There is, said Michael, if thou well observe The rule of not too much, by temp'rance taught,

In what thou eat'st and drink'st, seeking from thence Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,

Till many years over thy head return:

So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop
Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease

Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature :
This is old age: but then thou must outlive

Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change

To wither'd, weak and grey: thy senses then
Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forego,
To what thou hast; and for the air of youth,
Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign
A melancholy damp of cold and dry
To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume
The balm of life. To whom our ancestor :

Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong
Life much, bent rather how I may be quit
Fairest and easiest of this cumbrous charge,
Which I must keep till my appointed day
Of rend'ring up, and patiently attend
My dissolution. Michael reply'd:

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Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st
Live well, how long or short permit to heav'n:
And now prepare thee for another sight.

He look'd, and saw a spacious plain, whereon
Were tents of various hue; by some were herds
Of cattle grazing: others, whence the sound
Of instruments that made melodious chime
Was heard, of harp and organ; and who mov'd
Their stops and chords was seen; his volant touch
Instinct through all proportions low and high,
Fled and pursu'd transverse the resonant fugue.
In other part stood one who at the forge
Lab'ring two massy clods of iron and brass
Had melted, (whether found where casual fire
Had wasted woods on mountain, or in vale,

Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot
To some cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by stream
From under ground,) the liquid ore he drain'd

Into fit moulds prepar'd;
First his own tools; then,
Fusil or grav'n in metal.

from which he form'd
what might else be wrought
After these,

But on the hither side, a different sort

From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their seat,
Down to the plain descending: by their guise
Just men they seem'd, and all their study bent
To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid, nor those things last which might preserve
Freedom and peace to men; they on the plain
Long had not walk'd, when from the tents behold
A bevy of fair women, richly gay

In gems and wanton dress; to th' harp they sung
Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on;

The men though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes
Rove without rein, till in the amorous net

Fast caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose;
And now of love they treat, till th' evning star,
Love's harbinger, appear'd; then all in heat
They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke
Hymen, then first to marriage rites invok'd:
With feast and music all the tents resound.
Such happy interview and fair event

Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flow'rs,
And charming symphonies attach'd the heart,
Of Adam, soon inclin'd t' admit delight,
The bent of nature; which he thus express'd:
True opener of mine eyes, prime angel blest,
Much better seems this vision, and more hope
Of peaceful days portends, than those two past;
Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse,
Here nature seems fulfill'd in all her ends.

To whom thus Michael: Judge not what is best
By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet,
Created, as thou art, to nobler end

Holy and pure, conformity divine,

Those tents thou saw'st so pleasant, were the tents
Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race
Who slew his brother; studious they appear
Of arts that polish life, inventors rare,
Unmindful of their Maker, though his spirit
Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none;
Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget;
For that fair female troop thou saws't, that seem'd
Of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay,
Yet empty of all good wherein consists
Woman's domestic honour and chief praise;
Bred only and completed to the taste
Of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance,
To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye.
To these that sober race of men, whose lives
Religious titled them the sons of God,
Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the trains and to the smiles

Of these fair atheists, and now swim in joy,
Ere long to swim at large; and laugh, for which
The world ere long a world of tears must weep,
To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft :
O pity and shame, that they who to live well
Enter'd so fair should turn aside to tread,
Paths indirect, or in the mid way faint!
But still I see the tenor of man's wo
Holds on the same, from woman to begin.
From man's effeminate slackness it begins,
Said the angel, who should better hold his place
By wisdom, and superior gifts receiv'd.
But now prepare thee for another scene.

He look'd, and saw wide territory spread
Before him, towns, and rural works between,
Cities of men with lofty gates and tow'rs,
Concourse in arms, fierce faces threat'ning war,
Giants of mighty bone, and bold emprise;
Part weild their arms, part curb the foaming steed,
Single, or in array of battle rang'd

Both horse and foot, nor idly must'ring stood;

One way a band select from forage drives
A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine
From a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock,
Ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain,
Their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly,
But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray:
With cruel tournament the squadrons join;
Where cattle pastur'd late, now scatter'd lies
With carcasses and arms th' ensanguin'd field
Deserted: others to a city strong

Lay siege, encamp'd; by battery, scale, and mine,
Assaulting; others from the wall defend

With dart and javelin, stones and sulphurous fire;
On each hand slaughter and gigantic deeds.
In other part the sceptred heralds call
To council in the city gates: anon
Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd,
Assemble, and harangues are heard, but soon
In factious opposition, till at last
Of middle age one rising, eminent

In wise deport, spake much of right and wrong,
Of justice, of religion, truth and peace,

And judgment from above: him old and young
Exploded and had seiz'd with violent hands,
Had not a cloud descending snatch'd him thence
Unseen amid the throng: so violence
Proceeded, and oppression, and sword-law
Through all the plain, and refuge none was found.
Adam was all in tears, and to his guide
Lamenting turn'd full sad: O what are these,
Death's ministers, not men, who thus deal death

Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousand fold the sin of him who slew
His brother; for of whom such massacre
Make they but of their brethren, men of men?
But who was that just man, whom had not heav'n
Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?

To whom thus Michael: These are the product Of those ill-mated marriages thou saw'st ;

Where good with bad were match'd, who of them

selves

Abhor to join; and by imprudence mix'd,
Produce prodigious births of body or mind.
Such were these giants, men of high renown;
For in those days might only shall be admir'd,
And valour and heroic virtue call'd;

To overcome in battle, and subdue

Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-slaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
Of human glory, and for glory done

Of triumph, to be stil'd great conquerors,
Patrons of mankind, gods, and sons of gods,
Destroyers rightlier call'd and plagues of men.
Thus fame shall be achiev'd, renown on earth,
And what most merits fame in silence hid.
But he the sev'nth from thee, whom thou beheldst
The only righteous in a world perverse,

And therefore hated, therefore so beset
With foes for daring single to be just,

And utter odious truth, that God would come
To judge them with his saints: him the most
Rapt in a balmy cloud with winged steeds
Did, as thou saw'st, receive, to walk with God
High in salvation and the climes of bliss,
Exempt from death; to show thee what reward
Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.
He look'd, and saw the face of things quite chang'd;
The brazen throat of war had ceas'd to roar;
All now was turn'd to jollity and game,
To luxury and riot, feast and dance,
Marrying or prostituting, as befel,
Rape or adultry, where passing fair

Allur'd them; thence from cups to civil broils.
At length a reverend sire among them came,
And of their doings great dislike declar'd,
And testify'd against their ways; he oft
Frequented their assemblies, whereso met,