Of thofe fair fpreading trees; which bids us feek Some better throwd, fome better warmth to cherish Our limbs benumm'd; e're this diurnal star
Leave cold the night, how we his gather'd beams 1070 Reflected, may with matter fere foment
Or by collifion of two bodies grind
The air attrite to fire; as late the clouds
Juftling, or pufh'd with winds, rude in their fhock
Tine the flant lightning; whofethwar flame driv'n down,
Kindles the gummy bark of Fir, and Pine,
And fends a comfortable heat from far,
Which might fupply the Sun, Such fire to use,
And what may elfe be remedy or cure
To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought, 1080
He will inftruct us praying, and of grace
Befeeching him.
To país commodioufly this life, fuftain'd
By him with many comforts; till we end
In duft, our final rest, and native home.
What better can we do, than to the place
Repairing where he judg'd us, prostrate fall
Before him reverent; and there confefs
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg; with tears Wat'ring the ground, and with our fighs the air 1090 Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite, in fign
Of forrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek?
Undoubtedly he will relent and turn
From his displeasure: in whose look ferene,
When angry most he seem'd and most severe,
What else but favor, grace, and mercy fhone?
So fpake our father penitent: nor Eve
Felt lefs remorfe. They forthwith to the place
Repairing where he judg'd them, proftrate fell
Before him reverent; and both confefs'd
Humbly their faults; and pardon begg'd, with tears
Wat'ring the ground; and with their fighs the air
Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite; in fign
Of forrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.
The End of the Tenth Book.
Q
Thus 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 inftead; that fighs now breath'd 5
Unutterable, which the fpirit of pray'r
Infpir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight
Than loudeft oratory. Yet their port
Not of mean fuitors; nor important lefs
Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10
In fables old, lefs ancient yet than thefe,
Deucalion and chafte Pyrrha, to restore
The race of mankind drown'd, before the fhrine
Of Themis flood devout. To Heav'n their pray'rs
Flew up, nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond, or fruftrate: in they pafs'd
Dimenfionless thro' heav'nly doors; then clad
With incenfe, where the golden aitar fum'd,
By their great Interceffor, came in fight
Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son、
Prefenting, thus to intercede began.
See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung
From thy implanted grace in man! thefe fighs
And pray'rs, which in this golden cenfer, mix'd
With incenfe, I thy Prieft before thee bring:
Fruits of more pleafing favor from thy feed
Sown with contrition in his heart, than those
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!
Undkilful with what words to pray, let ine
Interpret for him; me, his advocate
And propitiation; all his works on me,
Good or not good ingraft: My merit thofe
Shall perfect; and for these my death fhall pay.
Accept me; and in me from these receive
The smell of peace tow'rd mankind: let him live
Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days
Number'd, tho' fad, till Death, his doom, which I 40
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 blifs;
Made one with me, as I with thee am one.
To whom the Father, without cloud, ferene.
All thy request for 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.
Thofe pure immortal elements, that know
No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him tainted now; and purge him off
As a distemper, grofs to air as grofs,
And mortal food, as may difpose him best
For diffolution wrought by fin, that firft
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 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 fharp tribulation, and refin'd
By faith and faithful works, to fecond life,
Wak'd in the renovation of the juft,
Refigns him up with heav'n and earth_renew'd.
But let Us call to fynod all the Bleft,
Thro' Heav'n's 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 fate, tho' firm, stood more confirm'd. He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright minifter that watch'd: he blew
His trumpet, heard in Orep fince perhaps
When God defcended; and perhaps once more
To found at general doom. Th' Angelic blaft
Fill'd all the regions: from their blifsful bow'rs
Of amarantin fhade, fountain or fpring,
By the waters of life, where'er they fat
In fellowships of joy, the fons of light
Hafted, reforting to the fummons high,
And took their feats: till from his throne fupreme
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his fov'reing 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 fuffie'd him to have known
Good by itfelf; 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
For ever, 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 behest 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
At the fad fentence rigorously urg'd,
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.
For I behold them soften'd, and with tears
Bewailing their excess, all terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Difmifs them not difconfolate; reveal
To Adam what fhall come in future days,
As I shall thee inlighten: intermix
My covenant 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 fword 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. 125
He ceas'd; and th' archangelic Pow'r prepar'd
For swift defcent: 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 thofe 130
Of Argus, and more wakeful than to droufe,
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 inbalm'd
The earth; when Adam, and first matron Eve, 、
Had ended now their orifons; and found
Strength added from above; new hope to spring
Our of defpair; joy, but with fear yet link'd:
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd. 140
Eve, eafily may faith admit, that all
The good which we enjoy, from Heav'n defcends:
But that from us ought should ascend to Heav'n
So prevalent, as to concern the mind
Of God high-bleft, or to incline his will,
Hard to belief may feem: yet this will pray'r,
Or one short figh of human breath, up-born
Ev'n to the feat of God. For fince I fought
By pray'r th' offended Deity t' appease,
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