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Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton

Page 46

by John Milton


  To travel with Tobias, and secur’d

  His marriage with the seaventimes-wedded Maid.12

  Raphael, said hee, thou hear’st what stir on Earth

  225

  Satan from Hell scap’t through the darksom Gulf

  Hath rais’d in Paradise, and how disturb’d

  This night the human pair, how he designes

  In them at once to ruin all mankind.

  Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend

  230

  Converse with Adam, in what Bowr or shade

  Thou find’st him from the heat of Noon retir’d,

  To respit his day-labour with repast,

  Or with repose; and such discourse bring on,

  As may advise him of his happie state,

  235

  Happiness in his power left free to will,

  Left to his own free Will, his Will though free,

  Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware

  He swerve not too secure: tell him withall

  His danger, and from whom, what enemie

  240

  Late falln himself from Heav’n, is plotting now

  The fall of others from like state of bliss;

  By violence, no, for that shall be withstood,

  But by deceit and lies; this let him know,

  Least wilfully transgressing he pretend

  245

  Surprisal, unadmonisht, unforewarnd.

  So spake th’ Eternal Father, and fulfilld

  All Justice: nor delaid the winged Saint

  After his charge receiv’d; but from among

  Thousand Celestial Ardors,13 where he stood

  250

  Vaild with his gorgeous wings, up springing light

  Flew through the midst of Heav’n; th’ angelic Quires

  On each hand parting, to his speed gave way

  Through all th’ Empyreal road; till at the Gate

  Of Heav’n arriv’d, the gate self-opend wide

  255

  On golden Hinges turning, as by work

  Divine the sov’ran Architect had fram’d.

  From hence, no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight,

  Starr interpos’d, however small he sees,

  Not unconform to other shining Globes,

  260

  Earth and the Gard’n of God, with Cedars crownd

  Above all Hills. As when by night the Glass14

  Of Galileo, less assur’d, observes

  Imagind Lands and Regions in the Moon:

  Or Pilot from amidst the Cyclades15

  265

  Delos or Samos first appeering kenns

  A cloudy spot. Down thither prone16 in flight

  He speeds, and through the vast Ethereal Skie

  Sails between worlds and worlds, with steddie wing

  Now on the polar winds, then with quick Fann17

  270

  Winnows the buxom18 Air; till within soar

  Of Towring Eagles, to all the Fowls he seems

  A Phœnix, gaz’d by all, as that sole Bird

  When to enshrine his reliques in the Sun’s

  Bright Temple, to Ægyptian Thebes he flies.19

  275

  At once on th’ Eastern cliff of Paradise

  He lights, and to his proper shape returns

  A Seraph wing’d; six wings he wore, to shade

  His lineaments Divine; the pair that clad

  Each shoulder broad, came mantling o’re his brest

  280

  With regal Ornament; the middle pair

  Girt like a Starrie Zone his waste, and round

  Skirted his loins and thighs with downie Gold

  And colours dipt in Heav’n; the third his feet

  Shaddowd from either heel with featherd mail

  285

  Skie-tinctur’d grain.20 Like Maia’s son21 he stood,

  And shook his Plumes, that Heav’nly fragrance filld

  The circuit wide. Strait knew him all the Bands

  Of Angels under watch; and to his state,

  And to his message high in honour rise;

  290

  For on som message high they guess’d him bound.

  Thir glittering Tents he pass’d, and now is come

  Into the blissful field, through Groves of Myrrh,

  And flowring Odours, Cassia, Nard, and Balm;

  A Wilderness of sweets; for Nature here

  295

  Wantond as in her prime, and plaid at will

  Her Virgin Fancies, pouring forth more sweet,

  Wild above Rule or Art; enormous bliss.

  Him through the spicie Forrest onward com

  Adam discernd, as in the dore he sat

  300

  Of his cool Bowr, while now the mounted Sun

  Shot down direct his fervid Raies to warm

  Earths inmost womb, more warmth then Adam needs;

  And Eve within, due at her hour prepar’d

  For dinner savourie fruits, of taste to please

  305

  True appetite, and not disrelish thirst

  Of nectarous draughts between, from milkie stream,22

  Berrie or Grape: to whom thus Adam call’d.

  Haste hither Eve, and worth thy sight behold

  Eastward among those Trees, what glorious shape

  310

  Comes this way moving; seems another Morn

  Ris’n on mid-noon; som great behest from Heav’n

  To us perhaps he brings, and will voutsafe

  This day to be our Guest. But goe with speed,

  And what thy stores contain, bring forth and pour

  315

  Abundance, fit to honour and receive

  Our Heav’nly stranger; well we may afford

  Our givers thir own gifts, and large bestow

  From large bestowd, where Nature multiplies

  Her fertil growth, and by disburd’ning grows

  320

  More fruitful, which instructs us not to spare.

  To whom thus Eve. Adam, earths hallowd mould,

  Of God inspir’d, small store will serve, where store,

  All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk;

  Save what by frugal storing firmness gains

  325

  To nourish, and superfluous moist consumes:

  But I will haste and from each bough and break,

  Each Plant and juiciest Gourd will pluck such choice

  To entertain our Angel guest, as hee

  Beholding shall confess that here on Earth

  330

  God hath dispenst his bounties as in Heav’n.

  So saying, with dispatchful looks in haste

  She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent

  What choice to chuse for delicacie best,

  What order, so contriv’d as not to mix

  335

  Tastes, not well joynd, inelegant, but bring

  Taste after taste upheld with kindliest23 change,

  Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk

  Whatever Earth all-bearing Mother yeilds

  In India East or West,24 or middle shoar

  340

  In Pontus or the Punic Coast,25 or where

  Alcinous reign’d, fruit of all kinds, in coat,

  Rough, or smooth rind, or bearded husk, or shell

  She gathers, Tribute large, and on the board

  Heaps with unsparing hand; for drink the Grape

  345

  She crushes, inoffensive moust, and meaths26

  From many a berrie, and from sweet kernels prest

  She tempers dulcet creams, nor these to hold

  Wants her fit vessels pure, then strews the ground

  With Rose and Odours from the shrub unfum’d.27

  350

  Mean while our Primitive great Sire, to meet

  His god-like Guest, walks forth, without more train

  Accompani’d then with his own compleat

 
Perfections, in himself was all his state,

  More solemn then the tedious pomp that waits

  355

  On Princes, when thir rich Retinue long

  Of Horses led, and Grooms besmeard with Gold

  Dazles the crowd, and sets them all agape.

  Neerer his presence Adam though not awd,

  Yet with submiss approach and reverence meek,

  360

  As to a superior Nature, bowing low,

  Thus said. Native of Heav’n, for other place

  None can then Heav’n such glorious shape contain;

  Since by descending from the Thrones above,

  Those happie places thou hast deign’d a while

  365

  To want, and honour these, voutsafe with us

  Two onely, who yet by sov’ran gift possess

  This spacious ground, in yonder shadie Bowr

  To rest, and what the Garden choicest bears

  To sit and taste, till this meridian heat

  370

  Be over, and the Sun more cool decline.

  Whom thus th’ Angelic Vertue answerd mild.

  Adam, I therefore came, nor art thou such

  Created, or such place hast here to dwell,

  As may not oft invite, though Spirits of Heav’n

  375

  To visit thee; lead on then where thy Bowr

  Oreshades; for these mid-hours, till Eevning rise

  I have at will. So to the Silvan Lodge

  They came, that like Pomona’s28 Arbour smil’d

  With flowrets deck’t and fragrant smells; but Eve

  380

  Undeckt, save with her self more lovely fair

  Then Wood-Nymph, or the fairest Goddess feign’d

  Of three29 that in Mount Ida naked strove,

  Stood t’ entertain her guest from Heav’n; no vail

  Shee needed, Vertue-proof, no thought infirm

  385

  Alterd her cheek. On whom the Angel Hail

  Bestowd, the holy salutation us’d

  Long after to blest Marie, second Eve.

  Hail Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful Womb

  Shall fill the World more numerous with thy Sons

  390

  Then with these various fruits the Trees of God

  Have heap’d this Table. Rais’d of grassie terf

  Thir Table was, and mossie seats had round,

  And on her ample Square from side to side

  All Autumn pil’d, though Spring and Autumn here

  395

  Danc’d hand in hand. A while discourse they hold;

  No fear lest Dinner cool; when thus began

  Our Authour. Heav’nly stranger, please to taste

  These bounties which our Nourisher, from whom

  All perfet good unmeasur’d out, descends,

  400

  To us for food and for delight hath caus’d

  The Earth to yeild; unsavourie food perhaps

  To spiritual Natures; only this I know,

  That one Celestial Father gives to all.

  To whom the Angel. Therefore what he gives

  405

  (Whose praise be ever sung) to man in part

  Spiritual, may of purest Spirits be found

  No ingrateful food: and food alike those pure

  Intelligential substances require

  As doth your Rational; and both contain

  410

  Within them every lower facultie

  Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste,

  Tasting concoct,30 digest, assimilate,

  And corporeal to incorporeal turn.

  For know, whatever was created, needs

  415

  To be sustaind and fed; of Elements

  The grosser feeds the purer, Earth the Sea,

  Earth and the Sea feed Air, the Air those Fires

  Ethereal, and as lowest first the Moon;

  Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurg’d

  420

  Vapours not yet into her substance turnd.31

  Nor doth the Moon no nourishment exhale

  From her moist Continent to higher Orbs.

  The Sun that light imparts to all, receives

  From all his alimental recompence

  425

  In humid exhalations, and at Ev’n

  Sups with the Ocean: though in Heav’n the Trees

  Of life ambrosial fruitage bear, and vines

  Yeild Nectar, though from off the boughs each Morn

  We brush mellifluous Dews, and find the ground

  430

  Cover’d with pearly grain:32 yet God hath here

  Varied his bounty so with new delights,

  As may compare with Heaven; and to taste

  Think not I shall be nice. So down they sat,

  And to thir viands fell, nor seemingly

  435

  The Angel, nor in mist, the common gloss

  Of Theologians, but with keen dispatch

  Of real hunger, and concoctive heat

  To transubstantiate; what redounds,33 transpires

  Through Spirits with ease; nor wonder; if by fire

  440

  Of sooty coal th’ Empiric Alchimist

  Can turn, or holds it possible to turn

  Metals of drossiest Ore to perfet Gold

  As from the Mine. Mean while at Table Eve

  Ministerd naked, and thir flowing cups

  445

  With pleasant liquors crown’d: O innocence

  Deserving Paradise! if ever, then,

  Then had the Sons of God excuse t’ have bin

  Enamour’d at that sight; but in those hearts

  Love unlibidinous reign’d, nor jealousie

  450

  Was understood, the injur’d Lovers Hell.

  Thus when with meats and drinks they had suffic’d,

  Not burd’nd Nature, sudden mind arose

  In Adam, not to let th’ occasion pass

  Giv’n him by this great Conference to know

  455

  Of things above his World, and of thir being

  Who dwell in Heav’n, whose excellence he saw

  Transcend his own so farr, whose radiant forms

  Divine effulgence, whose high Power so far

  Exceeded human, and his wary speech

  460

  Thus to th’ Empyreal Minister he fram’d.

  Inhabitant with God, now know I well

  Thy favour, in this honour done to man,

  Under whose lowly roof thou hast voutsaf’t

  To enter, and these earthly fruits to taste,

  465

  Food not of Angels, yet accepted so,

  As that more willingly thou couldst not seem

  At Heav’ns high feasts t’ have fed: yet what compare?

  To whom the winged Hierarch repli’d.

  O Adam, one Almightie is, from whom

  470

  All things proceed, and up to him return,34

  If not deprav’d from good, created all

  Such to perfection, one first matter all,

  Indu’d with various forms, various degrees

  Of substance, and in things that live, of life;

  475

  But more refin’d, more spiritous, and pure,

  As neerer to him plac’t or neerer tending

  Each in thir several active Sphears assign’d,

  Till body up to spirit work, in bounds

  Proportiond to each kind. So from the root

  480

  Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence the leaves

  More aerie, last the bright consummate flowr

  Spirits odorous breathes: flowrs and thir fruit

  Mans nourishment, by gradual scale sublim’d

  To vital Spirits aspire, to animal,

  485

  To intellectual, give both life and sense,35

  Fansie and understanding, whence the Soul<
br />
  Reason receives, and reason is her being,

  Discursive, or Intuitive; discourse

  Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours,

  490

  Differing but in degree, of kind the same.

  Wonder not then, what God for you saw good

  If I refuse not, but convert, as you,

  To proper substance; time may come when men

  With Angels may participate, and find

  495

  No inconvenient Diet, nor too light Fare:

  And from these corporal nutriments perhaps

  Your bodies may at last turn all to Spirit,

  Improv’d by tract of time, and wing’d ascend

  Ethereal, as wee, or may at choice

  500

  Here or in Heav’nly Paradises dwell;

  If ye be found obedient, and retain

  Unalterably firm his love entire

  Whose progenie you are. Mean while enjoy

  Your fill what happiness this happie state

  505

  Can comprehend, incapable of more.

  To whom the Patriarch of mankind repli’d.

  O favourable spirit, propitious guest,

  Well hast thou taught the way that might direct

  Our knowledge, and the scale of Nature set

  510

  From center to circumference, whereon

  In contemplation of created things

  By steps we may ascend to God. But say,

  What meant that caution joind, if ye be found

  Obedient? can we want obedience then

  515

  To him, or possibly his love desert

  Who formd us from the dust, and plac’d us here

  Full to the utmost measure of what bliss

  Human desires can seek or apprehend?

  To whom the Angel. Son of Heav’n and Earth,

  520

  Attend: That thou art happie, owe to God;

  That thou continu’st such, owe to thy self,

  That is, to thy obedience; therein stand.

  This was that caution giv’n thee; be advis’d.

  God made thee perfet, not immutable;

 

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