Paradise Lost (Modern Library Classics) (32 page)

568.
Hesperian gardens
: where grew golden apples guarded by a dragon. Associated with Hesperus, the evening star, these gardens were thought to lie beyond the western ocean (where Aries bears Andromeda; see 556–61n). Cp.
Masque
393–97, 981–83;
PR
2.357.

571.
above
: more than.

573–76.
thither … longitude:
Milton’s noncommittal description of Satan’s route sunward accommodates competing seventeenth-century astronomical models.

577.
Aloof
: apart from (preposition).

580.
numbers
: music of the spheres regarded as the measure of a dance (cp. 8.125;
Masque
112–14). The choric role of the stars in pacing the drama of creation was a classical commonplace.

583.
magnetic beam
: attractive power of the sun; a pre-Newtonian principle of celestial dynamics, proposed by Kepler.

586.
virtue
: efficacy;
the deep:
here means the farthest reaches and most inward parts of the created universe, including underground parts. Sunlight does not penetrate the realm of Chaos, which is also known as “the deep.”

587.
station
: Although it suggests a sedentary sun, as in the Copernican system,
station
could also refer to the fixed sphere or course of the sun in the Ptolemaic cosmos.

588–90.
Galileo built the first telescope (
glazed optic tube
) and published his discoveries, sunspots among them, in
Siderius Nuncius
(1610). Cp. 1.288.
Tube
was a common seventeenth-century term for telescope. Cp. Marvell, “To the King”: “So his bold tube man to the sun applied/And spots unknown in the bright star descried” (1–2).

592.
metal
: Editions 1 and 2 have “medal.” See the repetition of
metal
and
stone
at lines 595–96.

596.
carbuncle
: precious stone, fiery red, like little glowing coals (the word’s etymological origin) or like serpents’ eyes (9.500). The gems referred to were all thought to be luminous, i.e.,
informed/With radiant light
(593–94).
chrysolite:
yellow-green gemstone.

597–98.
to … breastplate:
“the forementioned radiant stones plus the others on Aaron’s breastplate, to the total of twelve.” See Exod. 28.17–20 for a description of the breastplate.

598.
stone
: the philosopher’s stone; the grand goal of alchemical aspiration, able to confer immortality and transmute base metal into gold.

601.
Philosophers
: alchemists.

602–5.
bind … form:
Alchemists considered mercury (
Hermes
) a primary basis of material being and subjected it to much experimentation. Liquid at room temperature, it was deemed
volatile
—difficult to
bind
or fix.
Proteus
is the shape-shifting sea god, symbolic of primary matter, who had to be restrained in his native form before he would speak true.
Limbec
is a corrupted form of
alembic
, a retort used by alchemists to distill and fix matter in its original condition. Note the repetitions of
stone
and
vain
in lines 598–602.

607–8.
Breathe … gold:
Like the fields and streams in Paradise (5.185–86), those on the sun
breathe forth
mists, but on the sun the exhaled mist is
elixir
—a vaporous manifestation of the philosopher’s stone with life-extending properties, also identified as
potable gold
.

608.
virtuous
: efficacious.

609.
arch-chemic
: of supreme chemical power.

610.
terrestrial humor
: earthly fluid or moisture. Sunlight was thought to penetrate the earth’s surface and produce precious gems from subterranean moisture (cp. l. 586). Cp.
Masque
732–36. Similar processes occur in Heaven (6.475–81).

612.
effect
: appearance, efficacy.

617.
Culminate from th’ equator
: reach their zenith relative to the equator, i.e., at equatorial noon.

618–19.
whence … fall:
In the prelapsarian cosmos, the sun’s rays are perpendicular to the surface at equatorial noon so that
no way round
shadows fall. On the always shadowless solar surface, the sun’s beams always (
still
) shoot directly
upward
.

620–21.
Nowhere … far:
According to some classical theories widely accepted in the seventeenth century, vision depends on extromission, “a beam issuing out of the eye to the object” (Hume; cp.
SA
163). The eye was thus deemed a sunlike organ. Satan’s eyebeam is
sharpened
in a literal sense, like one knife sharpened against another, and so made able to pierce
to objects distant far
.

622.
ken
: visual range.

623.
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun” (Rev. 19.17).

625.
tiar
: crown.

627.
Illustrious
: brightly shining.

634.
casts
: contrives.

637.
prime
: first in order of existence or rank; primary.

643.
habit … succinct
: refers to the
wings he wore
(l. 641); literally, tucked up.

644.
decent
: becoming, proper.

648.
Uriel
: Hebrew for “light of God.” The name is apocryphal (2 Esd. 4.1, 36).
the sev’n:
For the seven angels nearest God’s throne, see Rev. 1.5, 8.2.

650–53.
his … land:
“Those seven, they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth” (Zech. 4.10). Cp. lines 533–34.

656.
authentic
: authoritative.

658.
attend
: wait upon; cp. line 270.

664.
favor
: object of favor.

670.
“But instead can choose to dwell in any of these shining orbs.”

709.
mold
: substance.

715–16.
The four elements are unwieldy compared with celestial ether, the agile fifth element or
quíntessence
, which Milton in the invocation identifies with light itself (l. 7).

717.
spirited with
: animated by. The endowment of form triggers the animation of matter; cp. 7.464–66.

718.
orbicular
: in circles. The natural motion of ether was thought to be circular; see Aristotle,
On the Heavens
270b.

721.
“The ether left after the stars were formed enspheres the universe.”

730.
triform
: waning, waxing, full. Cp. Horace,
Odes
3.22.

731.
Hence
: from here.

740.
ecliptic
: the path of the sun.

742.
Niphates
: mountain bordering ancient Assyria (4.126).

O for that
¹
warning voice, which he who saw

Th’ Apocalypse, heard cry in Heav’n aloud,

Then when
³
the Dragon, put to second rout,

Came furious down to be revenged on men,

“Woe to the inhabitants on Earth!” That now,

While time was, our first parents had been warned

The coming of their secret foe, and scaped

Haply so scaped his mortal snare; for now

Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down,

The Tempter ere th’ Accuser
¹⁰
of mankind,

To wreck
¹¹
on innocent frail man his loss

Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell:

Yet not rejoicing in his speed, though bold,

Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,

Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth

Now rolling
¹⁶
, boils in his tumultuous breast,

And like a devilish engine
¹⁷
back recoils

Upon himself; horror and doubt distract

His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir

The Hell
²⁰
within him, for within him Hell

He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell

One step no more than from himself can fly

By change of place: now conscience wakes despair

That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory

Of what he was, what is, and what must be
²⁵

Worse; of worse deeds worse sufferings must ensue.

Sometimes towards Eden
²⁷
which now in his view

Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,

Sometimes towards heav’n and the full-blazing sun,

Which now sat high in his meridian
³⁰
tow’r:

Then much revolving
³¹
, thus in sighs began.

   “O thou that
³²
with surpassing glory crowned,

Look’st from thy sole dominion like the God

Of this new world; at whose sight all the stars

Hide their diminished heads; to thee I call,

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name

O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams

That bring to my remembrance from what state

I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;

Till pride and worse ambition threw me down

Warring in Heav’n against Heav’n’s matchless King:

Ah wherefore! He deserved no such return

From me, whom he created what I was

In that bright eminence, and with his good

Upbraided
⁴⁵
none; nor was his service hard.

What could be less than to afford him praise,

The easiest recompense, and pay him thanks,

How due! Yet all his good proved ill in me,

And wrought but malice; lifted up so high

I ‘sdained
⁵⁰
subjection, and thought one step higher

Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
⁵¹

The debt immense of endless gratitude,

So burdensome still
⁵³
paying, still to owe;

Forgetful what from him I still received,

And understood not that a grateful mind

By owing owes not
⁵⁶
, but still pays, at once

Indebted and discharged; what burden then?

O had his powerful destiny ordained

Me some inferior angel, I had stood

Then happy; no unbounded hope had raised

Ambition. Yet why not? Some other power
⁶¹

As great might have aspired, and me though mean

Drawn to his part; but other powers as great

Fell not, but stand unshaken, from within

Or from without, to all temptations armed.

Hadst thou
⁶⁶
the same free will and power to stand?

Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse,

But Heav’n’s free love dealt equally to all?

Be then his love accursed, since love or hate,

To me alike, it deals eternal woe.

Nay cursed be thou; since against his thy will

Chose freely what it now so justly rues.

Me miserable! Which way shall I fly

Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?

Which way I fly is Hell; myself am Hell
⁷⁵
;

And in the lowest deep a lower deep

Still threat’ning to devour me opens wide,

To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heav’n.

O then at last relent: is there no place
⁷⁹

Left for repentance, none for pardon left?

None left but by submission; and that word

Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame

Among the spirits beneath, whom I seduced

With other promises and other vaunts

Than to submit, boasting I could subdue

Th’ Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know

How dearly I abide
⁸⁷
that boast so vain,

Under what torments inwardly I groan;

While they adore me on the throne of Hell,

With diadem and scepter high advanced
⁹⁰

The lower still I fall, only supreme

In misery; such joy ambition finds.

But say I could repent and could obtain

By act of grace
⁹⁴
my former state; how soon

Would highth recall high thoughts, how soon unsay

What feigned submission swore: ease would recant

Vows made in pain, as violent and void
⁹⁷
.

For never can true reconcilement grow

Where wounds of deadly hate have pierced so deep:

Which would but lead me to a worse relapse

And heavier fall: so should I purchase dear

Short intermission bought with double smart.

This knows my punisher; therefore as far

From granting he, as I from begging peace:

All hope excluded thus, behold instead

Of us outcast, exiled, his new delight,

Mankind created, and for him this world.

So farewell hope, and with hope farewell fear,

Farewell remorse: all good to me is lost;

Evil be thou my good
¹¹⁰
; by thee at least

Divided Empire with Heav’n’s King I hold

By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign;

As man ere long, and this new world shall know.”

   Thus while he spake, each passion dimmed his face

Thrice changed with pale
¹¹⁵
, ire, envy and despair,

Which marred his borrowed visage, and betrayed

Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.

For Heav’nly minds from such distempers foul

Are ever clear. Whereof he soon aware,

Each perturbation smoothed with outward calm,

Artificer of fraud; and was the first

That practiced falsehood under saintly show,

Deep malice to conceal, couched
¹²³
with revenge:

Yet not enough had practiced to deceive

Uriel once warned; whose eye pursued him down

The way he went, and on th’ Assyrian mount
¹²⁶

Saw him disfigured, more than could befall

Spirit of happy sort: his gestures fierce

He marked and mad demeanor, then alone,

As he supposed, all unobserved, unseen.

So on he fares, and to the border comes,

Of Eden
¹³²
, where delicious Paradise,

Now nearer, crowns with her enclosure green,

As with a rural mound the champaign head

Of a steep wilderness, whose hairy sides

With thicket overgrown, grotesque
¹³⁶
and wild,

Access denied; and overhead up grew

Insuperable highth of loftiest shade,

Cedar, and pine, and fir, and branching palm,

A sylvan scene
¹⁴⁰
, and as the ranks ascend

Shade above shade, a woody theater

Of stateliest view. Yet higher than their tops

The verdurous wall of Paradise up sprung:

Which to our general sire gave prospect large

Into his nether empire neighboring round.

And higher than that wall a circling row

Of goodliest trees loaden with fairest fruit,

Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue

Appeared, with gay enameled
¹⁴⁹
colors mixed:

On which the sun more glad impressed his beams

Than in fair evening cloud, or humid bow
¹⁵¹
,

When God hath show’red the earth; so lovely seemed

That lantskip
¹⁵³
: and of pure now purer air

Meets his approach, and to the heart inspires

Vernal delight and joy, able to drive

All sadness but despair: now gentle gales
¹⁵⁶

Fanning their odoriferous wings dispense

Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole

Those balmy spoils. As when to them who sail

Beyond the Cape of Hope
¹⁶⁰
, and now are past

Mozambique, off at sea northeast winds blow

Sabean odors from the spicy shore

Of Araby the Blest, with such delay

Well pleased they slack their course, and many a league

Cheered with the grateful smell old Ocean smiles.

So entertained those odorous sweets the fiend

Who came their bane, though with them better pleased

Than Asmodeus
¹⁶⁸
with the fishy fume,

That drove him, though enamored, from the spouse

Of Tobit’s son, and with a vengeance sent

From Media post to Egypt, there fast bound.

   Now to th’ ascent of that steep savage
¹⁷²
hill

Satan had journeyed on, pensive and slow;

But further way found none, so thick entwined,

As one continued brake, the undergrowth

Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplexed
¹⁷⁶

All path of man or beast that passed that way:

One gate there only was, and that looked east

On th’ other side: which when th’ arch-felon saw

Due entrance he disdained, and in contempt,

At one slight bound
¹⁸¹
high over leaped all bound

Of hill or highest wall, and sheer within

Lights on his feet. As when a prowling wolf
¹⁸³
,

Whom hunger drives to seek new haunt for prey,

Watching where shepherds pen their flocks at eve

In hurdled cotes
¹⁸⁶
amid the field secure,

Leaps o’er the fence with ease into the fold:

Or as a thief bent to unhoard the cash
¹⁸⁸

Of some rich burgher, whose substantial doors,

Cross-barred and bolted fast, fear no assault,

In at the window climbs, or o’er the tiles;

So clomb
¹⁹²
this first grand thief into God’s fold:

So since into his Church lewd
¹⁹³
hirelings climb.

Thence up he flew, and on the Tree of Life
¹⁹⁴
,

The middle tree and highest there that grew,

Sat like a cormorant
¹⁹⁶
; yet not true life

Thereby regained, but sat devising death

To them who lived; nor on the virtue thought

Of that life-giving plant, but only used

For prospect, what well used had been the pledge
²⁰⁰

Of immortality. So little knows

Any, but God alone, to value right

The good before him, but perverts best things

To worst abuse, or to their meanest use.

Beneath him with new wonder now he views

To all delight of human sense exposed

In narrow room Nature’s whole wealth
²⁰⁷
, yea more,

A Heav’n on Earth, for blissful Paradise

Of God the Garden was, by him in the east

Of Eden planted; Eden stretched her line

From Auran
²¹¹
Eastward to the royal tow’rs

Of great Seleucia
²¹²
, built by Grecian kings,

Or where the sons of Eden long before

Dwelt in Telassar
²¹⁴
: in this pleasant soil

His far more pleasant Garden God ordained;

Out of the fertile ground he caused to grow

All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste;

And all amid them stood the Tree of Life,

High eminent, blooming ambrosial fruit

Of vegetable gold; and next to life

Our death the Tree of Knowledge grew fast by,

Knowledge of
²²²
good bought dear by knowing ill.

Southward through Eden went a river large
²²³
,

Nor changed his course, but through the shaggy hill

Passed underneath engulfed, for God had thrown

That mountain as his Garden mold high raised

Upon the rapid current, which through veins

Of porous earth with kindly
²²⁸
thirst up drawn,

Rose a fresh fountain, and with many a rill

Watered the Garden; thence united fell

Down the steep glade, and met the nether flood,

Which from his darksome passage now appears,

And now divided into four main streams,

Runs diverse, wand’ring many a famous realm

And country whereof here needs no account,

But rather to tell how, if art could tell,

How from that sapphire fount the crispèd
²³⁷
brooks,

Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold,

With mazy error
²³⁹
under pendant shades

Ran nectar, visiting each plant, and fed

Flow’rs worthy of Paradise which not nice
²⁴¹
art

In beds and curious knots
²⁴²
, but Nature boon

Poured forth profuse on hill and dale and plain,

Both where the morning sun first warmly smote

The open field, and where the unpierced shade