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with uplifted hands, and eyes devout,

       Grateful to Heav’n, over his head beholds

       A dewie Cloud, and in the Cloud a Bow

       Conspicuous with three lifted colours gay,

       Betok’ning peace from God, and Cov’nant new.

       Whereat the heart of Adam erst so sad Greatly rejoyc’d, and thus his joy broke forth.

      O thou that future things canst represent

       As present, Heav’nly instructer, I revive

       At this last sight, assur’d that Man shall live

       With all the Creatures, and thir seed preserve.

       Farr less I now lament for one whole World

       Of wicked Sons destroyd, then I rejoyce

       For one Man found so perfet and so just,

       That God voutsafes to raise another World

       From him, and all his anger to forget.

       But say, what mean those colourd streaks in Heavn,

       Distended as the Brow of God appeas’d,

       Or serve they as a flourie verge to binde

       The fluid skirts of that same watrie Cloud,

       Least it again dissolve and showr the Earth?

      To whom th’ Archangel. Dextrously thou aim’st;

       So willingly doth God remit his Ire,

       Though late repenting him of Man deprav’d,

       Griev’d at his heart, when looking down he saw

       The whole Earth fill’d with violence, and all flesh

       Corrupting each thir way; yet those remoov’d,

       Such grace shall one just Man find in his sight,

       That he relents, not to blot out mankind,

       And makes a Covenant never to destroy

       The Earth again by flood, nor let the Sea

       Surpass his bounds, nor Rain to drown the World

       With Man therein or Beast; but when he brings

       Over the Earth a Cloud, will therein set

       His triple-colour’d Bow, whereon to look

       And call to mind his Cov’nant: Day and Night,

       Seed time and Harvest, Heat and hoary Frost

       Shall hold thir course, till fire purge all things new,

       Both Heav’n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell.

       Thus thou hast seen one World begin and end;

       And Man as from a second stock proceed.

       Much thou hast yet to see, but I perceave

       Thy mortal sight to faile; objects divine

       Must needs impaire and wearie human sense:

       Henceforth what is to com I will relate,

       Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.

       This second sours of Men, while yet but few,

       And while the dread of judgement past remains

       Fresh in thir mindes, fearing the Deitie,

       With some regard to what is just and right

       Shall lead thir lives, and multiplie apace,

       Labouring the soile, and reaping plenteous crop,

       Corn wine and oyle; and from the herd or flock,

       Oft sacrificing Bullock, Lamb, or Kid,

       With large Wine-offerings pour’d, and sacred Feast

       Shal spend thir dayes in joy unblam’d, and dwell

       Long time in peace by Families and Tribes

       Under paternal rule; till one shall rise

       Of proud ambitious heart, who not content

       With fair equalitie, fraternal state,

       Will arrogate Dominion undeserv’d

       Over his brethren, and quite dispossess

       Concord and law of Nature from the Earth;

       Hunting (and Men not Beasts shall be his game)

       With Warr and hostile snare such as refuse

       Subjection to his Empire tyrannous:

       A mightie Hunter thence he shall be styl’d

       Before the Lord, as in despite of Heav’n,

       Or from Heav’n claming second Sovrantie;

       And from Rebellion shall derive his name,

       Though of Rebellion others he accuse.

       Hee with a crew, whom like Ambition joyns

       With him or under him to tyrannize,

       Marching from Eden towards the West, shall finde The Plain, wherein a black bituminous gurge Boiles out from under ground, the mouth of Hell; Of Brick, and of that stuff they cast to build A Citie & Towre, whose top may reach to Heav’n; And get themselves a name, least far disperst In foraign Lands thir memorie be lost, Regardless whether good or evil fame. But God who oft descends to visit men Unseen, and through thir habitations walks To mark thir doings, them beholding soon, Comes down to see thir Citie, ere the Tower Obstruct Heav’n Towrs, and in derision sets Upon thir Tongues a various Spirit to rase Quite out thir Native Language, and instead To sow a jangling noise of words unknown: Forthwith a hideous gabble rises loud Among the Builders; each to other calls Not understood, till hoarse, and all in rage, As mockt they storm; great laughter was in Heav’n And looking down, to see the hubbub strange And hear the din; thus was the building left Ridiculous, and the work Confusion nam’d.

      Whereto thus Adam fatherly displeas’d. O execrable Son so to aspire Above his Brethren, to himself affirming Authoritie usurpt, from God not giv’n: He gave us onely over Beast, Fish, Fowl Dominion absolute; that right we hold By his donation; but Man over men He made not Lord; such title to himself Reserving, human left from human free. But this Usurper his encroachment proud Stayes not on Man; to God his Tower intends Siege and defiance: Wretched man! what food Will he convey up thither to sustain Himself and his rash Armie, where thin Aire Above the Clouds will pine his entrails gross, And famish him of Breath, if not of Bread?

      To whom thus Michael. Justly thou abhorr’st That Son, who on the quiet state of men Such trouble brought, affecting to subdue Rational Libertie; yet know withall, Since thy original lapse, true Libertie Is lost, which alwayes with right Reason dwells Twinn’d, and from her hath no dividual being: Reason in man obscur’d, or not obeyd, Immediately inordinate desires And upstart Passions catch the Government From Reason, and to servitude reduce Man till then free. Therefore since hee permits Within himself unworthie Powers to reign Over free Reason, God in Judgement just Subjects him from without to violent Lords; Who oft as undeservedly enthrall His outward freedom: Tyrannie must be, Though to the Tyrant thereby no excuse. Yet somtimes Nations will decline so low From vertue, which is reason, that no wrong, But Justice, and some fatal curse annext Deprives them of thir outward libertie, Thir inward lost: Witness th’ irreverent Son Of him who built the Ark, who for the shame Don to his Father, heard this heavie curse, Servant of Servants, on his vitious Race. Thus will this latter, as the former World, Still tend from bad to worse, till God at last Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw His presence from among them, and avert His holy Eyes; resolving from thenceforth To leave them to thir own polluted wayes; And one peculiar Nation to select From all the rest, of whom to be invok’d, A Nation from one faithful man to spring: Him on this side Euphrates yet residing, Bred up in Idol-worship; O that men (Canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown, While yet the Patriark liv’d, who scap’d the Flood, As to forsake the living God, and fall To-worship thir own work in Wood and Stone For Gods! yet him God the

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