Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/269

 To labour calls us, now with sweat im- posed,

Though after sleepless night; for see ! the Morn,

All unconcerned with our unrest, begins

Her rosy progress smiling. Let us forth,

I never from thy side henceforth to stray,

Where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoined

Laborious, till day droop. While here we dwell,

What can be toilsome in these pleasant walks ?

Here let us live, though in fallen state, con- tent." iSo So spake, so wished, much-humbled Eve ; but Fate

Subscribed not. Nature first gave signs, impressed

On bird, beast, air air suddenly eclipsed,

After short blush of morn. Nigh in her sight

The bird of Jove, stooped from his aerie tour,

Two birds of gayest plume before him drove;

Down from a hill the beast that reigns in woods,

First hunter then, pursued a gentle brace,

Goodliest of all the forest, hart and hind;

Direct to the eastern gate was bent their flight. 190

Adam observed, and, with his eye the chase

Pursuing, not unmoved to Eve thus

spake :

" O Eve, some furder change awaits us nigh,

Which Heaven by these mute signs in Na- ture shews,

Forerunners of his purpose, or to warn

Us, haply too secure of our discharge

From penalty because from death released

Some days: how long, and what till then our life,

Who knows, or more than this, that we are dust,

And thither must return, and be no more ? 200

Why else this double object in our sight,

Of flight pursued in the air and o'er the ground

One way the self-same hour ? Why in the east

Darkness ere day's mid-course, and morn- ing-light

��More orient in yon western cloud, that

draws

O'er the blue firmament a radiant white, And slow descends, with something Hea- venly fraught ? " He erred not; for, by this, the Heavenly

bands

Down from a sky of jasper lighted now In Paradise, and on a hill made halt 210 A glorious Apparition, had not doubt And carnal fear that day dimmed Adam's

eye. Not that more glorious, when the Angels

met

Jacob in Mahanaim, where he saw The field pavilioned with his guardians

bright;

Nor that which on the flaming Mount ap- peared

In Dothan, covered with a camp of fire, Against the Syrian king, who, to surprise One man, assassin-like, had levied war, War unproclaimed. The princely Hier- areh 220

In their bright stand there left his Powers

to seize

Possession of the Garden; he alone, To find where Adam sheltered, took his

way,

Not unperceived of Adam; who to Eve, While the great Visitant approached, thus

spake : " Eve, now expect great tidings, which,

perhaps,

Of us will soon determine, or impose New laws to be observed; for I descry, From yonder blazing cloud that veils the

hill,

One of the Heavenly host, and, by his gait, 230

None of the meanest some great Poten- tate

Or of the Thrones above, such majesty Invests him coming; yet not terrible, That I should fear, nor sociably mild, As Raphael, that I should much confide, But solemn and sublime; whom, not to

offend,

With reverence I must meet, and thou re- tire." He ended; and the Archangel soon drew

nigh,

Not in his shape celestial, but as man Clad to meet man. Over his lucid arms 240 A military vest of purple flowed,

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