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He ended; and the Archangel soon drew nigh,

Not in his shape celestial, but as man

Clad to meet man. Over his lucid arms

A military vest of purple flowed,

Livelier than Melibæan, or the grain

Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old

In time of truce: Iris had dipt the woof.

His starry helm unbuckled showed him prime

In manhood where youth ended; by his side,

As in a glistering zodiac, hung the sword,

Satan's dire dread, and in his hand the spear.

Adam bowed low. He, kingly, from his state

Inclined not, but his coming thus declared:

PARADISE LOST.

Adam, Heaven's high behest no preface needs:

Sufficient that thy prayers are heard; and Death,

Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress,

Defeated of his seizure many days,

Given thee of grace, wherein thou mayst repent,

And one bad act with many deeds well done

Mayst cover: well may, then, thy Lord, appeased,

Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious claim.

But longer in this Paradise to dwell

Permits not. To remove thee I am come,

And send thee from the garden forth, to till

The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil.

He added not; for Adam, at the news

Heart-struck, with chilling gripe of sorrow stood,

That all his senses bound: Eve, who unseen,

Yet all had heard, with audible lament

Discovered soon the place of her retire:

O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death!

Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus leave

Thee, native soil! these happy walks and shades,

Fit haunt of gods? where I had hope to spend,

Quiet, though sad, the respite of that day

1 Her retire .- Her retirement, retreat.

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

Darkness ere day's mid-course, and morning-light

More orient in you western cloud, that draws

O'er the blue firmament a radiant white,

And slow descends with something heavenly 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; 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 appeared In Dothan,2 covered with a camp of fire, Against the Syrian king, who, to surprise One man, assassin-like, had levied war, War unproclaimed. The princely hierarch 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,

None of the meanest; some great Potentate,

Or of the Thrones above, such majesty

Invests his 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 retire.

' Jacob in Mahaneim .- Gen. xxxii.

³ Dothan,--2 Kings vi. 13-17.