Lucif. Not that I fear, do I decline the fight: 
You I disdain; let me with Him contend,
On whom your limitary powers depend. 
More honour from the sender than the sent: 
Till then, I have accomplished my intent;
And leave this place, which but augments my pain,
Gazing to wish, yet hopeless to obtain. [Exit, they following him.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.—­Paradise.

  ADAM and EVE.

Adam. Strange was your dream, and full of sad portent;
Avert it, heaven, if it from heaven were sent! 
Let on thy foes the dire presages fall;
To us be good and easy, when we call.

Eve. Behold from far a breaking cloud appears,
Which in it many winged warriors bears: 
Their glory shoots upon my aching sense;
Thou, stronger, mayest endure the flood of light,
And while in shades I chear my fainting sight,
Encounter the descending Excellence. [Exit.

The Cloud descends with six Angels in it, and when it is near the ground, breaks, and on each side discovers six more:  They descend out of the Cloud. RAPHAEL and GABRIEL discourse with ADAM, the rest stand at a distance.

Raph. First of mankind, that we from heaven are sent,
Is from heaven’s care thy ruin to prevent. 
The Apostate Angel has by night been here,
And whispered through thy sleeping consort’s ear
Delusive dreams.  Thus warned by us, beware,
And guide her frailty by thy timely care.

Gab. These, as thy guards from outward harms, are sent; Ills from within thy reason must prevent.

Adam. Natives of heaven, who in compassion deign
To want that place where joys immortal reign,
In care of me; what praises can I pay,
Descended in obedience; taught to obey?

Raph. Praise Him alone, who god-like formed thee free,
With will unbounded as a deity;
Who gave thee reason, as thy aid, to chuse
Apparent good, and evil to refuse. 
Obedience is that good; this heaven exacts,
And heaven, all-just, from man requires not acts,
Which man wants power to do:  Power then is given
Of doing good, but not compelled by heaven.

Gab. Made good, that thou dost to thy Maker owe; But to thyself, if thou continuest so.

Adam. Freedom of will of all good things is best;
But can it be by finite man possest? 
I know not how heaven can communicate
What equals man to his Creator’s state.

Raph. Heaven cannot give his boundless power away,
But boundless liberty of choice he may;
So orbs from the first Mover motion take,
Yet each their proper revolutions make.

Adam. Grant heaven could once have given us liberty;
Are we not bounded now, by firm decree,
Since whatsoe’er is pre-ordained must be? 
Else heaven for man events might pre-ordain,
And man’s free will might make those orders vain.