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PARADISE LOST.

BOOK XII.

As one who in his journey bates at noon,
Though bent on speed; so here the Archangel paus'd
Betwixt the world destroy'd and world restor❜d,
If Adam ought perhaps might interpose;

Then with transition sweet new speech resumes.
"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 perceive
Thy mortal sight to fail; objects divine
Must needs impair and weary human sense.
Henceforth what is to come I will relate,
Thou therefore give due audience, and attend.
This second source of men, while yet but few,
And while the dread of judgment past remains
Fresh in their minds, fearing the Deity,
With some regard to what is just and right,
Shall lead their lives, and multiply apace,

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Lab'ring the soil, and reaping plenteous crop,
Corn, wine, and oil; and, from the herd or flock
Oft sacrificing bullock, lamb, or kid,

With large wine-offerings pour'd, and sacred feast,
Shall spend their days 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 equality, 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 war and hostile snare such as refuse

Subjection to his empire tyrannous :
A mighty hunter thence he shall be styl'd
Before the Lord, as in despite of Heaven,
Or from Heav'n claiming second sov'reignty;
And from rebellion shall derive his name,
Though of rebellion others he accuse.
He with a crew, whom like ambition joins
With him or under him to tyrannize,
Marching from Eden tow'ards the west, shall find
The plain, wherein a black bituminous gurge
Boils out from under ground, the mouth of Hell:
Of brick, and of that stuff they cast to build

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A city' and tow'r, whose top may reach to Heaven;
And get themselves a name, lest, far dispers'd
In foreign lands, their memory be lost,
Regardless whether good or evil fame.

But God, who oft descends to visit men
Unseen, and through their habitations walks
To mark their doings, them beholding soon,
Comes down to see their city, ere the tower
Obstruct Heav'n-tow'rs, and in derision sets
Upon their tongues a various spirit to rase
Quite out their 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,

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As mock'd, they storm: great laughter was in Heaven,
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 assuming
Authority usurp'd, from God not given:
He gave us only over beast, fish, fowl,
Dominion absolute; that right we hold
By his donation; but man over men

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He made not lord: such title to himself

Reserving, human left from human free.
But this usurper his encroachment proud
Stays not on man; to God his tow'r intends
Siege and defiance. Wretched man! what food
Will he convey up thither to sustain

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Himself and his rash army, where thin air
Above the clouds will pine his entrails gross,
And famish him of breath, if not of bread ?"
To whom thus Michael. 66
Justly thou abhorr❜st
That son, who on the quiet state of men
Such trouble brought, affecting to subdue
Rational liberty; yet know withal,
Since thy original lapse, true liberty

Is lost, which always with right reason dwells
Twinn'd, and from her hath no dividual being.
Reason in man obscur'd, or not obey'd,

Immediately inordinate desires

And upstart passions catch the government
From reason, and to servitude reduce

Man till then free. Therefore since he permits
Within himself unworthy pow'rs to reign

Over free reason, God in judgment just
Subjects him from without to violent lords;
Who oft as undeservedly inthrall

His outward freedom: tyranny must be,

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Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse,
Yet sometimes nations will decline so low
From virtue, which is reason, that no wrong,
But justice, and some fatal curse annex'd,
Deprives them of their outward liberty,
Their inward lost. Witness th' irreverent son
Of him who built the ark, who for the shame
Done to his father heard this heavy curse,
"Servant of servants," on his vicious 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 their own polluted ways;
And one peculiar nation to sclect
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

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(Canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown, While yet the patriarch liv'd, who scap'd the flood, As to forsake the living God, and fall

To worship their own work in wood and stone

For Gods! Yet him God the most High vouchsafes To call by vision from his father's house,

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