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
970
“Then when I am thy captive, talk of chains,
971
Proud limitary
3243
Cherub! But ere then
972
Far heavier load
3244
thyself expect to feel
973
From my prevailing
3245
arm, though Heaven’s King
974
Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers,
3246
975
Used to the yoke, draw’st His triumphant wheels
976
In progress through the road of Heav’n star-
pav
977
While thus he spoke, the angelic squadron bright
978
Turned fiery red, sharp’ning in moonèd horns
3247
979
Their phalanx,
3248
and began to hem him round
980
With ported
3249
spears, as thick as when a field
981
982
Her bearded grove of ears which way the wind
983
Sways
3252
them. The careful ploughman doubting stands,
984
Lest on the threshing floor his hopeful sheaves
3253
985
Prove chaff. On th’ other side, Satan, alarmed,
3254
986
Collecting all his might, dilated
3255
stood,
987
988
His stature reached the sky, and on his crest
989
990
What seemed both spear and shield. Now dreadful deeds
991
Might have ensued, nor only Paradise
992
993
Of Heav’n, perhaps, or all the elements
994
At least had gone to wrack,
3263
disturbed and torn
995
With violence of this conflict, had not soon
3264
996
Th’ Eternal, to prevent such horrid fray,
997
998
Betwixt Astrea
3267
and the Scorpion sign,
999
Wherein all things created first He weighed,
1000
The pendulous round earth with balanced air
1001
In counterpoise, now ponders
3268
all events,
1002
Battles and realms. In these
3269
he put two weights,
1003
1004
The latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam,
3272
1005
Which Gabriel spying, thus bespoke
3273
the fiend:
1006
“Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know’st mine
1007
Neither our own, but giv’n. What folly then
1008
To boast what arms can do? since thine no more
1009
Than Heav’n permits, nor mine, though doubled now
1010
To trample thee as mire.
3274
For proof look up,
1011
And read thy lot
3275
in yon celestial sign,
1012
Where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how weak,
1013
If thou resist.” The fiend looked up, and knew
3276
1014
His mounted scale aloft: nor more, but fled
1015
Murmuring,
3277
and with him fled the shades of
The End of the Fourth Book
BOOK V
THE ARGUMENT
Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her. They come forth to their day labors; their morning hymn at the door of their bower.
God to render man inexcusable
3278
sends Raphael to admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy near at hand; who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise, his appearance described, his coming discerned by Adam afar off, sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him, brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table.
Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and of his enemy; relates at Adam’s request who that enemy is, and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in Heaven, and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel, a Seraph, who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes him.
1 | | |
2 | | Advancing, sowed the earth with orient |
3 | | When Adam waked, so customed, |
4 | | Was airy-light, from pure digestion bred, |
5 | | |
6 | | |
7 | | |
8 | | Of birds on every bough, so much the more |
9 | | His wonder was to find unwakened Eve |
10 | | With tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek, |
11 | | As through unquiet rest. He, on his side |
12 | | Leaning half raised, with looks of cordial |
13 | | Hung over her enamored, and beheld |
14 | | Beauty which, whether waking or asleep, |
15 | | Shot forth peculiar |
16 | | |
17 | | Her hand soft touching, whispered thus: “Awake, |
18 | | My fairest, my espoused, my latest found, |
19 | | Heav’n’s last best gift, my ever new delight! |
20 | | Awake. The morning shines, and the fresh field |
21 | | |
22 | | Our tender plants, how blows the citron grove, |
23 | | |
24 | | How Nature paints her colors, how the bee |
25 | | Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet. |
26 | | |
27 | | On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spoke: |
28 | | |
29 | | My glory, my perfection! Glad I see |
30 | | Thy face, and morn returned, for I this night |
31 | | (Such night till this I never passed) have dreamed |
32 | | (If dreamed) not, as I oft am wont, |
33 | | Works of day past, or morrow’s next design, |
34 | | But of offence and trouble, which my mind |
35 | | Knew never till this irksome |
36 | | Close at mine ear one called me forth to walk, |
37 | | With gentle voice; I thought it thine. It said, |
38 | | ‘Why sleep’st thou, Eve? Now is the pleasant time, |
39 | | The cool, the silent, save |
40 | | To the night-warbling bird, that now awake |
41 | | Tunes sweetest his love-labored song. Now reigns |
42 | | Full-orbed the moon, and with more pleasing light |
43 | | Shadowy sets off the face of things. In vain, |
44 | | If none regard. |
45 | | Whom to behold but thee, Nature’s desire? |
46 | | |
47 | | Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze. |
48 | | I rose as at thy call, but found thee not; |
49 | | To find thee I directed then my walk, |
50 | | And on, methought, alone I passed through ways |
51 | | That brought me on a sudden to the tree |
52 | | Of interdicted |
53 | | Much fairer to my fancy than by day, |
54 | | And as I wond’ring looked, beside it stood |
55 | | One shaped and winged like one of those from Heav’n |
56 | | By us oft seen. His dewy locks distilled |
57 | | Ambrosia. On that tree he also gazed, |
58 | | And ‘O fair plant,’ said he, ‘with fruit surcharged, |
59 | | Deigns none to ease thy load, and taste thy sweet, |
60 | | Nor god, nor man? Is knowledge so despised? |
61 | | Or envy, or what reserve |
62 | | Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold |
63 | | Longer thy offered good: why else set |
64 | | This said, he paused not, but with venturous |
65 | | He plucked, he tasted; me damp |
66 | | At such bold words vouched |
67 | | But he thus, overjoyed: ‘O fruit divine, |
68 | | Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropped, |
69 | | Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit |
70 | | For gods, yet able to make gods of men. |
71 | | And why not gods of men? Since good, the more |
72 | | Communicated, more abundant grows, |
73 | | The author |
74 | | Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve! |
75 | | Partake thou also. Happy though thou art, |
76 | | Happier thou may’st be, worthier canst not be. |
77 | | Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods |
78 | | Thyself a goddess, not to earth confined, |
79 | | But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes |
80 | | Ascend to Heav’n, by merit thine, and see |
81 | | What life the gods live there, and such live thou! |
82 | | |
83 | | Ev’n to my mouth of that same fruit held part |
84 | | Which he had plucked. The pleasant savory smell |
85 | | So quickened appetite that I, methought, |
86 | | Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds |
87 | | With him I flew, and underneath beheld |
88 | | The earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide |
89 | | And various, wond’ring at my flight and change |