The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems

by John Milton; Burton Raffel

  646

  After soft showers, and sweet the coming on

  647

  Of grateful3074 evening mild, then silent night,

  648

  With this her solemn bird, and this fair moon,

  649

  And these the gems of Heav’n, her starry train.

  650

  But neither breath of morn, when she ascends

  651

  With charm3075 of earliest birds, nor rising sun

  652

  On this delightful land, nor herb, fruit, flow’r,

  653

  Glistering with dew, nor fragrance after showers,

  654

  Nor grateful ev’ning mild, nor silent night,

  655

  With this her solemn bird, nor walk by moon,

  656

  Or glittering star-light, without thee is sweet.

  657

  “But wherefore all night long shine these? For whom

  658

  This glorious sight, when sleep hath shut all eyes?

  659

  To whom our general 3076 ancestor replied:

  660

  “Daughter of God and man, accomplished 3077 Eve,

  661

  These have their course to finish round the earth,

  662

  By morrow ev’ning, and from land to land

  663

  In order, though to nations yet unborn.

  664

  Minist’ring3078 light prepared,3079 they set and rise,

  665

  Lest total darkness should by night regain

  666

  Her old possession, and extinguish life

  667

  In Nature and all things, which these soft fires

  668

  Not only enlighten,3080 but with kindly3081 heat

  669

  Of various3082 influence3083 foment3084 and warm,

  670

  Temper or nourish, or in part shed down

  671

  Their stellar virtue3085 on all kinds3086 that grow

  672

  On earth, made hereby apter 3087 to receive

  673

  Perfection from the sun’s more potent 3088 ray.

  674

  These then, though unbeheld in deep of night,

  675

  Shine not in vain, nor think,3089 though men were

  676

  That Heav’n would want3090 spectators, God want praise.

  677

  Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth

  678

  Unseen, both when we wake, and when we sleep:

  679

  All these with ceaseless praise His works behold

  680

  Both day and night. How often from the steep3091

  681

  Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard

  682

  Celestial voices to the midnight air,

  683

  Sole, or responsive each to others’ note,

  684

  Singing their great Creator? Oft in bands

  685

  While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk,3092

  686

  With Heav’nly touch of instrumental sounds

  687

  In full harmonic number 3093 joined, their songs

  688

  Divide3094 the night, and lift our thoughts to Heav’n.

  689

  Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed

  690

  On to their blissful bower. It was a place

  691

  Chosen by the sov’reign Planter, 3095 when He framed

  692

  All things to man’s delightful use. The roof

  693

  Of thickest covert 3096 was inwoven shade,

  694

  Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew

  695

  Of firm and fragrant leaf, on either side

  696

  Acanthus, and each odorous bushy shrub,

  697

  Fenced up the verdant wall. Each beauteous flow’r,

  698

  Iris all hues, roses, and jessamin,

  699

  Reared high their flourished 3097 heads between, and wrought 3098

  700

  Mosaic. Underfoot the violet,

  701

  Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay

  702

  Broidered3099 the ground, more colored than with stone

  703

  Of costliest emblem.3100 Other creature here,

  704

  Bird, beast, insect, or worm, durst enter none,

  705

  Such was their awe of man. In shadier bower

  706

  More sacred and sequestered, though but feigned,3101

  707

  Pan or Sylvanus never slept, nor nymph

  708

  Nor Faunus3102 haunted. Here, in close3103 recess,3104

  709

  With flowers, garlands, and sweet-smelling herbs,

  710

  Espousèd 3105 Eve decked first her nuptial bed,

  711

  And Heav’nly choirs the hymenaean3106 sung,

  712

  What day 3107 the genial 3108 Angel to our sire

  713

  Brought her in naked beauty more adorned,

  714

  More lovely, than Pandora,3109 whom the gods

  715

  Endowed with all their gifts, and O! too like

  716

  In sad event, when to the unwiser son3110

  717

  Of Japhet 3111 brought by Hermes,3112 she ensnared

  718

  Mankind with her fair looks, to be3113 avenged

  719

  On him3114 who had stole Jove’s authentic3115 fire.

  720

  Thus at their shady lodge 3116 arrived, both stood,

  721

  Both turned, and under open sky adored3117

  722

  The God that made both sky, air, earth, and Heav’n,

  723

  Which they beheld, the moon’s resplendent globe

  724

  And starry pole: “Thou also mad’st the night,

  725

  Maker Omnipotent, and Thou the day,

  726

  Which we, in our appointed work employed,

  727

  Have finished, happy in our mutual help

  728

  And mutual love, the crown of all our bliss

  729

  Ordained by Thee. And this delicious3118 place

  730

  For us too large, where thy abundance wants3119

  731

  Partakers, and uncropped 3120 falls to the ground.

  732

  But thou hast promised from us two a race

  733

  To fill the earth, who shall with us extol

  734

  Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake,

  735

  And when we seek, as now, Thy gift of sleep.

  736

  This said unanimous, and other rites

  737

  Observing none, but adoration pure

  738

  (Which God likes best), into their inmost bow’r

  739

  Handed 3121 they went and, eased 3122 the putting off

  740

  These troublesome disguises which we wear,

  741

  Straight side by side were laid, nor turned, I ween,3123

  742

  Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites

  743

  Mysterious of connubial love refused,

  744

  Whatever hypocrites austerely talk

  745

  Of purity, and place, and innocence,

  746

  Defaming as impure what God declares

  747

  Pure, and commands to some, lea
ves free to all.

  748

  Our Maker bids increase: who bids abstain

  749

  But our destroyer, foe to God and man?

  750

  Hail, wedded love, mysterious law, true source

  751

  Of human offspring, sole propriety3124

  752

  In Paradise of all things common3125 else!

  753

  By thee adulterous lust was driv’n from men

  754

  Among the bestial herds to range. 3126 By thee

  755

  Founded in reason, loyal, just, and pure,

  756

  Relations3127 dear, and all the charities3128

  757

  Of father, son, and brother, first were known.

  758

  Far be it, that I should write3129 thee sin or blame,

  759

  Or think thee unbefitting holiest place,

  760

  Perpetual fountain of domestic sweets,

  761

  Whose bed is undefiled and chaste pronounced,

  762

  Present, or past, as saints and patriarchs used.

  763

  Here love his golden shafts3130 employs, here lights

  764

  His constant 3131 lamp, and waves his purple wings,

  765

  Reigns here and revels, not in the bought smile

  766

  Of harlots, loveless, joyless, unendeared,

  767

  Casual fruition,3132 nor in court-amours,

  768

  Mixed dance, or wanton3133 masque, or midnight ball,

  769

  Or serenade, which the starved lover sings

  770

  To his proud fair, best quitted with disdain.

  771

  These, lulled by nightingales, embracing slept,

  772

  And on their naked limbs the flow’ry roof

  773

  Show’red roses, which the morn repaired.3134 Sleep on,

  774

  Blest pair! and O! yet happiest, if ye seek

  775

  No happier state, and know to know no more!

  776

  Now had night measured with her shadowy cone3135

  777

  Halfway up hill this vast sublunar vault,3136

  778

  And from their ivory port3137 the Cherubim,

  779

  Forth issuing at the accustomed hour, stood armed

  780

  To their night watches in warlike parade,

  781

  When Gabriel to his next in power thus spoke:

  782

  “Uzziel,3138 half these draw off, and coast the south

  783

  With strictest watch. These other wheel 3139 the north;

  784

  Our circuit meets full west.” As3140 flame they part,

  785

  Half wheeling to the shield, half to the spear. 3141

  786

  From these, two strong and subtle Spirits he called

  787

  That near him stood, and gave them thus in charge:

  788

  “Ithuriel 3142 and Zephon,3143 with wingèd speed

  789

  Search through this garden, leave unsearched no nook,

  790

  But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge,

  791

  Now laid perhaps asleep, secure of 3144 harm.

  792

  This ev’ning from3145 the sun’s decline arrived

  793

  Who tells3146 of some infernal Spirit seen

  794

  Hitherward bent3147 (who could have thought?), escaped

  795

  The bars of Hell, on errand bad no doubt.

  796

  Such, where ye find, seize fast, and hither bring.

  797

  So saying, on he led his radiant files,3148

  798

  Dazzling the moon. These to the bower direct

  799

  In search of whom they sought, him3149 there they found

  800

  Squat 3150 like a toad, close at3151 the ear of Eve,

  801

  Assaying3152 by his devilish art to reach

  802

  The organs of her fancy, and with them forge

  803

  Illusions, as he list,3153 phantasms and dreams,

  804

  Or if, 3154 inspiring 3155 venom, he might taint3156

  805

  The animal spirits that from pure blood arise

  806

  Like gentle breaths from rivers pure, thence raise

  807

  At least distempered,3157 discontented thoughts,

  808

  Vain hopes, vain aims, inordinate desires,

  809

  Blown up with high conceits engend’ring pride.

  810

  Him thus intent, Ithuriel with his spear

  811

  Touched lightly, for no falsehood can endure

  812

  Touch of celestial temper, 3158 but returns

  813

  Of force3159 to its own likeness. Up he starts,3160

  814

  Discovered and surprised.3161 As when a spark

  815

  Lights on a heap of nitrous powder, 3162 laid 3163

  816

  Fit for the tun3164 some magazine3165 to store

  817

  Against a rumored war, the smutty3166 grain,3167

  818

  With sudden blaze diffused,3168 inflames the air,

  819

  So started up in his own shape the fiend.

  820

  Back stepped those two fair Angels, half amazed 3169

  821

  So sudden to behold the grisly 3170 king,

  822

  Yet thus, unmoved with fear, accost3171 him soon:3172

  823

  “Which of those rebel Spirits adjudged 3173 to Hell

  824

  Com’st thou, escaped thy prison? And, transformed,

  825

  Why sat’st thou like an enemy in wait,

  826

  Here watching at the head of these that sleep?

  827

  “Know ye not then,” said Satan, filled with scorn,

  828

  “Know ye not me? Ye knew me once no mate3174

  829

  For you, there3175 sitting where ye durst not soar.

  830

  Not to know me argues3176 yourselves unknown,

  831

  The lowest of your throng. Or if ye know,

  832

  Why ask ye, and superfluous begin

  833

  Your message, like to end as much in vain?

  834

  To whom thus Zephon, answering scorn with scorn:

  835

  “Think not, revolted 3177 Spirit, thy shape the same,

  836

  Or undiminished brightness, to be known

  837

  As when thou stood’st in Heav’n upright and pure.

  838

  That glory then, when thou no more wast good,

  839

  Departed from thee, and thou resembl’st now

  840

  Thy sin and place of doom,3178 obscure and foul.

  841

  But come, for thou, be sure, shalt give account

  842

  To him who sent us, whose charge is to keep

  843

  This place inviolable, and these from harm.

  844

  So spoke the Cherub, and his grave rebuke,

  845

  Severe in youthful beauty, added grace

  846

  Invincible. Abashed the Devil stood,

  847

  And felt how awful 3179 goodness is, and saw

  848

  Virtue in her sh
ape how lovely, saw and pined 3180

  849

  His loss, but chiefly to find here observed

  850

  His luster visibly impaired, yet seemed

  851

  Undaunted. “If I must contend,”3181 said he,

  852