The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (57 page)

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

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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349

      

His braided
2960
train,
2961
and of his fatal
2962
guile

350

      

Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass

351

      

Couched,
2963
and now filled with pasture
2964
gazing sat,

352

      

Or bedward ruminating,
2965
for the sun,

353

      

Declined,
2966
was hasting now with prone
2967
career
2968

354

      

To th’ ocean isles,
2969
and in the ascending scale
2970

355

      

Of Heav’n the stars that usher evening rose.

356

      

When Satan still in gaze, as first he stood,

357

      

Scarce thus at length failed speech recovered, sad:

358

      

   
“O Hell! What do mine eyes with grief behold!

359

      

Into our room
2971
of bliss thus high advanced

360

      

Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps,

361

      

Not Spirits, yet to Heav’nly Spirits bright

362

      

Little inferior, whom my thoughts pursue

363

      

With wonder, and could love, so lively shines

364

      

In them divine resemblance, and such grace

365

      

The hand that formed them on their shape hath poured.
2972

366

      

Ah! gentle
2973
pair, ye little think how nigh
2974

367

      

Your change approaches, when all these delights

368

      

Will vanish, and deliver ye to woe,

369

      

More woe, the more your taste is now of joy,

370

      

Happy, but for so happy ill secured
2975

371

      

Long to continue, and this high seat your Heav’n

372

      

Ill fenced for Heav’n to keep out such a foe

373

      

As now is entered. Yet no purposed
2976
foe

374

      

To you, whom I could pity thus forlorn,
2977

375

      

Though I
2978
unpitied. League
2979
with you I seek,

376

      

And mutual amity, so straight,
2980
so close,

377

      

That I with you must dwell, or you with me

378

      

Henceforth. My dwelling haply
2981
may not please

379

      

(Like this fair Paradise) your sense, yet such

380

      

Accept your Maker’s work. He gave it me,

381

      

Which I as freely give: Hell shall unfold,

382

      

To entertain
2982
you two, her widest-gates,

383

      

And send forth all her kings. There will be room,

384

      

Not like these narrow limits, to receive

385

      

Your numerous offspring. If no better place,

386

      

Thank Him who puts me, loath, to this revenge

387

      

On you (who wrong me not), for Him who wronged.
2983

388

      

And should I at your harmless innocence

389

      

Melt,
2984
as I do, yet public
2985
reason just,

390

      

Honor and empire with revenge enlarged,

391

      

By conquering this new world, compels me now

392

      

To do what else, though damned, I should abhor.

393

      

   
So spoke the fiend, and with necessity

394

      

(The tyrant’s plea) excused his devilish deeds.

395

      

Then from his lofty stand on that high tree

396

      

Down he alights among the sportful
2986
herd

397

      

Of those four-footed kinds, himself now one,

398

      

Now other, as their shape served best his end

399

      

Nearer to view his prey, and unespied

400

      

To mark what of their state
2987
he more might learn,

401

      

By word or action marked.
2988
About them round

402

      

A lion
2989
now he stalks with fiery glare,

403

      

Then as a tiger, who by chance hath spied

404

      

In some purlieu
2990
two gentle fawns at play,

405

      

Straight couches
2991
close, then rising, changes oft

406

      

His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground,

407

      

Whence rushing, he might surest seize them both,

408

      

Gripped in each paw: When Adam, first of men,

409

      

To first of women Eve, thus moving
2992
speech,

410

      

Turned him
2993
all ear
2994
to hear new utterance flow:

411

      

   
“Sole partner, and sole part,
2995
of all these joys,

412

      

Dearer thyself than all! Needs must the Power

413

      

That made us, and for us this ample world,

414

      

Be infinitely good, and of His good

415

      

As liberal and free as infinite,

416

      

That raised us from the dust, and placed us here

417

      

In all this happiness, who at His hand

418

      

Have nothing merited,
2996
nor can perform

419

      

Aught whereof He hath need, He who requires

420

      

From us no other service than to keep

421

      

This one, this easy charge:
2997
of all the trees

422

      

In Paradise that bear delicious fruit

423

      

So various, not to taste that only Tree

424

      

Of Knowledge, planted by
2998
the Tree of Life.

425

      

So near grows death to life, whate’er death is,

426

      

Some dreadful thing no doubt, for well thou know’st

427

      

God hath pronounced it death to taste that tree,

428

      

The only sign of our obedience left

429

      

Among so many signs of power and rule

430

      

Conferred upon us, and dominion
2999
giv’n

431

      

Over all other creatures that possess

432

      

Earth, air, and sea. Then let us not think hard

433

      

One easy prohibition, who enjoy

434

      

Free leave so large to all things else, and choice

435

      

Unlimited of manifold delights,

436

      

But let us ever praise Him, and extol

437

      

His bounty, following our delightful task,

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