two of the fineft Birds before him; the Lyon, then, the first Hunter that ever was, purfued a Hart and a Hind, the goodlieft of all the Foreft, down from a Hill; and their Flight was bent directly to the Eastern Gate of PARADISE. ADAM obferv'd it, and fixing his Eyes upon the Chace, with fome Emotion spoke thus to EVE:

O EVE! fome further Change for us is near at Hand, which Heaven fhows by thefe mute Signs in Nature; the Fore-runners of his Purpofe, either to warn us, who may be too prefuming and too fecure of our Discharge from Penalty, becaufe we have been releas'd fome Days from DEATH: How long and what our Life will be 'till then, who knows? Or is it more than this, perhaps to warn us that we are Dust, and that we must return thither and be no more? Why elfe this double Object in our Sight, of Flight and Purfuit in the Air and over the Ground, one Way in the self-fame Hour? Why is Darkness in the East before Noon? And why is the Morning Light brighter in yon Western Cloud, that draws a fhining Whiteness along before the Sky, defcending flowly, and bearing in it fome of the Bleft from Heaven.

CHAP. II.

Michael denounces their Departure; Eve's Lamentation. Adam pleads, but fubmits.

A

DAM did not miftake in his Conjecture; for by this Time the heavenly Bands of Angels were lighted down in PARADISE from the ferene Sky, and took their Stand upon a Hill: A glorious Appearance! had not Doubts and carnal Fear that

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Day

Day made the Eyes of ADAM dim: That was not more glorious, when the Angels met JACOB in MAHANAIM, (i) where he faw the Field cover'd with bright Angels: Nor was that more glorious, which appear'd on the flaming Mountain DOTHAN, (k) cover'd with Chariots and Horfes of Fire, against BENHADAD, the King of SYRIA; who, to furprize the Prophet ELISHA, (1) like an Affaffin had levied War unproclaim'd. MICHAEL, the princely Arch

(i) Mahanaim; Heb. i. e. Two Hofis or Camps. So Jacob called the Place, where he faw Armies of Holy Angels protecting him from the Fear of Efau, Gen. 32. 1. 2. A City was built there in Memory of this glorious Vifion, in the Tribe of Gad in the Land of Gilead beyond Jordan for the Priefts, near Ramath, Job. 21. 38. It is 41 Miles from Jerufalem to the Eaft. David fled to it, as a facred Place of Refuge, in his Exile under Abjalom's Ufurpation. Abinidab a Prieft was the Governor of it, under King Solomon; and fo it was always efteemed a facred Place from that Occafion.

(k) Dothan; Heb. i. e. Commandment.. A City about two Miles from Sichem, fix from Tiberias, twelve to the North of Samaria, forty-four Miles from Jerufalem towards the North. A Place of good Paflure; for there Jofeph found his Brethren with their Flocks, and was caft into a Pit, Gen. 37. 17. There Elifba the Prophet liv'd, and ftruck the Syrian Army with Blindness; having a glorious Guard of Angels, with Chariots and flaming Fire about him, 2 Kings, 6. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.

"And he faid, Go, and fpy "where he is, that I may fend " and fetch him; and it was "told him, faying, Behold he "is in Dothan. Therefore fent "he thither Horfes and Chariots, and a great Host; and they came by Night, and "compaffed the City about. "And when the Servant of the "Man of God was risen early "and gone forth, behold, an "Hoft compaffed the City, "both with Horfes and Chariots; and his Servant faid un

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Arch-Angel, left his Powers there in their bright Stand, to take Poffeffion of the Garden; and he alone took his Way, to find where ADAM had fhelter'd himfelf; who perceiving him at a Diftance, as he made his Approach towards him, fpoke to EvE in

this Manner:

EVE! Now is the Time to expect to know fome great Matter, which perhaps will very foon determine what relates to us; or, perhaps, for us to receive new Laws to obferve: For I discover, from yonder blazing Cloud that covers the Top of the Hill, one of the Hoft of Heaven; and, by his Port, none of the meaneft; fome great Potentate, one of those who fit upon Thrones above, fuch Majefty appears about him as he comes along! yet not terrible, that I fhould fear him; nor fociably mild as RAPHAEL was, that I fhould venture to ufe much Freedom with him; but he feems folemn and fublime; whom not to offend I must meet with Reverence, and do thou retire.

HE faid thus; and the Arch-Angel foon drew near; not in his heavenly Shape, but clad like a MAN to meet with MAN: He wore a military Vest of Purple, (m) of a brighter brighter Colour and richer Dye, than ever was known in MELIBEA, (n) or Bb 2 TYRE,

(m) Purple; Sax. Fr. Ital. Span. Lat. from the Gr. A Colour between Red and Violet, taken from a Sea-Fish, which is call'd Purpura, i. e. The Colour of Fire. The Purple Colour was first found out at Tyre, by an Accident; for an hungry Dog broke one of thofe Shells upon the Sea-Side, and eat the Fish, which colour'd his Mouth and Chaps, to the Admiration of all

Beholders. Hence the Tyrians became the most famous Mafters of that Art, in all Antiquity. Purple became as valuable as Gold, and was the distinguishing Mark of Emperors, Kings, Confuls, Senators, Dictators, and Triumphers; fo that a Pound of it was fold at Rome for 1000 Denarii, i. e. about 411. 135. 4 d. English Money.

(n) Melibea; Lat. from the

Gr.

TYRE, (0) though that was worn by Kings and Heroes of old, in Time of Truce; the Rainbow (p) had given its Colours before it was wove: His Helmet, that was unbuckled and fhone like a Star, fhew'd him juft at that Degree of Manhood, where Youth ended: His Sword, the Dread of SATAN, hung by his Side, faften'd to a fhining Belt; and in his Hand he bore a Spear. ADAM bow'd down low: MICHAEL, who was to keep up his Royalty and State, did not bow in Return, but thus declar'd the Reason of his coming:

ADAM! there is no Need to make any Preamble to the Command of Heaven, let it be fufficient that thy Prayers are heard, and DEATH (which was due by Sentence, at the Time of thy Tranfgreffion) not permitted to make the Seizure for yet many Days; which are given thee through Grace, wherein thou may'st repent, and with many Deeds well done, cover and blot out one bad Act: It is poffible GOD, upon thy Repentance, (being appeas'd) may not only defer but quite remit the mortal Sentence, and redeem thee from the rapacious Claim of DEATH. But he does not permit thee to dwell longer in this PAR ADISE: I am come to remove thee, and fend thee out of the Garden to till the Ground, whence thou wast taken, which is a Soil much fitter for thee.

THE Arch-Angel faid no more; for ADAM was ftruck to the very Heart with fuch Sorrow, as fufpended all his Senfes; and Eve, who though unseen, had overheard all, with loud Lamentation foon difcover'd the Place where fhe had conceal'd herself:

O UNEXPECTED Stroke, much worse than DEATH! PARADISE! muft I leave thee thus? Thus leave thee, dear native Soil! thefe pleafant Shades and happy Walks, worthy to be vifited by Gods? Where I had Hope to spend quiet, though fad, the Time that Heaven had granted us, 'till the Day come that must be mortal to us both! O Flowers! that never will grow in any other Climate; that were my early Vifitation in the Morning, and my laft in the Evening; which I bred up with tender Hand, from the very firft opening Bud, and gave ye all Names! Who now fhall raife ye up to the Sun, or range in your feveral Claffes, and water ye from the living Springs? And laftly, O nuptial Bower! adorn'd by me with every Thing that was fweet, either to the Smell or Sight! How

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