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
183 | | To future men, and in their dwellings peace |
184 | | Glory to Him, whose just avenging ire |
185 | | Had driven out the ungodly from His sight |
186 | | And th’ habitations of the just; to Him |
187 | | Glory and praise, whose wisdom had ordained |
188 | | Good out of evil to create, instead |
189 | | Of Spirits malign a better race to bring |
190 | | Into their vacant room, |
191 | | His good to worlds and ages infinite. |
192 | | So sang the Hierarchies. |
| | “Meanwhile the Son |
193 | | On his great expedition now appeared, |
194 | | Girt with Omnipotence, with radiance crowned |
195 | | Of Majesty Divine. Sapience |
196 | | Immense, and all his Father in him shone. |
197 | | About his chariot numberless were poured |
198 | | Cherub, and Seraph, Potentates, and Thrones, |
199 | | And Virtues, wingèd Spirits, and chariots winged |
200 | | From th’ armory |
201 | | |
202 | | Against a solemn day, harnessed at hand, |
203 | | Celestial equipage, |
204 | | Spontaneous, |
205 | | Attendant on their Lord. Heav’n op’ned wide |
206 | | Her ever-during |
207 | | On golden hinges moving, to let forth |
208 | | The King of Glory, in his powerful Word |
209 | | And Spirit, coming to create new worlds. |
210 | | On Heav’nly ground they stood, and from the shore |
211 | | They viewed the vast immeasurable abyss |
212 | | |
213 | | Up from the bottom turned by furious winds |
214 | | And surging waves, as mountains, to assault |
215 | | Heav’n’s height, and with the center mix the pole. |
216 | | |
217 | | Said then the Omnific |
218 | | Nor stayed but on the wings of Cherubim |
219 | | Uplifted, in paternal glory rode |
220 | | Far into Chaos and the world unborn, |
221 | | For Chaos heard His voice. Him all his train |
222 | | Followed in bright procession, to behold |
223 | | Creation, and the wonders of His might. |
224 | | Then stayed the fervid |
225 | | He took the golden compasses, prepared |
226 | | In God’s eternal store, to circumscribe |
227 | | This universe, and all created things. |
228 | | One foot He centered, and the other turned |
229 | | Round through the vast profundity |
230 | | And said: ‘Thus far extend, thus far thy bounds, |
231 | | This be thy just circumference, O world! |
232 | | Thus God the Heav’n created, thus the earth, |
233 | | Matter unformed and void. Darkness profound |
234 | | Covered the abyss, but on the wat’ry calm |
235 | | His brooding wings the Spirit of God outspread, |
236 | | And vital virtue infused, and vital warmth |
237 | | Throughout the fluid mass, but downward purged |
238 | | The black tartareous |
239 | | |
240 | | Like things to like; the rest to several place |
241 | | |
242 | | And earth self-balanced on her center hung. |
243 | | ‘Let there be light,’ said God, and forthwith light |
244 | | |
245 | | Sprung from the deep, and from her native east |
246 | | To journey through the airy gloom began, |
247 | | Sphered in a radiant cloud, for yet the sun |
248 | | |
249 | | Sojourned |
250 | | And light from darkness by the hemisphere |
251 | | Divided; light the Day, and darkness Night |
252 | | He named. Thus was the first day, ev’n and morn, |
253 | | Nor passed uncelebrated, nor unsung |
254 | | By the celestial choirs, when orient |
255 | | Exhaling |
256 | | Birth-day of Heav’n and earth. With joy and shout |
257 | | The hollow universal orb they filled, |
258 | | And touched their golden harps, and hymning praised |
259 | | God and His works. Creator Him they sung, |
260 | | Both when first ev’ning was, and when first morn. |
261 | | Again, God said: ‘Let there be firmament |
262 | | Amid the waters, and let it divide |
263 | | The waters from the waters. ’And God made |
264 | | The firmament, expanse of liquid, pure, |
265 | | Transparent, elemental air, diffused |
266 | | In circuit to the uttermost convex |
267 | | Of this great round, partition |
268 | | The waters underneath from those above |
269 | | Dividing, for as earth, so He the world |
270 | | Built on circumfluous |
271 | | |
272 | | Of Chaos far removed, |