The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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His bounty, following our delightful task,
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To prune these growing plants, and tend these flow’rs,
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Which were it toilsome, yet with thee were sweet.
440
To whom thus Eve replied: “O thou for whom
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And from whom I was formed, flesh of thy flesh,
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And without whom am to no end,3000 my guide
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And head! What thou hast said is just and right.
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For we to Him indeed all praises owe,
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And daily thanks—I chiefly, who enjoy
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So far the happier lot, enjoying thee
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Pre-eminent by so much odds,3001 while thou
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Like3002 consort 3003 to thyself canst nowhere find.
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That day I oft remember, when from sleep
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I first awaked, and found myself reposed
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Under a shade 3004 on flow’rs, much wond’ring where
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And what I was, whence thither brought, and how.
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Not distant far from thence a murmuring sound
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Of waters issued from a cave, and spread
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Into a liquid plain, then stood unmoved,3005
456
Pure as th’ expanse of Heav’n. I thither 3006 went
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With unexperienced 3007 thought, and laid me down
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On the green bank, to look into the clear
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Smooth lake, that to me seemed another sky.
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As I bent down to look, just opposite
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A shape within the wat’ry gleam appeared,
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Bending to look on me. I started back—
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It started back—but pleased I soon returned,
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Pleased it returned as soon, with answering looks
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Of sympathy and love. There I had fixed
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Mine eyes till now, and pined 3008 with vain desire,
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Had not a voice thus warned me: ‘What thou see’st,
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What there thou see’st, fair creature, is thyself.
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With thee it came and goes. But follow me
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And I will bring thee where no shadow stays3009
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Thy coming, and thy soft embraces, he
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Whose image thou art, him thou shalt enjoy
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Inseparably thine, to him shalt bear
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Multitudes like thyself, and thence be called
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Mother of human race. ’What could I do,
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But follow straight,3010 invisibly thus led?
477
Till I espied thee, fair indeed and tall,
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Under a platane, 3011 yet methought less fair,
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Less winning soft, less amiably mild,
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Than that smooth wat’ry image. Back I turned.
481
Thou following cried’st aloud, ‘Return, fair Eve.
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Whom fly’st 3012 thou? Whom thou fly’st, of him thou art,
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His flesh, his bone. To give thee being I lent
484
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart,
485
Substantial 3013 life, to3014 have thee by my side
486
Henceforth an individual3015 solace 3016 dear.
487
Part of my soul, I seek thee! and thee claim3017
488
My other half. ’With that thy gentle hand
489
Seized mine, I yielded, and from that time see
490
How beauty is excelled by manly grace,
491
And wisdom, which alone is truly fair.
492
So spoke our general 3018 mother, and with eyes
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Of conjugal attraction unreproved,
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And meek surrender, half-embracing leaned
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On our first father. Half her swelling breast
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Naked met his, under the flowing gold
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Of her loose tresses hid. He in delight
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Both of her beauty and submissive charms,
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Smiled with superior love, as Jupiter
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On Juno smiles, when he impregns 3019 the clouds
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That shed May flowers, and pressed her matron lip
502
With kisses pure. Aside the Devil turned
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For envy, yet with jealous leer malign
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Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained:3020
505
“Sight hateful, sight tormenting! Thus these two,
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Imparadised in one another’s arms,
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The happier Eden, shall enjoy their fill
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Of bliss on bliss, while I to Hell am thrust,
509
Where neither joy nor love, but fierce desire,
510
Among our other torments not the least,
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Still unfulfilled with pain of longing pines.3021
512
Yet let me not forget what I have gained
513
From their own mouths. All is not theirs, it seems.
514
One fatal tree there stands, of knowledge called,
515
Forbidden them to taste. Knowledge forbidden?
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Suspicious, reasonless. Why should their Lord
517
Envy them that? Can it be sin to know?
518
Can it be death? And do they only stand 3022
519
By ignorance? Is that their happy state,
520
The proof of their obedience and their faith?
521
O fair foundation laid whereon to build
522
Their ruin! Hence I will excite3023 their minds
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With more desire to know, and to reject
524
Envious commands, invented with design
525
To keep them low, whom knowledge might exalt
526
Equal with gods. Aspiring to be such,
527
They taste and die. What likelier can ensue?
528
But first with narrow 3024 search I must walk round
529
This garden, and no corner leave unspied.
530
A chance (but chance)3025 may lead where I may meet
531
Some wand’ring Spirit of Heav’n by fountain side,
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Or in thick shade retired, from him to draw
533
What further would be learned. Live while ye may,
534
Yet happy pair—enjoy, till I return,
535
Short pleasures, for long woes are to succeed!”3026
536
So saying, his proud step he scornful turned,
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But with sly circumspection,3027 and began
538
Through wood, through waste, 3028 o’er hill, o’er dale, his roam.3029
539
Meanwhile in utmost longitude, 3
030 where Heav’n
540
With earth and ocean meets, the setting sun
541
Slowly descended, and with right aspect 3031
542
Against the eastern gate of Paradise
543
Leveled his evening rays. It was a rock
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Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds,
545
Conspicuous3032 far, winding with one ascent
546
Accessible from earth, one entrance high.
547
The rest was craggy cliff, that overhung
548
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
549
Betwixt these rocky pillars, Gabriel sat,
550
Chief of the Angelic guards, awaiting night.
551
About him exercised 3033 heroic games
552
Th’ unarmed youth of Heav’n, but nigh3034 at hand
553
Celestial armory—shields, helms, and spears,
554
Hung high with diamond flaming, and with gold.
555
Thither came Uriel, gliding through the ev’n3035
556
On a sun-beam, swift as a shooting star
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In autumn thwarts3036 s fired 3037
558
Impress3038 the air) and shows the mariner
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From what point of his compass to beware
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Impetuous3039 winds. He thus began in haste:
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“Gabriel, to thee thy course by lot 3040 hath given
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Charge3041 and strict watch, that to this happy place
563
No evil thing approach or enter in.
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This day at height of noon came to my sphere
565
A Spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know
566
More of the Almighty’s works, and chiefly man,
567
God’s latest image. I described 3042 his way
568
Bent all on speed, and marked 3043 his airy gait,3044
569
But in the mount that lies from Eden north,
570
Where he first lighted, soon discerned his looks
571
Alien3045 from Heav’n, with passions foul obscured.3046
572
Mine eye pursued him still, but under shade
573
Lost sight of him. One of the banished crew,
574
I fear, hath ventured from the deep, to raise 3047
575
New troubles. Him thy care must be to find.
576
To whom the wingèd warrior thus returned:
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“Uriel, no wonder if thy perfect sight,
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Amid the sun’s bright circle where thou sit’st,
579
See far and wide. In at this gate none pass
580
The vigilance3048 here placed, but such as come
581
Well known from Heav’n. And since meridian hour 3049
582
No creature thence. If Spirit of other sort,
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So minded,3050 have o’er-leaped these earthly bounds
584
On purpose, hard thou know’st it to exclude
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Spiritual substance with corporeal bar.
586
But if within the circuit of these walks,
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In whatsoever shape he lurk, of whom
588
Thou tell’st, by morrow dawning I shall know.
589
So promised he, and Uriel to his charge3051
590
Returned on that bright beam, whose point now raised
591
Bore him slope downward to the sun now fall’n
592
Beneath the Azores, whither the prime orb,
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Incredible how swift, had thither rolled
594
Diurnal,3052 or 3053 this less voluble3054 earth,
595
By shorter flight to the east, had left him there,
596
Arraying with reflected purple and gold
597
The clouds that on his western throne attend.
598
Now came still 3055 ev’ning on, and twilight gray
599
Had in her sober livery3056 all things clad.3057
600
Silence accompanied, for beast and bird,
601
They to their grassy couch, these to their nests
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Were slunk, all but the wakeful nightingale:
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She all night long her amorous descant 3058 sung.
604
Silence was pleased. Now glowed the firmament
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With living sapphires. Hesperus,3059 that led
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The starry host, rode brightest, till the moon,
607
Rising in clouded majesty, at length
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(Apparent 3060 queen) unveiled her peerless light,
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And o’er the dark her silver mantle threw.
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When Adam thus to Eve: “Fair consort, th’ hour
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Of night, and all things now retired to rest,
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Mind 3061 us of like3062 repose, since God hath set
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Labor and rest, as day and night, to men
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Successive, 3063 and the timely dew of sleep,
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Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines3064
616
Our eye-lids. Other creatures all day long
617
Rove idle, unemployed, and less need rest;
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Man hath his daily work of body or mind
619
Appointed, which declares3065 his dignity,
620
And the regard 3066 of Heav’n on all his ways,
621
While other animals unactive range, 3067
622
And of their doings God takes no account.
623
To-morrow, ere fresh morning streak the east
624
With first approach of light, we must be ris’n,
625
And at our pleasant labor, to reform3068
626
Yon flow’ry arbors, yonder alleys3069 green,
627
Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown,
628
That mock our scant manuring, 3070 and require
629
More hands than ours to lop their wanton3071 growth.
630
Those blossoms also, and those dropping gums,
631
That lie bestrewn, unsightly and unsmooth,
632
Ask riddance, if we mean to tread with ease.
633
Meanwhile, as Nature wills, night bids us rest.
634
To whom thus Eve, with perfect beauty adorned:
635
“My author and disposer, what thou bid’st
636
Unargued I obey. So God ordains:
637
God is thy law, thou mine. To know no more
638
Is woman’s happiest knowledge, and her praise.
639
With thee conversing I forget all time;
640
All seasons, and their change, all please alike.
641
Sweet is the breath of morn, her rising sweet,
642
With charm 3072 o
f earliest birds. Pleasant the sun,
643
When first on this delightful land he spreads
644
His orient 3073 beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow’r,
645
Glistering with dew. Fragrant the fertile earth