BOOK THE ELEVENTH.

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 Spirit of prayer

Inspir'd, and wing'd for heaven with speedier flight Than loudest oratory: yet their port

Not of mean suitors; nor important less

Seem'd 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 drown'd, before the shrine.
Of Themis stood devout. To heaven their prayers
Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate: in they pass'd
Dimensionless through heavenly 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
Presenting, thus to intercede began:

See, Father, what first-fruits on earth are sprung

From thy implanted grace in man: these sighs

LIVRE ONZIÈME.

Ainsi que la rosée en nos champs répandue, Du sein de l'Éternel la grace descendue, Au couple infortuné touché de ses erreurs, Avoit rendu l'espoir, le remords et les pleurs. Soumis, agenouillés, ils prioient; leur prière, Franchissant d'un plein vol les champs de la lumière, Malgré les vents jaloux, sur des ailes de feu, Part, vole, monte, arrive aux portes du saint lieu; Là, du temple divin le pontife suprême, Heureux médiateur, fils de Dieu, Dieu lui-même, Sur l'autel d'or où fume un encens éternel, La bénit, et la porte aux pieds de l'Éternel.

« O mon père! sur moi tourne des yeux propices! De la grace du ciel je t'offre les prémices;

T. XV. PARADIS PERDU. III.

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And prayers,
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 toward 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 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

Reçois du repentir la prière et les vœux,
Fruits divins de la grace, et plus chers à tes yeux,
Que ces terrestres fruits qu'en son séjour champêtre,
L'homme encore innocent présentoit à son maître.
Vers son trône indulgent leurs vœux ont pris l'essor;
Parmi les doux parfums dont fume l'autel d'or,
J'ai moi-même reçu, j'ai béni leurs demandes :
Du repentir sincère accepte les offrandes;
Que son humble soupir par toi soit entendu!
De leur douleur muette interprète assidu

Je parlerai pour eux: Oui, ton fils pour leur crime
Sera l'intercesseur, le prêtre et la victime;

Dès ce jour je leur voue et ma vie et ma mort;
Justes ou criminels, je prends sur moi leur sort;
J'épurerai le bien, réparerai l'offense;

Le supplice d'un Dieu leur rendra l'innocence;
Sans être exempts de maux, du reste de leurs jours,
Punis, mais résignés, qu'ils achèvent le cours :
Qu'ils meurent; car ton fils demande à ta clémence
D'adoucir, et non pas d'annuler leur sentence.
Mais un jour au bonheur ils renaîtront par moi,
Réunis à ton fils, comme ton fils à toi. »

« Ce qu'implorent tes vœux, mon fils, je te l'accorde; Oui, déja ma justice et ma miséricorde

Ont décidé leur sort; mais du riant Éden

Ces prévaricateurs quitteront le jardin:

La sainteté du lieu repousse leurs souillures;

Oui, des mets plus grossiers, des régions moins pures,

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,
Tried 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 heaven and earth renew'd.

But let us call to synod all the blest,

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

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 high
To the bright minister that watch'd: he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps
When God descended, and perhaps once more
To sound at general doom. The' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bowers