With our own hands his office on ourselves.
Why stand we longer shivering under fears,
That shew no end but death, and have the pow'r
Of many ways to die, the shortest choosing, 1005
Destruction with destruction to destroy?

She ended here, or vehement despair
Broke off the rest; so much of death her thoughts
Had entertain'd, as dyed her cheeks with pale
But Adam with such counsel nothing sway'd: 1016
To better hopes his more attentive mind
Labouring had raised, and thus to Eve replied :

Eve, thy contempt of life and pleasure seems To argue in thee something more sublime And excellent than what thy mind contemns; 1019 But self-destruction therefore sought, refutes That excellence thought in thee, and implies, Not thy contempt, but anguish and regret For loss of life and pleasure overloved. Or if thou covet death, as utmost end

1024 Of misery, so thinking to evade The penalty pronounced, doubt not but God Hath wiselier arm’d his vengeful ire than so To be forestallid : much more I fear lest death So snatch'd will not exempt us from the pain 1025 We are by doom to pay: rather such acts Of contumacy' will provoke the Highest To make death in us live. Then let us seek Some safer resolution, which methinks I have in view, calling to mind with heed 1030 Part of our sentence, that thy seed shall bruise The Serpent's head. Piteous amends ! unless Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand foe Satan, who in the serpent hath contrived Against us this deceit. To crush his head 1035 Would be revenge indeed : which will be lost By death brought on ourselves, or childless days Resolved, as thou proposest ; so our foe Shall 'scape his punishment ordain'd, and we Instead, shall double ours upon our heads. 1040 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 1049

Laid on our necks. Remember with what mild
And gracious temper he both heard and judged,
Without wrath or reviling! We expected
Immediate dissolution, which we thought
Was meant by death that day; when lo ! to thee 1050
Pains only in child-bearing were foretold,
And bringing forth ; soon recompensed with joy,
Fruit of thy womb. On me the curse aslope
Glanced on the ground. With labour I must earn
My bread. What harm? Idleness had been worse :
My labour will sustain me. And lest cold 1056
Or heat should injure is, his timely care
Hath unbesought provided, and his hands
Cloth'd us, unworthy, pitying while he judged ;
How much more, if we pray him, will his ear

1060
Be open, and his heart to pity' incline,
And teach us farther by what means to shun
Th’inclement seasons, rain, ice, hail, and suow!
Which now the sky with various face begins
To shew us in this mountain, while the winds 1065
Blow moist and keen, shatt'ring the graceful locks
Of these fair spreading trees; which bids is seek
Some better shroud, some 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 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,
Tine the slant lightning, whose thwart flame driv'n
Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine, (down
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, 1080 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 bome.

1085 What better can we do, than to the place Repairing where he judged us, prostrate fall

1069. Diurnal star, the sun.

1095. Tine, to light or kindle.

Before him, reverent, and there confess
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears
Watering the ground, and with our sighs the air 1090
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, 1095
What else but favour, grace, and mercy shone ?

So spake our father penitent: nor Eve
Felt less remorse. They forth with to the place
Repairing where he judged them, prostrate fell
Before him, reverent, and both confess'd 1100
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.

BOOK XI.

THE ARGUMENT.

'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 Adanı future things: Michael's coming down. Adam shews to Eve certain ominous signs; he discerus Michael's approach; goes out to meet him : the Angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but submits : The Ansel leads him up to a high hill; sets before him in vision what shall happen üll the flood. Thus they in lowliest plight, repentant, stood Praying ; for from the mercy-seat above Prevenient grace descending, had removed The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh Regenerate grow instead, that sighs now breathed 5 Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer Inspired, 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,

1092. Humiliation, the act of humbling, not humility. 4. A verbal critic might ! think find fault with this and the fol lowing line, in which there are three words used to express one idea, new, regenerate, and instead.

Deucalion and chaste Pyrrha, to restore
The race of mankind drown'd, before the shrine
Of Themis stood devout. To Heav'n their pray’rs
Flew up; nor miss'd the way, by envious winds 15
Blown vagabond or frustrate. In they pass'd
Dimensionless, through heav'nly doors; then clad
With incense, where the golden altar fumed,
By their great Intercessor, came in sight
Before the Father's throne: then the glad Son 20
Presenting, thus to intercede began :

See, Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung
Prom thy implanted grace in Man! these sighs
And pray’rs, which in this golden censer, mix'd
With incense, I thy priest before thee bring : 24
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 36
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 ; niy merit those 35
Shall perfect, and for these my death shall pay.
Accept me, and in me from these receive
The smell of peace tow'rd mankind. Let him live,
Before thee reconciled, a: least his days
Number'd, tho' sad, till dtath, his doom (which I 40
To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)
To better life shall yield him; where with mo
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 : 45 Al 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 50
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

55
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 served but to eternize woe;

60 Till I provided death; so death becomes His final remedy, and after life, Tried in sharp tribulation, and refined By faith and faithful works to second life, Waked in the renovation of the just

65 Resigns him up with Heav'n and Earth renew'd. But let us call to synod all the Blest Through 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,

70 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

75
To sound at general doom): th' angelic blast
Fill'd all the regions. From their blissful bow'rs
Of amarantine shade, fountain or spring,
By the waters of life, where'er they sat
In fellowships of joy, the sons of light

80 Hasted, resorting to the summons high, And took their seats; till from his throne supreme Th’ Almighty thus pronounced his Sor'reign will:

O Sons ! like one of us Man is become, To know both good and evil, since his taste 85 Of that defended fruit! but let him boast His knowledge of good lost, and evil got: