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
893
“Thus, measuring things in Heav’n by things on earth,
894
895
By what is past, to thee I have revealed
896
What might have else to human race been hid,
897
The discord which befell,
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and war in Heav’n
898
Among th’ angelic Powers, and the deep fall
899
Of those too high aspiring, who rebelled
900
With Satan—he who envies now thy state,
901
Who now is plotting how he may seduce
902
903
Bereaved
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of happiness, thou may’st partake
904
His punishment, eternal misery,
905
Which would be all his solace and revenge,
906
As a despite
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done against the Most High,
907
908
But listen not to his temptations, warn
909
Thy weaker.
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Let it profit thee t’ have heard,
910
By terrible example, the reward
911
Of disobedience. Firm they might have stood,
912
Yet fell. Remember, and fear to transgress.
The End of the Sixth Book
BOOK VII
THE ARGUMENT
Raphael at the request of Adam relates how and wherefore this world was first created; that God, after the expelling of Satan and his Angels out of Heaven, declared His pleasure to create another world and other creatures to dwell therein; sends His Son with glory and attendance of Angels to perform the work of Creation in six days.
The Angels celebrate with hymns the performance thereof, and his
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re-ascention into Heaven.
1 | | |
2 | | If rightly thou art called, whose voice divine |
3 | | Following, above the Olympian hill I soar, |
4 | | |
5 | | The meaning, not the name, I call, for thou |
6 | | Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top |
7 | | Of old Olympus, dwell’st, but Heav’nly-born, |
8 | | Before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed, |
9 | | Thou with eternal wisdom didst converse, |
10 | | Wisdom thy sister, and with her did’st play |
11 | | In presence of th’Almighty Father, pleased |
12 | | With thy celestial song. Up led by thee |
13 | | Into the Heav’n of Heav’ns I have presumed, |
14 | | An earthly guest, and drawn |
15 | | Thy temp’ring. |
16 | | Return me to my native element, |
17 | | Lest from this flying steed unreined (as once |
18 | | Bellerophon, though from a lower clime) |
19 | | |
20 | | |
21 | | Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound |
22 | | Within the visible diurnal sphere: |
23 | | |
24 | | More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchanged |
25 | | To hoarse or mute, though fall’n on evil days, |
26 | | On evil days though fall’n, and evil tongues, |
27 | | In darkness, and with dangers compassed round, |
28 | | And solitude. Yet not alone while thou |
29 | | Visit’st my slumbers nightly, or when morn |
30 | | Purples the east. Still govern thou my song, |
31 | | Urania, and fit audience find, though few. |
32 | | But drive far off the barbarous dissonance |
33 | | Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race |
34 | | Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard |
35 | | In Rhodopé, |
36 | | To rapture, |
37 | | Both harp and voice. Nor could the Muse defend |
38 | | Her son. |
39 | | For thou art Heav’nly, she an empty dream. |
40 | | |
41 | | The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarned |
42 | | Adam, by dire example, to beware |
43 | | Apostasy, by what befell |
44 | | To those apostates, lest the like befall |
45 | | In Paradise to Adam or his race, |
46 | | Charged not to touch the interdicted tree, |
47 | | If they transgress, and slight |
48 | | So easily obeyed amid the choice |
49 | | Of all tastes else to please their appetite, |
50 | | |
51 | | The story heard, attentive, and was filled |
52 | | |
53 | | Of things so high |
54 | | So unimaginable, as hate in Heav’n, |
55 | | And war so near the peace of God in bliss, |
56 | | With such confusion, |
57 | | Driv’n back, redounded |
58 | | From whom it sprung, impossible to mix |
59 | | With blessedness. Whence Adam soon repealed |
60 | | The doubts that in his heart arose, and now |
61 | | Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know |
62 | | What nearer might concern him, how this world |
63 | | Of Heav’n and earth conspicuous |
64 | | When, and whereof created, for what cause, |
65 | | What within Eden, or without, was done |
66 | | Before his memory—as one whose drought |
67 | | Yet scarce allayed, still eyes the current |
68 | | Whose liquid murmur heard, new thirst excites, |
69 | | Proceeded thus to ask his Heav’nly guest: |
70 | | |
71 | | Far differing from this world, thou hast revealed, |
72 | | Divine interpreter! |
73 | | Down from the empyrean, to forewarn |
74 | | Us timely of what might else have been our loss, |
75 | | Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach. |
76 | | For which to the infinitely Good we owe |
77 | | Immortal thanks, and His admonishment |
78 | | Receive, with solemn purpose to observe |
79 | | Immutably His sov’reign will, the end |
80 | | Of what we are. But since thou hast vouchsafed |
81 | | Gently, |
82 | | Things above earthly thought, which yet concerned |
83 | | Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemed, |
84 | | Deign to descend now lower, and relate |
85 | | What may no less perhaps avail us, known, |
86 | | How first began this Heav’n which we behold |
87 | | Distant so high, with moving fires adorned |
88 | | Innumerable, and this which yields or fills |
89 | | |
90 | | Embracing round this florid |