The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (91 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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627

      

Created in His image, there to dwell

628

      

And worship Him, and in reward to rule

629

      

Over His works, on earth, in sea, or air,

630

      

And multiply a race of worshippers

631

      

Holy and just. Thrice happy, if they know

632

      

Their happiness, and persevere upright!

633

      

   
“So sung they, and the empyrean rung

634

      

With hallelujahs. Thus was sabbath kept.

635

      

And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked

636

      

How first this world and face
4369
of things began,

637

      

And what before thy memory was done

638

      

From the beginning, that
4370
posterity,

639

      

Informed by thee, might know. If else thou seek’st

640

      

Aught, not surpassing human measure,
4371
say.

 

The End of the Seventh Book

 

BOOK VIII

THE ARGUMENT

Adam inquires concerning celestial motions, is doubtfully answered, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge. Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remembered since his own creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon, who after admonitions repeated departs.

 

1

      

   
The Angel ended, and in Adam’s ear

2

      

So charming
4372
left his voice, that he a while

3

      

Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed
4373
to hear,

4

      

Then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied:

5

      

   
“What thanks sufficient, or what recompence

6

      

Equal, have I to render thee, divine

7

      

Historian,
4374
who thus largely
4375
hast allayed

8

      

The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsafed

9

      

This friendly condescension to relate

10

      

Things else by me unsearchable?
4376
now heard

11

      

With wonder, but delight, and as is due

12

      

With glory attributed to the high

13

      

Creator! Something yet of doubt remains,

14

      

Which only thy solution
4377
can resolve.

15

      

When I behold this goodly frame,
4378
this world,

16

      

Of Heav’n and earth consisting, and compute

17

      

Their magnitudes, this earth, a spot, a grain,

18

      

An atom, with the firmament compared

19

      

And all her numbered stars, that seem to roll

20

      

Spaces incomprehensible ( for such

21

      

Their distance argues,
4379
and their swift return

22

      

Diurnal)
4380
merely to officiate
4381
light

23

      

Round this opaceous
4382
earth, this punctual
4383
spot,

24

      

One day and night, in all her vast survey
4384

25

      

Useless besides, reasoning I oft admire
4385

26

      

How Nature wise and frugal could commit

27

      

Such disproportions, with superfluous hand

28

      

So many nobler bodies to create,

29

      

Greater so manifold, to this one use

30

      

(For aught appears), and on their orbs impose

31

      

Such restless
4386
revolution
4387
day by day

32

      

Repeated, while the sedentary
4388
earth,

33

      

That better might with far less compass
4389
move,

34

      

Served by more
4390
noble than herself, attains

35

      

Her end without least motion, and receives,

36

      

As tribute, such a sumless
4391
journey brought
4392

37

      

Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light—

38

      

Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails.

39

      

   
So spoke our sire, and by his count’nance seemed

40

      

Entering on studious thoughts abstruse,
4393
which Eve

41

      

Perceiving, where she sat retired in
4394
sight,

42

      

With lowliness
4395
majestic from her seat,

43

      

And grace that won
4396
who
4397
saw to wish her stay,

44

      

Rose and went forth among her fruits and flow’rs,

45

      

To visit
4398
how they prospered, bud and bloom,

46

      

Her nursery. They at her coming sprung

47

      

And, touched by her fair tendance,
4399
gladlier grew.

48

      

Yet went she not, as not with such discourse

49

      

Delighted, or not capable her ear

50

      

Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved,
4400

51

      

Adam relating,
4401
she sole auditress.
4402

52

      

Her husband the relater she preferred

53

      

Before the Angel, and of him to ask

54

      

Chose
4403
rather. He, she knew, would intermix

55

      

Grateful
4404
digressions, and solve high dispute

56

      

With conjugal caresses: from his lip

57

      

Not words alone pleased her. (O! when meet
4405
now

58

      

Such pairs, in love and mutual honor joined?

59

      

With goddess-like demeanor forth she went,

60

      

Not unattended, for on her, as queen,

61

      

A pomp
4406
of winning graces waited still,

62

      

And from about her shot darts of desire

63

      

Into all eyes, to wish her still in sight.

64

      

And Raphael now, to Adam’s doubt proposed,

65

      

Benevolent and facile,
4407
thus replied:

66

      

   
“To ask or search, I blame thee not, for Heav’n

67

      

Is as the book of God before thee set,

68

      

Wherein to read His wondrous works, and learn

69

      

His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years.

70

      

This to attain,
4408
whether Heav’n move or earth,

71

      

Imports
4409
not if
4410
thou reckon
4411
right. The rest

72

      

From man or Angel the great Architect

73

      

Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge

74

      

His secrets to be scanned
4412
by them who ought

75

      

Rather admire,
4413
or if they list
4414
to try

76

      

Conjecture, He His fabric of the Heav’ns

77

      

Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move

78

      

His laughter at their quaint
4415
opinions wide
4416

79

      

Hereafter. When they come to model
4417
Heav’n

80

      

And calculate the stars, how they will wield
4418

81

      

The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive

82

      

To save
4419
appearances,
4420
how gird
4421
the sphere

83

      

With centric
4422
and eccentric
4423
scribbled o’er,

84

      

Cycle
4424
and epicycle,
4425
orb
4426
in orb.

85

      

Already by thy reasoning this I guess,

86

      

Who
4427
art to lead thy offspring, and supposest

87

      

That bodies bright and greater should not serve

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