som natural tears they drop'd but wip'd them soon The World was all before them where to choose Thir place of rest and Providence thir guide They hand in hand with wandring steps and slow Through Eden took thir solitarie way THE END
reported gladly then he mixt Among thosef riendly Powers who him receav'd With joy and acclamations loud that one That of so many Myriads fall'n yet one Returnd not lost On to the sacred hill They led him high applauded and present Before the seat supream from whence a voice From midst a Golden Cloud thus milde was heard Servant of God well done well hast thou fought The better fight who single hast maintaind Against revolted multitudes the Cause Of Truth in word mightier then they in Armes And for the testimonie of Truth hast born Universal reproach far worse to beare Then violence for this was all thy care To stand approv'd in sight of God though Worlds Judg'd thee perverse the easier conquest now Remains thee aided by this host of friends Back on thy foes more glorious to return Then scornd thou didst depart and to subdue By force who reason for thir Law refuse Right reason for thir Law and for thir King Messiah who by right of merit Reigns Goe Michael of Celestial Armies Prince And thou in Military prowess next Gabriel lead forth to Battel these my Sons Invincible lead forth my armed Saints By Thousands and by Millions rang'd for fight Equal in number to that Godless crew Rebellious them with Fire and hostile Arms Fearless assault and to the brow of Heav'n Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss Into thir place of punishment the Gulf Of Tartarus which ready opens wide His fiery Chaos to receave thir fall So spake the Sovran voice and Clouds began To darken all the Hill and smoak to rowl In duskie wreathes reluctant flames the signe Of wrauth awak't nor with less dread the loud Ethereal Trumpet from on high gan blow At which command the Powers Militant That stood for Heav'n in mighty Quadrate joyn'd Of Union irresistible mov'd on In silence thir bright Legions to the sound Of instrumental Harmonie that breath'd Heroic Ardor to advent'rous deeds Under thir God-like Leaders in the Cause Of God and his Messiah On they move Indissolubly firm nor obvious Hill Nor streit'ning Vale nor Wood nor Stream divides Thir perfet ranks for high above the ground Thir march was and the passive Air upbore Thir nimble tread as when the total kind Of Birds in orderly array on wing Came summond over Eden to receive Thir names of thee so over many a tract Of Heav'n they march'd and many a Province wide Tenfold the length of this terrene at last Farr in th' Horizon to the North appeer'd From skirt to skirt a fierie Region stretcht In battailous aspect and neerer view Bristl'd with upright beams innumerable Of rigid Spears and Helmets throng'd and Shields Various with boastful Argument portraid The banded Powers of Satan hasting on With furious expedition for they weend That self same day by fight or by surprize To win the Mount of God and on his Throne To set the envier of his State the proud Aspirer but thir thoughts prov'd fond and vain In the mid way though strange to us it seemd At first that Angel should with Angel warr And in fierce hosting meet who wont to meet So oft in Festivals of joy and love Unanimous as sons of one great Sire Hymning th' Eternal Father but the shout Of Battel now began and rushing sound Of onset ended soon each milder thought High in the midst exalted as a God Th' Apostat in his Sun-bright Chariot sate Idol of Majestie Divine enclos'd With Flaming Cherubim and golden Shields Then lighted from his gorgeous Throne for now 'Twixt Host and Host but narrow space was left A dreadful interval and Front to Front Presented stood in terrible array Of hideous length before the cloudie Van On the rough edge of battel ere it joyn'd Satan with vast and haughtie strides advanc't Came towring armd in Adamant and Gold Abdiel that sight endur'd not where he stood Among the mightiest bent on highest deeds And thus his own undaunted heart explores O Heav'n that such resemblance of the Highest Should yet remain where faith and realtie Remain not wherfore should not strength might There fail where Vertue fails or weakest prove Where boldest though to sight unconquerable His puissance trusting in th' Almightie's aide I mean to try whose Reason I have tri'd Unsound and false nor is it aught but just That he who in debate of Truth hath won Should win in Arms in both disputes alike Victor though brutish that contest and foule When Reason hath to deal with force yet so Most reason is that Reason overcome So pondering and from his armed Peers Forth stepping opposite half way he met His daring foe at this prevention more Incens't and thus securely him defi'd Proud art thou met thy hope was to have reacht The highth of thy aspiring unoppos'd The Throne of God unguarded and his side Abandond at the terror of thy Power Or potent tongue fool not to think how vain Against th' Omnipotent to rise in Arms Who out of smallest things could without end Have rais'd incessant Armies to defeat Thy folly or with solitarie hand Reaching beyond all limit at one blow Unaided could have finisht thee and whelmd Thy Legions under darkness but thou seest All are not of thy Train there be who Faith Prefer and Pietie to God though theâ—… To thee not visible when I alone Seemd in thy World erroneous to dissent From all my Sect thou seest now learn too late How few somtimes may know when thousands err Whom the grand foe with scornful eye askance Thus answerd Ill for thee but in wisht houre Of my revenge first sought for thou returnst From flight seditious Angel to receave Thy merited reward the first assay Of this right hand provok't since first that tongue Inspir'd with contradiction durst oppose A third part of the Gods in Synod met Thir Deities to assert who while they feel Vigour Divine within them can allow Omnipotence to none But well thou comst Before thy fellows ambitious to win From me som Plume that thy success may show Destruction to the rest this pause between Unanswerd least thou boast to let thee know At first I thought that Libertie and Heav'n To heav'nly Soules had bin all one but now I see that most through sloth had rather serve Ministring Spirits traind up in Feast and Song Such hast thou arm'd the Minstrelsie of Heav'n Servilitie with freedom to contend As both thir deeds compar'd this day shall prove To whom in brief thus Abdiel stern repli'd Apostat still thou errst nor end wilt find Of erring from the path of truth remote Unjustly thou deprav'st it with the name Of Servitude to serve whom God ordains Or Nature God and Nature bid the same When he who rules is worthiest and excells Them whom he governs This is servitude To serve th' unwise or him who hath rebelld Against his worthier as thine now serve thee Thy self not free but to thy self enthrall'd Yet leudly dar'st our ministring upbraid Reign thou in Hell thy Kingdom
possesses me least harm Befall thee sever'd from me for thou knowst What hath bin warn'd us what malicious Foe Envying our happiness and of his own Despairing seeks to work us woe and shame By sly assault and somwhere nigh at hand Watches no doubt with greedy hope to find His wish and best advantage us asunder Hopeless to circumvent us joynd where each To other speedie aide might lend at need Whether his first design be to withdraw Our fealtie from God or to disturb Conjugal Love then which perhaps no bliss Enjoy'd by us excites his envie more Or this or worse leave not the faithful side That gave thee being stil shades thee and protects The Wife where danger or dishonour lurks Safest and seemliest by her Husband staies Who guards her or with her the worst endures To whom the Virgin Majestie of Eve As one who loves and some unkindnâ—…ss mâ—…ets With sweet austeèr composure thus reply'd Ofspring of Heav'n and Earth and all Earths Lord That such an Enemie we have who seeks Our ruin both by thee informd I learne And from the parting Angel over-heard As in a shadie nook I stood behind Just then returnd at shut of Evening Flours But that thou shouldst my firmness therfore doubt To God or thee because we have a foe May tempt it I expected not to hear His violence thou fearst not being such As wee not capable of death or paine Can either not receave or can repell His fraud is then thy fear which plain inferrs Thy equal fear that my firm Faith and Love Can by his fraud be shak'n or seduc't Thoughts which how found they harbour in thy brest Adam missthought of her to thee so dear To whom with healing words Adam reply'd Daughter of God and Man immortal Eve For such thou art from sin and blame entire Not diffident of thee do I dissuade Thy absence from my sight but to avoid Th' attempt it self intended by our Foe For hee who tempts though in vain at least asperses The tempted with dishonour foul suppos'd Not incorruptible of Faith not prooff Against temptation thou thy self with scorne And anger wouldst resent the offer'd wrong Though ineffectual found misdeem not then If such affront I labour to avert From thee alone which on us both at once The Enemie though bold will hardly dare Or daring first on â—…eeth ' assault shall light Nor thou his malice and false guile contemn Suttle he needs must be who â—…ould seduce Angels nor think superfluous others aid I from the influence of thy looks receave Access in every Vertue in thy sight More wise more watchful stronger if need were Of outward strength while shame thou looking on Shame to be overcome or over-reacht Would utmost vigor raise and rais'd unite Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel When I am present and thy trial choose With me best witness of thy Vertue tri'd So spake domestick Adam in his care And Matrimonial Love but Eve who thought Less attributed to her Faith sincere Thus her reply with accent sweet renewd If this be our condition thus to dwell In narrow circuit strait'nd by a Foe Suttle or violent we not endu'd Single with like defence wherever met How are we happie still in fear of harm â—…ut harm precedes not sin onely our Foe Tempting affronts us with his foul esteem Of our integritie his foul esteeme Sticks no dishonor on our Front but turns Foul on himself then wherfore shund or feard By us who rather double honour gaine From his surmise prov'd false finde peace within Favour from Heav'n our witness from th' event And what is Faith Love Vertue unassaid Alone without exterior help sustaind Let us not then suspect our happie State Lâ—…ft so imperfet by the Maker wâ—…se As not secure to single or combin'd Fraile is our happiness if this be so And Eden were no Eden thus expos'd To whom thus Adam fervently repli'd O Woman best are all things as the will Of God ordaind them his creating hand Nothing imperfet or deficient left Of all that he Created much less Man Or ought that might his happie State secure Secure from outward force within himself The danger lies yet lies within his power Against his will he can receave no harme But God left free the Will for what obeyes Reason is free and Reason he made right But bid her well beware and still erect Least by some faire appeering good surpris'd She dictate false and missinforme the Will To do what God expresly hath forbid Not then mistrust but tender love enjoynes That I should mind thee oft and mind thou me Firm we subsist yet possible to swerve Since Reason not impossibly may meet Some specious object by the Foe subornd And fall into deception unaware Not keeping strictest watch as she was warnd Seek not temptation then which to avoide Were better and most likelie if from â—…ee Thou sever not Trial will come unsougâ—…t Wouldst thou approve thy constancie approve First thy obedience th' other who can know Not seeing thee attempted who attest But if thou think trial unsought may finde Us both securer then thus warnd thou seemst Go for thy stay not free absents thee more Go in thy native innocence relie On what thou hast of vertue summon all For God towards thee hath done his part do thine So spake the Patriarch of Mankinde but Eve Persisted yet submiss though last repli'd With thy permission then and thus forewarnd Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words Touchd onely that our trial when least sought May finde us both perhaps farr less prepar'd The willinger I goe nor much expect A Foe so proud will first the weaker seek So bent the more shall shame him his repulse Thus saying from her Husbands hand her hand Soft she withdrew and like a Wood-Nymph light Oread or Dryad or of Delia's Traine Betook her to the Groves but Delia's self In gate surpass'd and Goddess-like deport Though not as shee with Bow and Quiver armd But with such Gardning Tools as Art yet rude Guiltless of fire had formd or Angels brought To Pales or Pomona thus adornd Likest she seemd Pomona when she fled Vertumnus or to Ceres in her Prime Yet Virgin of Proserpina from Jove Her long with ardent look his Eye pursu'd Delighted but desiring more her stay Oft he to her his charge of quick returne Repeated shee to him as oft engag'd To be returnd by Noon amid the Bowre And all things in best order to invite Noontide repast or Afternoons repose O much deceav'd much failing hapless Eve Oâ—… thy presum'd return event perverse Thou never from that houre in Paradise Foundst either sweet repast or sound repose Such ambush hid among sweet Flours and Shades Waited with hellish rancor imminent To intercept thy way or send thee back Despoild of Innocence of Faith of Bliss For now and since first break of dawne the Fiend Meer Serpent in appearance forth was come And on his Quest where likeliest he might