The Complete Poetry of John Milton (78 page)

   270     
Her self a fairer Flowr by gloomie
Dis

               
Was gatherd,
²¹
which cost
Ceres
all that pain

               
To seek her through the world; nor that sweet Grove

               
Of
Daphne
²²
by
Orontes
, and th’ inspir’d

               
Castalian
Spring might with this Paradise

   275     
Of
Eden
strive; nor that
Nyseian
Ile
²³

               
Girt with the River
Triton
, where old
Cham
²⁴

               
Whom Gentiles
Ammon
call and
Lybian Jove
,

               
Hid
Amalthea
and her Florid Son

               
Young
Bacchus
from his Stepdame
Rhea’s
eye;

   280     
Nor where
Abassin
²⁵
Kings thir issue Guard,

               
Mount
Amara
, though this by som suppos’d

               
True Paradise under the
Ethiop
Line
²⁶

               
By
Nilus
head, enclos’d with shining Rock,

               
A whole dayes journey high, but wide remote

   285     
From this
Assyrian
Garden, where the Fiend

               
Saw undelighted all delight, all kind

               
Of living Creatures new to sight and strange:

               
Two of far nobler shape erect and tall,

               
Godlike erect, with native Honour clad

   290     
In naked Majestie seemd Lords of all,

               
And worthie seemd, for in thir looks Divine

               
The image of thir glorious Maker shon,

               
Truth, Wisdom, Sanctitude severe and pure,

               
Severe, but in true filial freedom plac’t;

   295     
Whence true autoritie in men; though both

               
Not equal, as thir sex not equal seemd;

               
For contemplation hee and valour formd,

               
For softness shee and sweet attractive Grace,

               
Hee for God only, shee for God in him:

   300     
His fair large Front and Eye sublime
²⁷
declar’d

               
Absolute rule; and Hyacinthin Locks

               
Round from his parted forelock manly hung

               
Clustring, but not beneath his shoulders broad:

               
Shee as a vail down to the slender waste

   305     
Her unadorned golden tresses wore

               
Dissheveld, but in wanton
²⁸
ringlets wav’d

               
As the Vine curls her tendrils, which impli’d

               
Subjection,
²⁹
but requir’d with gentle sway,
³⁰

               
And by her yeilded, by him best receiv’d,

   310     
Yeilded with coy submission, modest pride,

               
And sweet reluctant amorous delay.

               
Nor those mysterious parts were then conceald,

               
Then was not guiltie shame, dishonest
³¹
shame

               
Of natures works, honor dishonorable,

   315     
Sin-bred, how have ye troubl’d all mankind

               
With shews instead, meer shews of seeming pure,

               
And banisht from mans life his happiest life,

               
Simplicitie and spotless innocence.

               
So pass’d they naked on, nor shund the sight

   320     
Of God or Angel, for they thought no ill:

               
So hand in hand
³²
they pass’d, the loveliest pair

               
That ever since in loves imbraces met,

               
Adam
³³
the goodliest man of men since born

               
His Sons, the fairest of her Daughters
Eve.
³⁴

   325     
Under a tuft of shade that on a green

               
Stood whispering soft, by a fresh Fountain side

               
They sat them down, and after no more toil

               
Of thir sweet Gardning labour then suffic’d

               
To recommend cool
Zephyr
, and made ease

   330     
More easie, wholsom thirst and appetite

               
More grateful, to thir Supper Fruits they fell,

               
Nectarine Fruits which the compliant boughs

               
Yeilded them, side-long as they sat recline

               
On the soft downie Bank damaskt with flowrs:

   335     
The savourie pulp they chew, and in the rind

               
Still as they thirsted scoop the brimming stream;

               
Nor gentle purpose,
³⁵
nor endearing smiles

               
Wanted, nor youthful dalliance as beseems

               
Fair couple, linkt in happie nuptial League,

   340     
Alone as they. About them frisking playd

               
All Beasts of th’ Earth, since wild, and of all chase

               
In Wood or Wilderness, Forrest or Den;

               
Sporting the Lion ramp’d, and in his paw

               
Dandl’d the Kid; Bears, Tygers, Ounces, Pards

   345     
Gambold before them, th’ unwieldy Elephant

               
To make them mirth us’d all his might, and wreath’d

               
His Lithe Proboscis; close the Serpent sly

               
Insinuating,
³⁶
wove with Gordian twine

               
His breaded train, and of his fatal guile

   350     
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass

               
Coucht, and now fild with pasture gazing sat,

               
Or Bedward ruminating: for the Sun

               
Declin’d was hasting now with prone carreer
³⁷

               
To th’ Ocean Iles,
³⁸
and in th’ ascending Scale

   355     
Of Heav’n the Starrs that usher Evening rose:

               
When
Satan
still in gaze, as first he stood,

               
Scarce thus at length faild speech recoverd sad.

           
      
       O Hell! what doe mine eyes with grief behold,

               
Into our room of bliss thus high advanc’t

   360     
Creatures of other mould, earth-born perhaps,

               
Not Spirits, yet to heav’nly Spirits bright

               
Little inferior; whom my thoughts pursue

               
With wonder, and could love, so lively shines

               
In them Divine resemblance, and such grace

   365     
The hand that formd them on thir shape hath pourd

               
Ah gentle pair, yee little think how nigh

               
Your change approaches, when all these delights

               
Will vanish and deliver ye to woe,

               
More woe, the more your taste is now of joy;

   370     
Happie, but for so happie ill secur’d

               
Long to continue, and this high seat your Heav’n

               
Ill fenc’t for Heav’n to keep out such a foe

               
As now is enterd; yet no purpos’d foe

               
To you whom I could pittie thus forlorn

   375     
Though I unpittied: League with you I seek,

               
And mutual amitie so streight, so close,

               
That I with you must dwell, or you with me

               
Henceforth; my dwelling haply may not please

               
Like this fair Paradise, your sense, yet such

   380     
Accept your Makers work; he gave it me,

               
Which I as freely give; Hell shall unfold,

               
To entertain you two, her widest Gates,

               
And send forth all her Kings; there will be room,

               
Not like these narrow limits, to receive

   385     
Your numerous ofspring; if no better place,

               
Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge

               
On you who wrong me not for him who wrong’d.

               
And should I at your harmless innocence

               
Melt, as I doe, yet public reason just,

   390     
Honour and Empire with revenge enlarg’d,

               
By conquering this new World, compels me now

               
To do what else though damnd I should abhorr.

           
      
       So spake the Fiend, and with necessitie,

               
The Tyrants plea, excus’d his devilish deeds.

   395     
Then from his loftie stand on that high Tree

               
Down he alights among the sportful Herd

               
Of those fourfooted kinds, himself now one,

               
Now other, as thir shape serv’d best his end

               
Neerer to view his prey, and unespi’d

   400     
To mark what of thir state he more might learn

               
By word or action markt: about them round

               
A Lion now he stalks with fierie glare,

               
Then as a Tiger, who by chance hath spi’d

               
In some Purlieu two gentle Fawns at play,

   405     
Strait couches close, then rising changes oft

               
His couchant watch, as one who chose his ground

               
Whence rushing he might surest seise them both

               
Grip’t in each paw: when
Adam
first of men

               
To first of women
Eve
thus moving speech,

   410     
Turnd him all ear to hear new utterance flow.

           
      
       Sole partner and sole part of all these joyes,

               
Dearer thy self then all; needs must the Power

               
That made us, and for us this ample World

               
Be infinitly good, and of his good

   415     
As liberal and free as infinite,

               
That rais’d us from the dust and plac’t us here

               
In all this happiness, who at his hand

               
Have nothing merited, nor can perform

               
Aught whereof hee hath need, hee who requires

   420     
From us no other service then to keep

               
This one, this easie charge, of all the Trees

               
In Paradise that bear delicious fruit

               
So various, not to taste that onely Tree

               
Of knowledge, planted by the Tree of Life,