Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down | I fung of chaos and eternal night;
Into this gloom of Tartarus profound, To fit in hateful office here confin'd," Inhabitant of heaven, and heavenly born, Here in perpetual agony and pain,
With terrors and with clamours compafs'd round Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed? Thou art my father, thou my author, thou My being gav'ft me, whom thould I obey But thee? whom follow thou wilt bring me foon To that new world of light and blifs, among The gods who live at eafe, where I fhall reign At thy right hand voluptuous, as beseems Thy daughter and thy darling, without end.
Thus faying, from her fide the fatal key, Sad inftrument of all our woe, she took; And tow'rds the gate rolling her beftial train, Forthwith the huge portcullis high up drew; Which, but herself, not all the Stygian powers Could once have mov'd then in the key-hole
Th' intricate wards, and every bolt and bar Of massy iron or felid rock with ease. Unfaftens: on a fudden open fly,
With impetuous recoil and jarring found, Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harth thunder, that the lowest bottom shook Of Erebus. She open'd, but to fhut Excell'd her pow'r: the gates wide open stood, That with extended wings a banner'd host, Under fpread enfigns marching, might pafs thro' With horfe and chariots rank'd in loose array; So wide they stood, and like a furnace mouth Caft forth redounding smoke and ruddy flame. Before their eyes in fudden view appear The fecrets of the hoary deep, a dark` Illimitable ocean, without bound,
Without dimenfion, where length, breadth, and height,
And time, and place are loft; where eldest Night And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold Eternal anarchy, amidft the noise Of endless wars, and by confufion stand.
§ 55. Milton's Addrefs to the Sun. HAIL, holy Light, offspring of Heaven
Taught by the heavenly mufe to venture down The dark defcent, and up to reafcend, Though hard and rare: thee I revifit fafe, And feel thy fov'reign vital lamp; but thou Revifit'ft not thefe eyes, that roll in vain To find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn; So thick a drop ferene hath quench'd their orbs, Or dim fuffufion veil'd. Yet not the more Ccafe I to wander, where the mufes haunt Clear fpring, or fhady grove, or funny hill, Smit with the love of facred fong; but chief Thee, Sion, and the flow ry brooks beneath, That wash thy hallow'd feet, and warbling flow, Nightly I vifit: nor fometimes forget Thofe other two equall'd with me in fate, So were I equall'd with them in renown, Blind Thamyris, and blind Mæonides, And Tirefias, and Phineus, prophets old: Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move Harmonious numbers; as the wakeful bird Sings darkling, and in fhadieft covert hid Tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year Seafons return, but not to me returns Day, or the fweet approach of ev'n or morn, Or fight of vernal bloom, or fummer's rofe, Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine; But cloud inftead, and ever-during dark Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair Prefented with a univerfal blank
Of nature's works, to me expung'd and ras'd, And wifdom at one entrance quite fhut out. So much the rather thou, celeftial light, Shine inward, and the mind thro' all her pow'rs Irradiate, there plant eyes, all mift from thence Purge and difperfe, that I may fee and tell Of things invisible to mortal fight.
$56. Address from the Deity to his Sen.
'THOU, in Heaven and Earth the only peace Found out for mankind under wrath, O thou My fole complacence! well thou know'st how dear
To me are all my works, nor man the least, firft-Though laft created; that for him I ipare Thee from my bofom and right hand, to fave, By lofing thee awhile, the whole race loft. Thou therefore, whom thou only canft redeein, Their nature alfo to thy nature join; And be thyfelf Man anong inen on earth, Made flesh, when time fhall be, of virgin feed, By wondrous birth: be thou in Adam's room The head of all mankind, though Adam's fon. As in him perish all men, fo in thee, As from a fecond root, fhall be reftor'd As many as are reftor'd, without thee none. His crime makes guilty all his fons; thy merit Imputed fhall abfolve them who renounce Their own both righteous and unrighteous deeds, And live in thee tranfplanted, and from thee Receive new life. So Man, as is moft juft, Shall fatisfy for Man, be judg'd, and die,
Or of th' Eternal coeternal beam, May I exprefs thee unblam'd? fince God is light, And never but in unapproached light Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee, Bright effluence of bright effence increate. Or hear'st thou rather, pure ethereal stream, Whofe fountain who shall tell? Before the fun, Before the heavens thou wert, and at the voice Of God, as with a mantle, didst invest The rifing world of waters dark and deep, Won from the void and formlefs infinite. Thee I revifit now with bolder wing, Efcap'd the Stygian pool, though long detain'd In that obfcure fojourn; while in my flight Thro' utter and thro' middle darknefs borne, With other notes than to th' Orphan Ivre,
And dying rife, and rifing with him raise His brethren, ranfom'd with his own dear life. So heavenly love fhall outdo hellish hate, Giving to death, and dying to redeem, So dearly to redeem what hellish hate So eafily deftroy'd, and ftill deftroys
In those who, when they may, accept not grace. Nor fhalt thou, by defcending to affume Man's nature, leffen or degrade thine own, Because thou haft, though thron'd in higheft blifs, Equal to God, and equally enjoying Godlike fruition, quitted all, to fave
A world from utter lofs, and haft been found By merit more than birthright Son of God, Found worthieft to be fo by being good, Far more than great or high; becaufe in thee Love hath abounded more than glory' abounds; Therefore thy humiliation fhall exalt With thee thy manhood alfo to this throne; Here shalt thou fit incarnate, here fhalt reign Both God and Man, Son both of God and Man, Anointed univerfal King; all pow'r
I give thee; reign for ever, and affume Thy merits; under thee, as head fupreme, Thrones, princedoms, pow'rs, dominions, I re-
All knees to thee fhall bow, of them that bide In heaven or earth, or under earth in hell. When thou, attended glorioufly from heaven Shalt in the fky appear, and from thee fend The fummoning archangels to proclaim Thy dread tribunal; forthwith from all winds The living, and forthwith the cited dead Of all paft ages, to the general doom Shall haften; fuch a peal fhall roufe their fleep. Then, all thy faints affembled, thou fhalt judge Bad men and angels; they arraign'd shall sink Beneath thy fentence; hell, her numbers full, Thenceforth shall be for ever fhut. Meanwhile The world fhall burn, and from her afhes fpring New heaven and earth, wherein the just shall dwell, And, after all their tribulations long, See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds, With joy and love triumphing, and fair truth: Then thou thy regal fceptre thalt lay by, For regal fceptre then no more fhall need, God fhall be all in all. But all ye Gods, Adore him, who to compafs all this dies; Adore the Son, and honour him as me.
No fooner had th' Almighty ceas'd, but all The multitude of angels, with a shout Loud as from numbers without number, sweet As from blefs'd voices, uttering joy, heaven rung With jubilee, and loud hofannas fill'd Th' eternal regions: lowly reverent, Tow'rds cither throne they bow, and to the ground With folema adoration down they caft Their crowns inwove with amarant and gold; Immortal amarant, a flow'r which once In Paradife, faft by the tree of life, Began to bloom; but foon for man's offence To heaven remov'd, where firft it grew, there
And flow'rs aloft fhading the fount of life,
And where the river of blifs through midst of heaven
Rolls o'er Elyfian flow'rs her amber ftream: With these that never fade, the fpirits elect Bind their refplendent locks, inwreath'd with beams;
Now in loofe garlands thick thrown off, the bright Pavement, that like a sea of jasper thone, Impurpled with celeftial roses mil'd. Then crown'd again, their golden harps they took; Harps ever tun'd, that glittering by their fide Like quivers hung, and with preainble sweet Of charming fymphony they introduce Their facred fong, and waken raptures high; No voice exempt, no voice but well could join Melodious part, fuch concord is in heaven."
§ 57. Satan's Addrefs to the Sun. THOU that, with furpaffing glory crown'd, Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the god Of this new world; at whofe fight all the ftars Hide their diminith'd heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name, ◇ Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what ftate I fell, how giorious once above thy sphere; Till pride, and worse ambition, threw me down, Warring in heaven against heaven's matchless King.
Ah wherefore! he deferv'd no fuch return From me, whom he created what I was, In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard. What could be lefs than to afford him praife, The cafiek recompence, and pay him thanks, How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me, And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high, I 'fdain'd fubjection, and thought one step higher Would fet me highest, and in a moment quit The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burdenfome ftill paying, till to owe, Forgetful what from him I ftill receiv'd; And understood not that a grateful mind By owing owes not, but still pays, at once Indebted and difcharg'd; what burden then? Oh had his powerful deftiny ordain'd Me fome inferior angel, I had ftood Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd Ambition. Yet why not? fome other pow'r As great might have afpir'd, and me though
Drawn to his part; but other pow'rs as great Fell not, but fand unshaken, from within Or from without, to all temptations arm'd. Hadft thou the fame free will and pow 'r to fland Thou hadft: whom haft thou then, or what, t'accufe,
But Heaven's free love, dealt equally to all! Be then his love accurs'd, fince love or hate, To me alike, it deals eternal woe. Nay, curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues. Me miferable which way fhall I fiy
Infinite wrath, and infinite despair? Which way I fly is hell; myfelf am hell; And in the loweft deep a lower deep Still threat'ning to devour me opens wide, To which the hell I fuffer feems a heaven. Oh then at last relent: is there no place Left for repentance, none for pardon left? None left but by fubmiffion: and that word Difdain forbids me, and my dread of shame Among the fpi'rits beneath, whom I feduc'd With other promises and other vaunts Than to fubmit, boafting I could fubdue Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know How dearly I abide that boaft fo vain, Under what torments inwardly I groan, While they adore me on the throne of hell. With diadem and fceptre high advanc'd, The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme In mifery: fuch joy ambition finds. But fay I could repent, and could obtain By act of grace my former ftate; how foon Would height recal high thoughts, how foon unfay
What feign'd fubmiffion swore! eafe would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void. For never can true reconcilement grow Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep: Which would but lead me to a worfe relapfe, And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear Short intermiflion bought with double fmart. This knows my punisher: therefore as far From granting he, as I from begging peace: All hope excluded thus, behold inftead Of us outcaft, exil'd, his new delight, Mankind created, and for him this world. So farewel hope, and with hope farewel fear, Farewel remorfe: all good to me is lost : Evil, be thou my good: by thee at least Divided empire with Heaven's King I hold, By thee, and more than half perhaps will reign; As man ere long, and this new world, shall know.
$58. Defcription of Adam and Eve. TWO of far nobler thape, erect and tall,
Godlike erect, with native honour clad, In naked majefty feem'd lords of all: And worthy feem'd; for in their looks divine The image of their glorious Maker fhone, Truth, wifdom, fanctitude fevere and pure (Severe, but in true filial freedom plac'd), Whence true authority in men: though both Not equal, as their fex not equal feem'd: For contemplation he, and valour form'd; For foftnefs the, and fweet attractive grace; He for God only, the for God in him. His fair large front and eye fublime declar'd Abfolute rule; and hyacinthian locks Round from his parted forclock manly hung Cluft ring, but not beneath his fhoulders broad: She, as a veil, down to the flender waift Her unadorned golden treffes wore Dithevell'd, but in wanton ringlets wav'd, As the vine curls her tendrils, which implied Subjection, but requir'd with gentle fway, And by her yielded, by him beft receiv'd,
Yielded with coy fubmiffion, modeft pride, And sweet reluctant amorous delay. Nor thofe myfterious parts were then conceal'd; Then was not guilty thame, difhonest shame Of nature's works, honour dishonourable, Sin-bred, how have ye troubled all mankind With fhows inftead, mere fhows of feeming pure, And banith'd from man's life his happiest life, Simplicity, and fpotlefs innocence!
So pafs'd they naked on, nor fhunn'd the fight Of God or angel; for they thought no ill: So hand in hand they pafs'd, the loveliest pair That ever fince in love's embraces met; Adam the goodlieft man of men fince born His fons, the fairest of her daughters Eve, Under a tuft of fhade that on a green Stood whifp'ring soft, by a fresh fountain-fide They fat them down; and after no more toil Of their fweet gard'ning labour than fuffic'd To recommend cool Zephyr, and made cafe More eafy, wholefome thirst and appetite More grateful, to their fupper-fruits they fell Nectarine fruits, which the compliant boughs Yielded them, fide-long as they fat recline On the foft downy bank damark'd with flowers The favory pulp they chew, and in the rind, Still as they thirfted, fcoop the brimming stream Nor gentle purpofe, nor endearing fmiles, Wanted, nor youthful dalliance, as befeems Fair couple, link'd in happy nuptial league, Alone as they.
§ 59. Adam's Address to Eve, relative to the Tree of Knowledge, and Eve's Reply. SOLE partner, and fole part, of all thefe joys, Dearer thy felf than all; needs must the Pow'r That made us, and for us this ample world, Be infinitely good, and of his good As liberal and free as infinite; That rais'd us from the duft, and plac'd us here In all this happinefs, who at his hand Have nothing merited, nor can perform Ought whereof he hath need; he who requires From us no other service than to keep This one, this cafy charge, of all the trees In Paradife that bear delicious fruit So various, not to taste that only tree
Of knowledge, planted by the tree of life; So near grows death to life, whate'er death is, Some dreadful thing, no doubt; for well thou know ft
God hath pronounc'd it death to tafte that tree, The only fign of our obedience left Among fo many figns of pow'r and rule Conferr'd upon us, and dominion given Over all other creatures that poffets
Earth, air, and fea. Then let us not think hard One eafy prohibition, who enjoy Free leave fo large to all things elfe, and choice Unlimited of manifold delights:
But let us ever praife him, and extol His bounty, following cur delightful task, To prune thefe growing plants, and tend thefe
Which were it toilfome, yet with thee were sweet.
To whom thus Eve replied: Othou for whom | § 60. Difcourfe between Adam and Eve, retiring And from whom I was form'd, flesh of thy fleth, And without whom am to no end, my guide And head, what thou haft fald is juft and right. For we to him indeed all praifes owe, And daily thanks: I chiefly, who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Præcminent by fo much odds, while thou Like confort to thyfelf cauft no where find. That day I oft remember, when from fleep I firft awak'd, and found myself repos'd Under a fhade on flow'rs, much wond'ring where And what I was, whence thither brought, and
Not diftant far from thence a murin'ring found Of waters infued from a cave, and spread Into a liquid plain, then stood unmov'd
Pure as th' expanfe of heaven; I thither went With unexperienc'd thought, and laid me down On the green bank, to look into the clear Smooth lake, that to me feem'd another sky. As I bent down to look, just oppofite A thape within the wat'ry gleam appear'd, Bending to look on me: I started back, It started back; but pleas'd I foon return'd, Pleas'd it return'd as foon, with anfwering looks Of fympathy and love: there I had fix'd' Mine eyes till now, and pin'd with vain defire, Had not a voice thus warn'd me: What thou feeft, What there thou feeft, fair creature, is thy felf; With thee it came and goes: but follow me, And I will bring thee where no fhadow stays Thy coining, and thy foft embraces, he Whole image thou art; him thou shalt enjoy Infeparably thine, to him fhalt bear Multitudes like thyfelf, and thence be call'd Mother of human race. What could I do, But follow ftraight, invifibly thus led? Till I efpied thee, fair indeed and tall, Under a platan; yet methought lefs fair, Lefs winning foft, lefs amiably mild, Than that fmooth wat'ry image: back I turn'd; Thou following criedft aloud, Return, fair Eve; Whom flieft thou? whom thou flicft, of him
His fleth, his bone; to give thee being I lent Out of iny fide to thee, nearest to my heart, Subftantial life, to have thee by my fide Henceforth an individual folace dear; Part of my foul I feek thee, and thee claim My other half: with that thy gentle hand Seiz'd mine I yielded: and from that time fee How beauty is excell'd by manly grace, And wifdoin, which alone is truly fair.
So pale our general mother, and with eyes Of conjugal attraction unreprov'd, And meck furrender, half embracing lean'd On our first father: half her fwelling breaft Naked met his under the flowing gold Of her loofe treffes hid; he in delight Born of her beauty and fubmiffive charms, Smil'd with fuperior love, as Jupiter
On Juno fmiles, when he impregns the clouds That shed May flow'rs; and prefs'd her matron lip With kiues pure.
to Reft, with the Description of their Bower. NOW came ftill evening on, and twilight gray Had in her fober livery all things clad; Silence accompanied; for beaft and bird, They to their graffy couch, thefe to their nefts, Were flunk, all but the wakeful nightingale; She all night long her amorous defcant fung: Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the firmament With living faphirs: Hefperus, that led The ftarry hoft, rode brightest, till the moon Rifing in clouded majefty, at length Apparent queen, unveil'd her peerless light,
And o'er the dark her filver mantle threw.
When Adam thus to Eve: Fair confort, th' hour Of night, and all things now retir'd to reft, Mind us of like repofe, fince God hath fet Labour and reft, as day and night, to men Succeffive: and the timely dew of fleep Now falling with soft flumb'rous weight inclines Our eye-lids: other creatures all day long Kove idle unemploy'd, and lefs need reft; Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed, which declares his dignity, And the regard of Heaven on all his ways; While other animals unactive range, And of their doings God takes no account. To-morrow, ere fresh morning ftreak the east With first approach of light, we must be risen, And at our pleafant labour, to reform Yon flow'ry arbours, yonder alleys green, Our walk at noon, with branches overgrown, That mock our fcant manuring, and require More hands than ours to lop their wanton growth; Thofe bloffoms alfo, and thofe dropping gums, That lie beftrewn, unfightly and unfmooth, Afk riddance, if we mean to tread with cafe: Meanwhile, as Nature wills, night bids us reft.
Towhom thus Eve,with perfect beautyadorn'd: My author and disposer, what thou bidd'st Unargued I obey: "fo God ordains: God is thy law, thou mine: to know no more Is woman's happiest knowledge and her praise, With thee converfing, I forget all time; All fcafons and their change, all please alike. Sweet is the breath of morn, her rifing sweet, With charm of earliest birds; pleasant the fun, When first on this delightful land he spreads His orient beams, on herb, tree, fruit, and flow'r, Glift ring with dew; fragrant the fertile earth After foft fhow'rs; and fweet the coming on Of grateful evening mild; then filent night, With this her folemn bird, and this fair moon, And these the gems of Heaven, her ftarry train: But neither breath of morn, when the afcends With charm of earliest birds; nor rising fun On this delightful land; nor herb, fruit, flow'r, Glift ring with dew; nor fragrance after show'rs; Nor grateful evening mild; nor filent night With this her folemn bird; nor walk by moon, Or glittring ftar-light, without thee is sweet. But wherefore all night long thine thefe for whom
This glorious fight, when fleep hath hut all eyes? To whom our general ancestor replied:
Daughter of God and Man, accomplish'd Eve, Thele have their courfe to finith round the earth
By morrow ev'ning, and from land to land In order, though to nations yet unborn, Minit ring light prepar'd, they fet and rise; Left total darkness thould by night regain Her old poffeffion, and extinguith life In nature and all things; which these soft fires Not only enlighten, but with kindly heat Of various influence foment and warm, Temper or nourish, or in part fhed down Their ftellar virtue on all kinds that grow On earth, made hereby apter to receive Perfection from the fun's more potent ray. Thefe then, though unbeheld in deep of night, Shine not in vain; nor think, tho' men were none, That heaven would want fpectators, God want praife:
Millions of fpiritual creatures walk the earth Unfeen, both when we wake, and when we fleep: All thefe with ceafelefs praife his works behold Both day and night: how often from the freep Of echoing hill or thicket have we heard Celestial voices to the midnight air, Sple, or refponfive each to other's note, Singing their great Creator! oft in bands While they keep watch, or nightly rounding walk With heavenly touch of inftrumental founds In full harmonic number join'd, their fongs Divide the night, and lift our thoughts to Heaven. Thus talking, hand in hand alone they pafs'd On to their blifsful bow'r: it was a place Chos'n by the fov'ran Planter, when he fram'd All things to man's delightful ufe; the roof Of thickest covert was inwoven shade Laurel and myrtle, and what higher grew Of firm and fragrant leaf; on either fide Acanthus, and each odorous bushy thrub Fenc'd up the verdant wall; each beauteous flow'r, Iris all hues, rofes and jeffamin,
Rear'd high their flourish'd heads between, and Mofaic; under foot the violet, [wrought Crocus, and hyacinth, with rich inlay Broider'd theground,more colour'd thanwith ftone Of costlieft emblem: other creature here, Beast, bird, infect, or worm, durft enter none; Such was their awe of inan. In fhadier bower More facred and fequefter'd, tho' but feign'd, Pan or Sylvanus never flept, nor nymph, Nor Faunus haunted. Here in close recefs, With flowers, garlands, and fwcet-finelling herbs Efpoufed Eve deck'd firft her nuptial bed, And heavenly quires the hymenaan fung, What day the genial angel to our fire Brought her in naked beauty more adorn'd, More lovely than Pandora, whom the Gods Endow'd with all their gifts, and oh too like In fad event, when to th' unwifer fon
Of Japhet brought by Hermes, fhe enfnar'd Mankind with her fair looks, to be aveng'd On him who had ftole Jove's authentic fire. Thus at their fhady lodge arriv'd, both stood, Both turn'd, and under open fky ador'd The God that made both íky, air, earth,and heaven,
Which they beheld, the moon's refplendent globe, And starry pole: Thou allo mad’st the night, Maker omnipotent! and thou the day, Which we in our appointed work employ'd Have finifh'd, happy in our mutual help, And mutual love, the crown of all our blifs Ordain'd by thee; and this delicious place For us too large, where thy abundance wants Partakers, and uncropt fails to the ground. But thou haft promis'd from us two a race To fill the earth, who fhall with us extol Thy goodness infinite, both when we wake, And when we feek, as now, thy gift of fleep.
HAIL, wedded love, myfterious law, true fource Of human offspring, fole propriety
In Paradife, of all things common elfe. By thee adult'rous luft was driven from men Among the beftial herds to range; by thee Founded in reafon, loyal, juft, and pure, Relations dear, and all the charities
Of father, fon, and brother, first were known. Far be it, that I fhould write thee fin or blame, Or think thee unbefitting holicft place, Perpetual fountain of domeftic sweets, Whofe bed is undefil'd and chafte pronoune'd, Prefent, or past, as faints and patriarchs us'd. Here Love his golden fhafts employs, here lights His conftant lamp, and waves his purple wings, Reigns here and revels; not in the bought fmile Of harlots, lovelefs, joylefs, unendear'd, Cafual fruition; nor in court-amours, Mix'd dance, or wanton mask, or midnight ball, Or ferenate, which the starv'd lover fings To his proud fair, beft quitted with dildain. 62. Adam's Morning Salutation; and Eve's Account of ber Dream.
NOW morn her roty steps in th' eastern clime
Advancing, fow'd the earth with orient pearl; When Adam wak'd, so custom'd, for his fleep As airy light from pure digeftion bred, And temp rate vapours bland, which th' only foun Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan, Lightly difpers'd, and the thrill matin fong Of birds on ev'ry bough; so much the more His wonder was to find unwaken'd Eve With trelles difcompos'd, and glowing check, As through unquiet reft: he on his fide, Leaning half rais'd, with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamour'd, and beheld Beauty, which, whether waking or atleep, Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice Mild as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes, Her hand foft touching, whisper'd thus: Awake, My faireft, my cfpous'd, my latest found, Heaven's laft beft gift, my ever-new delight, Awake: the morning fhines, and the freth field Calls us; we lofe the prime, to mark how fpring Our tender plants, how blows the citron giove, What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed, How nature paints her colours, how the Lee Sits on the bloom extracting liquid fweet.
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