Sunk down, and all his spirits became entranced; But him the gentle angel by the hand
Soon raised, and his attention thus recall'd:
"Adam, now ope thine eyes, and first behold The effects which thy original crime hath wrought In some to spring from thee, who never touch'd The excepted tree, nor with the snake conspired, Nor sinn'd thy sin; yet from that sin 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; In the midst an altar, as the landmark, stood, Rustic, of grassy sward: thither, anon,
A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought First-fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf, Uncull'd, as came to hand; a shepherd next, More meek, came with the firstlings of his flock, Choicest and best; then, sacrificing, laid The inwards and their fat, with incense strew'd, On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd: His offering soon propitious fire from heaven Consumed, with nimble glance and grateful steam; The other's not, for his was not sincere; Whereat he inly raged, and, as they talk'd, Smote him into the midriff with a stone That beat out life; he fell, and, deadly pale, Groaned out his soul, with gushing blood effused. Much at that sight was Adam in his heart Dismay'd, and thus in haste to the angel cried: "O teacher, some great mischief hath befall'n
To that meek man, who well had sacrificed; Is piety thus, and pure devotion, paid?"
To whom Michael thus, he also moved, replied: "These two are brethren, Adam, and to come Out of thy loins: the unjust the just hath slain, For envy that his brother's offering found From Heaven acceptance; but the bloody fact Will be avenged; and the other's faith, approved, Lose no reward, though here thou see him die, Rolling in dust and gore." To which our sire: "Alas! both for the deed, and for the cause! But have I now seen death? Is this the way I must return to native dust? O sight Of terror, foul and ugly to behold! Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!"
To whom thus Michael: "Death thou hast seen In his first shape on man; but many shapes Of death, and many are the ways that lead To his grim cave; all dismal, yet to sense More terrible at the entrance than within. Some, as thou saw'st, by violent stroke shall die; By fire, flood, famine; by intemperance more In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew Before thee shall appear, that thou may'st know What misery the inabstinence of Eve
Shall bring on men." Immediately a place Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark; A lazar-house it seem'd, wherein were laid Numbers of all diseased; all maladies Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms
Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds, Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs, Intestine stone and ulcer, colic pangs, Demoniac frenzy, moping melancholy, And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy, Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence, Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums. Dire was the tossing, deep the groans: Despair Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch; And over them triumphant Death his dart Shook, but delay'd to strike, though oft invoked With vows, as their chief good, and final hope. Sight so deform what heart of rock could long, Dry-eyed, behold? Adam could not, but wept, Though not of woman born; compassion quell'd His best of man, and gave him up to tears A space, till firmer thoughts restrain'd excess; And, scarce recovering words, his plaint renew'd: "O miserable mankind, to what fall Degraded, to what wretched state reserved! 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 soon beg to lay it down, Glad to be so dismiss'd in peace. Can thus The image of God in man, created once So goodly and erect, though faulty since, To such unsightly sufferings be debased Under inhuman pains? Why should not man, Retaining still divine similitude
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