The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (93 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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176

      

Live, in what state,
4469
condition,
4470
or degree,
4471

177

      

Contented that thus far hath been revealed

178

      

Not of earth only, but of highest Heav’n.

179

      

To whom thus Adam, cleared of doubt, replied:

180

      

   
“How fully hast thou satisfied me, pure

181

      

Intelligence of Heav’n, Angel serene!

182

      

And, freed from intricacies,
4472
taught to live

183

      

The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts

184

      

To interrupt the sweet of life, from which

185

      

God hath bid dwell far off all anxious cares,

186

      

And not molest
4473
us, unless we ourselves

187

      

Seek them with wand’ring thoughts, and notions vain.

188

      

But apt the mind or fancy is to rove

189

      

Unchecked, and of her roving is no end,

190

      

Till warned, or by experience taught, she learn

191

      

That not to know at large
4474
of things remote

192

      

From use, obscure and subtle,
4475
but to know

193

      

That which before us lies in daily life,

194

      

Is the prime wisdom. What is more, is fume
4476

195

      

Or emptiness, or fond
4477
impertinence,
4478

196

      

And renders us, in things that most concern

197

      

Unpractised, unprepared, and still to seek.

198

      

Therefore from this high pitch
4479
let us descend
4480

199

      

A lower flight, and speak of things at hand

200

      

Useful, whence haply,
4481
mention may arise

201

      

Of something not unseasonable to ask,

202

      

By sufferance,
4482
and thy wonted
4483
favor, deigned.

203

      

   
“Thee I have heard relating what was done

204

      

Ere my remembrance. Now, hear me relate

205

      

My story, which perhaps thou hast not heard.

206

      

And day is not yet spent—till then thou see’st

207

      

How subtly to detain thee I devise,

208

      

Inviting thee to hear while I relate.

209

      

Fond!
4484
were it not in hope of thy reply,

210

      

For while I sit with thee, I seem in Heav’n,

211

      

And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear

212

      

Than fruits of palm-tree pleasantest to thirst

213

      

And hunger both, from
4485
labor, at the hour

214

      

Of sweet repast.
4486
They satiate,
4487
and soon fill,

215

      

Though pleasant, but thy words, with grace divine

216

      

Imbued,
4488
bring to their sweetness no satiety.”
4489

217

      

To whom thus Raphael answered, Heav’nly meek:
4490

218

      

   
“Nor are thy lips ungraceful, sire of men,

219

      

Nor tongue ineloquent. For God on thee

220

      

Abundantly His gifts hath also poured

221

      

Inward and outward both, His image fair.

222

      

Speaking or mute,
4491
all comeliness and grace

223

      

Attends thee, and each word, each motion
4492
forms.
4493

224

      

Nor less think we in Heav’n of thee on earth

225

      

Than of our fellow-servant, and inquire

226

      

Gladly into the ways of God with man,

227

      

For God, we see, hath honored thee, and set

228

      

On man His equal love. Say therefore on,

229

      

For I that day was absent, as befell,
4494

230

      

Bound on a voyage uncouth
4495
and obscure,
4496

231

      

Far on excursion
4497
toward the gates of Hell,

232

      

Squared
4498
in full legion
4499
(such command we had)

233

      

To see that none thence issued forth a spy

234

      

Or enemy, while God was in His work,

235

      

Lest He, incensed at such eruption
4500
bold,

236

      

Destruction with creation might have mixed.

237

      

Not that they durst without His leave attempt—

238

      

But us He sends upon His high behests

239

      

For state, as Sov’reign King, and to inure
4501

240

      

Our prompt obedience.
4502
Fast we found, fast shut,

241

      

The dismal gates, and barricado’d
4503
strong,

242

      

But long ere our approaching heard within

243

      

Noise, other than the sound of dance or song,

244

      

Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage.

245

      

Glad we returned up to the coasts of light

246

      

Ere sabbath-ev’ning: so we had in charge.
4504

247

      

But thy relation
4505
now, for I attend,
4506

248

      

Pleased with thy words no less than thou with mine.

249

      

So spoke the godlike Power, and thus our sire:

250

      

   
“For man to tell how human life began

251

      

Is hard, for who himself beginning knew?

252

      

Desire with thee still longer to converse

253

      

Induced
4507
me. As new waked from soundest sleep,

254

      

Soft on the flow’ry herb
4508
I found me laid,

255

      

In balmy
4509
sweat, which with his beams the sun

256

      

Soon dried, and on the reeking
4510
moisture fed.

257

      

Straight toward Heav’n my wond’ring eyes I turned,

258

      

And gazed a while the ample sky, till raised

259

      

By quick instinctive motion, up I sprung,

260

      

As thitherward endeavoring, and upright

261

      

Stood on my feet. About me round I saw

262

      

Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,

263

      

And liquid lapse
4511
of murmuring streams. By
4512
these,

264

      

Creatures that lived and moved, and walked, or flew,

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