THE

ELEVENTH BOOK

O F

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

The Son of God prefents 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 Paradife; fends Michael with a band of Cherubim 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 submits: The Angel leads him up to a high hill, fets before him in vision what shall happen till the flood.

PARADISE LOST.

TH

HUS they in lowlieft plight repentant stood 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 S Unutterable, which the Spi'rit of prayer

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

Not of mean fuiters, nor important lefs

Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10
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 prayers
Flew up, nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate: in they pass'd
Dimenfionless through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incenfe, where the golden altar 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 fprung

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From

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 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, ere 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

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death fhall 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 fad, 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, 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:
Thofe pure immortal elements that know
No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him tainted now, and purge him off

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As

As a distemper, grofs to air as grofs,

And mortal food, as may dispose him best
For diffolution 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

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Try'd in sharp tribulation, and refin'd

By faith and faithful works, to second life,

Wak'd in the renovation of the juft,

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Refigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd.

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But let us call to fynod all the Bleft

Through Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not

My judgments, how with Mankind I proceed,

As how with peccant Angels late they faw,

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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 fince perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at general doom. Th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blifsful bowers
Of amarantin fhade, fountain or spring,

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By the waters of life, where'er they fat

In fellowships of joy, the fons of light

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Hafted, reforting to the fummons high,

And took their feats; till from his throne fupreme