not yet plunder'd and enflav'd; whofe great City the Sons of GERYON (b) call EL DORADO (i). But MICHAEL live above 100 Years. It is called fo from the River Wia or Wiana; and by our Sailors the North Cape; because it is the moft remarkable Land on the North Coaft of Peru. It is bounded on the North and Eaft with the Atlantic Ocean, on the South with the River of the Amazons, and on the Weft with the River Oroonoko: It is about 400 Miles in Length, and 150 in Breadth. The Inhabitants are ftill Cannibals, Lat. i. e. Men-Eaters, like Dogs, and very favage Pagans. It was difcovered A. D. 1541, by the Spaniards. When Milton wrote this, the Country had not been robbed and enslaved by them, as others of Mexico and Peru had been; but now it is inhabited by the English, French, Dutch, and other Europeans. The River Amazone is certainly the greateft, richeft, and most fertile River upon the Face of the Earth; (if we may except Rio de la Plata, which is navigable for the greatest Ships, above 200 Leagues, and fixty Leagues wide at the Mouth.) It is about 1276, fome fay 1800 Spanish Leagues, i. e. about 5408 English Miles in Length. It runs from the Weft of Peru, to the Eastern Ocean, 84 Leagues broad at the Mouth, and is replenith'd with 1000 other Rivers thro' its Courfe, wafhing many rich Countries. The old Name of it was Pajan quiris, i. e. The great Rivers and Habio, i, e. The fair River: But the Europeans called it and the Country fo, at their firft discovering of it; because they faw many warlike Women upon the Banks of it, oppofing their Landing and Conqueft, refembling the antient Amazons B. IX. N. 1110. See a Survey of it, performed at the Order of the King of Spain, by M. Chrift. d'Acugna, tranflated into English, 1699. (b) Geryon ; Gr. i, e. a Brawler. A King of Catalonia in Spain, who founded Granada, a City of Catalonia, and called it by his own Name. The Poets fay he had three Bodies, i. e. he was a gigantick Tyrant, and King of three Kingdoms, viz. Majorca, Minorca, and Ebuja; though he was rather a King of Epirus, as the learned Bochart proves; but Hercules flew him for his Cruelty. By Geryon's Sons Milton means the Spaniards. (i) El Dorado, or Elderado, The golden City; from Eldorador, i. e. a Gilder; Sp. from the Lat. Aurum, Gold, as Babylon is called the Golden City, becaufe of the vaft Treasure therein, fa. 14. 4. Manoa or Manhoa, the capital and Royal City of Guiana: The greatest of South America, and perhaps on Earth; for Diego Ordas, one of Cortez's Companions, enter'd it at Noon and travell'd 'till Night, before he came to the King's Palace; and there he faw 1o much Gold in Coin, Plate, Аг MICHAEL for nobler Sights remov'd the Film from the Eyes of ADAM, which that falfe Fruit had occafion'd, that had promis'd to give them clearer Sight; then the Angel purged the vifual Nerve with Eyebright and Rue, (for he had much to fee) and dropt three Drops of Water into his Eyes from the Well of Life. So great Power thefe Ingredients had over ADAM, that they pierc'd even to the utmoft Seat of his Mind; and he, not being longer able to refrain from clofing his Eyes, funk down, and all his Spirits. became entranc'd; but the Angel foon rais'd him up gently by the Hand, and thus recall'd his Attention: ADAM! now open thy Eyes; and firft behold the Effects, which thy Original Sin hath wrought on fome, who are to fpring from thee; who never touch'd the forbidden Fruit, nor confpir'd with the Serpent; nor committed Sin; yet from that Crime of thine deriv'd Corruption, to bring forth more violent Deeds. ADAM Open'd his Eyes, and beheld a Field, Part arable, and that had been till'd, whereon there lay Sheaves of Corn newly reap'd; the other Part of the Field was Sheep-Walks and Sheep-Folds, and in the Midft there stood a plain Altar of green Turf, which was as a Land-mark between: Thither, after a while, a fweaty Reaper brought from his Tillage firft Fruits; the green Ear, and the yellow Sheaf, unchofen, as they came to Hand: Next came a Shepherd, with mecker Looks, bringing the Firflings (k) of his Cc 4 Flock, Armour, and other Utenfils, that the Spaniards called it by this new Name: It ftands upon the West Shore of the great Lake of Parima. The Spaniards lay, the Peruvians built it, when they fled from their Cruelty and Tyranny. Others, it is a Chimera, and the Philofopher's Stone of the Spaniards; for many have attempted to find it, but in vain. (k) Firflings; Sax. O. E. from Firft: The Young of Cattle, which were first brought forth. Here the first Fruits of every Flock, the choiceft and the beft; then facrificing, laid the Entrails and the Fat of the Lambs, ftrew'd with Incense, upon Wood that he had hewn, and perform'd all due Rites: His Offering was foon confumed by Fire from Heaven; but the Offering of the former not, for his was not fincere: Whereat he inwardly raged, and as they talk'd, he rose up against him and flew him; ftriking him into the Midriff with a Stone: He fell down, and growing deadly pale, he groan'd out his Soul with an Effufion of gufhing Blood. ADAM, much difmay'd in his Heart at the Sight, in Hafte cry'd out to the Angel: OTEACHER! fome great Mischief hath happen'd to that meek Man, who had facrific'd with a pure Heart: Is Piety and true Devotion rewarded after this Manner? To whom MICHAEL anfwer'd thus: (he being himfelf alfo mov'd) Thefe, ADAM, are two Brethren, and are to defcend immediately from thee: The unjuft hath for Envy flain the juft, because his Brother's Offering found Acceptance from Heaven, and his not; but the bloody Deed will be aveng'd, though here thou haft feen him die, rowling in Duft and Blood. To which our firft Father made Answer: Alas! both for the Deed, and that which is the Caufe of it! But, is this that I have now feen DEATH? Is this the Way that I must return again to my native Dust? O Sight every Thing the Earth and the Flocks yielded, which were offered to God, as a Sacrifice of Thankfulness. This Cuftom was handed down among all Nations by Tradition. It was made a Law in Ifrael, 2000 Years after this, that none might eat young Lambs, Corn, Bread, or any Fruits, 'till they brought an Offering to God first, Levit. 23. 14. And fuch Laws were made long after that, among the Greeks, Latins, and other Nations. O Sight of Terror! foul and ugly only to fee, horrid to think of; then alas, how horrible muft it be to feel? To whom MICHAEL reply'd: Thou haft feen DEATH in his first Shape, exerting his Power over MAN: But there are many Ways of Dying, and entring into that dark State: All of them are very difmal; and yet to the Senfes are more terrible at the Entrance, than they are within. Some (as thou haft just now feen) fhall die by the Stroke of Violence; and fome by Fire, Flood, or Famine; but more by Intemperance in Meats and Drinks, which fhall bring dire Diseases upon the Earth: Of which there fhall appear a monftrous Crew before thee; that thou may'ft know what Mifery the Eating of the forbidden Fruit fhall bring on MEN. IMMEDIATELY there appear'd a Place before his Eyes, fad, noifome, and dark; it seem'd a LazarHoufe, wherein were laid Numbers of People, fick of all Manner of Diseases: All Maladies of ghaftly CRAMPS and DISTORTIONS, FAINT SICKNESS, AGONY AT HEART; all Kinds of FEVERS, CONVULSIONS, FALLING-SICKNESS, CATARRHS, THE STONE, ULCERS, CHOLIC-PANGS, RAVING-MADNESS MOAPING-MELANCHOLY, LUNACY, PINING-CONSUMPTION, HECTICKS, PESTILENCE, DROPSIES, and ASTHMAS, and RHEUMATISMS. It was very dreadful, to fee the Sick toffing and throwing themfelves about! and to hear their deep Groans! every Bed or Couch having one on it, defpairing of Life; and DEATH feem'd to be ready at Hand to triumph over them; but yet delay'd his Stroke, though fo often call'd upon as their chiefeft Good, and laft and only Hope. Who, unless his Heart were as hard as Stone, could behold with dry Eyes a Sight fo full of Sorrow and Deformity? ADAM was not able, but wept, though he was not born of WOMAN: Compaffion paffion overcame all the Strength of his Nature as a MAN, and he wept a confiderable Space of Time; 'till Confideration and firmer Thought put a Restraint upon the Excess of his Tears, and fcarcely able to utter his Words for Sorrow, he renew'd his Complaint: O MISERABLE MANKIND! to what a Fall degraded! and to what a wretched State referv'd! it were better to end here, and never be born! Why is Life given, to be fnatch'd in this Manner from us? Rather, why is it forc'd thus upon us? Who, if we knew what we were to receive, would either not accept Life when offer'd us; or having once accepted of it, beg to lay it down, and be glad to be fo dismiss'd in Peace? Can the Image of GOD in MAN (created once fo goodly and fo erect, though fince fallen into Guilt) thus be debas'd to fuch unfightly Sufferings, under fuch inhuman Pains? Why fhould not MAN, who ftill in Part retains the Likenefs and Image of , be free and exempt from fuch Deformities, in Cideration that his MAKER's Image is ftamp'd upon him? THEIR MAKER'S Image forfook them, anfwered the Arch-Angel, then, when they funk, and leffen'd themselves fo, that they broke his Command to ferve ungovern'd Appetite, and took upon them his Image, whom they then ferv'd; following the Vice of a Brute, in eating the Fruit of the forbidden Tree; for by the Serpent's eating, EvE was induc'd to fin. Therefore their Punishment by Diftemper, is as abject; not disfiguring GoD's Likenefs, but their's: Or, if it be the Likeness of GOD, it is defac'd by themselves, while they pervert the pure healthful Rules of NATURE to loathfome Sicknefs; and it is juft it should have this Effect, fince they did not reverence the Image of GoD in themfelves. I GRANT, |