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Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton

Page 39

by John Milton


  40

  Tunes her nocturnal Note. Thus with the Year

  Seasons return, but not to me returns

  Day, or the sweet approach of Ev’n or Morn,

  Or sight of vernal bloom, or Summers Rose,

  Or flocks, or heards, or human face divine;

  45

  But cloud in stead, and ever-during5 dark

  Surrounds me, from the chearful wayes of men

  Cut off, and for the Book of knowledge fair

  Presented with a Universal blanc

  Of Natures works to mee expung’d and ras’d,

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  And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out.

  So much the rather thou Celestial light

  Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers

  Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mist from thence

  Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell

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  Of things invisible to mortal sight.

  Now had th’ Almighty Father from above,

  From the pure Empyrean where he sits

  High Thron’d above all highth, bent down his eye,

  His own works and their works at once to view:

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  About him all the Sanctities of Heav’n

  Stood thick as Starrs, and from his sight receiv’d

  Beatitude past utterance; on his right

  The radiant image of his Glory sat,

  His onely Son; on Earth he first beheld

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  Our two first Parents, yet the onely two

  Of mankind, in the happie Garden plac’t,

  Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,

  Uninterrupted joy, unrivald love

  In blissful solitude; he then survey’d

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  Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there

  Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night

  In the dun Air sublime, and ready now

  To stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet

  On the bare outside of this World, that seem’d

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  Firm land imbosom’d without Firmament,

  Uncertain which, in Ocean or in Air.

  Him God beholding from his prospect high,

  Wherein past, present, future he beholds,

  Thus to his onely Son foreseeing spake.

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  Onely begotten Son, seest thou what rage

  Transports our adversarie, whom no bounds

  Prescrib’d, no barrs of Hell, nor all the chains

  Heapt on him there, nor yet the main Abyss

  Wide interrupt6 can hold; so bent he seems

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  On desperat revenge, that shall redound

  Upon his own rebellious head. And now

  Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way

  Not farr off Heav’n, in the Precincts7 of light,

  Directly towards the new created World,

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  And Man there plac’t, with purpose to assay

  If him by force he can destroy, or worse,

  By som false guile pervert; and shall pervert;

  For man will heark’n to his glozing lyes,

  And easily transgress the sole Command,

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  Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall

  Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault?

  Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee

  All he could have; I made him just and right,

  Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.

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  Such I created all th’ Ethereal Powers

  And Spirits, both them who stood and them who faild;

  Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.

  Not free, what proof could they have givn sincere

  Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love,

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  Where onely what they needs must do, appeard,

  Not what they would? what praise could they receive?

  What pleasure I from such obedience paid,

  When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice)

  Useless and vain, of freedom both despoild,

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  Made passive both, had serv’d necessitie,

  Not mee. They therefore as to right belong’d,

  So were created, nor can justly accuse

  Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate;

  As if Predestination over-rul’d

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  Thir will, dispos’d by absolute Decree

  Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed

  Thir own revolt, not I: if I foreknew,

  Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault,

  Which had no less prov’d certain unforeknown.

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  So without least impulse or shadow of Fate,

  Or aught by me immutablie foreseen,

  They trespass, Authors to themselves in all

  Both what they judge and what they choose; for so

  I formd them free, and free they must remain,

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  Till they enthrall themselves: I else must change

  Thir nature, and revoke the high Decree

  Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain’d

  Thir freedom, they themselves ordain’d thir fall.

  The first sort by thir own suggestion fell,

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  Self-tempted, self-deprav’d: Man falls deceiv’d

  By the other first: Man therefore shall find grace,

  The other none: in Mercy and Justice both,

  Through Heav’n and Earth, so shall my glorie excel,

  But Mercy first and last shall brightest shine.8

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  Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill’d

  All Heav’n, and in the blessed Spirits elect

  Sense of new joy ineffable diffus’d:

  Beyond compare the Son of God was seen

  Most glorious, in him all his Father shon

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  Substantially9 express’d, and in his face

  Divine compassion visibly appeerd,

  Love without end, and without measure Grace,

  Which uttering thus he to his Father spake.

  O Father, gracious was that word which clos’d

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  Thy sovran sentence, that Man should find grace;

  For which both Heav’n and Earth shall high extoll

  Thy praises, with th’ innumerable sound

  Of Hymns and sacred Songs, wherewith thy Throne

  Encompass’d shall resound thee ever blest.

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  For should Man finally be lost, should Man

  Thy creature late so lov’d, thy youngest Son

  Fall circumvented thus by fraud, though joynd

  With his own folly? that be from thee farr,

  That farr be from thee, Father, who art Judge

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  Of all things made, and judgest onely right.

  Or shall the Adversarie thus obtain

  His end, and frustrate thine, shall he fulfill

  His malice, and thy goodness bring to naught,

  Or proud return though to his heavier doom,

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  Yet with revenge accomplish’t and to Hell

  Draw after him the whole Race of mankind,

  By him corrupted? or wilt thou thy self

  Abolish thy Creation, and unmake,

  For him, what for thy glorie thou hast made?

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  So should thy goodness and thy greatness both

  Be questiond and blaspheam’d without defence.

  To whom the great Creatour thus reply’d.

  O Son, in whom my Soul hath chief delight,

  Son of my bosom, Son who art alone

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  My word, my wisdom, and effectual might,

  All hast thou spok’n as my thoughts are, all

  As my Eternal purpose hath decreed:

  Man shal
l not quite be lost, but sav’d who will,

  Yet not of will in him, but grace in me

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  Freely voutsaft; once more I will renew

  His lapsed powers, though forfeit and enthrall’d

  By sin to foul exorbitant desires;

  Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand

  On even ground against his mortal foe,

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  By me upheld, that he may know how frail

  His fall’n condition is, and to me ow

  All his deliv’rance, and to none but me.

  Some I have chosen of peculiar grace

  Elect above the rest;10 so is my will:

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  The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warnd

  Thir sinful state, and to appease betimes

  Th’ incensed Deitie, while offerd grace

  Invites; for I will cleer thir senses dark,

  What may suffice, and soft’n stonie hearts

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  To pray, repent, and bring obedience due.

  To prayer, repentance, and obedience due,

  Though but endevord with sincere intent,

  Mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not shut.

  And I will place within them as a guide

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  My Umpire Conscience, whom if they will hear,

  Light after light well us’d they shall attain,

  And to the end persisting, safe arrive.11

  This my long sufferance and my day of grace

  They who neglect and scorn, shall never taste;

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  But hard be hard’n’d, blind be blinded more,

  That they may stumble on, and deeper fall;

  And none but such from mercy I exclude.

  But yet all is not don; Man disobeying,

  Disloyal breaks his fealtie, and sinns

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  Against the high Supremacie of Heav’n,

  Affecting God-head, and so loosing all,

  To expiate his Treason hath naught left,

  But to destruction sacred and devote,

  He with his whole posteritie must die,

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  Die hee or Justice must; unless for him

  Som other able, and as willing, pay

  The rigid satisfaction, death for death.

  Say Heav’nly Powers, where shall we find such love,

  Which of ye will be mortal to redeem

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  Mans mortal crime, and just th’ unjust to save,

  Dwels in all Heaven charitie so dear?

  He ask’d, but all the Heav’nly Quire stood mute,

  And silence was in Heav’n: on mans behalf

  Patron or Intercessor none appeerd,

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  Much less that durst upon his own head draw

  The deadly forfeiture, and ransom set.

  And now without redemption all mankind

  Must have bin lost, adjudg’d to Death and Hell

  By doom severe, had not the Son of God,

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  In whom the fulness dwels of love divine,

  His dearest12 mediation thus renewd.

  Father, thy word is past, man shall find grace;

  And shall grace not find means, that finds her way,

  The speediest of thy winged messengers,

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  To visit all thy creatures, and to all

  Comes unprevented, unimplor’d, unsought,

  Happie for man, so coming; he her aid

  Can never seek, once dead in sins and lost;

  Attonement for himself, or offering meet,

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  Indebted and undon, hath none to bring:

  Behold mee then, mee for him, life for life

  I offer, on mee let thine anger fall;

  Account mee man; I for his sake will leave

  Thy bosom, and this glorie next to thee

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  Freely put off, and for him lastly die

  Well pleas’d, on me let Death wreck all his rage;

  Under his gloomie power I shall not long

  Lie vanquisht; thou hast givn me to possess

  Life in my self for ever, by thee I live,

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  Though now to Death I yeild, and am his due

  All that of me can die, yet that debt paid,

  Thou wilt not leave me in the loathsom grave

  His prey, nor suffer my unspotted Soul

  For ever with corruption there to dwell;

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  But I shall rise Victorious, and subdue

  My Vanquisher, spoild of his vanted spoil;

  Death his deaths wound shall then receive, and stoop

  Inglorious, of his mortall sting disarm’d.

  I through the ample Air in Triumph high

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  Shall lead Hell Captive maugre13 Hell, and show

  The powers of darkness bound. Thou at the sight

  Pleas’d, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,

  While by thee rais’d I ruin all my Foes,

  Death last, and with his Carcass glut the Grave:

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  Then with the multitude of my redeemd

  Shall enter Heav’n long absent, and return,

  Father, to see thy face, wherein no cloud

  Of anger shall remain, but peace assur’d,

  And reconcilement; wrauth shall be no more

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  Thenceforth, but in thy presence Joy entire.

  His words here ended, but his meek aspect

  Silent yet spake, and breath’d immortal love

  To mortal men, above which only shon

  Filial obedience: as a sacrifice

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  Glad to be offer’d, he attends the will

  Of his great Father. Admiration seis’d

  All Heav’n, what this might mean, and whither tend

  Wondring; but soon th’ Almighty thus reply’d:

  O thou in Heav’n and Earth the only peace

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  Found out for mankind under wrauth, O thou

  My sole complacence! well thou know’st how dear,

  To me are all my works, nor Man the least

  Though last created, that for him I spare

  Thee from my bosom and right hand, to save,

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  By loosing thee a while, the whole Race lost.

  Thou therefore whom thou only canst redeem,

  Thir Nature also to thy Nature joyn;

  And be thy self Man among men on Earth,

  Made flesh, when time shall be, of Virgin seed,

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  By wondrous birth: Be thou in Adams room14

  The Head of all mankind, though Adams Son.

  As in him perish all men, so in thee

  As from a second root shall be restor’d,

  As many as are restor’d, without thee none.

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  His crime makes guiltie all his Sons, thy merit

  Imputed shall absolve them who renounce

  Thir own both righteous and unrighteous deeds,

  And live in thee transplanted, and from thee

  Receive new life. So Man, as is most just,

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  Shall satisfie for Man, be judg’d and die,

  And dying rise, and rising with him raise

  His Brethren, ransomd with his own dear life.

  So Heav’nly love shall outdo Hellish hate,

  Giving to death, and dying to redeem,

  300

  So dearly to redeem what Hellish hate

  So easily destroy’d, and still destroyes

  In those who, when they may, accept not grace.

  Nor shalt thou by descending to assume

  Mans Nature, less’n or degrade thine own.

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  Because thou hast, though Thron’d in highest bliss

  Equal to God, and equally enjoying

  God-like fruition, quitted all to save

  A World from utter
loss, and hast been found

  By Merit more then Birthright Son of God,

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  Found worthiest to be so by being Good,

  Farr more then Great or High; because in thee

  Love hath abounded more then Glory abounds,

  Therefore thy Humiliation shall exalt

  With thee thy Manhood also to this Throne;

  315

  Here shalt thou sit incarnate, here shalt Reign

  Both God and Man, Son both of God and Man,

  Anointed universal King; all Power

  I give thee, reign for ever, and assume

  Thy Merits; under thee as Head Supream

  320

  Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions I reduce:

  All knees to thee shall bow, of them that bide

  In Heav’n, or Earth, or under Earth in Hell;

  When thou attended gloriously from Heav’n

  Shalt in the Sky appeer, and from thee send

  325

  The summoning Arch-Angels to proclaim

  Thy dread Tribunal: forthwith from all Winds

  The living, and forthwith the cited dead

  Of all past Ages to the general Doom15

  Shall hast’n, such a peal shall rouse thir sleep.

  330

  Then all thy Saints assembl’d, thou shalt judge

  Bad men and Angels, they arraign’d shall sink

  Beneath thy Sentence; Hell her numbers full,

  Thenceforth shall be for ever shut. Mean while

  The World shall burn, and from her ashes spring16

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  New Heav’n and Earth,17 wherein the just shall dwell

  And after all thir tribulations long

  See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,

  With Joy and Love triumphing, and fair Truth.

  Then thou thy regal Scepter shalt lay by,

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  For regal Scepter then no more shall need,

  God shall be All in All.18 But all ye Gods,

  Adore him, who to compass all this dies,

  Adore the Son, and honour him as mee.

  No sooner had th’ Almighty ceas’t, but all

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