The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (134 page)

92

Over free reason, God, in judgment just,

93

Subjects him from without to violent lords,

94

Who oft as undeservedly enthrall
⁶²³⁹

95

His outward freedom. Tyranny must be—

96

Though to the tyrant thereby no excuse.

97

Yet sometimes nations will decline so low

98

From virtue, which is reason, that no wrong,

99

But justice, and some fatal curse annexed,

100

Deprives them of their outward liberty,

101

Their inward lost. Witness th’ irreverent son
⁶²⁴⁰

102

Of him who built the ark, who for the shame

103

Done to his father,
⁶²⁴¹
heard this heavy curse,

104

‘Servant of servants,’ on his vicious
⁶²⁴²
race.

105

Thus will this latter, as the former world,

106

Still tend from bad to worse, till God at last,

107

Wearied with their iniquities, withdraw

108

His presence from among them, and avert

109

His holy eyes, resolving from thenceforth

110

To leave them to their own polluted ways,

111

And one peculiar
⁶²⁴³
nation
⁶²⁴⁴
to select

112

From all the rest, of whom to be invoked,

113

A nation from one faithful man
⁶²⁴⁵
to spring,

114

Him on this side Euphrates yet residing,

115

Bred up in idol-worship. O that men

116

(Canst thou believe?) should be so stupid grown,

117

While yet the patriarch lived who ’scaped the Flood,

118

As to forsake the living God, and fall

119

To worship their own work in wood and stone

120

For gods! Yet him God the Most High vouchsafes
⁶²⁴⁶

121

To call by vision from his father’s house,

122

His kindred and false gods, into a land

123

Which He will show him, and from him will raise

124

A mighty nation, and upon him show’r

125

His benediction so that in his seed

126

All nations shall be blest. He straight
⁶²⁴⁷
obeys,

127

Not knowing to what land, yet firm believes.

128

   
“I see him, but thou canst not, with what faith

129

He leaves his gods, his friends, and native soil,

130

Ur
⁶²⁴⁸
of Chaldaea, passing now the ford

131

To Haran,
⁶²⁴⁹
after him a cumbrous train

132

Of herds and flocks, and numerous servitude,
⁶²⁵⁰

133

Not wand’ring poor, but trusting all his wealth

134

With God, who called him, in a land unknown.

135

Canaan he now attains; I see his tents

136

Pitched about Sechem,
⁶²⁵¹
and the neighboring plain

137

Of Moreh. There by promise he receives

138

Gift to his progeny of all that land,

139

From Hamath
⁶²⁵²
northward to the desert south

140

( Things by their names I call, though yet unnamed),

141

From Hermon
⁶²⁵³
east to the great western sea.
⁶²⁵⁴

142

Mount Hermon—yonder sea—each place behold

143

In prospect, as I point them. On the shore,

144

Mount Carmel.
⁶²⁵⁵
Here, the double-founted
⁶²⁵⁶
stream,

145

Jordan, true limit
⁶²⁵⁷
eastward, but his
⁶²⁵⁸
sons

146

Shall dwell to Senir,
⁶²⁵⁹
that long ridge of hills.

147

   
“This ponder, that all nations of the earth

148

Shall in his seed be blessèd. By that seed

149

Is meant thy great Deliverer,
⁶²⁶⁰
who shall bruise
⁶²⁶¹

150

The serpent’s head, whereof to thee anon
⁶²⁶²

151

Plainlier shall be revealed. This patriarch blest,

152

Whom ‘faithful Abraham’ due time
⁶²⁶³
shall call,

153

A son
⁶²⁶⁴
and of his son a grand-child
⁶²⁶⁵
leaves,

154

Like him in faith, in wisdom, and renown.

155

The grandchild, with twelve sons increased, departs

156

From Canaan to a land hereafter called

157

Egypt, divided by the river Nile.

158

See where it flows, disgorging
⁶²⁶⁶
at seven mouths

159

Into the sea. To sojourn
⁶²⁶⁷
in that land

160

He comes, invited by a younger son
⁶²⁶⁸

161

In time of dearth,
⁶²⁶⁹
a son whose worthy deeds

162

Raise him to be the second in that realm

163

Of Pharaoh. There he dies, and leaves his race

164

Growing into a nation, and now grown

165

Suspected to a sequent
⁶²⁷⁰
king, who seeks

166

To stop their overgrowth, as inmate
⁶²⁷¹
guests

167

Too numerous,
⁶²⁷²
whence of
⁶²⁷³
guests he makes them slaves,

168

Inhospitably, and kills their infant males.

169

Till by two brethren (these two brethren call

170

Moses and Aaron) sent from God to claim

171

His people from enthralment,
⁶²⁷⁴
they return,

172

With glory and spoil, back to their promised land.

173

   
“But first, the lawless tyrant, who denies
⁶²⁷⁵

174

To know their God, or message to regard,

175

Must be compelled by signs and judgments dire.

176

To blood unshed
⁶²⁷⁶
the rivers must be turned.

177

Frogs, lice, and flies, must all his palace fill

178

With loath’d intrusion,
⁶²⁷⁷
and fill all the land.

179

His cattle must of rot and murren
⁶²⁷⁸
die,

180

Botches
⁶²⁷⁹
and blains
⁶²⁸⁰
must all his flesh emboss,
⁶²⁸¹