Complete Poetry and Selected Prose of John Milton

by John Milton

National interrupt thir public peace,

  Provoking God to raise them enemies:

  From whom as oft he saves them penitent

  320

  By Judges first, then under Kings; of whom

  The second,25 both for pietie renownd

  And puissant deeds, a promise shall receive

  Irrevocable, that his Regal Throne

  For ever shall endure; the like shall sing

  325

  All Prophecie, that of the Royal Stock

  Of David (so I name this King) shall rise

  A Son, the Womans Seed to thee foretold,

  Foretold to Abraham, as in whom shall trust

  All Nations, and to Kings foretold, of Kings

  330

  The last, for of his Reign shall be no end.

  But first a long succession must ensue,

  And his next Son26 for Wealth and Wisdom fam’d,

  The clouded Ark of God till then in Tents

  Wandring, shall in a glorious Temple enshrine.

  335

  Such follow him, as shall be registerd

  Part good, part bad, of bad the longer scrowl,

  Whose foul Idolatries, and other faults

  Heapt to the popular sum, will so incense

  God, as to leave them, and expose thir Land,

  340

  Thir Citie, his Temple, and his holy Ark

  With all his sacred things, a scorn and prey

  To that proud Citie, whose high Walls thou saw’st

  Left in confusion, Babylon thence call’d.

  There in captivitie he lets them dwell

  345

  The space of seventie years, then brings them back,

  Remembring mercie, and his Cov’nant sworn

  To David, stablisht as the dayes of Heav’n

  Returnd from Babylon by leave of Kings27

  Thir Lords, whom God dispos’d, the house of God

  350

  They first re-edifie, and for a while

  In mean estate live moderate, till grown

  In wealth and multitude, factious they grow;

  But first among the Priests dissension springs,

  Men who attend the Altar, and should most

  355

  Endeavour Peace: thir strife pollution brings

  Upon the Temple it self: at last they28 seise

  The Scepter, and regard not Davids Sons,

  Then loose it to a stranger,29 that the true

  Anointed King Messiah might be born

  360

  Barr’d of his right; yet at his Birth a Starr

  Unseen before in Heav’n proclaims him com,

  And guides the Eastern Sages, who enquire

  His place, to offer Incense, Myrrh, and Gold;

  His place of birth a solemn Angel tells

  365

  To simple Shepherds, keeping watch by night;

  They gladly thither30 haste, and by a Quire

  Of squadrond Angels hear his Carol sung.

  A Virgin is his Mother, but his Sire

  The Power of the most High; he shall ascend

  370

  The Throne hereditarie, and bound his Reign

  With earths wide bounds, his glory with the Heav’ns.

  He ceas’d, discerning Adam with such joy

  Surcharg’d, as had like grief bin dew’d in tears,

  Without the vent of words, which these he breath’d.

  375

  O Prophet of glad tidings, finisher

  Of utmost hope! now clear I understand

  What oft my steddiest thoughts have searcht in vain,

  Why our great expectation should be call’d

  The seed of Woman: Virgin Mother, Hail,

  380

  High in the love of Heav’n, yet from my Loyns

  Thou shalt proceed, and from thy Womb the Son

  Of God most High; so God with man unites.

  Needs must the Serpent now his capital31 bruise

  Expect with mortal pain: say where and when

  385

  Thir fight, what stroke shall bruise the Victors heel.

  To whom thus Michael. Dream not of thir fight,

  As of a Duel, or the local wounds

  Of head or heel: not therefore joyns the Son

  Manhood to God-head, with more strength to foil

  390

  Thy enemie; nor so is overcome

  Satan, whose fall from Heav’n, a deadlier bruise,

  Disabl’d not to give thee thy deaths wound:

  Which hee, who comes thy Saviour, shall recure,

  Not by destroying Satan, but his works

  395

  In thee and in thy Seed: nor can this be,

  But by fulfilling that which thou didst want,

  Obedience to the Law of God, impos’d

  On penaltie of death, and suffering death,

  The penaltie to thy transgression due,

  400

  And due to theirs which out of thine will grow:

  So onely can high Justice rest appaid.32

  The Law of God exact he shall fulfill

  Both by obedience and by love, though love

  Alone fulfill the Law; thy punishment

  405

  He shall endure by coming in the Flesh

  To a reproachful life and cursed death,

  Proclaiming Life to all who shall believe

  In his redemption, and that his obedience

  Imputed becomes theirs by Faith, his merits

  410

  To save them, not thir own, though legal works.

  For this he shall live hated, be blasphem’d,

  Seis’d on by force, judg’d, and to death condemnd

  A shameful and accurst, naild to the Cross

  By his own Nation, slain for bringing Life;

  415

  But to the Cross he nails thy Enemies,

  The Law that is against thee, and the sins

  Of all mankind, with him there crucifi’d,

  Never to hurt them more who rightly trust

  In this his satisfaction; so he dies,

  420

  But soon revives, Death over him no power

  Shall long usurp; ere the third dawning light

  Return, the Starrs of Morn shall see him rise

  Out of his grave, fresh as the dawning light,

  Thy ransom paid, which Man from death redeems,

  425

  His death for Man, as many as offerd Life

  Neglect not, and the benefit imbrace

  By Faith not void of works: this God-like act

  Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy’d,

  In sin for ever lost from life; this act

  430

  Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength

  Defeating Sin and Death, his two main armes,33

  And fix farr deeper in his head thir stings

  Then temporal death shall bruise the Victors heel,

  Or theirs whom he redeems, a death like sleep,

  435

  A gentle wafting to immortal Life.

  Nor after resurrection shall he stay

  Longer on Earth then certain times to appeer

  To his Disciples, Men who in his Life

  Still follow’d him; to them shall leave in charge

  440

  To teach all nations what of him they learn’d

  And his Salvation, them who shall beleeve

  Baptizing in the profluent34 stream, the signe

  Of washing them from guilt of sin to Life

  Pure, and in mind prepar’d, if so befall,

  445

  For death, like that which the redeemer dy’d.

  All Nations they shall teach; for from that day

  Not onely to the Sons of Abrahams Loins

  Salvation shall be Preacht, but to the Sons

  Of Abrahams Faith wherever through the world;

  450

  So in his seed all Nations sh
all be blest.

  Then to the Heav’n of Heav’ns he shall ascend

  With victory, triumphing through the air

  Over his foes and thine; there shall surprise

  The Serpent, Prince of air, and drag in Chains

  455

  Through all his Realm, and there confounded leave;

  Then enter into glory, and resume

  His Seat at Gods right hand, exalted high

  Above all names in Heav’n; and thence shall come,

  When this worlds dissolution shall be ripe,

  460

  With glory and power to judge both quick35 and dead,

  To judge th’ unfaithful dead, but to reward

  His faithful, and receave them into bliss,

  Whether in Heav’n or Earth, for then the Earth

  Shall all be Paradise, far happier place

  465

  Then this of Eden, and far happier daies.

  So spake th’ Archangel Michael, then paus’d,

  As at the Worlds great period; and our Sire

  Replete with joy and wonder thus repli’d.

  O goodness infinite, goodness immense!

  470

  That all this good of evil shall produce,

  And evil turn to good; more wonderful

  Then that which by creation first brought forth

  Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand,

  Whether I should repent me now of sin

  475

  By mee done and occasiond, or rejoyce

  Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring,

  To God more glory, more good will to Men

  From God, and over wrauth grace shall abound.

  But say, if our deliverer up to Heav’n

  480

  Must reascend, what will betide the few

  His faithful, left among th’ unfaithful herd,

  The enemies of truth; who then shall guide

  His people, who defend? will they not deal

  Wors with his followers then with him they dealt?

  485

  Be sure they will, said th’ Angel; but from Heav’n

  Hee to his own a Comforter36 will send,

  The promise of the Father, who shall dwell

  His Spirit within them, and the Law of Faith

  Working through love, upon thir hearts shall write,

  490

  To guide them in all truth, and also arm

  With spiritual Armour, able to resist

  Satans assaults, and quench his fierie darts,

  What man can do against them, not affraid,

  Though to the death, against such cruelties

  495

  With inward consolations recompenc’t,

  And oft supported so as shall amaze

  Thir proudest persecuters: for the Spirit

  Powrd first on his Apostles, whom he sends

  T’ evangelize the Nations, then on all

  500

  Baptiz’d, shall them with wondrous gifts endue

  To speak all Tongues, and do all Miracles,

  As did thir Lord before them. Thus they win

  Great numbers of each Nation to receave

  With joy the tidings brought from Heav’n: at length

  505

  Thir Ministry perform’d, and race well run,

  Thir doctrine and thir story written left,

  They die; but in thir room, as they forewarn,

  Wolves shall succeed for teachers, grievous Wolves,

  Who all the sacred mysteries of Heav’n

  510

  To thir own vile advantages shall turn

  Of lucre and ambition, and the truth

  With superstitions and traditions taint,

  Left onely in those written Records pure,

  Though not but by the Spirit understood.

  515

  Then shall they seek to avail themselves of names,

  Places and titles, and with these to join

  Secular power, though feigning still to act

  By spiritual, to themselves appropriating

  The Spirit of God, promis’d alike and giv’n

  520

  To all Beleevers; and from that pretense,

  Spiritual Laws by carnal power shall force

  On every conscience; Laws which none shall find

  Left them inrould, or what the Spirit within

  Shall on the heart engrave. What will they then

  525

  But force the Spirit of Grace it self, and bind

  His consort Libertie; what, but unbuild

  His living Temples, built by Faith to stand,

  Thir own Faith not anothers: for on Earth

  Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard

  530

  Infallible? yet many will presume:

  Whence heavie persecution shall arise

  On all who in the worship persevere

  Of Spirit and Truth; the rest, farr greater part,

  Will deem in outward Rites and specious formes

  535

  Religion satisfi’d; Truth shall retire

  Bestuck with slandrous darts, and works of Faith

  Rarely be found: so shall the World goe on,

  To good malignant, to bad men benigne,

  Under her own waight groaning, till the day

  540

  Appeer of respiration to the just,

  And vengeance to the wicked, at return

  Of him so lately promis’d to thy aid,

  The Womans seed, obscurely then foretold,

  Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord,

  545

  Last in the Clouds from Heav’n to be reveald

  In glory of the Father, to dissolve

  Satan with his perverted World, then raise

  From the conflagrant mass, purg’d and refin’d,

  New Heav’ns, new Earth, Ages of endless date

  550

  Founded in righteousness and peace and love,

  To bring forth fruits Joy and eternal Bliss.

  He ended; and thus Adam last reply’d.

  How soon hath thy prediction, Seer blest,

  Measur’d this transient World, the Race of time,

  555

  Till time stand fixt: beyond is all abyss,

  Eternitie, whose end no eye can reach.

  Greatly instructed I shall hence depart,

  Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill

  Of knowledge, what this Vessel can contain;

  560

  Beyond which was my folly to aspire.

  Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best,

  And love with fear the onely God, to walk

  As in his presence, ever to observe

  His providence, and on him sole depend,

  565

  Mercifull over all his works, with good

  Still overcoming evil, and by small

  Accomplishing great things, by things deemd weak

  Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise

  By simply meek; that suffering for Truths sake

  570

  Is fortitude to highest victorie,

  And to the faithful Death the Gate of Life;

  Taught this by his example whom I now

  Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.

  To whom thus also th’ Angel last repli’d:

  575

  This having learnt, thou hast attaind the sum

  Of wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Starrs

  Thou knewst by name, and all th’ ethereal Powers,

  All secrets of the deep, all Natures works,

  Or works of God in Heav’n, Air, Earth, or Sea,

  580

  And all the riches of this World enjoydst,

  And all the rule, one Empire; onely add

  Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,

  Add Vertue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,

  By name to come call’d Charitie, the sou
l

  585

  Of all the rest: then wilt thou not be loath

  To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess

  A Paradise within thee, happier farr.

  Let us descend now therefore from this top

  Of Speculation;37 for the hour precise

  590

  Exacts our parting hence; and see the Guards,

  By mee encampt on yonder Hill, expect38

  Thir motion, at whose Front a flaming Sword,

  In signal of remove, waves fiercely round;

  We may no longer stay: go, waken Eve;

  595

  Her also I with gentle Dreams have calm’d

  Portending good, and all her spirits compos’d

  To meek submission: thou at season fit

  Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard,

  Chiefly what may concern her Faith to know,

  600

  The great deliverance by her Seed to come

  (For by the Womans Seed) on all Mankind.

  That ye may live, which will be many dayes,

  Both in one Faith unanimous though sad,

  With cause for evils past, yet much more cheer’d

  605

  With meditation on the happie end.

  He ended, and they both descend the Hill;

  Descended, Adam to the Bowr where Eve

  Lay sleeping ran before, but found her wak’t;

  And thus with words not sad she him receav’d.

  610

  Whence thou returnst, and whither wentst, I know;

  For God is also in sleep, and Dreams advise,

  Which he hath sent propitious, some great good

  Presaging, since with sorrow and hearts distress

  Wearied I fell asleep: but now lead on;

  615

  In mee is no delay; with thee to goe,

  Is to stay here; without thee here to stay,

  Is to go hence unwilling; thou to mee

  Art all things under Heav’n, all places thou,

  Who for my wilful crime art banisht hence.

  620

  This further consolation yet secure

  I carry hence; though all by mee is lost,