The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (96 page)

449

What next I bring shall please thee, be assured,

550

Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

451

Thy wish exactly to thy heart’s desire.

452

He ended, or I heard no more, for now

453

My earthly by His Heav’nly overpowered,

454

Which it had long stood
⁴⁵⁷⁰
under, strained to the height

455

In that celestial colloquy
⁴⁵⁷¹
sublime,
⁴⁵⁷²

456

As with an object that excels
⁴⁵⁷³
the sense,

457

Dazzled and spent, sunk down, and sought repair
⁴⁵⁷⁴

458

Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, called

459

By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.

460

   
“Mine eyes He closed, but open left the cell

461

Of fancy, my internal sight, by which,

462

Abstract
⁴⁵⁷⁵
as in a trance, methought I saw,
⁴⁵⁷⁶

463

Though sleeping where I lay, and saw the shape

464

Still glorious before whom awake I stood,

465

Who stooping op’ned my left side, and took

466

From thence a rib, with cordial
⁴⁵⁷⁷
spirits warm,

467

And life-blood streaming fresh. Wide was the wound,

468

But suddenly with flesh filled up and healed.

469

The rib He formed and fashioned with His hands.

470

Under His forming hands a creature grew,

471

Man-like, but different sex, so lovely fair

472

That what seemed fair in all the world seemed now

473

Mean
⁴⁵⁷⁸
or in her summed up, in her contained

474

And in her looks, which from that time infused
⁴⁵⁷⁹

475

Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

476

And into all things from her air
⁴⁵⁸⁰
inspired

477

The spirit of love and amorous delight.

478

She disappeared, and left me dark; I waked

479

To
⁴⁵⁸¹
find her, or for ever to deplore

480

Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure—
⁴⁵⁸²

481

When, out of hope, behold her, not far off,

482

Such as I saw her in my dream, adorned

483

With what all earth or Heav’n could bestow

484

To make her amiable.
⁴⁵⁸³
On she came,

485

Led by her Heav’nly Maker, though unseen,

486

And guided by His voice, nor uninformed

487

Of nuptial sanctity and marriage rites.

488

Grace was in all her steps, Heav’n in her eye,

489

In every gesture dignity and love.

490

I overjoyed could not forbear
⁴⁵⁸⁴
aloud:

491

   
“‘This turn
⁴⁵⁸⁵
hath made amends! Thou hast fulfilled

492

Thy words, Creator bounteous and benign,

493

Giver of all things fair! But fairest this

494

Of all Thy gifts, nor enviest.
⁴⁵⁸⁶
I now see

495

Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh, myself

496

Before me. Woman is her name, of man

497

Extracted.
⁴⁵⁸⁷
For this cause he shall forego

498

Father and mother, and to his wife adhere,

499

And they shall be one flesh, one heart, one soul.

500

   
“She heard me thus, and though divinely brought
⁴⁵⁸⁸

501

Yet innocence, and virgin modesty,

502

Her virtue, and the conscience
⁴⁵⁸⁹
of her worth,

503

That would be wooed, and not unsought be won,

504

Not obvious,
⁴⁵⁹⁰
not obtrusive,
⁴⁵⁹¹
but retired,
⁴⁵⁹²

505

The more desirable—or, to say all,

506

Nature herself, though pure of sinful thought,

507

Wrought
⁴⁵⁹³
in her so that, seeing me, she turned.

508

I followed her. She what was honor knew,

509

And with obsequious
⁴⁵⁹⁴
majesty approved
⁴⁵⁹⁵

510

My pleaded
⁴⁵⁹⁶
reason.
⁴⁵⁹⁷
To the nuptial bow’r

511

I led her blushing like the morn. All Heav’n,

512

And happy constellations, on that hour

513

Shed their selected
⁴⁵⁹⁸
influence, the earth

514

Gave sign of gratulation,
⁴⁵⁹⁹
and each hill;

515

Joyous the birds; fresh gales and gentle airs

516

Whispered it to the woods, and from their wings

517

Flung rose, flung odors from the spicy
⁴⁶⁰⁰
shrub,

518

Disporting,
⁴⁶⁰¹
till the amorous bird of night
⁴⁶⁰²

519

Sung spousal,
⁴⁶⁰³
and bid haste the ev’ning-star
⁴⁶⁰⁴

520

On his hill top, to light the bridal lamp.

521

   
“Thus have I told thee all my state, and brought

522

My story to the sum of earthly bliss

523

Which I enjoy, and must confess to find

524

In all things else delight indeed, but such

525

As, used or not, works in the mind no change,

526

Nor vehement
⁴⁶⁰⁵
desire—these delicacies

527

I mean of taste, sight, smell, herbs, fruits, and flow’rs,

528

Walks, and the melody of birds. But here

529

Far otherwise, transported
⁴⁶⁰⁶
I behold,

530

Transported touch;
⁴⁶⁰⁷
here passion first I felt,

531

Commotion
⁴⁶⁰⁸
strange! in all enjoyments else

532

Superior and unmoved, here only weak

533

Against the charm of beauty’s powerful glance.

534

Or
⁴⁶⁰⁹
Nature failed in me, and left some part

535

Not proof enough such object to sustain,
⁴⁶¹⁰

536

Or, from my side subducting,
⁴⁶¹¹
took perhaps

537

More than enough, at least on her bestowed