THE Son of God presents to his Father the prayers o our first parents now repenting, and intercedes for them: God accepts them, but declares that they must no longer abide in paradise; sends Michael with a band of cherubim to dispossess them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam shows to Eve certain ominous signs; he discerns 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; sets before him in vision what shall happen till the flood.

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 5

Unutterable, which the spirit of prayer

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

Not of mean suitors, nor important less

Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10 In fables old, less ancient yet than these,

11 In fables old] Fables told this. Bentl. MS.

Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore

The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine
Of Themis stood devout. To heav'n their prayers
Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds
Blown vagabond or frustrate: in they pass'd
Dimensionless through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incense, where the golden altar fum'd,
By their great Intercessor, came in sight

15

Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son 20 Presenting thus to intercede began.

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in man, these sighs 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

25

30

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

15 envious] Ov. Met. x. 642.

'Detulit aura preces ad me non invida blandas.'

35

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
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

Try'd 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 heav'n and earth renew'd.

But let us call to synod all the blest

41

45

50

50

55

60

65

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 saw;
And in their state, tho' 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. Th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions: from their blissful bow'rs
Of Amarantin shade, fountain or spring,

By the waters of life, where ere they sat
In fellowships of joy, the sons of light
Hasted, resorting to the summons high,

And took their seats; till from his throne supreme
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his sov'reign will.
O Sons, like one of us man is become
To know both good and evil, since his taste
Of that defended fruit; but let him boast
His knowledge of good lost, and evil got;
Happier, had it suffic'd him to have known
Good by it self, and evil not at all.

He sorrows now, repents, and prays contrite,
My motions in him, longer than they move,
His heart I know how variable and vain
Self-left. Lest therefore his now bolder hand
Reach also 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.

95

Michael, this my behest have thou in charge;
Take to thee from among the Cherubim
Thy choice of flaming warriors, lest the fiend,
Or in behalf of man, or to invade
Vacant possession, some new trouble raise :
Haste thee, and from the paradise of God
Without remorse drive out the sinful pair,
From hallow'd ground th' unholy, and denounce
To them and to their progeny from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet lest they faint
At the sad sentence rigorously urg'd,
(For I behold them soften'd and with tears
Bewailing their excess,) all terror hide.
If patiently thy bidding they obey,
Dismiss them not disconsolate; reveal
To Adam what shall come in future days,
As I shall thee enlighten; intermix
My cov❜nant in the woman's seed renew'd;
So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in
And on the east side of the garden place,
Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbs,

72.

105 drive out] See Adamus Exsul of Grotii, p.
'Vos ergo, Cherubi Cœlites! mihi quos ego

Legi Ministros, ite! et horto pellite
Par istud hominum! Sacra deliciis loca

Miseri relinquant! alia telluris sola

Glebasque quærant, et parentem exerceant !'

100

105

110

115

peace:

111 excess] Eve's intemperance. Spens. ii. 12. Bentl. MS.

118 And on the east] See Adamus Exsul of Grotius, p. 72.

Vos state in aditu nemoris, ortivam ad plagam,

Et impedite flammeo versatilis

Mucrone teli, ne quis infigat pedem!'