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 Lybian 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;
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.

the gate

625

630

635

640

645

END OF PARADISE LOST.,

PARADISE REGAINED.

A POEM,

IN FOUR BOOKS.

BOOK I.

PARADISE REGAINED.

BOOK I.

I WHO erewhile the happy garden sung,
By one man's disobedience lost, now sing
Recover'd Paradise to all mankind,

By one man's firm obedience fully try'd
Through all temptation, and the tempter foil'd
In all his wiles, defeated and repuls'd,
And Eden rais'd in the waste wilderness.

Thou spirit who led'st this glorious Eremite
Into the desart, his victorious field,

Against the spiritual foe, and brought'st him thence

10

By proof th' undoubted son of God, inspire

As thou art wont, my prompted song, else mute,

And bear through height or depth of nature's bounds

With prosp'rous wing full summ'd, to tell of deeds

15

Above heroic, though in secret done,

nd unrecorded left through many an age,
Worthy t' have not remain'd so long unsung.
Now had the great Proclaimer, with a voice.
More awful than the sound of trumpet, cry'd
Repentance, and heav'n's kingdom nigh at hand
To all baptiz'd to his great baptism flock'd
With awe the regions round, and with them came
From Nazareth the son of Joseph deem'd,
To the flood Jordan, came as then obscure,
Unmark'd, unknown; but him the baptist soon

20

Descry'd, divinely warm'd, and witnesss bore
As to his worthier, and would have resign'd
To him his heav'nly office; nor was long
His witness unconfirm'd: on him baptiz'd
Heav'n open'd, and in likeness of a dove
The spirit descended, while the Father's voice
From heav'n pronounc'd him his beloved Son.
That heard the adversary, who, roving still
About the world, at that assembly fam'd
Would not be last, and with the voice divine
Nigh thunder-struck, th' exalted man, to whom
Such high attest was giv'n, a while survey'd
With wonder, then, with envy fraught and rage
Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid-air
To council summons all his mighty peers,
Within thick clouds and dark tenfold involv'd,
A gloomy consistory; and them amidst,
With looks aghast and sad, he thus bespake :
O ancient pow'rs of air, and this wide world,
For much more willingly I mention air,
This our old conquest, than remember hell,
Our hated habitation; well ye know
How many ages, as the years of men,
This universe we have possess'd, and rul'd,
In manner at our will th' affairs of earth,
Since Adam and his facile consort Eve
Lost Paradise, deceiv'd by me; though since
With dread attending when that fatal wound
Shall be inflicted by the seed of Eve
Upon my head; long the decrees of heav'n
Delay, for longest time to him is short;
And now, too soon for us, the circling hours
This dreaded time have compass'd, wherein we