Or heat fhould injure us, his timely care
Hath unbefought provided, and his hands
Cloath'd us unworthy, pitying while he judg'd;
How much more, if we pray him will his ear
Be open, and his heart to pity incline,
And teach us further by what means to shun
Th' inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail, and fnow?
Which now the sky with various face begins
To show us in this mountain, while the winds
Blow moist and keen, fhattering the graceful locks
Of those fair spreading trees; which bids us feek
Some better fhiroud, fome better warmth to cherish
Our limbs benumb'd, ere 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
Justling or push'd with winds rude in their fhock 1074
Tine the flant lightning, whofe thwart flame driv'n down
Kindles the guinmy bark of fir or pine,
And fends a comfortable heat from far,
Which might fupply the fun: fuch fire to use,
And what may elie be remedy or cure
To evils which our own mifdeeds have wrought, 1080
He will inftru&t us praying, and of grace
Befeeching him, fo as we need not fear
To país commodiously this life, fuftain'd
By him with many comforts, till we end
In duft, our final reft and native home,
What better can we do, than to the place
Repairing where he judg'd us, prorate fall
Before him reverent, and there confefs
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears
Watering the ground, and with our fighs the air 1090
Frequenting, lent from hearts contrite, in fign
Of forrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek?
Undoubtedly he will relent, and turn
From his difpleasure; in whole look ferene,
When angry moft he feem'd and most fevere,
What else but favour, grace, and mercy shone?
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 rev'rent, and both confefs'd
Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd, with tears
Watering 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.
PARADISE LOST.
BOOK XI.
The Argument.
THE Son of God prefents to his Father the prayers of our First Parente now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts thein, but declares that they muft no longer abide in Paradife; fends Michael with a band of Cherubin to difpoffefs them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam fhows to Eve certain ominous figns; he difcerns Michael's approach, goes out to meet him; the angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but fubmits: the angel leads him up to a high hill and fets before him in vifion what fhall happen till the flood.
HUS they in lowlieft plight repentant stood
Praying, for from the mercy feat above
Prevenient grace defcending had remov'd
The tony from their hearts, and made new flesh
Regenerate grow inftead, that fighs now breath'd
Unutterable, which the fpirit 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, lets ancient yet than thefe,
Deucalion and chalte Pyrrha, to restore
The race of mankind drown'd, before the fhrine
Of Themis ftood devout. To Heav'n their prayers
Flew up, nor mils'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond, or fruftrate: in they pafs'd
Dimentionlels through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incenfe, where the golden altar fum'd,
By their great Interceffor, 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 fighs
And pray'rs, which in this golden cenfer, mix'd
With incenfe, I thy prieft before thee bring,
Fruits of more pleafing favour 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, ere fall'n
From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear
To fupplication, hear his fighs, though mute;
Unfkilful 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 tow'rd mankind; let him live
Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days
Number'd, though 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 request for man, accepted Son,
Obtain; all thy request was my decree :
But longer in that Paradife 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 distemper, grofs to air as grofs,
And mortal food, as may difpofe him beft
For diflolution wrought by fin, that first
Diftemper'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 second 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
My judgments, how with mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant angels late they law,
And in their state, though firm, stood more confirm’d.
He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at general doom. Th'angelic blast
Fill'd all the region's: from their blissful bowers
Of amarantine fhade, fountain or spring,
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'reign will:
O Sons, like one of us Man is become
To know both good and evil, fince his taste
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 itself, 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 now his 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 send him from the garden forth to till
The ground whence he was taken, fitter soil.
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 Paradite of God
Without remorfe drive out the finful pair,
From hallow'd ground th' unholy, anu denounce
To them and to their progeny from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet left they faint
At the fad fentence rigorously urg'd,
For I behold them foiten'd, and with tears
Bewailing their excels, all terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Difmifs them not difconfolate; reveal
To Adam what fhall come in future days,
As I fhall thee enlighten; intermix
My covenant in the Woman's feed renew'd;
So fend them forth, though forrowing, yet in peace :
And on the eaft fide of the garden place,
Where entrance up from Eden eafieft climbs,
Cherubic watch, and of the word 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 the arch angelic Power prepar'd
For fwift 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 those
Of Argus, and more waketul thar. to drowfe,
Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the pastial reed
Of Hermes, or his opiate rod. Mean while
To re-falute the world with facred light
Leucothea wak'd, and with freth 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
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