Thee lastly nuptial Bowre, by mee adornd With what to sight or smell was sweet; from thee How shall I part, and whither wander down Into a lower World, to this obscure And wilde, how shall we breath in other Aire Less pure, accustomd to immortal Fruits?
Whom thus the Angel interrupted milde.
Lament not EVE, but patiently resigne What justly thou hast lost; nor set 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 soile.
ADAM by this from the cold sudden damp Recovering, and his scatterd spirits returnd, To MICHAEL thus his humble words addressd.
Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or nam'd Of them the Highest, for such of shape may seem Prince above Princes, gently hast thou tould Thy message, which might else in telling wound, And in performing end us; what besides Of sorrow and dejection and despair Our frailtie can sustain, thy tidings bring, Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recess, and onely consolation left Familiar to our eyes, all places else Inhospitable appeer and desolate, Nor knowing us nor known: and if by prayer Incessant I could hope to change the will Of him who all things can, I would not cease To wearie him with my assiduous cries:
But prayer against his absolute Decree No more availes then breath against the winde, Blown stifling back on him that breaths it forth:
Therefore to his great bidding I submit.
This most afflicts me, that departing hence, As from his face I shall be hid, deprivd His blessed count'nance; here I could frequent, With worship, place by place where he voutsaf'd Presence Divine, and to my Sons relate;
On this Mount he appeerd, under this Tree Stood visible, among these Pines his voice I heard, here with him at this Fountain talk'd:
So many grateful Altars I would reare Of grassie Terfe, and pile up every Stone Of lustre from the brook, in memorie, Or monument to Ages, and thereon Offer sweet smelling Gumms & Fruits and Flours:
In yonder nether World where shall I seek His bright appearances, or footstep trace?
For though I fled him angrie, yet recall'd To life prolongd and promisd Race, I now Gladly behold though but his utmost skirts Of glory, and farr off his steps adore.
To whom thus MICHAEL with regard benigne.
ADAM, thou know'st Heav'n his, and all the Earth Not this Rock onely; his Omnipresence fills Land, Sea, and Aire, and every kinde that lives, Fomented by his virtual power and warmd:
All th' Earth he gave thee to possess and rule, No despicable gift; surmise not then His presence to these narrow bounds confin'd Of Paradise or EDEN: this had been Perhaps thy Capital Seate, from whence had spred All generations, and had hither come From all the ends of th' Earth, to celebrate And reverence thee thir great Progenitor.
But this praeeminence thou hast lost, brought down To dwell on eeven ground now with thy Sons:
Yet doubt not but in Vallie and in Plaine God is as here, and will be found alike Present, and of his presence many a signe Still following thee, still compassing thee round With goodness and paternal Love, his Face Express, and of his steps the track Divine.
Which that thou mayst beleeve, and be confirmd, Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent To shew thee what shall come in future dayes To thee and to thy Ofspring; good with bad Expect to hear, supernal Grace contending With sinfulness of Men; thereby to learn True patience, and to temper joy with fear And pious sorrow, equally enur'd By moderation either state to beare, Prosperous or adverse: so shalt thou lead Safest thy life, and best prepar'd endure Thy mortal passage when it comes. Ascend This Hill; let EVE (for I have drencht her eyes)
Here sleep below while thou to foresight wak'st, As once thou slepst, while Shee to life was formd.
To whom thus ADAM gratefully repli'd.
Ascend, I follow thee, safe Guide, the path Thou lead'st me, and to the hand of Heav'n submit, However chast'ning, to the evil turne My obvious breast, arming to overcom By suffering, and earne rest from labour won, If so I may attain. So both ascend In the Visions of God: It was a Hill Of Paradise the highest, from whose top The Hemisphere of Earth in cleerest Ken Stretcht out to amplest reach of prospect lay.
Not higher that Hill nor wider looking round, Whereon for different cause the Tempter set Our second ADAM in the Wilderness, To shew him all Earths Kingdomes and thir Glory.
His Eye might there command wherever stood City of old or modern Fame, the Seat Of mightiest Empire, from the destind Walls Of CAMBALU, seat of CATHAIAN CAN And SAMARCHAND by OXUS, TEMIRS Throne, To PAQUIN of SINAEAN Kings, and thence To AGRA and LAHOR of great MOGUL Down to the golden CHERSONESE, or where The PERSIAN in ECBATAN sate, or since In HISPAHAN, or where the RUSSIAN KSAR In MOSCO, or the Sultan in BIZANCE, TURCHESTAN-born; nor could his eye not ken Th' Empire of NEGUS to his utmost Port ERCOCO and the less Maritine Kings MOMBAZA, and QUILOA, and MELIND, And SOFALA thought OPHIR, to the Realme Of CONGO, and ANGOLA fardest South;
Or thence from NIGER Flood to ATLAS Mount The Kingdoms of ALMANSOR, FEZ, and SUS, MAROCCO and ALGIERS, and TREMISEN;
On EUROPE thence, and where ROME was to sway The VVorld: in Spirit perhaps he also saw Rich MEXICO the seat of MOTEZUME, And CUSCO in PERU, the richer seat Of ATABALIPA, and yet unspoil'd GUIANA, whose great Citie GERYONS Sons Call EL DORADO: but to nobler sights MICHAEL from ADAMS eyes the Filme remov'd VVhich that false Fruit that promis'd clearer sight Had bred; then purg'd with Euphrasie and Rue The visual Nerve, for he had much to see;
And from the VVell of Life three drops instill'd.
So deep the power of these Ingredients pierc'd, Eevn to the inmost seat of mental sight, That ADAM now enforc't to close his eyes, Sunk down and all his Spirits became intranst:
But him the gentle Angel by the hand Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd.
