The Complete Poetry of John Milton (102 page)

   330     
Transgrest, inevitably thou shalt dye;
²⁶

               
From that day mortal, and this happie State

               
Shalt loose, expell’d from hence into a World

               
Of woe and sorrow. Sternly he pronounc’d

               
The rigid interdiction, which resounds

   335     
Yet dreadful in mine ear, though in my choice

               
Not to incur; but soon his cleer aspect

               
Return’d and gracious purpose thus renew’d.

               
Not onely these fair bounds, but all the Earth

               
To thee and to thy Race I give; as Lords

   340     
Possess it, and all things that therein live,

               
Or live in Sea, or Air, Beast, Fish, and Fowl.

               
In signe whereof each Bird and Beast behold

               
After thir kinds; I bring them to receave

               
From thee thir Names, and pay thee fealtie

   345     
With low subjection; understand the same

               
Of Fish within thir watry residence,

               
Not hither summond, since they cannot change

               
Thir Element to draw the thinner Air.

               
As thus he spake, each Bird and Beast behold

   350     
Approaching two and two, these cowring low

               
With blandishment, each Bird stoop’d on his wing.

               
I nam’d them, as they pass’d, and understood

               
Thir Nature, with such knowledge God endu’d

               
My sudden apprehension: but in these

   355     
I found not what me thought I wanted still;

               
And to the Heav’nly vision thus presum’d.

           
      
       O by what Name, for thou above all these,

               
Above mankind, or aught then mankind higher,

               
Surpassest farr my naming, how may I

   360     
Adore thee, Author of this Universe,

               
And all this good to man, for whose well being

               
So amply, and with hands so liberal

               
Thou hast provided all things: but with mee

               
I see not who partakes. In solitude

   365     
What happiness, who can enjoy alone,

               
Or all enjoying, what contentment find?

               
Thus I presumptuous; and the vision bright,

               
As with a smile more bright’n’d, thus repli’d.

           
      
       What call’st thou solitude, is not the Earth

   370     
With various living creatures, and the Air

               
Replenisht, and all these at thy command

               
To come and play before thee, know’st thou not

               
Thir language and thir wayes, they also know,

               
And reason not contemptibly; with these

   375     
Find pastime, and bear rule; thy Realm is large.

               
So spake the Universal Lord, and seem’d

               
So ordering. I with leave of speech implor’d,

               
And humble deprecation thus repli’d.

           
      
       Let not my words offend thee, Heav’nly Power,

   380     
My Maker, be propitious while I speak.

               
Hast thou not made me here thy substitute,

               
And these inferiour farr beneath me set?

               
Among unequals what societie

               
Can sort,
²⁷
what harmonie or true delight?

   385     
Which must be mutual, in proportion due

               
Giv’n and receiv’d; but in disparitie

               
The one intense, the other still remiss
²⁸

               
Cannot well suit with either, but soon prove

               
Tedious alike: Of fellowship I speak

   390     
Such as I seek, fit to participate

               
All rational delight, wherein the brute

               
Cannot be human consort; they rejoyce

               
Each with thir kind, Lion with Lioness;

               
So fitly them in pairs thou hast combin’d;

   395     
Much less can Bird with Beast, or Fish with Fowl

               
So well converse, nor with the Ox the Ape;

               
Wors then can Man with Beast, and least of all.

           
      
       Whereto th’ Almighty answer’d, not displeas’d.

               
A nice
²⁹
and suttle happiness I see

   400     
Thou to thy self proposest, in the choice

               
Of thy Associates,
Adam
, and wilt taste

               
No pleasure, though in pleasure, solitarie.

               
What thinkst thou then of mee, and this my State,

               
Seem I to thee sufficiently possest

   405     
Of happiness, or not? who am alone

               
From all Eternitie, for none I know

               
Second to me or like, equal much less.

               
How have I then with whom to hold converse

               
Save with the Creatures which I made, and those

   410     
To me inferiour, infinite descents

               
Beneath what other Creatures are to thee?

           
      
       He ceas’d, I lowly answer’d. To attain

               
The highth and depth of thy Eternal wayes

               
All human thoughts come short, Supream of things;

   415     
Thou in thy self art perfet, and in thee

               
Is no deficience found; not so is Man,

               
But in degree, the cause of his desire

               
By conversation with his like to help,

               
Or solace his defects. No need that thou

   420     
Shouldst propagat, already infinite;

               
And through all numbers absolute,
³⁰
though One;

               
But Man by number is to manifest

               
His single imperfection, and beget

               
Like of his like, his Image multipli’d,

   425     
In unitie defective, which requires

               
Collateral love, and deerest amitie.

               
Thou in thy secresie although alone,

               
Best with thy self accompanied, seek’st not

               
Social communication, yet so pleas’d,

   430     
Canst raise thy Creature to what highth thou wilt

               
Of Union or Communion, deifi’d;

               
I by conversing cannot these erect

               
From prone, nor in thir wayes complacence find.

               
Thus I embold’n’d spake, and freedom us’d

   435     
Permissive, and acceptance found, which gain’d

               
This answer from the gratious voice Divine.

           
      
       Thus farr to try thee,
Adam
, I was pleas’d,

               
And find thee knowing not of Beasts alone,

               
Which thou hast rightly nam’d, but of thy self,

   440     
Expressing well the spirit within thee free,

               
My Image, not imparted to the Brute,

               
Whose fellowship therefore unmeet for thee

               
Good reason was thou freely shouldst dislike,

               
And be so minded still; I, ere thou spak’st,

   445     
Knew it not good for Man to be alone,

               
And no such companie as then thou saw’st

               
Intended thee, for trial onely brought,

               
To see how thou could’st judge of fit and meet:

               
What next I bring shall please thee, be assur’d,

   450     
Thy likeness, thy fit help, thy other self,

               
Thy wish exactly to thy hearts desire.

           
      
       Hee ended, or I heard no more, for now

               
My earthly
³¹
by his Heav’nly overpowerd,

               
Which it had long stood under, streind to th’ highth

   455     
In that celestial Colloquie sublime,

               
As with an object that excels the sense,

               
Dazl’d and spent, sunk down, and sought repair

               
Of sleep, which instantly fell on me, call’d

               
By Nature as in aid, and clos’d mine eyes.

   460     
Mine eyes he clos’d, but op’n left the Cell

               
Of Fancie my internal sight, by which

               
Abstract as in a transe methought I saw,

               
Though sleeping, where I lay, and saw the shape

               
Still glorious before whom awake I stood;

   465     
Who stooping op’n’d my left side, and took

               
From thence a Rib, with cordial spirits
³²
warm,

               
And life-blood streaming fresh; wide was the wound,

               
But suddenly with flesh fill’d up and heal’d:

               
The Rib he formd and fashiond with his hands;

   470     
Under his forming hands a Creature grew,

               
Manlike, but different sex, so lovely fair,

               
That what seemd fair in all the World, seemd now

               
Mean, or in her summ’d up, in her containd

               
And in her looks, which from that time infus’d

   475     
Sweetness into my heart, unfelt before,

               
And into all things from her Air inspir’d

               
The spirit of love and amorous delight.

               
Shee disappeerd, and left me dark, I wak’d

               
To find her, or for ever to deplore

   480     
Her loss, and other pleasures all abjure:

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

               
Such as I saw her in my dream, adornd

               
With what all Earth or Heaven could bestow

               
To make her amiable: On she came,

   485     
Led by her Heav’nly Maker, though unseen,

               
And guided by his voice, nor uninformd

               
Of nuptial Sanctitie and marriage Rites:

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

               
In every gesture dignitie and love.