606

"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 suff'ring 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 replied:
"This having learn'd, thou hast attain'd the sum
"Of wisdom: hope no higher, though all the stars
"Thou knew'st by name, and all the ethereal Powers,
"All secrets of the deep, all Nature's works,
"Or works of God in heaven, 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,
"6 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

3

"Exacts our parting hence: and see! the guards,
"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 spirits 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 deliv'rance 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:

11 Cor. i. 27.-(N.)

2 This is taken from St. Paul's noble description of charity, 1 Cor. xiii. "Speculation," from specula, a watch-tower.

Descended, Adam to the bower, 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 know; "For God is also in sleep; and dreams advise,

1

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: 2 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 heaven, 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 high
Th' archangel 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 marish3 glides,
And gathers ground fast at the labourer'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 lingering parents, and to the eastern gate
Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast
To the subjected plain; then disappear'd.
They, looking back, all the eastern side beheld
642 Of Paradise, so late their happy seat,

1 Il. 163:

Και γαρ τ' όναρ εκ Διός εστιν.

2 "In me mora non erit ulla." Ecl. iii. 52.-(N.)

3 An old word for marsh, from mariscus, as rushes commonly grow there.

Hor. Epod. iii. 15:

"Nec tantus unquam siderum insedit vapor

Saticulos Apuliæ."—(R.)

5 Campum subjectum, the plain below. Subject and “subjected" are so used in the best old English poets.

Way'd over by that flaming brand;' the gate
With dreadful faces throng'd, and fiery arms.
Some natural tears they dropp'd, but wip'd them scon.
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,
619 Through Eden took their solitary way.2

1 "Brand" is an old word for sword. Salanus Westmannus, in his dissertation entitled, Gladius Scythicus, pp. 6, 7, observes, that the ancients formed their swords in imitation of flaming fire; and thus from "brand," a sword, came our English phrase, to "brandish a sword," gladium strictum vibrando corruscare facere.-T., Wart.)

The passage has been the subject of much dispute. Pearce's explanation of the text is quite satisfactory. Though they were under the general guidance of Providence to keep them safe, yet their steps were "wandering," as they did not know any particular way to take; and though they obeyed the divine command, yet their steps were "slow" when they were quitting the boundaries of Paradise, on which they often looked back; and their way was now in reality "solitary," for though their walks in Paradise were solitary in some measure, yet there they had familiar and cheering objects; not so in their dismal journey to the outer world, which was strange to them, and comparatively desert. Addison thinks the poem, from the want of sufficient dignity in the last two lines, would better end with the two preceding, "the world," etc. I fully agree with those who would retain these last lines, as conveying a melancholy picture, quite in character with the condition of Adam and Eve, but would transpose them, and thus leave on the reader's mind the cheering persuasion that in their affliction, “Providence" was "their guide."

INDEX.