Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton
Page 43
This one, this easie charge, of all the Trees
In Paradise that bear delicious fruit
So various, not to taste that onely Tree
Of knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life,
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So neer grows Death to Life, what ere Death is,
Som dreadful thing no doubt; for well thou knowst
God hath pronounc’t it death to taste that Tree,
The only sign of our obedience left
Among so many signes of power and rule
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Conferrd upon us, and Dominion giv’n
Over all other Creatures that possess
Earth, Air, and Sea. Then let us not think hard
One easie prohibition, who enjoy
Free leave so large to all things else, and choice
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Unlimited of manifold delights:
But let us ever praise him, and extoll
His bountie, following our delightful task
To prune these growing Plants, and tend these Flowrs,
Which were it toilsom, yet with thee were sweet.
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To whom thus Eve repli’d. O thou for whom
And from whom I was formd flesh of thy flesh,
And without whom am to no end, my Guide
And Head, what thou hast said is just and right.
For wee to him indeed all praises owe,
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And daily thanks, I chiefly who enjoy
So farr the happier Lot, enjoying thee
Præeminent by so much odds, while thou
Like consort to thy self canst no where find.
That day I oft remember, when from sleep
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I first awak’t, and found my self repos’d
Under a shade on flowrs, much wondring where
And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
Of waters issu’d from a Cave and spread
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Into a liquid Plain, then stood unmov’d
Pure as th’ expanse of Heav’n; I thither went
With unexperienc’t thought, and laid me down
On the green bank, to look into the cleer
Smooth Lake, that to me seemd another Skie.
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As I bent down to look, just opposite,
A Shape within the watry gleam appeerd
Bending to look on me, I started back,
It started back, but pleas’d I soon returnd,
Pleas’d it returnd as soon with answering looks
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Of sympathie and love; there I had fixt
Mine eyes till now, and pin’d with vain desire,
Had not a voice thus warnd me, What thou seest,
What there thou seest fair Creature is thy self,
With thee it came and goes: but follow me,
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And I will bring thee where no shadow staies39
Thy coming, and thy soft imbraces, hee
Whose image thou art, him thou shall enjoy
Inseparablie thine, to him shalt bear
Multitudes like thy self, and thence be call’d
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Mother of human Race: what could I doe,
But follow strait, invisibly thus led?
Till I espi’d thee, fair indeed and tall,
Under a Platan, yet methought less fair,
Less winning soft, less amiablie mild,
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Then that smooth watry image; back I turnd,
Thou following cryd’st aloud, Return fair Eve,
Whom fli’st thou? whom thou first, of him thou art,
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Out of my side to thee, neerest my heart
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Substantial Life, to have thee by my side
Henceforth an individual40 solace dear;
Part of my Soul I seek thee, and thee claim
My other half: with that thy gentle hand
Seis’d mine, I yeilded, and from that time see
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How beauty is excelld by manly grace
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
So spake our general Mother, and with eyes
Of conjugal attraction unreprov’d,
And meek surrender, half imbracing leand
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On our first Father, half her swelling Breast
Naked met his under the flowing Gold
Of her loose tresses hid: he in delight
Both of her Beauty and submissive Charms
Smil’d with superior Love, as Jupiter
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On Juno41 smiles, when he impregns the Clouds
That shed May Flowers; and press’d her Matron lip
With kisses pure: aside the Devil turnd
For envie, yet with jealous leer maligne
Ey’d them askance, and to himself thus plaind.
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Sight hateful, sight tormenting! thus these two
Imparadis’t in one anothers arms
The happier Eden, shall enjoy thir fill
Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust,
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
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Among our other torments not the least,
Still unfulfill’d with pain of longing pines;
Yet let me not forget what I have gain’d
From thir own mouths; all is not theirs it seems:
One fatal Tree there stands of Knowledge call’d,
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Forbidden them to taste: Knowledge forbidd’n?
Suspicious, reasonless. Why should thir Lord
Envie them that? can it be sin to know,
Can it be death? and do they onely stand
By Ignorance, is that thir happie state,
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The proof of thir obedience and thir faith?
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
Thir ruin I Hence I will excite thir minds
With more desire to know, and to reject
Envious commands, invented with designe
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To keep them low whom knowledge might exalt
Equal with Gods; aspiring to be such,
They taste and die: what likelier can ensue?
But first with narrow search I must walk round
This Garden, and no corner leave unspi’d;
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A chance but chance may lead where I may meet
Some wandring Spirit of Heav’n, by Fountain side,
Or in thick shade retir’d, from him to draw
What further would be learnt. Live while ye may,
Yet happie pair; enjoy, till I return,
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Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed.
So saying, his proud step he scornful turn’d,
But with sly circumspection, and began
Through wood, through waste, o’re hill, o’re dale his roam.
Mean while in utmost Longitude,42 where Heav’n
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With Earth and Ocean meets, the setting Sun
Slowly descended, and with right aspect43
Against the eastern Gate of Paradise
Leveld his eevning Rayes: it was a Rock
Of Alablaster, pil’d up to the Clouds,
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Conspicuous farr, winding with one ascent
Accessible from Earth, one entrance high;
The rest was craggie cliff, that overhung
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Betwixt these rockie Pillars Gabriel sat
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Chief of th’ Angelic Guards, awaiting night;
About him exercis’d Heroic Games
Th’ unarmed Youth of Heav’n, but nigh at hand
Celestial Armourie, Shields, Helms, and Speares
Hung high with Diamond flaming, and with Gold.
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Thither came Uriel, gliding through the Eev’n
On a Sun beam, swift as a shooting Starr
In Autumn thwarts the night, when vapors fir’d
Impress the Air, and shews the Mariner
From what point of his Compass to beware
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Impetuous winds: he thus began in haste.
Gabriel, to thee thy cours by Lot hath giv’n
Charge and strict watch that to this happie place
No evil thing approach or enter in;
This day at highth of Noon came to my Sphear
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A Spirit, zealous, as he seem’d, to know
More of th’ Almighties works, and chiefly Man
Gods latest Image: I describ’d his way
Bent all on speed, and markt his Aerie Gate;
But in the Mount that lies from Eden North,
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Where he first lighted, soon discernd his looks
Alien from Heav’n, with passions foul obscur’d:
Mine eye pursu’d him still, but under shade
Lost sight of him; one of the banisht crew
I fear, hath ventur’d from the deep, to raise
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New troubles; him thy care must be to find.
To whom the winged Warriour thus returnd:
Uriel, no wonder if thy perfet sight,
Amid the Suns bright circle where thou sitst,
See farr and wide: in at this Gate none pass
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The vigilance here plac’t, but such as come
Well known from Heav’n; and since Meridian hour
No Creature thence: if Spirit of other sort,
So minded, have oreleapt these earthie bounds
On purpose, hard thou knowst it to exclude
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Spiritual substance with corporeal barr.
But if within the circuit of these walks
In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
Thou tellst, by morrow dawning I shall know.
So promis’d hee, and Uriel to his charge
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Returnd on that bright beam, whose point now rais’d
Bore him slope downward to the Sun now fall’n
Beneath th’ Azores; whither the prime Orb,
Incredible how swift, had thither rowl’d
Diurnal, or this less volubil Earth
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By shorter flight to th’ East, had left him there
Arraying with reflected Purple and Gold
The Clouds that on his Western Throne attend:
Now came still Eevning on, and Twilight gray
Had in her sober Liverie all things clad;
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Silence accompanied, for Beast and Bird,
They to thir grassie Couch, these to thir Nests
Were slunk, all but the wakeful Nightingale;
She all night long her amorous descant sung;
Silence was pleas’d: now glow’d the Firmament
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With living Saphirs: Hesperus that led
The starrie Host, rode brightest, till the Moon
Rising in clouded Majestie, at length
Apparent Queen unvaild her peerless light,
And o’re the dark her Silver Mantle threw.
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When Adam thus to Eve: Fair Consort, th’ hour
Of night, and all things now retir’d to rest
Mind us of like repose, since God hath set
Labour and rest, as day and night to men
Successive, and the timely dew of sleep
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Now falling with soft slumbrous weight inclines
Our eye-lids; other Creatures all day long
Rove idle unimploid, and less need rest;
Man hath his daily work of body or mind
Appointed, which declares his Dignitie,
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And the regard of Heav’n on all his waies;
While other Animals unactive range,
And of thir doings God takes no account.
To morrow ere fresh Morning streak the East
With first approach of light, we must be ris’n,
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And at our pleasant labour, to reform
Yon flowrie Arbors, yonder Allies green,
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
That mock our scant manuring,44 and require
More hands then ours to lop thir wanton growth:
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Those Blossoms also, and those dropping Gumms,
That lie bestrown unsightly and unsmooth,
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease;
Mean while, as Nature wills, Night bids us rest.
To whom thus Eve with perfet beauty adornd.
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My Author and Disposer, what thou bidst
Unargu’d I obey; so God ordains,
God is thy Law, thou mine: to know no more
Is womans happiest knowledge and her praise.
With thee conversing I forget all time,
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All seasons45 and thir change, all please alike.
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
With charm46 of earliest Birds; pleasant the Sun
When first on this delightful Land he spreads
His orient Beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flowr,
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Glistring with dew; fragrant the fertil earth
After soft showers; and sweet the coming on
Of grateful Eevning mild, then silent Night
With this her solemn Bird and this fair Moon,
And these the Gemms of Heav’n, her starrie train:
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But neither breath of Morn when she ascends
With charm of earliest Birds, nor rising Sun
On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flowr,
Glistring with dew, nor fragrance after showers,
Nor grateful Eevning mild, nor silent Night
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With this her solemn Bird, nor walk by Moon,
Or glittering Starr-light without thee is sweet.
But wherfore all night long shine these, for whom
This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?
To whom our general Ancestor repli’d.
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Daughter of God and Man, accomplisht47 Eve,
Those have thir course to finish, round the Earth,
By morrow Eevning, and from Land to Land
In order, though to Nations yet unborn,
Ministring light prepar’d, they set and rise;
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Least total darkness should by Night regain
Her old possession, and extinguish life
In Nature and all things, which these soft fires
Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat
Of various influence foment and warm,
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Temper or nourish, or in part shed down
Thir stellar vertue on all kinds that grow
On Earth, made hereby apter to receive
Perfection from the Suns more potent Ray.
These then, though unbeheld in deep of night,
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Shine not in vain, nor think, though men were none,
That heav’n would want spectators, God want praise;
Millions of spiritual Creatures walk the Earth
Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:
All these with ceasless praise his works behold
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Both day and night: how often from the steep
Of echoing Hill or Thicket have we heard
Celestial voices to the midnight air,
Sole, or responsive each to others note
Singing thir great Creator: oft in bands
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While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk
With Heav’nly touch of instrumental sounds
In full harmonic number
joind, thir songs
Divide the night,48 and lift our thoughts to Heav’n.
Thus talking hand in hand alone they pass’d
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On to thir blissful Bower; it was a place
Chos’n by the sovran Planter, when he fram’d
All things to mans delightful use; the roof
Of thickest covert was inwoven shade
Laurel and Mirtle, and what higher grew
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Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either side
Acanthus, and each odorous bushie shrub
Fenc’d up the verdant wall; each beauteous flowr,
Iris all hues, Roses, and Gessamin
Rear’d high thir flourisht49 heads between, and wrought
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Mosaic; underfoot the Violet,
Crocus, and Hyacinth with rich inlay
Broiderd the ground, more colour’d then with stone
Of costliest Emblem:50 other Creature here
Beast, Bird, Insect, or Worm durst enter none;
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Such was thir awe of Man. In shadier Bower
More sacred and sequesterd, though but feign’d,
Pan or Silvanus never slept, nor Nymph,
Nor Faunas haunted. Here in close recess
With Flowers, Garlands, and sweet-smelling Herbs
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Espoused Eve deckt first her Nuptial Bed,
And heav’nly Quires the Hymenæan51 sung,
What day the genial52 Angel to our Sire
Brought her in naked beauty more adorn’d,
More lovely than Pandora,53 whom the Gods
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Endowd with all thir gifts, and O too like
In sad event, when to th’ unwiser Son
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, she ensnar’d
Mankind with her fair looks, to be aveng’d
On him who had stole Joves authentic fire.
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Thus at thir shadie Lodge arriv’d, both stood,
Both turnd, and under op’n Skie ador’d
The God that made both Skie, Air, Earth and Heav’n
Which they beheld, the Moons resplendent Globe
And starrie Pole: Thou also mad’st the Night,