The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (128 page)

442		Consumed with nimble 5982 glance 5983 and grateful steam;
443		The other’s 5984 not, for his was not sincere,
444		Whereat he inly raged and, as they talked,
445		Smote him 5985 into the midriff with a stone
446		That beat out life. He fell, and deadly pale
447		Groaned out his soul with gushing blood effused. 5986
448		Much at that sight was Adam in his heart
449		Dismayed, and thus in haste to th’ Angel cried:
450		“O Teacher, some great mischief 5987 hath befall’n

451

      

To that meek man, who well had sacrificed.

452

      

Is piety thus and pure devotion paid?”

453

      

T’ whom Michael thus, he also moved, replied:

454

      

   
“These two are brethren, Adam, and to come

455

      

Out of thy loins. Th’ unjust the just hath slain,

456

      

For envy that his brother’s offering found

457

      

From Heav’n acceptance. But the bloody fact
⁵⁹⁸⁸

458

      

Will be avenged, and th’ other’s faith, approved,
⁵⁹⁸⁹

459

      

Lose no reward, though here thou see him die,

460

      

Rolling in dust and gore.”
⁵⁹⁹⁰
To which our sire:

461

      

   
“Alas! both for the deed, and for the cause!

462

      

But have I now seen Death? Is this the way

463

      

I must return to native
⁵⁹⁹¹
dust? O sight

464

      

Of terror, foul and ugly to behold,

465

      

Horrid to think, how horrible to feel!”

466

      

To whom thus Michael:
⁵⁹⁹²

“Death thou hast seen

467

      

In his first shape on man, but many shapes
⁵⁹⁹³

468

      

Of Death, and many are the ways that lead

469

      

To his grim cave, all dismal, yet to sense

470

      

More terrible at th’ entrance, than within.

471

      

Some, as thou saw’st, by violent stroke shall die,

472

      

By fire, flood, famine, by intemperance more

473

      

In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring

474

      

Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew

475

      

Before thee shall appear, that thou may’st know

476

      

What misery th’ inabstinence
⁵⁹⁹⁴
of Eve

477

      

Shall bring on men.”

Immediately a place

478

      

Before his eyes appeared, sad, noisome,
⁵⁹⁹⁵
dark,

479

      

A lazar
⁵⁹⁹⁶
-house it seemed, wherein were laid

480

      

Numbers of all diseased, all maladies

481

      

Of ghastly spasm, or racking
⁵⁹⁹⁷
torture, qualms
⁵⁹⁹⁸

482

      

Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds,

483

      

Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs,
⁵⁹⁹⁹

484

      

Intestine stone and ulcer, colic
⁶⁰⁰⁰
pangs,

485

      

Daemoniac frenzy, moping melancholy,

486

      

And moon-struck
⁶⁰⁰¹
madness, pining
⁶⁰⁰²
atrophy,
⁶⁰⁰³

487

      

Marasmus,
⁶⁰⁰⁴
and wide-wasting pestilence,
⁶⁰⁰⁵

488

      

Dropsies,
⁶⁰⁰⁶
and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums.

489

      

Dire was the tossing, deep the groans. Despair

490

      

Tended the sick, busiest from couch to couch,

491

      

And over them triumphant Death his dart

492

      

Shook, but delayed to strike, though oft invoked

493

      

With vows, as their chief good and final hope.

494

      

Sight so deform
⁶⁰⁰⁷
what heart of rock could long

495

      

Dry-eyed behold? Adam could not, but wept,

496

      

Though not of woman born. Compassion quelled
⁶⁰⁰⁸

497

      

His best of man, and gave him up to tears

498

      

A space, till firmer thoughts restrained excess

499

      

And, scarce recovering words, his plaint renewed:

500

      

   
“O miserable mankind, to what fall

501

      

Degraded, to what wretched state reserved!

502

      

Better end here unborn. Why is life giv’n

503

      

To be thus wrested
⁶⁰⁰⁹
from us? Rather, why

504

      

Obtruded
⁶⁰¹⁰
on us thus? Who, if we knew

505

      

What we receive, would either not accept

506

      

Life offered, or soon beg to lay it down,

507

      

Glad to be so dismissed in peace. Can thus

508

      

The image of God in man, created once

509

      

So goodly
⁶⁰¹¹
and erect, though faulty since,

510

      

To such unsightly sufferings be debased

511

      

Under inhuman pains? Why should not man,

512

      

Retaining still divine similitude
⁶⁰¹²

513

      

In part, from such deformities be free

514

      

And, for his Maker’s image sake, exempt?”

515

      

   
“Their Maker’s image,” answered Michael, “then

516

      

Forsook them, when themselves they vilified
⁶⁰¹³

517

      

To serve ungoverned appetite, and took

518

      

His image whom they served, a brutish
⁶⁰¹⁴
vice,

519

      

Inductive
⁶⁰¹⁵
mainly to the sin of Eve.

520

      

Therefore so abject is their punishment,

521

      

Disfiguring not God’s likeness, but their own,

522

      

Or if His likeness, by themselves defaced,

523

      

While they pervert pure Nature’s healthful rules

524

      

To loathsome sickness—worthily, since they

525

      

God’s image did not reverence in themselves.”

526

      

   
“I yield it just,” said Adam, “and submit.

527

      

But is there yet no other way, besides

528

      

These painful passages,
⁶⁰¹⁶
how we may come

529

      

To Death, and mix with our connatural
⁶⁰¹⁷
dust?”

530

      

   
“There is,” said Michael, “if thou well observe