Our fecond Adam in the wilderness,
To fhew him all earth's kingdoms and their glory.
His eye might there command wherever ftood
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 Cherfonese, 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 south;
Or thence from Niger flood to Atlas mount
The kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez and Suz,
Marocco and Algiers, and Tremifen;
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway 405 The world in fpi'rit perhaps he also saw
Rich Mexico the feat of Montezume,
Which that false fruit that promis'd clearer fight
Had bred; then purg'd with euphrafy and rue
The visual nerve, for he had much to see ;
And from the well of life three drops inftill'd.
So deep the power of these ingredients pierc'd,
E'en to th' inmost seat of mental fight,
That Adam now enforc'd to close his eyes,
Sunk down, and all his fpirits become intranc'd; 420
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 fome to spring from thee, who never touch'd
Th' excepted tree, nor with the snake conspir'd, ́
Nor finn'd thy fin, yet from that fin 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,
Ruftic, of graffy ford; 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
Choiceft and beft; then facrificing, laid
The inwards and their fat, with incenfe ftrow'd,
On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd.
His offering foon propitious fire from Heaven
Confum'd with nimble glance, and grateful steam;
The other's not, for his was not fincere ;
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 foul with gushing blood effus'd.
Much at that fight was Adam in his heart
Difmay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd.
O Teacher, fome great mischief hath befall'n
To that meek man, who well had facrific'd;
Is piety thus and pure devotion paid?
T' whom Michael thus, he alfo mov'd, reply'd.
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 Heav'n acceptance; but the bloody fact
Will be aveng'd, and th' other's faith approv'd
Lofe no reward, though here thou fee him die,
Rolling in duft and gore. To which our fire.
Alas, both for the deed and for the cause!
But have I now feen Death? Is this the way
I must return to native duft? O fight
Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,
Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!
To whom thus Michaël. Death thou haft feen
In his firft fhape on man;
Of Death, and many are the
To his grim cave, all difmal; yet to fenfe
More terrible at th' entrance than within.
Some, as thou faw'ft, by violent stroke shall die,
By fire, flood, famin, by intemp❜rance more
In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring Diseases dire, of which a monftrous crew
Before thee shall appear; that thou mayst know
What mifery th' inabftinence of Eve
Shall bring on men. Immediately a place
Before his eyes appear'd, fad, noisome, dark,
A lazar-house it seem'd, wherein were laid
Numbers of all diseas'd, all maladies
Of ghaftly spasm, or racking torture, qualms
Of heart-fick agony, all feverous kinds,
Convulfions, epilepfies, fierce catarrhs,
Inteftin ftone and ulcer, colic pangs,
Demoniac phrenzy, moaping melancholy,
And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy,
Marafmus, and wide-wafting peftilence,
Dropfies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.
Dire was the toffing, deep the groans; Despair
Tended the fick bufieft 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 fo deform what heart of rock could long
Dry-ey'd behold? Adam could not, but wept,
Though not of woman born; compaffion quell'd
His beft of man, and gave him up to tears
A fpace, till firmer thoughts reftrain'd excess;
And scarce recovering words his plaint renew'd.
O miferable mankind, to what fall
Degraded, to what wretched state referv'd!
Better end here unborn. Why is life given
To be thus wrested from us? rather why
Obtruded on us thus? who if we knew
What we receive, would either not accept
Life offer'd, or foon beg to lay it down,
Glad to be fo difmifs'd in peace.
Th' image of God in man created once
So goodly and erect, though faulty fince,
To fuch unfightly fufferings be debas'd
Under inhuman pains? Why fhould not man,
Retaining still divine fimilitude
In part, from fuch deformities be free,
And for his Maker's image fake exempt?
Their Maker's image, anfwer'd Michael, then 515 Forfook them, when themselves they vilify'd
To serve ungovern'd appetite, and took
His image whom they serv'd, a brutish vice,
Inductive mainly to the fin of Eve.
Therefore fo abject is their punishment,
Disfiguring not God's likeness, but their own,
Or if his likeness, by themselves defac❜d,
While they pervert pure nature's healthful rules
To loathfome ficknefs, worthily, fince they
God's image did not reverence in themselves.
I yield it juft, faid Adam, and submit.
But is there yet no other way, befides
These painful paffages, how we may come
To death, and mix with our connatural duft?
There is, faid Michael, if thou well obferve The rule of not too much, by temp'rance taught, In what thou eat'ft and drink'st, seeking from thence
|