Satan; who, in the serpent, hath contriv'd Against us this deceit: To crush his head Would be revenge indeed! which will be lost By death brought on ourselves, or childless days Resolv'd, as thou proposest; so our foe Shall 'scape his punishment ordain'd, and we Instead shall double ours upon our heads. No more be mention'd, then, of violence Against ourselves; and wilful barrenness, That cuts us off from hope; and savours only Rancour and pride, impatience and despite, Reluctance against God and his just yoke Laid on our necks. Remember with what mild And gracious temper He both heard and judg'd, Without wrath or reviling: we expected Immediate dissolution, which we thought Was meant by death that day; when lo! to thee Pains only in childbearing were foretold, And bringing forth; soon recompens'd with joy, Fruit of thy womb: On me the curse aslope
with labour I must earn My bread; what harm? Idleness had been worse; My labour will sustain me; and, lest cold Or heat should injure us, His timely care Hath, unbesought, provided; and His hands Cloth'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 The inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail, and snow! Which now the sky, with various face, begins To show us in this mountain; while the winds Blow moist and keen, shattering the graceful locks Of these fair-spreading trees; which bids us seek
Some better shroud, some better warmth to cherish Our limbs benumm'd, ere this diurnal star
Leave cold the night, how we his gather'd beams Reflected may with matter sere foment; Or, by collision of two bodies, grind
The air attrite to fire; as late the clouds
Justling, or push'd with winds, rude in their shock,
Tine1 the slant lightning; whose thwart flame, driven down, Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine,
And sends a comfortable heat from far, Which might supply the sun :
Such fire to use, And what may else be remedy or cure
To evils which our own misdeeds have wrought, He will instruct us praying, and of grace Beseeching Him; so as we need not fear To pass commodiously this life, sustain'd By Him with many comforts, till we end In dust, 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 confess
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg; with tears Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek? Undoubtedly He will relent, and turn From His displeasure; in whose look serene, When angry most He seem'd and most severe, What else but favour, grace, and mercy, shone? So spake our father penitent: nor Eve Felt less remorse: they forthwith to the place Repairing, where He judg'd them, prostrate fell
Before Him reverent; and both confess'd
Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd; with tears Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign Of sorrow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek.
The Son of God presents 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 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 Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer
Inspir'd, and wing'd for Heaven with speedier flight Than loudest oratory: Yet their port Not of mean suitors; nor important less Seem'd their petition, than when the ancient pair In fables old, less ancient yet than these, Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore
The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine Of Themis1 stood devout. To Heaven their prayers Flew up, nor miss'd the way, by envious winds Blown vagabond or frustrate in they pass'd Dimensionless through heavenly doors; then, clad With incense, where the golden altar fum'd By their great Intercessour, came in sight
1Themis: the goddess of justice.
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 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 produced, ere fallen 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
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
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,
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