The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (105 page)

621

      

As leaves a greater store of fruit untouched,

622

      

Still hanging incorruptible, till men

623

      

Grow up to their provision,
⁴⁹⁸⁰
and more hands

624

      

Help to disburden Nature of her birth.”
⁴⁹⁸¹

625

      

To whom the wily adder, blithe and glad:

626

      

   
“Empress, the way is ready, and not long.

627

      

Beyond a row of myrtles, on a flat,
⁴⁹⁸²

628

      

Fast
⁴⁹⁸³
by a fountain, one small thicket past

629

      

Of blowing myrrh and balm. If thou accept

630

      

My conduct,
⁴⁹⁸⁴
I can bring thee thither soon.

631

      

   
“Lead then,” said Eve. He, leading, swiftly rolled

632

      

In tangles, and made intricate seem straight,

633

      

To mischief swift. Hope elevates, and joy

634

      

Bright’ns his crest, as when a wand’ring fire,

635

      

Compact
⁴⁹⁸⁵
of unctuous
⁴⁹⁸⁶
vapor, which the night

636

      

Condenses, and the cold environs
⁴⁹⁸⁷
round,

637

      

Kindled through agitation
⁴⁹⁸⁸
to a flame,

638

      

Which oft, they say, some evil Spirit attends,
⁴⁹⁸⁹

639

      

Hovering and blazing with delusive light,

640

      

Misleads th’ amazed night-wanderer from his way

641

      

To bogs and mires, and oft through pond or pool,

642

      

There swallowed up and lost, from succor far.

643

      

So glistered the dire snake, and into fraud

644

      

Led Eve, our credulous mother, to the tree

645

      

Of prohibition,
⁴⁹⁹⁰
root of all our woe,

646

      

Which when she saw, thus to her guide she spoke:

647

      

   
“Serpent, we might have spared our coming hither,

648

      

Fruitless
⁴⁹⁹¹
to me, though fruit be here to excess,

649

      

The credit
⁴⁹⁹²
of whose virtue rest with thee,

650

      

Wondrous indeed, if cause of such effects.

651

      

But of this tree we may not taste nor touch.

652

      

God so commanded, and left that command

653

      

Sole daughter
⁴⁹⁹³
of His voice. The rest, we live

654

      

Law to ourselves. Our reason is our law.

655

      

To whom the Tempter guilefully replied:

656

      

   
“Indeed! Hath God then said that of the fruit

657

      

Of all these garden-trees ye shall not eat,

658

      

Yet lords declared of all in earth or air?

659

      

To whom thus Eve, yet sinless:

 

      

“Of the fruit

660

      

Of each tree in the garden we may eat,

661

      

But of the fruit of this fair tree amidst

662

      

The garden, God hath said, ‘Ye shall not eat

663

      

Thereof, nor shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

664

      

   
She scarce had said, though brief, when now more bold

665

      

The Tempter, but with show of zeal and love

666

      

To man, and indignation at his wrong,

667

      

New part
⁴⁹⁹⁴
puts on and, as
⁴⁹⁹⁵
to passion moved,

668

      

Fluctuates
⁴⁹⁹⁶
disturbed, yet comely
⁴⁹⁹⁷
and in act
⁴⁹⁹⁸

669

      

Raised as of some great matter to begin.
⁴⁹⁹⁹

670

      

As when of old some orator renowned,

671

      

In Athens or free Rome, where eloquence

672

      

Flourished, since mute! to some great cause addressed,
⁵⁰⁰⁰

673

      

Stood in himself collected, while each part,

674

      

Motion, each act, won audience ere the tongue,

675

      

Sometimes in height began, as no delay

676

      

Of preface brooking, through his zeal of right.
⁵⁰⁰¹

677

      

So standing, moving, or to height up grown,

678

      

The Tempter, all impassioned, thus began:

679

      

   
“O sacred, wise, and wisdom-giving plant,

680

      

Mother of science!
⁵⁰⁰²
Now I feel thy power

681

      

Within me clear, not only to discern

682

      

Things in their causes, but to trace the ways

683

      

Of highest agents,
⁵⁰⁰³
deemed however
⁵⁰⁰⁴
wise.

684

      

Queen of this universe! Do not believe

685

      

Those rigid threats of death. Ye shall not die.

686

      

How should you? By the fruit? It gives you life

687

      

To knowledge. By the threat’ner?
⁵⁰⁰⁵
Look on me,

688

      

Me, who have touched and tasted, yet both live,

689

      

And life more perfect have attained than Fate

690

      

Meant me, by vent’ring
⁵⁰⁰⁶
higher than my lot.

691

      

Shall that be shut to man, which to the beast

692

      

Is open? Or will God incense
⁵⁰⁰⁷
His ire

693

      

For such a petty trespass? and not praise

694

      

Rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain

695

      

Of death denounced,
⁵⁰⁰⁸
whatever thing death be,

696

      

Deterred not from achieving what might lead

697

      

To happier life, knowledge of good and evil?

698

      

Of good, how just? Of evil, if what is evil

699

      

Be real, why not known, since easier shunned?

700

      

God therefore cannot hurt ye, and be just—

701

      

Not just, not God. Not feared then, nor obeyed:

702

      

Your fear itself of death removes the fear.

703

      

Why then was this forbid? Why but to awe?

704

      

Why but to keep ye low and ignorant,

705

      

His worshippers? He knows that in the day

706

      

Ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear,

707

      

Yet are but dim, shall perfectly be then

708

      

Op’ned and cleared, and ye shall be as gods,

709

      

Knowing both good and evil, as they know.

710

      

That ye should be as gods, since I as man,