The Complete Poetry of John Milton (104 page)
Read The Complete Poetry of John Milton Online
Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
650
With grateful Memorie: thou to mankind
Be good and friendly still, and oft return.
So parted they, the Angel up to Heav’n
From the thick shade, and
Adam
to his Bowr.
1
Compare Milton’s rendering of
Ps. 8
, 9–11.
2
carry out their duty (of supplying); see also “officious,” l. 99.
3
dark.
4
small and fixed in space (like a point).
5
regard with wonder.
6
immeasurable.
7
procession.
8
mild of manner.
9
far from the truth.
10
invent theories to explain astronomical phenomena, such as the rotation of a sphere with the earth as center or not as center of the universe, moving in full orbit of itself or in a small circle whose center lay on the circumference of a large circle (orbit within an orbit).
11
magnetic attraction.
12
imperceptibly; the three motions are rotation, revolution around the sun, and polar rotation around the ecliptic (the apparent path of the sun).
13
the angles between the planes of the planets’ equators and their orbits; each sphere’s obliquity intersects another sphere’s. That is, the movements of the spheres are transverse.
14
the primum mobile.
15
of the sun (direct) and of the moon (reflected).
16
evidently disputable (since there are so many and they give off so little light).
17
unimpeded.
18
(which come) as a result of.
19
unknown.
20
make (obedience) a habit.
21
walked.
22
The description of Eden (through l. 499) is drawn from Gen. ii. 8–9, 15–24.
23
had shown a vision which seemed real.
24
submissive.
25
agency.
26
explained by ll. 331–32.
27
be in harmony, be suitable.
28
the one deeply concerned (taut), the other always careless (slack).
29
discriminating.
30
in all things perfect.
31
(nature).
32
spirits of the heart.
33
compliant.
34
the nightingale.
35
perfect.
36
self-esteem.
37
procreative.
38
Cape Verde (“green”) and the islands of the same name.
39
in the West.
THE ARGUMENT
Satan
having compast the Earth, with meditated guile returns as a mist by Night into Paradise, enters into the Serpent sleeping.
Adam
and
Eve
in the Morning go forth to thir labours, which
Eve
proposes to divide in several places, each labouring apart:
Adam
consents not, alledging the danger, lest that Enemy, of whom they were forewarn’d, should attempt her found alone:
Eve
loath to be thought not circumspect or firm enough, urges her going apart, the rather desirous to make tryal of her strength;
Adam
at last yields: The Serpent finds her alone; his subtle approach, first gazing, then speaking, with much flattery extolling
Eve
above all other Creatures.
Eve
wondring to hear the Serpent speak, asks how he attain’d to human speech and such understanding not till now; the Serpent answers, that by tasting of a certain Tree in the Garden he attain’d both to Speech and Reason, till then void of both:
Eve
requires him to bring her to that Tree, and finds it to be the Tree of Knowledge forbidden: The Serpent now grown bolder, with many wiles and arguments induces her at length to eat; she pleas’d with the taste deliberates awhile whether to impart thereof to
Adam
or not, at last brings him of the Fruit, relates what perswaded her to eat thereof:
Adam
at first amaz’d, but perceiving her lost, resolves through vehemence of love to perish with her; and extenuating the trespass eats also of the Fruit: The Effects thereof in them both; they seek to cover thir nakedness; then fall to variance and accusation of one another.
No more of talk where God or Angel Guest
With Man, as with his Friend, familiar us’d
To sit indulgent, and with him partake
Rural repast, permitting him the while
5
Venial
1
discourse unblam’d: I now must change
Those Notes to Tragic; foul distrust, and breach
Disloyal on the part of Man, revolt,
And disobedience: On the part of Heav’n
Now alienated, distance and distaste,
10
Anger and just rebuke, and judgement giv’n,
That brought into this World a world of woe,
Sin and her shadow Death, and Miserie
Deaths Harbinger: Sad task, yet argument
Not less but more Heroic then the wrauth
15
Of stern
Achilles
on his Foe pursu’d
2
Thrice Fugitive about
Troy
Wall; or rage
Of
Turnus
for
Lavinia
disespous’d,
Or
Neptun
’s ire or
Juno
’s, that so long
Perplex’d the
Greek
and
Cytherea
’s Son;
20
If answerable style I can obtain
Of my Celestial Patroness,
3
who deignes
Her nightly visitation unimplor’d,
And dictates to me slumbring, or inspires
Easie my unpremeditated Verse:
25
Since first this Subject for Heroic Song
Pleas’d me long choosing, and beginning late;
Not sedulous by Nature to indite
Warrs, hitherto the onely Argument
Heroic deem’d, chief maistrie to dissect
30
With long and tedious havoc fabl’d Knights
In Battels feign’d; the better fortitude
Of Patience and Heroic Martyrdom
Unsung; or to describe Races and Games,
Or tilting Furniture,
4
emblazon’d Shields,
35
Impreses
5
quaint, Caparisons and Steeds;
Bases
6
and tinsel Trappings, gorgious Knights
At Joust and Torneament; then marshal’d Feast
Serv’d up in Hall with Sewers,
7
and Seneshals;
The skill of Artifice or Office mean,
40
Not that which justly gives Heroic name
To Person or to Poem. Mee of these
Nor skill’d nor studious, higher Argument
Remains, sufficient of it self to raise
That name, unless an age too late,
8
or cold
45
Climat,
9
or Years damp my intended wing
Deprest, and much they may, if all be mine,
Not Hers who brings it nightly to my Ear.
The Sun was sunk, and after him the Starr
Of
Hesperus
, whose Office is to bring
50
Twilight upon the Earth, short Arbiter
Twixt Day and Night, and now from end to end
Nights Hemisphere had veild th’ Horizon round:
When
Satan
who late fled before the threats
Of
Gabriel
out of
Eden
, now improv’d
55
In meditated fraud and malice, bent
On mans destruction, maugre what might hap
Of heavier on himself, fearless return’d.
By Night he fled, and at Midnight return’d
From compassing the Earth, cautious of day,
60
Since
Uriel
Regent of the Sun descri’d
His entrance, and forewarnd the Cherubim
That kept thir watch; thence full of anguish driv’n,
The space of
seven
continu’d Nights
10
he rode
With darkness, thrice the Equinoctial Line
65
He circl’d, four times cross’d the Carr of Night
From Pole to Pole, traversing each Colure;
On th’ eighth return’d, and on the Coast averse
From entrance or Cherubic Watch, by stealth
Found unsuspected way. There was a place,
70
Now not, though Sin, not Time, first wraught the change,
Where
Tigris
at the foot of Paradise
Into a Gulf shot under ground, till part
Rose up a Fountain by the Tree of Life;
In with the River sunk, and with it rose
75
Satan involv’d in rising Mist, then sought
Where to lie hid; Sea he had searcht and Land
From
Eden
over
Pontus
,
11
and the Pool
Mæotis
, up beyond the River
Ob;
Downward as farr Antartic; and in length
80
West from
Orontes
12
to the Ocean barr’d
At
Darien
,
13
thence to the Land where flows
Ganges
and
Indus:
thus the Orb he roam’d
With narrow search; and with inspection deep
Consider’d every Creature, which of all
85
Most opportune might serve his Wiles, and found
The Serpent suttlest Beast of all the Field.
Him after long debate, irresolute
Of thoughts revolv’d,
14
his final sentence chose
Fit Vessel, fittest Imp of fraud, in whom
90
To enter, and his dark suggestions hide
From sharpest sight: for in the wilie Snake,
Whatever sleights none would suspicious mark,
As from his wit and native suttletie
Proceeding, which in other Beasts observ’d
95
Doubt might beget of Diabolic pow’r
Active within beyond the sense of brute.
Thus he resolv’d, but first from inward grief
His bursting passion into plaints thus pour’d:
O Earth, how like to Heav’n, if not preferr’d