Paradise lost

BOOK X

Thus they in lowliest plight repentant stood

Praying, for from the Mercie-seat above

Prevenient Grace descending had remov’d

The stonie from thir hearts, and made new flesh

Regenerat grow instead, that sighs now breath’d

Unutterable, which the Spirit of prayer

Inspir’d, and wing’d for Heav’n with speedier flight

Then loudest Oratorie: yet thir port

Not of mean suiters, nor important less

Seem’d thir Petition, then when th’ ancient Pair

In Fables old, less ancient yet then these,

DEUCALION and chaste PYRRHA to restore

The Race of Mankind drownd, before the Shrine

Of THEMIS stood devout. To Heav’n thir prayers

Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious windes

Blow’n vagabond or frustrate: in they passd

Dimentionless through Heav’nly dores; then clad

With incense, where the Golden Altar fum’d,

By thir great Intercessor, came in sight

Before the Fathers 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, mixt

With Incense, I thy Priest before thee bring,

Fruits of more pleasing savour from thy seed

Sow’n with contrition in his heart, then those

Which his own hand manuring all the Trees

Of Paradise could have produc’t, ere fall’n

From innocence. Now therefore bend thine eare

To supplication, heare his sighs though mute;

Unskilful with what words to pray, let mee

Interpret for him, mee his Advocate

And propitiation, all his works on mee

Good or not good ingraft, my Merit those

Shall perfet, and for these my Death shall pay.

Accept me, and in mee from these receave

The smell of peace toward Mankinde, let him live

Before thee reconcil’d, at least his days

Numberd, though sad, till Death, his doom (which I

To mitigate thus plead, not to reverse)

To better life shall yeeld him, where with mee

All my redeemd 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 unharmoneous mixture foule,

Eject him tainted now, and purge him off

As a distemper, gross to aire as gross,

And mortal food, as may dispose him best

For dissolution wrought by Sin, that first

Distemperd all things, and of incorrupt

Corrupted. I at first with two fair gifts

Created him endowd, with Happiness

And Immortalitie: that fondly lost,

This other serv’d but to eternize woe;

Till I provided Death; so Death becomes

His final remedie, and after Life

Tri’d in sharp tribulation, and refin’d

By Faith and faithful works, to second Life,

Wak’t in the renovation of the just,

Resignes him up with Heav’n and Earth renewd.

But let us call to Synod all the Blest

Through Heav’ns wide bounds; from them I will not hid…