202
Of flight pursued in th’ air, and o’er the ground,
203
One way the self-same hour? Why in the east
204
Darkness ere day’s mid-course, and morning-light
205
More orient5849 in yon western cloud, that draws
206
O’er the blue firmament a radiant white,
207
And slow descends with something Heavenly fraught?”5850
208
He erred not, for by this5851 the Heav’nly bands
209
Down from a sky of jasper5852 lighted now
210
In Paradise, and on a hill made halt—
211
A glorious apparition,5853 had not doubt
212
And carnal5854 fear that day dimmed Adam’s eye.
213
Not that more glorious5855 when the Angels met
214
Jacob in Mahanaim,5856 where he saw
215
The field pavilioned5857 with His5858 guardians bright,
216
Nor that, which on the flaming mount appeared
217
In Dothan,5859 covered with a camp of fire,
218
Against the Syrian king, who to surprise
219
One man,5860 assassin-like,5861 had levied 5862 war,
220
War unproclaimed. The princely Hierarch5863
221
In their bright stand 5864 there left his Powers, to seize
222
Possession of the Garden. He alone,
223
To find where Adam sheltered, took his way,
224
Not unperceived of Adam, who to Eve,
225
While the great visitant approached, thus spoke:
226
“Eve, now expect great tidings, which perhaps
227
Of us will soon determine,5865 or impose
228
New laws to be observed, for I descry,
229
From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill,
230
One of the Heav’nly host and, by his gait,
231
None of the meanest,5866 some great Potentate
232
Or of the Thrones above, such majesty
233
Invests5867 him coming, yet not terrible
234
(That I should fear) nor sociably5868 mild
235
As Raphael (that I should much confide)5869
236
But solemn and sublime,5870 whom not t’ offend
237
With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.”
238
He ended, and the Arch-Angel soon drew nigh,
239
Not in his shape celestial, but as man
240
Clad to meet man. Over his lucid5871 arms5872
241
A military vest 5873 of purple flowed,
242
Livelier5874 than Meliboean5875 or the grain5876
243
Of Sarra,5877 worn by kings and heroes old
244
In time of truce. Iris5878 had dipped the woof.5879
245
His starry helm,5880 unbuckled, showed him prime
246
In manhood where youth ended; by his side,
247
As in a glistering zodiac,5881 hung the sword,
248
Satan’s dire dread,5882 and in his hand the spear.
249
Adam bowed low; he,5883 kingly, from his state5884
250
Inclined not, but his coming thus declared:
251
“Adam, Heav’n’s high beh’est 5885 no preface needs.
252
Sufficient that thy prayers are heard, and Death,
253
Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress,
254
Defeated of his seizure many days
255
Giv’n thee of grace, wherein thou may’st repent,
256
And one bad act with many deeds well done
257
May’st cover.5886 Well may then thy Lord, appeased,
258
Redeem thee quite5887 from Death’s rapacious5888 claim.
259
But longer in this Paradise to dwell
260
Permits not: to remove thee I am come,
261
And send thee from the garden forth to till 5889
262
The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil.”
263
He added not, for Adam at the news
264
Heart-struck with chilling grip of sorrow stood,
265
That all his senses bound.5890 Eve, who unseen
266
Yet all had heard, with audible lament
267
Discovered5891 soon5892 the place of her retire:5893
268
“O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death!
269
Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? Thus leave
270
Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades,
271
Fit haunt of Gods? Where I had hope to spend,
272
Quiet though sad, the respite5894 of that day
273
That must be mortal 5895 to us both. O flow’rs
274
That never will in other climate grow,
275
My early visitation,5896 and my last
276
At ev’n, which I bred up with tender5897 hand
277
From the first op’ning bud, and gave ye names,
278
Who now shall rear ye to the sun? or rank5898
279
Your tribes, and water 5899 from th’ ambrosial fount?
280
Thee lastly, nuptial bow’r, by me adorned
281
With what to sight or smell was sweet: from thee
282
How shall I part? and whither wander down
283
Into a lower world, to5900 this obscure5901
284
And wild? How shall we breathe in other air
285
Less pure, accustomed5902 to immortal fruits?”
286
Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild:
287
“Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign
288
What justly thou hast lost, nor set thy heart,
289
Thus over-fond,5903 on that which is not thine.
290
Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes
291
Thy husband, whom to follow thou art bound.
292
Where he abides, think there thy native soil.”
293
Adam, by this from the cold sudden damp5904
294
Recovering, and his scattered spirits returned,
295
To Michael thus his humble words addressed:
296
“Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or named
297
Of them the highest, for such of shape may seem
298
Prince above Princes, gently hast thou told
299
Thy message, which might else in telling wound,
300
And in performing5905 end us. What besides
301
Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair,
302
Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring,
303
Departure from this happy place, our sweet
304
Recess,5906 and only
consolation left
305
Familiar to our eyes. All places else
306
Inhospitable appear, and desolate,
307
Nor knowing us, nor known. And if by prayer
308
Incessant I could hope to change the will
309
Of Him who all things can, I would not cease
310
To weary Him with my assiduous5907 cries.
311
But prayer against His absolute decree
312
No more avails than breath against the wind,
313
Blown stifling5908 back on him that breathes it forth.
314
Therefore to His great bidding I submit.
315
“This most afflicts me that, departing hence,
316
As from His face I shall be hid, deprived
317
His blessèd count’nance. Here I could frequent5909
318
With worship place by place where He vouchsafed
319
Presence Divine, and to my sons relate
320
On this mount He appeared, under this tree
321
Stood visible, among these pines His voice
322
I heard, here with Him at this fountain talked.
323
So many grateful 5910 altars I would rear
324
Of grassy turf, and pile up every stone
325
Of luster from the brook, in memory,
326
Or monument to ages, and theron
327
Offer sweet-smelling gums, and fruits, and flow’rs.
328
In yonder nether5911 world where shall I seek
329
His bright appearances, or foot-step trace?
330
For though I fled Him angry, yet recalled
331
To life, prolonged and promised race,5912 I now
332
Gladly behold though but His utmost5913 skirts5914
333
Of glory, and far off His steps adore.”
334
To whom thus Michael, with regard benign:
335
“Adam, thou know’st Heav’n His, and all the earth,
336
Not this rock only. His omnipresence fills
337
Land, sea, and air, and every kind5915 that lives,
338
Fomented5916 by His virtual 5917 power and warmed.
339
All th’ earth He gave thee to possess and rule:
340
No despicable5918 gift. Surmise not then
341
His presence to these narrow bounds confined
342
Of Paradise, or Eden. This had been
343
Perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread
344
All generations, and had hither come
345
From all the ends of th’ earth, to celebrate
346
And reverence thee, their great progenitor.
347
But this pre-eminence thou hast lost, brought down
348
To dwell on even5919 ground now with thy sons.
349
Yet doubt not but in valley, and in plain,
350
God is as here, and will be found alike
351
Present, and of His presence many a sign
352
Still following thee, still compassing thee round
353
With goodness and paternal love, His face
354
Express,5920 and of His steps the track divine.
355
Which that thou may’st believe, and be confirmed
356
Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent
357
To show thee what shall come in future days
358
To thee, and to thy offspring. Good with bad
359
Expect to hear, supernal 5921 grace contending5922
360
With sinfulness of men, thereby to learn
361
True patience, and to temper 5923 joy with fear
362
And pious sorrow, equally inured
363
By moderation either state to bear,
364
Prosperous or adverse. So shalt thou lead
365
Safest thy life, and best prepared endure
366
Thy mortal5924 passage when it comes.
“Ascend
367
This hill. Let Eve ( for I have drenched5925 her eyes)
368
Here sleep below, while thou to foresight 5926 wak’st,
369
As once thou slept’st, while she to life was formed.”
370
To whom thus Adam gratefully replied:
371
“Ascend, I follow thee, safe guide, the path
372
Thou lead’st me, and to th’ hand of Heav’n submit,
373
However chast’ning. To the evil turn5927
374
My obvious5928 breast, arming to overcome
375
By suffering, and earn rest from labor won,
376
If so I may attain.”
So both ascend
377
In the visions of God.5929 It was a hill,
378
Of Paradise the highest, from whose top
379
The hemisphere of earth, in clearest ken,5930
380
Stretched out5931 to amplest reach of prospect5932 lay.
381
Not higher that hill, nor wider looking round,
382
Whereon, for different cause, the Tempter set
383
Our second Adam,5933 in the wilderness,
384
To show him all earth’s kingdoms, and their glory.
385
His5934 eye might there command wherever stood
386
City of old or modern fame, the seat
387
Of mightiest empire, from the destined walls
388
Of Cambalu,5935 seat of Cathaian Can,5936
389
And Samarchand5937 by Oxus,5938 Temir’s throne,
390
To Paquin5939 of Sinaean5940 kings, and thence
391
To Agra5941 and Lahor5942 of great Mogul,
392
Down to the golden Chersonese,5943 or where
393
The Persian in Ecbatan5944 sat, or since
394
In Hispahan,5945 or where the Russian Tsar
395
In Moscow, or the Sultan in Bizance,5946
396
Turkestan-born,5947 nor could his eye not ken5948
397
The empire of Negus5949 to his utmost port
398
Ercoco,5950 and the less maritime kings
399
Mombaza,5951 and Quiloa,5952 and Melind,5953
400
And Sofala,5954 thought5955 Ophir,5956 to the realm
401
Of Congo, and Angola farthest south,
402
Or thence, from Niger flood5957 to Atlas5958 mount,
403
The kingdoms of Almansor,5959 Fez and Sus,5960
404
Morocco, and Algiers, and Tremisen,5961
405
On Europe thence, and where Rome was to sway
406
The world. In spirit perhaps he also saw
407
Rich Mexico, the seat of Montezume,5962
> 408
And Cusco5963 in Peru, the richer seat
409
Of Atabalipa,5964 and yet unspoiled
410
Guiana, whose great city Geryon’s5965 sons
411
Call El Dorado. But to nobler sights
The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Page 57
