Of sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek?
Undoubtedly he will relent, and turn
From his displeasure, in whose look serene,
When angry most he seemed 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 judged them, prostrate fell
Before him reverent, and both confessed

Humbly their faults, and pardon begged, with tears
Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign
Of sorrow unfeigned and humiliation meek.

THE END OF THE TENTH BOOK.

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The Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our first parents now tepenting, 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 removed

The stony from their hearts, and made new flesh.
Regenerate grow instead, that sighs now breathed
Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer

Inspired, and winged for Heaven with speedier flight
Than loudest oratory. Yet their port

Not of mean suitors; nor important less
Seemed 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 drowned, before the shrine
Of Themis stood devout. To Heaven their prayers
Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds.
Blown vagabond or frustrate: in they passed

ΙΟ

Dimensionless through heavenly doors; then, clad
With incense, where the golden altar fumed,
By their great Intercessor, came in sight
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, mixed
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 reconciled, at least his days

Numbered, 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 redeemed 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

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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
Distempered all things, and of incorrupt
Corrupted. I, at first, with two fair gifts.
Created him endowed-with Happiness
And Immortality; that fondly lost,
This other served but to eternize woe,
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,

Resigns him up with Heaven and Earth renewed.
But let us call to synod all the Blest

Through Heaven's wide bounds; from them I will not hide
My judgments-how with Mankind I proceed,

As how with peccant Angels late they saw,

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And in their state, though firm, stood more confirmed."
He ended, and the Son gave signal high

To the bright Minister that watched. He blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps
When God descended, and perhaps once more
To sound at general doom. The angelic blast
Filled all the regions: from their blissful bowers
Of amarantine shade, fountain or spring,

By the waters of life, where'er 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 The Almighty thus pronounced his sovran 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 sufficed him to have known
Good by itself 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.
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 hallowed ground the unholy, and denounce
To them, and to their progeny, from thence
Perpetual banishment. Yet, lest they faint
At the sad sentence rigorously urged

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(For I behold them softened, and with tears Bewailing their excess), all terror hide.

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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 covenant in the Woman's seed renewed.

So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace;
And on the east side of the Garden place,