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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

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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

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

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

Introitu

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