By their great intercessor, 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 pray'rs, which in this golden censer, mix'd 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 produc'd, ere fall'n 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 tow'ard mankind; let him live Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days
Number'd, though sad, till death, his doom (which I To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)
To better life shall yield him, where with me All my redeem'd 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 requests 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 Distemper'd all things, and of incorrupt Corrupted. I at first with two fair gifts Created him endow'd, with happiness And immortality: that fondly lost, This other serv'd but to eternize woe; Till I provided death; so death becomes
His final remedy, and after life
Try'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd
By faith and faithful works, to second life,
Wak'd in the renovation of the just,
Resigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.
But let us call to synod all the Blest
Through Heav'n's wide bounds, from them I will not hide My judgments, how with mankind 1 proceed.
As how with peccant Angels late they saw,
And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm'd. He ended, and the Son gave signal high
To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew His trumpet, heard in Qreb since perhaps When God descended, and perhaps once more To sound at general doom. Th' angelic blast Fill'd 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 Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his sov'reign 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 suffic'd 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, And live for ever, dream at least to live
For ever, to remove him I decree,
And send him from the garden forth to till The ground whence he was taken, fitter soil. MICHAEL, this my behest have thou in charge, Take to thee from among the Cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriors, lest the Fiend, Or in behalf of Man, or to invade Vacant possession, some new trouble raise : Haste thee, and from the Paradise of God
Without remorse drive out the sinful pair, From hallow'd ground th' unholy,' and denounce To them and to their progeny from thence Perpetual banishment. Yet lest they faint At the sad sentence rigorously urg'd,
For I behold them soften'd and with tears
Bewailing their excess, all terror hide. If patiently thy bidding they obey, Dismiss them not disconsolate; reveal
To Adam what shall come in future days,
As I shall thee enlighten; intermix
My covenant in the Woman's seed renew'd;
So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace: And on the east side of the garden place,
Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs, Cherubic watch, and of a sword the flame Wide-waving, all approach far off to fright, And guard all passage to the tree of life: Lest Paradise a receptacle prove
To Spirits foul, and all my trees their prey,
With whose stol'n fruit Man once more to delude. 125
HE ceas'd; and the angelic Pow'r prepar'd
For swift descent, with him the cohort bright Of watchful Cherubim; four faces each Had, like a double Janus, all their shape Spangled with eyes, more numerous than those Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drowse, Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the past'ral reed Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Meanwhile
To re-salute the world with sacred light
Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm'd 135 The earth, when Adam and first matron Eye
Had ended now their orisons, and found
Strength added from above, new hopes to spring
Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet link'd;
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. 140 EVE, easily may faith admit, that all
The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n descends; But that from us ought should ascend to Heaven So prevalent as to concern the mind
Of God high-blest, or to incline his will, Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer Or one short sigh of human breath, upborne Ev'n to the seat of God. For since I sought By pray'r th' offended Deity to' appease, Kneel'd and before him humbled all my heart, Methought I saw him placable and mild, Bending his ear; persuasion in me grew That I was heard with favour; peace return'd Home to my breast, and to my memory His promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe; Which then not minded in dismay, yet now Assures me that the bitterness of death
Is past, and we shall live. Whence hail to thee, Eve rightly call'd, mother of all mankind, Mother of all things living, since by thee
Man is to live, and all things live for Man.
To whom thus Eve with sad demeanour meek.
Ill worthy I such title should belong To me transgressor, who for thee ordain'd A help, became thy snare; to me reproach Rather belongs, distrust and all dispraise : But infinite in pardon was my Judge, That I who first brought death on all, am grac'd The source of life; next favourable thou, Who highly thus to' intitle me vouchsafʼst, Far other name deserving. But the field To labour calls us now with sweat impos'd,
« PreviousContinue » |