The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (64 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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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

      

Of Ceres,
3250
ripe for harvest, waving
3251
bends

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

      

Like Teneriffe
3256
or Atlas,
3257
unremoved.
3258

988

      

His stature reached the sky, and on his crest

989

      

Sat horror plumed,
3259
nor wanted
3260
in his grasp

990

      

What seemed both spear and shield. Now dreadful deeds

991

      

Might have ensued, nor only Paradise

992

      

In
3261
this commotion, but the starry cope
3262

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

      

Hung forth in Heav’n His golden scales,
3265
yet
3266
seen

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

      

The sequel
3270
each of parting
3271
and of fight.

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

      

   
Now morn, her rosy steps in the eastern clime
3279

2

      

Advancing, sowed the earth with orient
3280
pearl,

3

      

When Adam waked, so customed,
3281
for his sleep

4

      

Was airy-light, from pure digestion bred,
3282

5

      

And temperate
3283
vapors
3284
bland,
3285
which th’ only sound

6

      

Of leaves and fuming
3286
rills, Aurora’s
3287
fan,

7

      

Lightly dispersed,
3288
and the shrill matin
3289
song

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
3290
love

13

      

Hung over her enamored, and beheld

14

      

Beauty which, whether waking or asleep,

15

      

Shot forth peculiar
3291
graces. Then with voice

16

      

Mild, as when Zephyrus
3292
on Flora
3293
breathes,

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

      

Calls us. We lose the prime,
3294
to mark
3295
how spring
3296

22

      

Our tender plants, how blows the citron grove,

23

      

What drops the myrrh,
3297
and what the balmy reed,
3298

24

      

How Nature paints her colors, how the bee

25

      

Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.

26

      

   
Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye

27

      

On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spoke:

28

      

   
“O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose,

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,
3299
of thee,

33

      

Works of day past, or morrow’s next design,
3300

34

      

But of offence and trouble, which my mind

35

      

Knew never till this irksome
3301
night. Methought

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
3302
where silence yields

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.
3303
Heav’n wakes with all his eyes,

45

      

Whom to behold but thee, Nature’s desire?

46

      

In whose sight all things joy,
3304
with ravishment
3305

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
3306
knowledge. Fair it seemed,

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
3307

57

      

Ambrosia. On that tree he also gazed,

58

      

And ‘O fair plant,’ said he, ‘with fruit surcharged,
3308

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
3309
forbids to taste?

62

      

Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold

63

      

Longer thy offered good: why else set
3310
here?

64

      

This said, he paused not, but with venturous
3311
arm

65

      

He plucked, he tasted; me damp
3312
horror chilled

66

      

At such bold words vouched
3313
with a deed so bold,

67

      

But he thus, overjoyed: ‘O fruit divine,

68

      

Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropped,
3314

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
3315
not impaired, but honored more?

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

      

   
“So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,

83

      

Ev’n to my mouth of that same fruit held part
3316

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

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