Watering the ground, and with their sighs the air
Frequenting, sent from hearts contrite, in sign
Of sorrow unfeign’d, and humiliation meek.

END OF THE TENTH BOOK.

THE

ELEVENTH BOOK

OF

PARADISE LOST.

THE ARGUMENT.

THE Son of God presents to his Father the prayers of our first pa

rents 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.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK XI.

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 pray'r
Inspir'd, and wing'd for heav'n with speedier flight
Thân 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 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
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 pray’rs, 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 fallin
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 those 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,
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 wo;
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,