The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (90 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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534

      

And every living thing that moves on th’ earth.

535

      

Wherever thus created, for no place

536

      

Is yet distinct
4349
by name, thence, as thou know’st,

537

      

He brought thee into this delicious grove,

538

      

This garden, planted with the trees of God,

539

      

Delectable both to behold and taste,

540

      

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

541

      

Gave thee. All sorts are here that all th’ earth yields,

542

      

Variety without end. But of the tree

543

      

Which tasted, works knowledge of good and evil,

544

      

Thou may’st not. In the day thou eat’st, thou di’st.
4350

545

      

Death is the penalty imposed. Beware,

546

      

And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin

547

      

Surprise thee, and her black attendant, Death.

548

      

   
“Here finished He, and all that He had made

549

      

Viewed, and behold all was entirely good.

550

      

So ev’n and morn accomplished the sixth day.

551

      

   
“Yet not till the Creator from His work

552

      

Desisting, though unwearied, up returned,

553

      

Up to the Heav’n of Heav’ns, His high abode,

554

      

Thence to behold this new created world,

555

      

Th’ addition of His empire, how it showed

556

      

In prospect from His throne, how good, how fair,

557

      

Answering
4351
His great idea.
4352
Up He rode

558

      

Followed with acclamation, and the sound

559

      

Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tuned

560

      

Angelic harmonies. The earth, the air

561

      

Resounded (thou rememb’rest, for thou heard’st)

562

      

The Heav’ns and all the constellations rung,

563

      

The planets in their station listening stood,

564

      

While the bright pomp
4353
ascended jubilant.

565

      

‘Open, ye everlasting gates!’ they sung,

566

      

‘Open, ye Heav’ns! your living doors! Let in

567

      

The great Creator from His work returned

568

      

Magnificent, His six days work, a world!

569

      

Open, and henceforth oft, for God will deign

570

      

To visit oft the dwellings of just men,

571

      

Delighted, and with frequent intercourse

572

      

Thither will send His wingèd messengers

573

      

On errands of supernal
4354
grace. ’ So sung

574

      

The glorious train
4355
ascending. He through Heav’n,

575

      

That opened wide her blazing portals, led

576

      

To God’s eternal house direct the way,

577

      

A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold

578

      

And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,

579

      

Seen in the galaxy, that milky way

580

      

Which nightly, as a circling zone,
4356
thou see’st

581

      

Powdered with stars. And now on earth the seventh

582

      

Ev’ning arose in Eden, for the sun

583

      

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,

584

      

Forerunning night, when at the holy mount

585

      

Of Heav’n’s high-seated top, the imperial throne

586

      

Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure,

587

      

The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down

588

      

With his great Father, for he also went

589

      

Invisible, yet stayed
4357
(such privilege

590

      

Hath Omnipresence), and the work ordained,

591

      

Author and End of all things, and from work

592

      

Now resting, blessed and hallowed the sev’nth day,

593

      

As resting on that day from all His work,

594

      

But not in silence holy kept. The harp

595

      

Had work and rested not, the solemn pipe,

596

      

And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,

597

      

All sounds on fret
4358
by string or golden wire,

598

      

Tempered
4359
soft tunings, intermixed with voice

599

      

Choral or unison. Of incense clouds,

600

      

Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.

601

      

Creation and the six days acts they sung:

602

      

   
“‘Great are thy works, Jehovah! Infinite

603

      

Thy power! What thought can measure Thee, or tongue

604

      

Relate thee? Greater now in Thy return

605

      

Than from the giant Angels. Thee that day

606

      

Thy thunders magnified, but to create

607

      

Is greater than created
4360
to destroy.

608

      

Who can impair
4361
Thee, Mighty King, or bound
4362

609

      

Thy empire? Easily the proud attempt

610

      

Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,

611

      

Thou hast repelled, while impiously they thought

612

      

Thee to diminish, and from Thee withdraw

613

      

The number of Thy worshippers. Who seeks

614

      

To lessen Thee, against his purpose serves

615

      

To manifest the more Thy might. His evil

616

      

Thou usest, and from thence creat’st more good.

617

      

Witness this new-made world, another Heav’n

618

      

From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view

619

      

On the clear hyaline,
4363
the glassy sea,

620

      

Of amplitude almost immense,
4364
with stars

621

      

Numerous, and every star perhaps a world

622

      

Of destined habitation. But thou know’st

623

      

Their seasons. Among
4365
these the seat of men,

624

      

Earth, with her nether
4366
ocean circumfused,
4367

625

      

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men,

626

      

And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced!
4368

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