Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
91 | | If him by force he can destroy or, worse, |
92 | | By some false guile pervert. And shall pervert, |
93 | | For man will hearken to his glozing |
94 | | And easily transgress |
95 | | Sole pledge |
96 | | He and his faithless progeny. Whose fault? |
97 | | Whose but his own? Ingrate, he had of me |
98 | | All he could have. I made him just and right, |
99 | | Sufficient to have stood, |
100 | | Such I created all the ethereal Powers |
101 | | And Spirits, both them who stood and them who failed. |
102 | | Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell. |
103 | | Not free, what proof could they have given sincere |
104 | | Of true allegiance, constant faith, or love, |
105 | | Where only what they needs must do appeared, |
106 | | Not what they would? What praise could they receive? |
107 | | What pleasure I, from such obedience paid, |
108 | | When will and reason (reason also is choice) |
109 | | Useless and vain, of freedom both despoiled, |
110 | | Made passive both, had served necessity, |
111 | | Not me? They therefore, as to right belonged, |
112 | | So were created, nor can justly accuse |
113 | | Their Maker, or their making, or their fate, |
114 | | As if predestination over-ruled |
115 | | Their will, disposed |
116 | | Or high foreknowledge. They themselves decreed |
117 | | Their own revolt, not I: if I foreknew, |
118 | | Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault, |
119 | | Which had no less proved certain unforeknown. |
120 | | So without least impulse or shadow of Fate, |
121 | | Or aught by me immutably |
122 | | They trespass, authors |
123 | | Both what they judge and what they choose. For so |
124 | | I formed them free, and free they must remain, |
125 | | Till they enthrall |
126 | | Their nature, and revoke the high decree |
127 | | Unchangeable, eternal, which ordained |
128 | | Their freedom. They themselves ordained their fall. |
129 | | The first sort |
130 | | Self-tempted, self-depraved. Man falls deceived |
131 | | By the other first. Man therefore shall find grace, |
132 | | The other none. In mercy and justice both, |
133 | | Through Heav’n and earth, so shall my glory excel, |
134 | | But mercy, first and last, shall brightest shine. |
135 | | |
136 | | All Heav’n, and in the blessèd Spirits elect |
137 | | Sense of new joy ineffable diffused. |
138 | | Beyond compare, the Son of God was seen |
139 | | Most glorious. In him all His Father shone, |
140 | | Substantially |
141 | | Divine compassion visibly appeared, |
142 | | Love without end, and without measure grace, |
143 | | Which uttering thus he to his Father spoke: |
144 | | |
145 | | |
146 | | For which both Heav’n and earth shall high extol |
147 | | Thy praises, with th’ innumerable sound |
148 | | Of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith Thy throne |
149 | | |
150 | | For should man finally be lost? Should man, |
151 | | Thy creature late so loved, Thy youngest son, |
152 | | Fall circumvented |
153 | | With his own folly? That be from Thee far, |
154 | | That far be from Thee, Father, who art judge |
155 | | Of all things made, and judgest only right. |
156 | | Or shall the adversary |
157 | | His end, and frustrate Thine? Shall he fulfill |
158 | | His malice, and Thy goodness bring to nought? |
159 | | Or proud return, though to his heavier doom, |
160 | | Yet with revenge accomplished, and to Hell |
161 | | Draw after him the whole race of mankind, |
162 | | By him corrupted? Or wilt Thou Thyself |
163 | | Abolish Thy creation, and unmake |
164 | | For him, what for Thy glory Thou hast made? |
165 | | So should Thy goodness and Thy greatness both |
166 | | Be questioned and blasphemed without defence. |
167 | | To whom the great Creator thus replied: |
168 | | |
169 | | Son of my bosom, Son who art alone |
170 | | My word, my wisdom, and effectual |
171 | | All hast thou spoken as my thoughts are, all |
172 | | As my eternal purpose hath decreed. |
173 | | Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who will, |
174 | | Yet not of will in him, but grace in me |
175 | | Freely vouchsafed. |
176 | | |
177 | | By Sin to foul exorbitant desires. |
178 | | Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand |
179 | | On even ground against his mortal foe, |
180 | | By me upheld, that he may know how frail |
181 | | His fall’n condition is, and to me owe |
182 | | All his deliverance, and to none but me. |