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This is old age; but then thou must outlive

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

To wither'd, weak, and grey; thy fenfes, then,

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Obtrufe, all taste of pleature muft forego

To what thou haft; and for the air of youth,
Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign
A melancholy damp of cold and dry
To weigh thy fpirits down, and laft confume
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 eafieft of this cumbrous charge,
Which I must keep till my appointed day
Of rendering up, and patiently attend
My diffolution. Michael reply'd:

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

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He look'd, and faw a fpacious plain, whereon
Were tents of various hue: by fome were herds
Of cattle grazing; others, whence the found
Of inftruments, that made melodious chime,
Was heard, of harp and organ; and who mov'd
Their ftops and chords was feen; his volant touch
Inftinct through all proportion flow and high
Fled and purfu'd tranfverfe the refonant fugue.
In other part flood one who, at the forge
La'bring, two mafly clods of iron and brafs
Had melted, (whether found where cafual fire
Had wafted woods on mountain or in vale,
Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot

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To fome cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by ftream
From underground,) the liquid ore he drain'd
Into fit moulds prepar'd; from which he form'd
Firit his own tools; then what might elfe be wrought
Fufil or grav'n in metal. After thefe,
But on the hither fide, a different fort

From the high-neighb'ring hills, which was their feat,
Down to the plain defcended: by their guile

Jult men they feem'd, and all their study bent

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To worship God aright, and know his works
Not hid, nor those things laft which might preferve
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

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In gems and wanton drefs; to th' harp they fung
Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on:
The men, though grave, ey'd them, and let their eyes
Rove without reign, till in the amorous net

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Fatt caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose;
And now of love they treat, till th' ev`ning 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 feaft and mufic all the tents refound,
Such happy interview and fair event

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Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers,
And charming fymphonies, attach'd the heart

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Of Adam, foon inclin'd to admit delight,
The bent of Nature; which he thus exprefs'd:

True opener of mine eyes, prime angel blett,
Much better feems this vilion, and more hope
Of peaceful days portends, than those two past;
Thofe were of hate and death, or pain much worke;
Here Nature seems fulfill'd in all her ends.

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

Holy and pure, conformity divine.

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Thofe tents thou faw'ft fo pleasant, were the tents
Of wickedness, wherein fhall dweil his race
Who flew his brother; ftudious they appear
Of arts that polifh life, inventors rare,
Unmindful of their Maker, though his fpirit
Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none.
Yet they a beauteous offspring fhall beget;
For that fair female troop thou faw'it, that feem'd
Of goddeffes, fo blithe, fo fmooth, so gay,
Yet empty of all good, wherein confifts
Women's domeftic honour and chief praife;

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Bred only and completed to the taste

Of luftful appetite, to fing, to dance,

To drefs, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye.

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To these that fober race of men, whofe lives

Religious titled them the fons of God,

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Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame
Ignobly, to the trains and to the finiles
Of thefe fair atheists, and now fwim in joy,
Ere long to fwim at large; and laugh, for which
The world ere long a world of tears must weep.

To whom thus Adam, of fhort joy bereft :
O pity and fhame, that they who to live well
Enter'd fo fair, should turn aside to tread
Path's indirect, or in the mid way faint!
But ftill I fee the tenor of man's woe

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Holds on the fame, from woman to begin.

From man's effeminate flackness it begins,

Said th' angel, who should better hold his place

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By wildom and fuperior gifts receiv'd :

But now prepare thee for another scene.

He look'd, and faw wide territory spread

Before him, towns, and rural works between, 1 Cities of men with lofty gates and towers,

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Concourfe in arms, fierce faces threat'ning war,
Giants of mighty bone and bold emprife;

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming teed,

Single, or in array of battle, rang'd

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

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One way a band felect 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; fcarce with life the shepherds fly,
But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray;
With cruel tournament the fquadrons join;
Where cattle paftur'd late, now scatter'd lies
With carcaffes and arms th' infanguin'd field
Deferted others to a city strong

Lay fiege, encamp'd; by battery, fcale, and mine,
Affaulting; others from the wall defend

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With dart and javelin, ftones and fulphurous fire;
On each hand flaughter and gigantic deeds.
In other parts the fcepter'd heralds call
To council in the city gates: anon

Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd,
Affemble, and harangues are heard, but foon
In factious oppofition, till at last

Of middle age one rising, eminent

In wife deport, fpake much of right and wrong,

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Of justice, of religion, truth, and peace,

And judgment from above, him old and young

Exploded, and had feiz'd with violent hands,

Had not a cloud defcending fnatch'd him thence

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Unfeen amid the throng: fo violence

Proceeded, and oppreffion, and fword-law,

Through all the plain, and refuge none was found.

Adam was all in tears, and to his guide

Lamenting turn'd full fad: O what are thefe,

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Death's minifters, not men, who thus deal death

Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten thousand fold the fin of him who flew

His brother: for of whom fuch maffacre
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 thofe ill-mated marriages thou faw'ft;

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Where good with bad were match'd, who of themselves
Abhor to join; and by imprudence mix'd
Produce prodigious births of body or mind.

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Such were thefe giants, men of high renown;
For in those days might only shall b' admir'd,
And valour and heroic virtue call'd;
To overcome in battle, and fubdue
Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Man-flaughter, fhall be held the highest pitch
Of human glory, and for glory done
Of triumph, to be ftyl'd greater conquerors,
Patrons of mankind, gods, and fons of gods,
Deltroyers rightlier call'd and plagues of men.

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Thus fame shall be achiev'd, renown on earth,
And what most merits fame in filence hid.

But he the fev'nth from thee, whom thou beheldft
The only righteous in a world perverse,
And therefore hated, therefore fo befet
With foes for daring fingle to be juít,

And utter odious truth, that God would come

To judge them with his faints: him the Moft High
Rapt in a balmy cloud, with winged steeds
Did, as thou faw'ft, receive, to walk with God
High in falvation, and the climes of blifs,
Exempt from death; to show thee what reward
Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;
Which now direct thine eyes, and foon behold.

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He look'd, and faw 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 proftituting, as befel,

Rape or adultery, where paffing fair

Allur'd them; thence from cups to civil broils.
At length a reverend fire among them came,
And of their doings great diflike declar'd,
And teftify'd againft their ways; he oft
Frequented their affemblies, wherefo met,
Triumphs of feftivals, and to them preach'd
Converfion and repentance, as to souls
In prifon under judgments imminent:

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But all in vain: which when he faw, he ceas'd

Contending, and remov'd his tents far off;

Then from the mountain hewing timber tall,
Began to build a veffel of huge bulk,

Meafur'd by cubit, length, and breadth, and height,
Smear'd round with pitch, and in the fide a door
Contriv'd, and of provifions laid in large

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For man and beaft: when lo a wonder strange !

Of every beat, and bird, and insect small,

Came fev'ns, and pairs, and enter'd in, as taught
Their order: laft the fire, and his three fons
With their four wives; and God made falt the door.

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