The ferpent's head; piteous amends, unless
Be meant, whom I conjecture, our grand foe
Satan, who in the ferpent hath contriv'd
Against us this deceit : to cruth his head
Would be revenge indeed; which will be loft
By death brought on ourfelves, or childless days
Refolv'd, as thou propofeft; fo our foe
Shall 'fcape his punishment ordain'd, and we
Inftead fhall 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 favours only
Rancour and pride, impatience and despite,
Reluctance against GoD, and his juft 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 diffolution, which we thought
Was meant by death that day; when lo, to thee 1050
Pains only in child-bearing were foretold,
And bringing forth, foon recompens'd with joy,
Fruit of thy womb: on me the curfe aflope
Glanc'd on the ground: with labour I must earn
My bread: what harm? Idlenefs had been worfe; 1055
My labour will sustain me and left cold
Or heat fhould injure us, his timely care
Hath unbefought 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 heart to pity' incline,
And teach us further by what means to fhun
Th' inclement feafons, rain, ice, hail, and fnow?
Which now the fky with various face begins
To fhew us in this mountain, while the winds'
Blow moist and keen, fhatt'ring the graceful locks
Of these fair spreading trees which bids us feck
Some better fhroud, fome better warmth to cherish
Our limbs benum'd, ere this diurnal tar
Leave cold the night, how his gather'd beams
Reflected may with matter fere foment,
Or by collifion of two bodies grind
The air attrite to fire, as late the clouds
Juftling or pufh'd with winds, rude in their shock Tine the flant lightning, whofe thwart flame driv'n down Kindles the gummy bark of fir or pine,
And fend a comfortable heat from far
Which might fupply the fun: fuch fire to ufe,
And what may elfe be remedy or cure
To evils which our own mifdeeds have wrought, 1088
He will inftruct us praying, and of grace
Befeeching him, fo as we need not fear
To país commodioufly this life, fuftain'd
By him with many comforts, till we end
In duft, our final reft and native home.
What better can we do, than to the place
Repairing where he judg'd us, proftrate fall
Before him reverent, and there confefs
Humbly our faults, and pardon beg, with tears
Wat'ring the ground, and with our fighs the air 1999
Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite, in fign
Of forr'ow unfeign'd, and humiliation meek?
Undoubted he will relent, and turn
From his displeasure; in whose look ferene,
When angry most he feem'd, and most severe,
What else but favour, grace, and mercy fhone?
So fpake our father penitent; nor Eve
Felt lefs remorfe: they forthwith to the place
Repairing where he judg'd them, proftrate fell
Refore him reverent, and both confefs'd
Humbly their faults, and pardon begg'd with tears
Wat'ring the ground, and with their fighs the air
Frequenting, fent from hearts contrite, in fign
Of forr'ow 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 Paradife; fends Michael with a band of Che rubim to difpoffefs them; but first to reveal to Adam future things: Michael's coming down. Adam fhers to Eve certain ominous figns; he difcerns Michael's approach, goes out to meet him: the Angel denounces their departure. Eve's lamentation. Adam pleads, but fubmits: the Angel leads him up to a high hill, and fets before him in vifion what fhall happen till the flood.
HUS they in lowlieft plight repentant ftood
Praying; for from the mercy-feat above
Prevenient grace defcending had remov❜d
The ftony from their hearts, and made new flefh
Regenerate grow inftead, that fighs now breath'd
Unutterable, which the fp'rit of pray'r
'Infpir'd, and wing'd for Heav'n with speedier flight
Than loudeft oratory: yet their port
Not of mean fuiters, nor important lefs
Seem'd their petition, than when th' ancient pair 10
In fables old, lefs ancient yet than these,
Deucalion and chafte Pyrrha, to restore
The race of mankind drown'd, before the fhrine
Of Themis Rood devout. To Heav'n their pray'rs
Flew up nor mifs'd the way, by envious winds
Flown vagabond or fruftrate: in they pass'd
Dimenfionless through heav'nly doors; then clad
Hh
With incenfe, where the golden altar fum'd,
By their great interceffor, came in fight
Before the Father's throne: them the glad Son
Prefenting, thus to intercede began.
See, Father, what firft fruits on earth are sprung From thy implanted grace in man, these fighs And pray'rs, which in this golden cenfer mix'd With incenfe, I thy Prieft before thee bring; Fruits of more pleafing favour from thy feed, Sown with contrition in his heart, than those Which his own hand manuring all the trees Of Paradife could have procur'd, ere fall'n From innocence. Now therefore bend thine ear 30 To fupplication; hear his fighs, though mute; Unfkuful 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 fhall pay.
Accept me, and in me from thefe receive
The smell of peace tow'ard mankind; let him live
Before thee reconcil'd, at least his days
Number'd, though fad, till death, his doom (which I
To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse),
To better life thall yield him, where with me
redeem'd may dwell in joy and blifs,
Made one with me, as I with thee am one
To whom the Father, without cloud, ferene:
All thy request for Man, accepted Son,
Obtain; all thy requeft was my decree.
But longer in that Paradife to dwell,
The law I gave to Nature him forbids:
Those pure immortal elements, that know
No grofs, no unharmonious mixture foul,
Eject him tainted now, and purge him off
As a diftemper, grofs to air as grofs,
And mortal food, as may difpofe him beft
For diffolution wrought by fin, 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 loft,
This other ferv'd but to eternize woe,
Till I provided death, fo death becomes
His final remedy, and after life.
Try'd in fharp tribulation, and refin'd
By faith and faithful works, to second life,
Wak'd in the renovation of the juft,
Refigns him up with heav'n and earth renew’d.
But let us call to fynod all the bless'd
Thro' Heav'n's wide bounds; from them I will not hide My judgements, how with mankind I proceed,
As how with peccant Angels late they faw,
And in their state, though firm, ftood more confin'd.
He ended, and the Son gave fignal high
To the bright minister that watch'd; he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps
When God defcended, and perhaps once more
To found at gen'ral doom.
Fill'd all the regions: from their blifsful bow'rs
Of amarantine fhade, fountain or spring,
By the waters of life, where'er they fat
In fellowships of joy, the fons of light
Hafted reforting to the fummons high,
And took their feats; till from his throne fupreme
Th' Almighty thus pronounc'd his fov'reign will.
O fons, like one of us man is become
To know both good and evil, fince his tafte
Of that defended fruit: but let him boast
His knowledge of good loft, and evil got;
Hippier, had it fuffic'd him to have known
Good by itself, and evil not at all.
He forrows now, repents, and prays contrite;
My motions in him, longer than they move,
His heart I know, how variable and vain
Self left. Left therefore his now bolder hand
Reach alfo of the tree of life and eat,
And live for ever, dream at least to live
For ever, to remove him I decree,
And fend him from the garden forth to till
The ground whence he was taken, fitter foil.
Michael, this my beheft have thou in charge;
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