HUS they in lowlieft plight repentant flood
Praying, for from the Mercy-feat above
Prevenient Grace defcending had remov'd
The ftony from their hearts, and made new
flesh
Regenerate grow instead, that fighs now breath'd 5
Unutterable, which the Spirit of Prayer
Infpir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight
Than loudest Oratory: yet their port
Not of mean fuitors, nor important lefs
Seem'd their Petition, than when the ancient Pair
In Fables old, lefs ancient yet than these,
Deucalion and chafte Pyrrha, to restore
The Race of Mankind drown'd, before the Shrine
Of Themis ftood devout. To Heav'n their Pray'rs
Flew up, nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate: "in they pass'd
Dimention lefs thro' Heav'nly dores; then clad
With incenfe, where the Golden Altar fum'd,
By their great Interceffor, came in fight
Before the Father's Throne, Then the glad Son
Prefenting, 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 Cenfer mixt
With Incenfe, 1 thy Prieft before thee bring,
Fruits of more pleasing favour from thy Seed
Sown with contrition in his heart, than thofe
Which his own hand manuring all the Trees
Of Paradife could have produc'd, e're fall'n
From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear
To fupplication, hear his fighs 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 fhall pay.
Accept me, and in me from these receive
The fmell of peace towards Mankind, let him live
Before thee reconcil'd, at leaft his days
Number'd, tho' fad, till Death, his doom (which I
To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)
To better life fhall 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, ferene,
All thy Requeft of Man, accepted Son,
Obtain, all thy Requeft 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 grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him tainted now, and purge him off,
As a diftemper grofs, to air as gross,
And mortal food, as may difpofe him beft
For diffolution wrought by Sin, that first
Diftemper'd all things, and of incorrupt
Corrupted. I at firft with two fair gifts
Created him endow'd, with Happiness
And Immortality: that fondly loft,
This other ferv'd but to eternize woe;
Till I provided Death; fo 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 juft,
Resigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.
But let us call to Synod all the Bleft
Thro' Heav'ns wide bounds; from them I Will not hide
My judgments, how with Mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant Angels late they faw;
And in their state, tho' firm, ftood more confirm❜d.
He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright Minifter that watch'd, he blew
His Trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at general Doom. Th' Angelic blast
Fill'd all the Regions: from their blisful Bow'rs
Of Amarantin Shade, Fountain or Spring,
By the waters of Life, where-e'er they fat
In fellowships of joy: the Sons of Light
Hafted, reforting to the Summons high,
And took their Seats; till from his Throne fupream
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his fov'reign Will.
O Sons, like one of us Man is become
To know both Good and Evil, fince his tafte
Of that defended Fruit; but let him boast
His knowledge of Good loft, and Evil got;
Happier, had it fuffic'd him to have known
Good by it felf, and Evil not at all.
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite,
My motions in him, longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain
Self-left. Left therefore his now bolder hand
Reach alfo of the Tree of Life, and eat,
And live for ever, Dream at least to live
Forever, to remove him I decree,
And fend him from the Garden forth to Till
The Ground whence he was taken, fitter foil.
Michael, this my beheft have thou in charge,
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming Warriors, left the Fiend
Or in behalf of Man, or to invade
Vacant poffeffion fome new trouble raise :
Hafte thee, and from the Paradife of God
Without remorfe drive out the finful Pair,
From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce
To them and to their Progeny from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet left they faint
At the fad Sentence rigorously urg'd,
For I behold them foften'd and with tears
Bewailing their excess, all Terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Difmifs them not disconsolate; reveal
To Adam what fhall come in future days,
As I fhall thee enlighten, intermix
My Cov'nant in the Woman's feed renew'd ;
So fend them forth, tho' forrowing, yet in peace:
And on the Eaft-fide 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 paffage to the Tree of Life:
Left Paradife a receptacle prove
To fpirits foul, and all my Trees their prey,
With whofe ftol'n Fruit Man once more to delude.
He ceas'd; and th' archangelic Pow'r prepar'd
For fwift defcent, with him the Cohort bright
Of watchful Cherubim; four faces each
Had, like a double Janus, all their shape
Spangl❜d with eyes more numerous than those
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to drouze,
Charm'd with Arcadian Pipe, the Paft'ral Reed
Of Hermes, or his opiate Rod. Mean while
To refalute the World with facred Light
Leucothea wak'd, and with fresh dews imbalm'd
The Earth, when Adam and first Matron Eve
Had ended now their Orifons, and found
Strength added from above, new hope to spring
Out of despair, joy, but with fear yet linkt;
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd.
Eve, cafily may Faith admit, that all
The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n defcends;
But that from us aught fhould afcend to Heav'n
|