Nec magis hoc fublimis apex, nec apertior inde Profpectus, melior quem confcendebat Adamus, Cui fraudum antiquus Genitor molitus inani Arte dolos, varia oftentans monftrabat ab alto Terrarum imperia, & mundi decus omne patentis. Inde urbes famâ antiquâ notafque recenti Perluftrare procul poterat, loca clara fupremis Imperiis; Scythicâ ex terrâ, quà fceptra Cathaiæ Torquet atrox Dominus, folioque Temirus ad Oxi Flumina magnifico fe jactat, ad ufque Pechini Mœnia, quæ vaftâ reges ditione Sinenfes
Summa tenent. Agræ dein regna, patentia latè Indum ultra Gangen, ad littora Cherfonefi Divitis: & celfum Ecbatanæ quà maximus implet Perfa thronum; Cæfar-ve ubi Moscoviticus arces Poffidet, aut ubi fulmineâ Byzantia dextrâ Arva quatit claro Turcarum ex fanguine Princeps. At neque Abyffinii fines fpectare Tyranni
Stretch'd out to th' ampleft reach of profpect lay. Not high'r that hill, nor wider looking round, Whereon, for different cause, the Tempter fet Our fecond Adam in the wilderness,
To fhew him all earth's kingdoms, and their glory. His eye might there command wherever stood City of old or modern fame; the feat
Of mightiest empire: from the deftin'd walls Of Cambalu, feat of Cathaian Can;
And Samarcand by Oxus, Temir's throne; To Pekin, of Sinaan kings: and thence To Agra and Labor of great Mogul; Down to the golden Cherfonefe: or where The Perfian in Ecbatan fat; or fince In Hifpahan: or where the Ruffian Kzar In Moscow; or the Sultan in Bizance, Turcheftan-born: nor could his eye not ken Th' empire of Negus to his utmost port
Non erat, Erquicium ad portum, & quæ proxima ponto Regna minora jacent, Mombazæque atque Melindæ, Et Quiloa, Sophalæque, aliis quæ fertur Ophirus. Tum Nigro à fluvio frontem profpectat Atlantis, Accolit & varias quà gens Maurufia terras, Ruraque Barbariæ Dominis fubjecta fuperbis. Vidit & Europen, & quà dictura subacto Roma orbi leges. Quin fors conceffa videri Mexica; gazarum fœcunda Peruvia; nondumque Effoffis Guiana opibus, regnata potenti
Geryonis foboli nunc aurea nomine tellus.
Majorum interea ductor miracula rerum
Nobiliora parans, oculis dimovit Adami
Quas fuper intulerant nebulas mendacia poma. Tum fragiles rutâ euphrafiâque, potentibus herbis, Exacuit vifûs nervos, luftratque, vigorem
Infolitum immittens; (oculis namque acribus ufus) Tres fimul inftillans vitai ex flumine guttas.
Ercoco; and the lefs maritim kings, Monbaza, and Quiloa, and Melind, And Sofala, thought Ophir, to the realm Of Congo and Angola, fartheft fouth:
Or thence, from Niger flood to Atlas mount, The kingdoms of Almanfor, Fez, and Sus, Morocco and Algiers, and Tremifen:
Or Europe thence, and where Rome was to fway The world in fpirit perhaps he also saw
Rich Mexico, the feat of Montezume, And Cufco in Peru, the richer feat Of Atabalipa: and yet un-spoil'd Guiana; whofe great city Geryon's fons Call El Dorado. But to nobler fights, Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd, Which that false fruit that promis'd clearer fight Had bred; then purg'd with euphrafy, and rue, The visual nerve; for he had much to fee;
At vis ætherei medicaminis alta receffus
Ufque etiam extremos mentis penetravit; Adamus Concidit, occlufitque acies, lucemque refugit. Ergo illum dextræ auxilio dux blandus amico Erigit, atque animos renovans, his vocibus infit:
En acres intende acies, & confpice, Adame, Quas pœnas foboli tua crimina prima futuræ Immeritas pariunt, vetitos qui avellere fructus Non aufi, grave Serpentis nec fœdus inibant; Immunefque tui fceleris; verùm inde maligna Derivant vitia, & graviorum femina fraudum.
Intenditque oculos, campumque afpectat apertum : Hinc fegetem & demessa recens videt hordea, pastus Hinc & fepta ovium: medioque ut limes in agro, Ara rudis congefta herbis & cefpite agrefti Conftitit; huc porrò viridantem Meffor aristam Primitias fudans, tulit huc flaventia farra,
And from the well of life three drops inftill'd. So deep the pow'r of these ingredients pierc'd, Ev'n to the inmoft feat of mental fight, That Adam now inforc'd to close his eyes, Sunk down, and all his fpirits became intrans'd: But him the gentle Angel by the hand Soon rais'd, and his attention thus recall'd:
Adam, now ope thine eyes; and first behold Th' effects, which thy original crime hath wrought In fome to fpring from thee; who never touch'd
Th' excepted tree; nor with the fnake confpir'd, Nor fin'd thy fin; yet from that fin derive Corruption to bring forth more violent deeds.
His eyes he open'd, and beheld a field, Part arable and tilth; whereon were sheaves New reap'd: the other part fheep-walks and folds:: I' th' midft an altar, as the land-mark stood; Ruftic, of graffy ford: thither anon A fweaty reaper from his tillage brought Firft fruits, the green ear, and the yellow sheaf;
Quæ fibi forte vagâ collegerat obvia dextræ. Proximus Upilio acceffit, geftuque modesto Primitias pecorum, præftanti corpore, lectas Adduxit fupplex; tum ritè operatus, omasum Extaque confperfo fragrantia thure resectis Impofuit lignis, folenni more facrorum. Hujus odoratis confeftim halantia fumis
Munera, propitio descendens lætiùs igni, Perculit æthereæ raptim vis vivida flammæ: At non Alterius; deerat nam pectus honefto Incoctum. Hinc præceps medio in fermone vibratum Ille rotans rapidè faxum trans pectus adegit Paftori: ruit attonitus, pallenfque gemenfque Indignantem animam multo cum fanguine fudit. Ilicet, immani trepidans formidine, visu Horruit Adamus, fubitifque ita vocibus crfus: Heu quæ, cœleftis Monitor, tam fæva modestum Infequitur fortuna virum, pia facra ferentem?
Uncull'd, as came to hand. A fhepherd next,
More meek, came with the firftlings of his flock, Choiceft and beft: then facrificing laid The inwards, and their fat with incenfe ftrew'd, On the cleft wood, and all due rites perform'd: His off'ring foon propitious fire from heav'n Confum'd with nimble glance and grateful fteam: The other's not, for his was not fincere:
Whereat he inly rag'd, and as they talk'd,
Smote him into the midriff with a stone, That beat out life: he fell; and deadly pale, Groan'd out his foul with gushing blood effus'd. Much at the fight was Adam in his heart Difmay'd, and thus in hafte to th' Angel cry'd:
O teacher! fome great mischief hath befall'n To that meek man, who well had facrific'd:
Hic pietatis honos? hæc caftæ præmia mentis? Olli refpondit, commotus & ipfe, Michàal: Cernis ibi fratres binos, Adame, tuoque Sanguine venturos quondam : Juftum ifte cecidit Impius, invidiæ ftimulis accenfus amaris, Munera quòd meliùs cœlo fraterna placebant. Dirum vindicibus pœnis mulctabitur aufum: Nec tamen alterius meritâ mercede carebit Pura fides, quanquam indigno jam funere cernis Mactari, fanieque immundâ ac pulvere volvi.
Cui pater: heu facinus dirum, caufamque nefandam! At mortem afpexi? remeandum hoc tramite prifcum In cinerem? ô facies inamœna, horrenda vel ipso Conceptu! ah! quantus fubeuntem invaferit horror!
Nuntius hæc contra: Quâ formâ corripiet mors Prima hominem, tibi jam patuit: fed mortis imago est Plurima; mille viis, inamœnis omnibus, antrum Itur in obfcurum, deforme; at liminis ipfo
Is piety thus, and pure devotion paid?
T'whom Michael thus, he also mov'd, reply'd: These two are brethren, Adam, and to come Out of thy loins: th' unjust the just hath slain For envy, that his brother's offering found From heav'n acceptance: but the bloody fact Will be aveng'd; and th' other's faith approv'd Lofe no reward; tho' here thou see him die, Rolling in duft and gore. To which our fire:
Alas both for the deed, and for the caufe! But have I now feen death? Is this the way I must return to native duft? O fight Of terror foul, and ugly to behold, Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!
To whom thus Michael: Death thou haft feen In his first shape on man: but many shapes Of death, and many are the ways that lead To his grim cave: all difmal! yet to sense
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