Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton

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Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton Page 53

by John Milton


  Be fruitful, multiply, and in the Seas

  And Lakes and running Streams the waters fill;

  And let the Fowl be multiply’d on th’ Earth.

  Forthwith the Sounds and Seas, each Creek and Bay

  400

  With Frie innumerable swarm, and Shoals

  Of Fish that with thir Finns and shining Scales

  Glide under the green Wave, in Sculls45 that oft

  Bank the mid Sea: part single or with mate

  Graze the Sea weed thir pasture, and through Groves

  405

  Of Coral stray, or sporting with quick glance

  Show to the Sun thir wav’d coats dropt46 with Gold,

  Or in thir Pearlie shells at ease, attend

  Moist nutriment, or under Rocks thir food

  In jointed Armour watch: on smooth47 the Seal,

  410

  And bended Dolphins play: part huge of bulk

  Wallowing unweildie, enormous in thir Gate

  Tempest the Ocean: there Leviathan

  Hugest of living Creatures, on the Deep

  Stretcht like a Promontorie sleeps or swims,

  415

  And seems a moving Land, and at his Gills

  Draws in, and at his Trunck spouts out a Sea.

  Mean while the tepid Caves, and Fens and shoares

  Thir Brood as numerous hatch, from th’ Egg that soon

  Bursting with kindly48 rupture forth disclos’d

  420

  Thir callow young, but featherd soon and fledge

  They summ’d thir Penns,49 and soaring th’ air sublime

  With clang despis’d the ground, under a cloud

  In prospect;50 there the Eagle and the Stork

  On Cliffs and Cedar tops thir Eyries build:

  425

  Part loosly51 wing the Region, part more wise

  In common, rang’d in figure wedge thir way,

  Intelligent of seasons, and set forth

  Thir Aerie Caravan high over Seas

  Flying, and over Lands with mutual wing

  430

  Easing thir flight; so stears the prudent Crane

  Her annual Voiage, born on Winds; the Air

  Floats, as they pass, fann’d with unnumber’d plumes:

  From Branch to Branch the smaller Birds with song

  Solac’d the Woods, and spred thir painted wings

  435

  Till Ev’n, nor then the solemn Nightingale

  Ceas’d warbling, but all night tun’d her soft layes:

  Others on Silver Lakes and Rivers Bath’d

  Thir downie Brest; the Swan with Arched neck

  Between her white wings mantling52 proudly, Rows

  440

  Her state with Oarie feet: yet oft they quit

  The Dank, and rising on stiff Pennons, towr

  The mid Aereal Skie: Others on ground

  Walk’d firm; the crested Cock whose clarion sounds

  The silent hours, and th’ other whose gay Train

  445

  Adorns him, colour’d with the Florid hue

  Of Rainbows and Starrie Eyes. The Waters thus

  With Fish replenisht, and the Air with Fowl,

  Ev’ning and Morn solemniz’d the Fift day.

  The Sixt, and of Creation last arose

  450

  With Eevning Harps and Mattin, when God said,

  Let th’ Earth bring forth Soul living in her kind,

  Cattel and Creeping things, and Beast of th’ Earth,

  Each in their kind. The Earth obey’d, and strait

  Op’ning her fertil Woomb teem’d at a Birth

  455

  Innumerous living Creatures, perfet formes,

  Limb’d and full grown: out of the ground up rose

  As from his Lair the wild Beast where he wonns53

  In Forrest wild, in Thicket, Brake, or Den;

  Among the Trees in Pairs they rose, they walk’d:

  460

  The Cattel in the Fields and Meddows green:

  Those rare and solitarie, these in flocks

  Pasturing at once, and in broad Herds upsprung.

  The grassie Clods now Calv’d, now half appeer’d

  The Tawnie Lion, pawing to get free

  465

  His hinder parts, then springs as broke from Bonds,

  And Rampant shakes his Brinded54 main; the Ounce,

  The Libbard, and the Tyger, as the Moal

  Rising, the crumbl’d Earth above them threw

  In Hillocks; the swift Stag from under ground

  470

  Bore up his branching head: scarse from his mould

  Behemoth55 biggest born of Earth upheav’d

  His vastness: Fleec’t the Flocks and bleating rose,

  As Plants: ambiguous between Sea and Land

  The River Horse56 and scalie Crocodile.

  475

  At once came forth whatever creeps the ground,

  Insect or Worm; those wav’d thir limber fans

  For wings, and smallest Lineaments exact

  In all the Liveries dect of Summers pride

  With spots of Gold and Purple, azure and green:

  480

  These as a line thir long dimension drew,

  Streaking the ground with sinuous trace; not all

  Minims of Nature; some of Serpent kind

  Wondrous in length and corpulence57 involv’d

  Thir Snakie foulds, and added wings. First crept

  485

  The Parsimonious Emmet, provident

  Of future, in small room large heart enclos’d,

  Pattern of just equalitie perhaps

  Hereafter, join’d in her popular Tribes

  Of Commonaltie: swarming next appeer’d

  490

  The Female Bee that feeds her Husband Drone

  Deliciously, and builds her waxen Cells

  With Honey stor’d: the rest are numberless,

  And thou thir Natures know’st, and gav’st them Names,

  Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown

  495

  The Serpent suttl’st Beast of all the field,58

  Of huge extent somtimes, with brazen Eyes

  And hairie Main terrific, though to thee

  Not noxious, but obedient at thy call.

  Now Heav’n in all her Glorie shon, and rowl’d

  500

  Her motions, as the great first-Movers hand

  First wheeld thir course; Earth in her rich attire

  Consummate lovely smil’d; Air, Water, Earth,

  By Fowl, Fish, Beast, was flown, was swum, was walkt

  Frequent; and of the Sixt day yet reman’d;

  505

  There wanted yet the Master work, the end59

  Of all yet don; a Creature who not prone

  And Brute as other Creatures, but endu’d

  With Sanctitie of Reason, might erect

  His Stature, and upright with Front serene

  510

  Govern the rest, self-knowing, and from thence

  Magnanimous to correspond with Heav’n,

  But grateful to acknowledge whence his good

  Descends, thither with heart and voice and eyes

  Directed in Devotion, to adore

  515

  And worship God Supream, who made him chief

  Of all his works: therefore th’ Omnipotent

  Eternal Father (for where is not hee

  Present) thus to his Son audibly spake.

  Let us make now Man in our image, Man

  520

  In our similitude, and let them rule

  Over the Fish and Fowl of Sea and Air,

  Beast of the Field, and over all the Earth,

  And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.

  This said, he formd thee, Adam, thee O Man

  525

  Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath’d

  The breath of Life; in his own Ima
ge hee

  Created thee, in the Image of God

  Express, and thou becam’st a living Soul.

  Male he created thee, but thy consort

  530

  Female for Race; then bless’d Mankind, and said,

  Be fruitful, multiplie, and fill the Earth,

  Subdue it, and throughout Dominion hold

  Over Fish of the Sea, and Fowl of the Air,

  And every living thing that moves on th’ Earth.

  535

  Wherever thus created, for no place

  Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know’st

  He brought thee into this delicious Grove,

  This Garden, planted with the Trees of God,

  Delectable both to behold and taste;

  540

  And freely all thir pleasant fruit for food

  Gave thee, all sorts are here that all th’ Earth yeelds,

  Varietie without end; but of the Tree

  Which tasted works knowledge of Good and Evil,

  Thou mai’st not; in the day thou eat’st, thou di’st;

  545

  Death is the penaltie impos’d, beware,

  And govern well thy appetite, least sin

  Surprise thee, and her black attendant Death.

  Here finish’d hee, and all that he had made

  View’d, and behold all was entirely good;

  550

  So Ev’n and Morn accomplish’d the Sixt day:

  Yet not till the Creator from his work

  Desisting, though unwearied, up returnd

  Up to the Heav’n of Heav’ns his high abode,

  Thence to behold this new created World

  555

  Th’ addition of his Empire, how it shew’d

  In prospect from his Throne, how good, how fair,

  Answering his great Idea. Up he rode

  Followd with acclamation and the sound

  Symphonious of ten thousand Harps that tun’d

  560

  Angelic harmonies: the Earth, the Air

  Resounded (thou remember’st, for thou heardst),

  The Heav’ns and all the Constellations rung,

  The Planets in thir stations list’ning stood,

  While the bright Pomp ascended jubilant.

  565

  Open, ye everlasting Gates, they sung,

  Open, ye Heav’ns, your living dores;60 let in

  The great Creator from his work returnd

  Magnificent, his Six days work, a World;

  Open, and henceforth oft; for God will deigne

  570

  To visit oft the dwellings of just Men

  Delighted, and with frequent intercourse

  Thither will send his winged Messengers

  On errands of supernal Grace. So sung

  The glorious Train ascending: He through Heav’n,

  575

  That open’d wide her blazing Portals, led

  To Gods Eternal house direct the way,

  A broad and ample rode, whose dust is Gold

  And pavement Starrs, as Starrs to thee appeer,

  Seen in the Galaxie, that Milkie way

  580

  Which nightly as a circling Zone thou seest

  Powderd with Starrs. And now on Earth the Seventh

  Eev’ning arose in Eden, for the Sun

  Was set, and twilight from the East came on,

  Forerunning Night; when at the holy mount

  585

  Of Heav’ns high-seated top, th’ Impereal Throne

  Of Godhead, fixt for ever firm and sure,

  The Filial Power arriv’d, and sate him down

  With his great Father, for he also went

  Invisible, yet staid (such priviledge

  590

  Hath Omnipresence) and the work ordain’d,

  Author and end of all things, and from work

  Now resting, bless’d and hallowd the Seav’nth day,

  As resting on that day from all his work,

  But not in silence holy kept; the Harp

  595

  Had work and rested not, the solemn Pipe,

  And Dulcimer, all Organs of sweet stop,

  All sounds on Fret61 by String or Golden Wire

  Temper’d soft Tunings, intermixt with Voice

  Choral or Unison:62 of incense Clouds

  600

  Fuming from Golden Censers hid the Mount.

  Creation and the Six dayes acts they sung,

  Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

  Thy power; what thought can measure thee or tongue

  Relate thee; greater now in thy return

  605

  Then from the Giant Angels; thee that day

  Thy Thunders magnifi’d; but to create

  Is greater then created to destroy.

  Who can impair thee, mighty King, or bound

  Thy Empire? easily the proud attempt

  610

  Of Spirits apostat and thir Counsels vain

  Thou hast repeld, while impiously they thought

  Thee to diminish, and from thee withdraw

  The number of thy worshippers. Who seeks

  To lessen thee, against his purpose serves

  615

  To manifest the more thy might: his evil

  Thou usest, and from thence creat’st more good.

  Witness this new-made World, another Heav’n

  From Heaven Gate not farr, founded in view

  On the cleer Hyaline, the Glassie Sea;63

  620

  Of amplitude almost immense,64 with Starrs

  Numerous, and every Starr perhaps a World

  Of destind habitation; but thou know’st

  Thir seasons: among these the seat of men,

  Earth with her nether Ocean circumfus’d,

  625

  Thir pleasant dwelling place. Thrice happie men,

  And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanc’t,

  Created in his Image, there to dwell

  And worship him, and in reward to rule

  Over his Works, on Earth, in Sea, or Air,

  630

  And multiply a Race of Worshippers

  Holy and just: thrice happie if they know

  Thir happiness, and persevere upright.

  So sung they, and the Empyrean rung,

  With Halleluiahs: Thus was Sabbath kept.

  635

  And thy request think now fulfill’d, that ask’d

  How first this World and face of things began,

  And what before thy memorie was don

  From the beginning, that posteritie

  Informd by thee might know; if else thou seekst

  640

  Aught, not surpassing human measure, say.

  * * *

  1 usually identified as the Muse of astronomy, the meaning of whose name (“heavenly”) emphasizes Milton’s invoking of divine inspiration. In Prov. viii Wisdom, from “the top of high places,” tells the sons of men of the Creation, the subject of this book. But here the reference seems to be to the Spirit of God as in the invocations in I, III, and IX.

  2 For Pegasus and Bellerophon (l. 18), see Rouse, n. 8.

  3 associate, live.

  4 the field on which Bellerophon landed.

  5 straying, wandering.

  6 as opposed to the first half of the poem dealing with the invisible, eternal, formless worlds of Heaven and Hell.

  7 not transported above the primum mobile.

  8 a temporal reference to the period of the Restoration (1660 and ff.); the “darkness” (l. 27) is his blindness. Eccles. xii. 1: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh.…”

  9 Orpheus; see Lycidas, n. 12.

  10 marital partner (from “consortium”).

  11 surged back.

  12 called back.

  13 both “red” with moving fires (hinting at its origin) and now “adorned with flourishing vege
tation.”

  14 finished.

  15 unseen (since it lies outside the primum mobile) and formless.

  16 keep watch.

  17 Venus, called Lucifer as the morning star.

  18 Job vii. 10: “Neither shall his place know him any more.”

  19 foolishly.

  20 scattered; “fill all those relinquished areas left uninhabited by those who joined Satan.”

  21 God is not limited even though he withdraws his influence from part of infinitude, thus leaving Chaos.

  22 everlasting.

  23 all-creating.

  24 Prov. viii. 27: “When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth.”

  25 both hellish (from Tartarus) and sedimentary (from the incrustation of the residue from grapes in wine-making).

  26 formed them into a rounded mass (the Earth). Since the Earth is spherical at creation and composed of all things like, it conforms to concepts of perfection. First light (Day) is united and then each of the four elements: air, earth, water, and fire.

  27 Interwoven through l. 593 are quotations from Genesis (i. 3-31, ii. 1-9, 15-17).

  28 ether, the fifth or highest essence (element) of life.

  29 The Son (“That glorious Form, that Light unsufferable, / And that far-beaming blaze of Majesty,” Nativity Ode, 8-9) came in a “Poor fleshly Tabernacle” (Passion, 17).

  30 the heavens stretching from the seas of the universe (“Round,” l. 267) to the Crystalline (watery) Sphere (“Ocean,” l. 271); see Gen. i. 6-7.

  31 rolled up, infolded.

  32 both “expansive” and “essential.”

  33 fertilizing.

  34 both “speed” and “drops of rain.”

  35 carried along with great haste.

  36 erratic movement (like a serpent).

  37 watery course.

  38 entwined.

  39 budded.

  40 groups of trees or shrubbery.

  41 Galileo had discovered the phases of Venus.

  42 absorption of the sun’s light.

  43 divided (amongst the “thousand lesser Lights”).

  44 any creeping thing (but including fish).

  45 schools of fish that make a shoal in the sea (l. 403).

 

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