The Complete Poetry of John Milton

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The Complete Poetry of John Milton Page 55

by John Milton

Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?

  Not of my self; by some great Maker then,

  In goodness and in power præeminent;

  280

  Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,

  From whom I have that thus I move and live,

  And feel that I am happier then I know.

  While thus I call’d, and stray’d I knew not whither,

  From where I first drew Air, and first beheld

  285

  This happie Light, when answer none return’d,

  On a green shadie Bank profuse of Flowrs

  Pensive I sate me down; there gentle sleep

  First found me, and with soft oppression seis’d

  My droused sense, untroubl’d, though I thought

  290

  I then was passing to my former state

  Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:

  When suddenly stood at my Head a dream,

  Whose inward apparition gently mov’d

  My fancy to believe I yet had being,

  295

  And liv’d: One came, methought, of shape Divine,

  And said, thy Mansion wants thee, Adam, rise,

  First Man, of Men innumerable ordain’d

  First Father, call’d by thee I come thy Guide

  To the Garden of bliss, thy seat prepar’d.22

  300

  So saying, by the hand he took me rais’d,

  And over Fields and Waters, as in Air

  Smooth sliding without step, last led me up

  A woodie Mountain; whose high top was plain,

  A Circuit wide, enclos’d, with goodliest Trees

  305

  Planted, with Walks, and Bowers, that what I saw

  Of Earth before scarse pleasant seemd. Each Tree

  Load’n with fairest Fruit that hung to th’ Eye

  Tempting, stirr’d in me sudden appetite

  To pluck and eat; whereat I wak’d, and found

  310

  Before mine Eyes all real, as the dream

  Had lively shadowd:23 Here had new begun

  My wandring, had not hee who was my Guide

  Up hither, from among the Trees appeer’d,

  Presence Divine. Rejoycing, but with aw

  315

  In adoration at his feet I fell

  Submiss:24 he rear’d me, and Whom thou soughtst I am,

  Said mildly, Author of all this thou seest

  Above, or round about thee or beneath.

  This Paradise I give thee, count it thine

  320

  To Till and keep, and of the Fruit to eat:

  Of every Tree that in the Garden grows

  Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth:

  But of the Tree whose operation25 brings

  Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set

  325

  The Pledge of thy Obedience and thy Faith,

  Amid the Garden by the Tree of Life,

  Remember what I warn thee, shun to taste,

  And shun the bitter consequence: for know,

  The day thou eat’st thereof, my sole command

  330

  Transgrest, inevitably thou shalt dye;26

  From that day mortal, and this happie State

  Shalt loose, expell’d from hence into a World

  Of woe and sorrow. Sternly he pronounc’d

  The rigid interdiction, which resounds

  335

  Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice

  Not to incur; but soon his cleer aspect

  Return’d and gracious purpose thus renew’d.

  Not onely these fair bounds, but all the Earth

  To thee and to thy Race I give; as Lords

  340

  Possess it, and all things that therein live,

  Or live in Sea, or Air, Beast, Fish, and Fowl.

  In signe whereof each Bird and Beast behold

  After thir kinds; I bring them to receave

  From thee thir Names, and pay thee fealtie

  345

  With low subjection; understand the same

  Of Fish within thir watry residence,

  Not hither summond, since they cannot change

  Thir Element to draw the thinner Air.

  As thus he spake, each Bird and Beast behold

  350

  Approaching two and two, these cowring low

  With blandishment, each Bird stoop’d on his wing.

  I nam’d them, as they pass’d, and understood

  Thir Nature, with such knowledge God endu’d

  My sudden apprehension: but in these

  355

  I found not what me thought I wanted still;

  And to the Heav’nly vision thus presum’d.

  O by what Name, for thou above all these,

  Above mankind, or aught then mankind higher,

  Surpassest farr my naming, how may I

  360

  Adore thee, Author of this Universe,

  And all this good to man, for whose well being

  So amply, and with hands so liberal

  Thou hast provided all things: but with mee

  I see not who partakes. In solitude

  365

  What happiness, who can enjoy alone,

  Or all enjoying, what contentment find?

  Thus I presumptuous; and the vision bright,

  As with a smile more bright’n’d, thus repli’d.

  What call’st thou solitude, is not the Earth

  370

  With various living creatures, and the Air

  Replenisht, and all these at thy command

  To come and play before thee, know’st thou not

  Thir language and thir wayes, they also know,

  And reason not contemptibly; with these

  375

  Find pastime, and bear rule; thy Realm is large.

  So spake the Universal Lord, and seem’d

  So ordering. I with leave of speech implor’d,

  And humble deprecation thus repli’d.

  Let not my words offend thee, Heav’nly Power,

  380

  My Maker, be propitious while I speak.

  Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,

  And these inferiour farr beneath me set?

  Among unequals what societie

  Can sort,27 what harmonie or true delight?

  385

  Which must be mutual, in proportion due

  Giv’n and receiv’d; but in disparitie

  The one intense, the other still remiss28

  Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove

  Tedious alike: Of fellowship I speak

  390

  Such as I seek, fit to participate

  All rational delight, wherein the brute

  Cannot be human consort; they rejoyce

  Each with thir kind, Lion with Lioness;

  So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin’d;

  395

  Much less can Bird with Beast, or Fish with Fowl

  So well converse, nor with the Ox the Ape;

  Wors then can Man with Beast, and least of all.

  Whereto th’ Almighty answer’d, not displeas’d.

  A nice29 and suttle happiness I see

  400

  Thou to thy self proposest, in the choice

  Of thy Associates, Adam, and wilt taste

  No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitarie.

  What thinkst thou then of mee, and this my State,

  Seem I to thee sufficiently possest

  405

  Of happiness, or not? who am alone

  From all Eternitie, for none I know

  Second to me or like, equal much less.

  How have I then with whom to hold converse

  Save with the Creatures which I made, and those

  410

  To me inferiour, infinite descents

  Beneath what other Creatures are to thee?

  He ceas’d
, I lowly answer’d. To attain

  The highth and depth of thy Eternal wayes

  All human thoughts come short, Supream of things;

  415

  Thou in thy self art perfet, and in thee

  Is no deficience found; not so is Man,

  But in degree, the cause of his desire

  By conversation with his like to help,

  Or solace his defects. No need that thou

  420

  Shouldst propagat, already infinite;

  And through all numbers absolute,30 though One;

  But Man by number is to manifest

  His single imperfection, and beget

  Like of his like, his Image multipli’d,

  425

  In unitie defective, which requires

  Collateral love, and deerest amitie.

  Thou in thy secresie although alone,

  Best with thy self accompanied, seek’st not

  Social communication, yet so pleas’d,

  430

  Canst raise thy Creature to what highth thou wilt

  Of Union or Communion, deifi’d;

  I by conversing cannot these erect

  From prone, nor in thir wayes complacence find.

  Thus I embold’n’d spake, and freedom us’d

  435

  Permissive, and acceptance found, which gain’d

  This answer from the gratious voice Divine.

  Thus farr to try thee, Adam, I was pleas’d,

  And find thee knowing not of Beasts alone,

  Which thou hast rightly nam’d, but of thy self,

  440

  Expressing well the spirit within thee free,

  My Image, not imparted to the Brute,

  Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee

  Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike,

  And be so minded still; I, ere thou spak’st,

  445

  Knew it not good for Man to be alone,

  And no such companie as then thou saw’st

  Intended thee, for trial onely brought,

  To see how thou could’st judge of fit and meet:

  What next I bring shall please thee, be assur’d,

  450

  Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

  Thy wish exactly to thy hearts desire.

  Hee ended, or I heard no more, for now

  My earthly31 by his Heav’nly overpowerd,

  Which it had long stood under, streind to th’ highth

  455

  In that celestial Colloquie sublime,

  As with an object that excels the sense,

  Dazl’d and spent, sunk down, and sought repair

  Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, call’d

  By Nature as in aid, and clos’d mine eyes.

  460

  Mine eyes he clos’d, but op’n left the Cell

  Of Fancie my internal sight, by which

  Abstract as in a transe methought I saw,

  Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape

  Still glorious before whom awake I stood;

  465

  Who stooping op’n’d my left side, and took

  From thence a Rib, with cordial spirits32 warm,

  And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,

  But suddenly with flesh fill’d up and heal’d:

  The Rib he formd and fashiond with his hands;

  470

  Under his forming hands a Creature grew,

  Manlike, but different sex, so lovely fair,

  That what seemd fair in all the World, seemd now

  Mean, or in her summ’d up, in her containd

  And in her looks, which from that time infus’d

  475

  Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

  And into all things from her Air inspir’d

  The spirit of love and amorous delight.

  Shee disappeerd, and left me dark, I wak’d

  To find her, or for ever to deplore

  480

  Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure:

  When out of hope, behold her, not farr off,

  Such as I saw her in my dream, adornd

  With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow

  To make her amiable: On she came,

  485

  Led by her Heav’nly Maker, though unseen,

  And guided by his voice, nor uninformd

  Of nuptial Sanctitie and marriage Rites:

  Grace was in all her steps, Heav’n in her Eye,

  In every gesture dignitie and love.

  490

  I overjoyd could not forbear aloud.

  This turn hath made amends; thou hast fulfill’d

  Thy words, Creator bounteous and benigne,

  Giver of all things fair, but fairest this

  Of all thy gifts, nor enviest. I now see

  495

  Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh, my Self

  Before me; Woman is her Name, of Man

  Extracted; for this cause he shall forgoe

  Father and Mother, and to his Wife adhere;

  And they shall be one Flesh, one Heart, one Soul.

  500

  She heard me thus, and though divinely brought,

  Yet Innocence and Virgin Modestie,

  Her vertue and the conscience of her worth,

  That would be woo’d, and not unsought be won,

  Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir’d,

  505

  The more desirable, or to say all,

  Nature her self, though pure of sinful thought,

  Wrought in her so, that seeing me, she turn’d;

  I follow’d her, she what was Honour knew,

  And with obsequious33 Majestie approv’d

  510

  My pleaded reason. To the Nuptial Bowr

  I led her blushing like the Morn: all Heav’n,

  And happie Constellations on that hour

  Shed thir selectest influence; the Earth

  Gave sign of gratulation, and each Hill;

  515

  Joyous the Birds; fresh Gales and gentle Aires

  Whisper’d it to the Woods, and from thir wings

  Flung Rose, flung Odours from the spicie Shrub,

  Disporting, till the amorous Bird of Night34

  Sung Spousal, and bid haste the Eevning Starr

  520

  On his Hill top, to light the bridal Lamp.

  Thus I have told thee all my State, and brought

  My Storie to the sum of earthly bliss

  Which I enjoy, and must confess to find

  In all things else delight indeed, but such

  525

  As us’d or not, works in the mind no change,

  Nor vehement desire, these delicacies

  I mean of Taste, Sight, Smell, Herbs, Fruits, and Flowrs,

  Walks, and the melodie of Birds; but here

  Farr otherwise, transported I behold,

  530

  Transported touch; here passion first I felt,

  Commotion strange, in all enjoyments else

  Superiour and unmov’d, here onely weak

  Against the charm of Beauties powerful glance.

  Or Nature faild in mee, and left some part

  535

  Not proof enough such Object to sustain,

  Or from my side subducting, took perhaps

  More then enough; at least on her bestow’d

  Too much of Ornament, in outward shew

  Elaborate, of inward less exact.

  540

  For well I understand in the prime end

  Of Nature her th’ inferiour, in the mind

  And inward Faculties, which most excell,

  In outward also her resembling less

  His Image who made both, and less expressing

  545

  The character of that Dominion giv’n

  O’re other Creatures; yet when I approach

  Her loveliness, so absol
ute35 she seems

  And in her self compleat, so well to know

  Her own, that what she wills to do or say,

  550

  Seems wisest, vertuousest, discreetest, best;

  All higher knowledge in her presence falls

  Degraded, Wisdom in discourse with her

  Looses discount’nanc’t, and like folly shews;

  Authority and Reason on her wait,

  555

  As one intended first, not after made

  Occasionally; and to consummate all,

  Greatness of mind and nobleness thir seat

  Build in her loveliest, and create an awe

  About her, as a guard Angelic plac’t.

  560

  To whom the Angel with contracted brow.

  Accuse not Nature, she hath don her part;

  Do thou but thine, and be not diffident

  Of Wisdom, she deserts thee not, if thou

  Dismiss not her, when most thou needst her nigh,

  565

  By attributing overmuch to things

  Less excellent, as thou thy self perceav’st.

  For what admir’st thou, what transports thee so,

  An outside? fair no doubt, and worthy well

  Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love,

  570

  Not thy subjection: weigh with her thy self;

  Then value: Oft times nothing profits more

  Then self-esteem, grounded on just and right

  Well manag’d; of that skill36 the more thou know’st,

  The more she will acknowledge thee her Head,

  575

  And to realities yeild all her shows:

  Made so adorn for thy delight the more,

  So awful, that with honour thou maist love

  Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise.

  But if the sense of touch whereby mankind

  580

  Is propagated seem such dear delight

  Beyond all other, think the same voutsaf’t

  To Cattel and each Beast; which would not be

  To them made common and divulg’d, if aught

  Therein enjoy’d were worthy to subdue

 

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