Raising my voice to heav'n,

I'll teach resounding echo

To carry to the sky my humble song,
Devoted to thy praise.

Michael. Ye victims cleans'd by tears!

Ye martyrs in affliction !

Amidst your blessed pains

Ye holocausts of life! and of content!

Now call the stars no more

Vindictive! war is now

Converted into peace;

And death turn'd into life.

Hence mortal Adam is now made immortal,
And Eve, tho' dead in many parts, revives.
The potent fire of love,

In which the tender God of mercy blazes,

Inflames him with pure zeal to save the sinner.
Contend, resist, and bravely

Wage with the hostile serpent constant war!
It is man's province now

To conquer hell, and triumph over death.
Creatures of grace! feel deeply now for ever,
That your most gracious father

Would not direct towards the ground your face,
As he has made the brute; but up to heav'n;
So that forever mindful of their source

Your happy souls may point towards their home:
For the high realm of heav'n

Is as a shining glass, in which of God
The glories ever blaze.

Innure yourselves to water, sun, and winds,

And in the stony caves,

In the most barren desart,

That the sun visits, when he blazes most,

There both exert your powers!

There many years, and many,

United, ye shall dwell in hallow'd love :

And from your progeny henceforth the world

Exulting shall derive fertility:

And now to you, ye mortal pair! I promise
As ye together sinn'd,

If ye in penitence have join'd together
Together e'en in heav'n

In a corporeal veil

Contemplating the sacred face of God

Ye shall enjoy the bliss of paradise.

Adam. Greater than my offence I now acknowledge,

Your mercy, O my God!

Since you become the sov'reign friend of man,

To him tho' ruin'd, now extend your hand!

Eve. As I have known to sin,

So shall I know to weep;

For who in sinning knew forbidden joy,
Humble in punishment, should know to suffer :

Be mute, be mute my tongue!

Speak thou within, my heart!

And say, with words of love,

See! how to mortals, even in perdition,
The hand of heav'nly succour was extended!

Michael. At length, since now with joy
Man, being thus deliver❜d

From hell's keen talon, feels unbounded transport,
And in his rapture deems

Earth turn'd to heav'n, this world a paradise ;
By these pure splendid dazzling rays of heav'n,
By these delightful fires,

That in the light of God more lovely blaze,

Rich with new beams, and with new suns this day

Day of festivity!

The day of paradise! rather a day

Blest in itself! and blessing every other!

Let all with festive joy

Of God's indulgence sing!

Of Adam, and of Eve,

Now made on earth the denizens of heav'n!

And let your tuneful songs

Become the wonder of futurity!

Angels sing.

Move, let us move our feet

There, where this man shall now

Wash out his past offence

With humble, hallow'd drops!

And of the mighty Maker

Praise we the love, and mercy,

That in this day to man's envenom'd wound
Suddenly gives his pity's healing aid!
Rejects him, and receives,

Deeming his every wrong, and error light

And now at last with more benignant zeal,
And in despight of Satan

Gives him, redeem'd from hell,

A seat amid the golden stars of heav'n.
Ye progeny of Adam !

Whose race we shall behold adorn the world,
Ye shall not pray in vain

To your high lord, the fountain of all mercy!
Be leaves of that pure branch,

On which the Word Incarnate shall be grafted!
Thunder, infuriate hell,

Be stormy! yet his leaf shall never fall:

To him a joyous offspring

Is promis'd by the lord of heav'ns great vineyard,

Stricken, transfixt, enkindled in a blaze,

And burning with eternal love for man.

THE END.