As I shall thee enlighten; intermix
My covenant in the woman's seed renew’d;
So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in

peace:
And, on the east side of the garden, place,
Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs,
Cherubic watch, and of a sword the flame
Wide-waving, all approach far off to fright,
And guard all passage to the tree of life;
Lest Paradise a receptacle prove
To spirits foul, and all my trees their prey,
With whose stolen fruit man once more to delude.”

He ceased; and the archangelic power prepared For swift descent; with him the cohort bright Of watchful cherubim: four faces each Had, like a double Janus; all their shape Spangled with eyes more numerous than those Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drowse, Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the pastoral reed Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Meanwhile, To resalute the world with sacred light, Leucothea waked, and with fresh dews enbalm'd The earth; when Adam and first matron Eve Had ended now their orisons, and found Strength added from above; new hope to spring Out of despair; joy, but with fear yet link'd; Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd :

“Eve, easily may faith admit that all The good which we enjoy from heaven descends; But that from us aught should ascend to heaven So prevalent, as to concern the mind Of God, high-blest, or to incline his will,

Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer,
Or one short sigh of human breath, upborne
Even to the seat of God. For since I sought
By prayer the offended Deity to appease,
Kneel'd, and before him humbled all my heart,
Methought I saw him placable and mild,
Bending his ear; persuasion in me grew
That I was heard with favour; peace return’d
Home to my breast, and to my memory
His promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe;
Which, then not minded in dismay, yet now
Assures me that the bitterness of death
Is past, and we shall live. Whence, hail to thee,
Eve, rightly call'd mother of all mankind,
Mother of all things living, since by thee
Man is to live, and all things live for man.”
To whom thus Eve, with sad demeanour, meek:
“Ill-worthy I such title should belong
To me, transgressor, who, for thee ordain’d
A help, became thy snare: to me reproach
Rather belongs, distrust, and all dispraise:
But infinite in pardon was my Judge,
That I, who first brought death on all, am graced
The source of life; next favourable thou,
Who highly thus to entitle me vouchsafest,
Far other name deserving. But the field
To labour calls us, now with sweat imposed,
Though after sleepless night; for see the morn,
All unconcern'd with our unrest, begins
Her rosy progress, smiling: let us forth;
I never from thy side henceforth to stray,

Where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoin'd Laborious till day droop: while here we dwell, What can be toilsoine in these pleasant walks ? Here let us live, though in fallen state, content.' So spake, so wish’d, much-humbled Eve; but

fate Subscribed not. Nature first gave signs, impress'd On bird, beast, air; air suddenly eclipsed, After short blush of morn; nigh, in her sight, The bird of Jove, stoop'd from his aery tour, Two birds of gayest plume before bim drove; Down from a hill, the beast that reigns in woods, First hunter then, pursued a gentle brace, Goodliest of all the forest, hart and bind; Direct to the eastern gate was bent their flight. Adam observed, and, with his eye the chase Pursuing, not unmoved, to Eve thus spake:

“O Eve, some further change awaits us nigh, Which Heaven, by these mute signs in nature,

shows, Forerunners of his purpose; or to warn Us, haply too secure of our discharge From penalty, because from death released Some days: how long, and what till then our life, Who knows? or more than this, that we are dust, And thither must return, and be no more? Why else this double object in our sight, Of flight pursued in the air, and o'er the ground, One way the self-same hour ? Why, in the east, Darkness ere day's mid-course, and morning-light More orient in yon western cloud, that draws

O'er the blue firmament a radiant white,
And slow descends with something heavenly

fraught ?"
He err'd not; for, by this, the heavenly bands
Down from a sky of jasper lighted now
In Paradise, and on a hill made halt;
A glorious apparition, had not doubt
And carnal fear that day dimm'd Adam's eye.
Not that more glorious, when the angels met
Jacob in Mahanaim, where he saw
The field pavilion'd with his guardians bright;
Nor that which on the flaming mount appear'd
In Dothan, cover'd with a camp

of fire, Against the Syrian king, who, to surprise One man, assassin-like, had levied war, War unproclaim’d. The princely hierarch In their bright stand there left his powers, to

seize Possession of the garden; he alone, To find where Adam shelter'd, took his way, Not unperceived of Adam; who to Eve, While the great visitant approach'd, thus spake:

“Eve, now expect great tidings, which, perhaps, Of us will soon determine, or impose New laws to be observed; for I descry, From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill, One of the heavenly host, and by his gait, None of the meanest; some great potentate, Or of the thrones above, such majesty Invests his coming; yet not terrible, That I should fear, nor sociably mild,

As Raphael, that I should much confide,
But solemn and sublime; whom, not to offend,
With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.”

He ended; and the archangel soon drew nigh,
Not in his shape celestial, but as man
Clad to meet man; over his lucid arms
A military vest of purple flow'd,
Livelier than Melibaan, or the grain
Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old
In time of truce: Iris had dipt the woof;
His starry helm unbuckled show'd him prime
In manhood where youth ended; by his side,
As in a glistering zodiac, hung the sword,
Satan's dire dread, and in his hand the spear.
Adam bow'd low; he, kingly, from his state
Inclined not, but his coming thus declared:

Adam, Heaven's high behest no preface needs: Sufficient that thy prayers are heard; and death, Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress, Defeated of his seizure many days, Given thee of grace, wherein thou may’st repent, And one bad act with many deeds well done May'st cover: well may, then, thy Lord, appeased, Redeem thee quite from death's rapacious claim: But longer in this Paradise to dwell Permits not; to remove thee I am come, And send thee from the garden forth, to till The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil."

He added not; for Adam, at the news Heart-struck, with chilling gripe of sorrow stood, That all his senses bound: Eve, who unseen,