Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/267

 BOOK ELEVENTH

��2 - 7 5

��Of Themis stood devout. To Heaven their

prayers Flew up, uor missed the way, by envious

winds Blown vagabond or frustrate : in they

passed 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 Sou 20

Presenting thus to intercede began: " See, Father, what first-fruits on Earth

are sprung Prom 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 30

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 perfet, 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 4 o

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; 49 Those pure immortal elements, that know No gross, no uuharmonious 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 i 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, 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, 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 pro- ceed,

As how with peccant Angels late they

saw, 7 o

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 amarantin shade, fountain or spring, By the waters of life, where'er they sate In fellowships of joy, the Sons of Light 80 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 con- trite 90

�� �