PARADISE LOST. BOOK XI. 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 5 Regen’rate grow instead ; that sighs now breath’d, Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer Not of mean suitors; nor important less In fables old, (less ancient yet than these,) Of Themis stood devout. To heaven their prayers 15 Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds Blown vagabond, or frustrate : in they pass'd By their great Intercessor, came in sight “ See, Father, what first-fruits on earth are sprung “From thy implanted grace in man! these sighs T “ And prayers, which, in this golden censer, mix'd 25 “ With incense, I thy priest before thee bring “ Fruits of more pleasing savour, from thy seed “Of Paradise could have produced, ere fallin “ To supplication; hear his sighs, though mute; “ And propitiation ; all his works on me, 35 Good, or not good, ingraft; my merit those Accept me; and, in me, from these receive “ Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days 40 “Number'd, though sad; till death, his doom, (which I “ To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse,) To whom the Father, without cloud, serene : Those pure immortal elements that know Eject him, tainted now; and purge him off, “ As a distemper gross, to air as gross, “ And mortal food; as may dispose him best 55 “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; 60 « This other serv'd but to eternize woe, “ Till I provided death : so death becomes 45 50 “ His final remedy; and, after life “By faith and faithful works, to second life, 65 “ Wak'd in the renovation of the just, “Resigns him up, with heaven and earth renewid. “ hide My judgments, how with mankind I proceed; 70 “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 His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps To sound at gen'ral doom.-The angelic blast By the waters of life, where'er they sat 80 In fellowships of joy, the sons of light Hasted, resorting to the summons high; “O Sons, like one of us man is become “Of that defended fruit; but let him boast “Good by itself, and evil not at all! My motions in him ; longer than they move, “ Reach also of the tree of life, and eat, 95 “ And live for ever-dream at least to live “For ever, to remove him I decree, 100 105 “ Michael, this my behest have thou in charge : “ Take to thee from among the cherubim Thy choice of flaming warriors; lest the fiend, Without remorse, drive out the sinful pair; “At the sad sentence rigorously urg'd, “ Bewailing their excess,) all terror hide. “ To Adam what shall come in future days, 115 “ As I shall thee enlighten; intermix My covenant in the woman's seed renew'd; “ So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace. “ And on the east side of the garden, place, “Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs, 120 “ Cherubic watch; and of a sword the flame Wide-waving; all approach far off to fright, He ceas'd; and th' arch-angelic Power prepar'd Had, like a double Janus; all their shape Of Argus; and more wakeful than to drowse, To re-salute the world with sacred light, The earth; when Adam, and first matron Eve, 125 Had ended now their orisons, and found Out of despair-joy, but with fear yet linked; 140 Which thus to Eve his welcome words renew'd : “Eve! easily may faith admit that all “ The good which we enjoy from heaven descends : “ But, that from us aught should ascend to heaven, “So prevalent as to concern the mind “ Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer, By prayer the offended Deity to appease, 150 “ Kneeld, and before him humbled all my heart, “Methought I saw him placable, and mild, “ Home to my breast; and to my memory 155 “ His promise, that thy seed shall bruise our foe ; Which, then not minded in dismay, yet now “ Assures me that the bitterness of death “ Is past, and we shall live. Whence hail to thee, “Eve rightly call’d, mother of all mankind ! 160 “ Mother of all things living, since by thee “ Man is to live ; and all things live for man." To whom thus Eve, with sad demeanour meek: “ Ill-worthy I, such title should belong “ To me transgressor! who, for thee ordain'd “ A help, became thy snare: to me reproach “ Rather belongs, distrust, and all dispraise. “But infinite in pardon was my Judge, “ That I, who first brought death on all, am grac'd “ The source of life: next favourable, thou, 170 “ Who highly thus to entitle me vouchsafʼst, “ Far other name deserving. But the field Though after sleepless night; for see! the morn, “ All unconcern'd with our unrest, begins 165 |