Religion satisfy'd; truth shall retire
Bestruck with sland'rous darts, and works of faith Rarely be found: so shall the world go on, To good malignant, to bad men benign, Under her own weight groaning, till the day Appear of respiration to the just,
And vengeance to the wicked, at return Of him so lately promis'd to thy aid,
The Woman's Seed, obscurely then foretold, Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord, Last in the clouds from Heav'n to be reveal'd 545 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, 550 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 fix'd? beyond is all abyss, Eternity, 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 contain; Beyond which was my folly to aspire. Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best, And love with fear the only 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 deem'd weak Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise
By simply meek; that suffering for truth's sake
Is fortitude to highest victory,
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 reply'd: "This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum 575 Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the stars Thou knew'st by name, and all th' etherial pow'rs, All secrets of the deep, all nature's works, Or works of God in Heav'n, air, earth, or sea, And all the riches of this world enjoy'dst, And all the rule, one empire; only add Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add faith, Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love, By name to come call'd charity, the soul Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A Paradise within thee, happier far.
Let us descend now therefore from this top Of speculation; for the hour precise
Exacts our parting hence; and see the guards, 590 By me encamp'd on yonder hill, expect
Their 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 spi'rits 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 Woman's seed) on all mankind; That ye may live, which will be many days, Both in one faith unanimous though sad, With cause for evils past, yet much more cheer'd With meditation on the happy end."
He ended, and they both descend the hill; Descended, Adam to the bow'r where Eve Lay sleeping ran before, but found her wak'd; And thus with words not sad she him receiv'd: "Whence thou return'st, and whither went'st, I
For God is also' in sleep, and dreams advise,
Which he hath sent propitious, some great good Presaging, since with sorrow' and heart's distress Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on; In me is no delay; with thee to go,
Is to stay here; without thee here to stay, Is to go hence unwilling; thou to me Art all things under Heav'n, all places thou, Who for my wilful crime art banish'd hence. This further consolation yet secure
I carry hence; though all by me is lost, Such favour I unworthy am vouchsaf'd, By me the promis'd Seed shall all restore."
So spake our mother Eve, and Adam heard
Well pleas'd, but answer'd not: for now too nigh
Th' Arch-Angel stood, and from the other hill To their fix'd station, all in bright array, The Cherubim descended; on the ground Gliding meteorous, as evening mist Ris'n from a river o'er the marish glides, And gathers ground fast at the lab'rer's heel Homeward returning. High in front advanc'd The brandish'd 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 temp'rate clime; whereat In either hand the hast'ning Angel caught Our ling'ring parents, and to th' eastern gate Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast To the subjected plain; then disappear'd. They, looking back, all th' eastern side beheld Of Paradise, so late their happy seat, Wav'd over by that flaming brand, the gate With dreadful faces throng'd and fiery arms:
Some natural tears they dropt, but wip'd them soon.
The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide. They hand in hand, with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
Note, The numeral letters refer to the Book, the figures to the Line.
AARON and Moses, their mission to Egypt, xii. 170 Abdiel, a Seraph, his opposition to Satan, respecting the revolt of the Angels, v. 803. his fidelity, v. 896. aban- dous the party of Satan, vi. 1. soliloquy on viewing him at their head, vi. 114. his conquest of Ariel, Arioch, and Ramiel, vi. 369
Abel and Cain, their story, xi. 429
Abraham and the Patriarchs, story of, xii. 113
Adam and Eve, general description of them, iv. 288. more minutely described, iv. 295. their state of innocence, iv. 312 492 738. v. 211 303. vii. 510. entertainment of the angel Raphael, v. 313 391. their nuptial bed described, iv. 708. their behaviour after the fall, and on finding themselves naked, ix. 1004 1051. attempt to avoid God, x. 97. appear before him, x. 109. their expulsion from Paradise, xii. 265
Adam, his discourse with Eve on the prohibition of the tree of knowledge, iv. 411. on viewing her sleeping, v. 8. his answer to her dream relative to Satan's first temptation, v. 94. his discourse in the bower with Raphael, v. 460. his creation and dominion, ix. 524. his first view of the Divine Presence, &c. viii. 311. his speech to God on his solitude in Paradise, viii. 357. his passion for Eve, viii. 521. discourses with her on Satan's subtilty, ix. from 205 to 384. soliloquy on her trans- gression, ix. 896. resolves to die with her, ix. 907. eats the forbidden fruit, ix. 996, solicits her to submit to sexual pleasures, and their consequences, ix. 1011 1016. speech to her on their fall, &e. ix. 1067. the sentence on him, x. 197. reflects on the immortality of the soul, &c. x. 782. his resolution against the advice of Eve to commit suicide, x. 1028. behaviour on receiving the message for their expulsion, xi. 263
Adramelech and Asmalia, falien angels, their defeat, vi. 365 Amaranth, a flower, transplanted to Heaven, iii. 352
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