PARADISE LOST.

BOOK XI.

THUS they in lowliest plight, repentant stood
Praying; for from the mercy-seat above
Prevenient grace descending had removed

The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh
Regenerate grow instead; that sighs now breathed
Unutterable; which the Spirit of prayer

Inspired, and winged for Heaven with speedier flight
Than loudest oratory: Yet their port

Not of mean suitors; nor important less

Seemed their petition, than when the ancient pair
In fables old, less ancient yet than these,
Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore

The race of mankind drowned, before the shrine
Of Themis stood devout. To Heaven their prayers
Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate: In they passed

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Dimensionless through heavenly doors; then clad
With incense, where the golden altar fumed,
By their great Intercessour, came in sight
Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son
Presenting, thus to intercede began.

See, Father, what first-fruits on earth are sprung
From thy implanted grace in Man; these sighs
And prayers, which in this golden censer, mixed
With incense, I thy priest before thee bring;
Fruits of more pleasing savour, from thy seed
Sown with contrition in his heart, than those
Which, his own hand manuring, all the trees
Of Paradise could have produced, ere fallen
From innocence. Now therefore, bend thine ear
To supplication; hear his sighs, though mute ;
Unskilful with what words to pray, let me
Interpret for him; me, his advocate

And propitiation; all his works on me,

Good, or not good, ingraft; my merit those

Shall perfect, and for these

my

death shall pay.

Accept me; and, in me, from these receive

The smell of peace toward mankind: let him live
Before thee reconciled, at least his days

Numbered, though sad; till death, his doom, (which I
To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse,)

To better life shall yield him: where with me

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All my
redeemed may dwell in joy and bliss ;
Made one with me, as I with thee am one.

To whom the Father, without cloud, serene,
All thy request for Man, accepted Son,
Obtain; all thy request was my decree:
But, longer in that Paradise to dwell,
The law I gave to Nature him forbids:
Those pure immortal elements, that know,
No gross, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him, tainted now; and purge him off,
As a distemper, gross, to air as gross,
And mortal food; as may dispose him best
For dissolution wrought by sin, that first
Distempered all things, and of incorrupt
Corrupted. I, at first, with two fair gifts
Created him endowed; with happiness,
And immortality: that fondly lost,
This other served but to eternize woe;
Till I provided death: So death becomes

His final remedy; and, after life,

Tried in sharp tribulation, and refined

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By faith and faithful works, to second life,

Waked in the renovation of the just,

Resigns him up with Heaven and Earth renewed.

But let us call to synod all the Blest,

Through Heaven's wide bounds: from them I will not hide 68

VOL. II.

M

My judgements; how with mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant Angels late they saw,

And in their state, though firm, stood more confirmed.

He ended, and the Son gave signal high

To the bright minister that watched; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreh since perhaps
When God descended, and perhaps once more
To sound at general doom. The angelick blast
Filled all the regions: from their blissful bowers
Of amarantine shade, fountain or spring,

By the waters of life, where'er they sat

In fellowships of joy, the sons of light
Hasted, resorting to the summons high;

And took their seats; till from his throne supreme
The Almighty thus pronounced his sovran will.

O Sons, like one of us Man is become
To know both good and evil, since his taste
Of that defended fruit; but let him boast
His knowledge of good lost, and evil got ;
Happier! had it sufficed him to have known
Good by itself, and evil not at all.

He sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite,
My motions in him; longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain,
Self-left. Lest therefore his now bolder hand
Reach also of the tree of life, and eat,