Abundance, fit to honour and receive 315 320 To whom thus Eve: Adam, earth's hallow'd mould, Of God inspired, small store will serve, where store, All seasons, ripe for use hangs on the stalk, Save what by frugal storing firmness gains To nourish, and superfluous moist consumes: But I will haste, and from each bow and brake, Each plant and juciest gourd, will pluck such choice To entertain our Angel guest, as he Beholding shall confess, that here on Earth 325 335 God hath dispensed his bounties as in Heav'n. 330 340 345 Mean while our primitive great sire, to meet 350 His god-like guest, walks forth, without more train 333. Choice to choose: an alliteration not uncommon to Milton or the classics. 340. In Pontus, part of Asia; the Punic coast, Africa; the kingdom of Alcinous, Phoacia, an island in the Ionian Sea, near Corfu. 345. Meaths, sweet drinks. 390 352. With should be expunged according to Bentley, as it is superfluous. 378. Pomona, the goddess of fruit-trees. 382. In allusion to the judgment of Paris between Venus, Juno, and Minerva. Have heap'd this table. Raised of grassy turf 396 400 The earth to yield; unsav'ry food perhaps That one celestial Father gives to all. To whom the Angel: Therefore, what he gives (Whose praise be ever sung) to Man in part 405 Spiritual, may of purest Spirits be found No' ingrateful food: and food alike those pure As doth your rational; and both contain Within them ev'ry lower faculty 410 Of sense, whereby they hear, see, smell, touch, taste, Tasting concoct, digest, assimilate, And corporeal to incorporeal turn. For know, whatever was created, needs To be sustain'd and fed: of elements 415 The grosser feeds the purer; earth the sea, Earth and the sea feed air; the air those fires Whence in her visage round those spots, unpurged 428 From her moist continent to higher orbs. The Sun, that light imparts to all, receives In humid exhalations, and at even 425 Sups with the ocean. Though in Heav'n the trees 430 421. A Latinism. 426. See Ps. cv. 40. Exodus xvi. 14. Matt. xxiv. 29. and Rev xxii. 2. Vary'd his bounty so with new delights, As may compare with Heaven; and to taste 435 Of real hunger and concoctive heat To transubstantiate: what redounds, transpires Through Spirits with ease: nor wonder, if by fire Of sooty coal th' empyric alchemist 440 Can turn, or holds it possible to turn, As from the mine. Mean while at table Eve With pleasant liquors crown'd. O innocence Then had the sons of God excuse to' have been Enamour'd at thy sight; but in those hearts Love unlibidinous reign'd, nor jealousy Was understood, the injured lover's Hell. 445 450 Thus, when with meats and drinks they had sufficed, Not burden'd nature, sudden mind arose In Adam, not to let th' occasion pass Giv'n him by this great conference, to know 455 460 465 As that more willingly thou couldst not seem 435. It was the opinion of most theologians that the angels did not eat, their opinion being founded on some metaphysical notions, and on a passage in Tobit iii. 19. But Milton seems to be justified by the canonical Scripture. See Gen. xviii. and xix. 438 This is a fine distinction between the processes of diges men and angels. tion 440. Empyric, making many experiments. 445. To crown the cup, is a classical expression. 447. Gen. vi. 2. K 128 PARADISE LOST. {pare ! 470 475 At Heav'n's high feasts to' have fed: yet what com- 481 To intellectual: give both life and sense, 485 Is oftest yours; the latter most is ours, Diff'ring but in degree; of kind the same. 490 Wonder not then, what God for you saw good, If I refuse not, but convert, as you, To proper substance: time may come, when Men With Angels may participate, and find 495 And from these corp'ral nutriments, perhaps 500 Here or in heav'nly Paradises dwell; If ye be found obedient, and retain Whose progeny you are. Mean while enjoy Your fill what happiness this happy state 478. The reader may very profitably consult a volume of ser mons lately published by Dr. A. Clarke, in which he will find some excellent observations on Milton's materialism. I am inclined, however, to believe that the poet meant to convey no other idea than that derived from 1 Cor. xv. 44. 503. Acts xvii. 28. |