Page images
PDF
EPUB

Which might supply the sun: such fire to use, And what may else be remedy or cure

1079 To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought He will instruct us praying, and of grace Beseeching him, so as we need not fear To pass commodiously this life sustain’d By him with many comforts, till we end In dust, our final rest and native home. What better can we do, than to the place Repairing where he judg'd us, prostate fall Before him reverent, and there confess 1088 Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow, unfeign'd, and humiliation meek? Undoubtedly he will relent and turn

From his displeasure; in whose look serene, When angry most he seem'd and most severe, What else but favor, grace, and mercy shone?

So spake our Father penitent, nor Eve

Felt less remorse: they forthwith to the place
Repairing where he judg'd them, prostrate fell
Before him reverent, and both confess'd 1100
Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd with tears
Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign
Of sorrow' unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.

The End of the Tenth Book.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK XI.

The Argument.

The Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our First Parents now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in Paradise; sends Michael with a band of Cherubim to dispossess them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam shows to Eve certain ominous signs; he dis cerns Michael's approach, goes out to meet him; the Angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits; the Angel leads him up to a high hill, sets before him in vision what shall happen till the flood.

THUS they in lowliest plight repentant stood
Praying, for from the mercy-seat above
Prevenient grace descending had remov'd
The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh
Regenerate grow instead, that sighs now breath'd
Unutterable, which the spi'rit of prayer

Inspir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight
And loudest oratory: yet their port

Not of mean suitors, nor important less
Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10
In fables old, less ancient yet than these,
Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore

The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine
Of Themis stood devout. To Heav'n their pray'rs

VOL. II.

Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond, or frustrate: in they pass'd
Dimensionless through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incense, where the golden altar fum'd,
By their great Intercessor, came in sight

Before the Father's throne; them the glad Son 20
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 savor 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, are fall'n
From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear 30
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.

41

To whom the Father, without cloud, serene:
All thy request for man, accepted Son,
Obtain; all thy request was my decrce:
But longer in that Paradise to dwell,
The law I gave to Nature him forbids:
Those immortal elements that know

pure
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,

50

60

Resigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.
But let us call to synod all the blest [not hide
Through Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will
My judgments, how with mankind I 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 bigh

To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps

70

80

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 fellowship 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 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 suffic'd him to have known
Good by itself, and evil not at all.

He sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite, 90
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 100
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

« PreviousContinue »