The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (103 page)

443

Held dalliance
⁴⁸⁹⁶
with his fair Egyptian spouse.
⁴⁸⁹⁷

444

Much he the place admired,
⁴⁸⁹⁸
the person more.

445

As one who long in populous city pent,
⁴⁸⁹⁹

446

Where houses thick and sewers annoy
⁴⁹⁰⁰
the air,

447

Forth issuing on a summer’s morn to breathe

448

Among the pleasant villages and farms

449

Adjoined, from each thing met conceives delight,

450

The smell of grain, or tedded grass,
⁴⁹⁰¹
or kine,
⁴⁹⁰²

451

Or dairy,
⁴⁹⁰³
each rural sight, each rural sound.

452

If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass,

453

What pleasing seemed, for her
⁴⁹⁰⁴
now pleases more,

454

She most, and in her look sums all delight.

455

Such pleasure took the serpent to behold

456

This flowery plat,
⁴⁹⁰⁵
the sweet recess
⁴⁹⁰⁶
of Eve

457

Thus early, thus alone. Her Heav’nly form

458

Angelic, but more soft, and feminine,

459

Her graceful innocence, her every air

460

Of gesture, or least action, overawed
⁴⁹⁰⁷

461

His malice, and with rapine
⁴⁹⁰⁸
sweet bereaved
⁴⁹⁰⁹

462

His fierceness of the fierce intent it brought.

463

That space
⁴⁹¹⁰
the Evil One abstracted
⁴⁹¹¹
stood

464

From his own evil, and for the time remained

465

Stupidly
⁴⁹¹²
good, of enmity disarmed,

466

Of guile, of hate, of envy, of revenge.

467

But the hot Hell that always in him burns,

468

Though in mid Heav’n, soon ended his delight,

469

And tortures him now more, the more he sees

470

Of pleasure, not for him ordained. Then soon

471

Fierce hate he recollects, and all his thoughts

472

Of mischief, gratulating,
⁴⁹¹³
thus excites:
⁴⁹¹⁴

473

   
“Thoughts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet

474

Compulsion thus transported, to forget

475

What hither brought us! Hate, not love, nor hope

476

Of Paradise for Hell, hope here to taste

477

Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,

478

Save what is in destroying. Other joy

479

To me is lost. Then let me not let pass
⁴⁹¹⁵

480

Occasion
⁴⁹¹⁶
which now smiles. Behold alone

481

The woman, opportune
⁴⁹¹⁷
to all attempts,

482

Her husband, for I view far round, not nigh,

483

Whose higher intellectual
⁴⁹¹⁸
more I shun,

484

And strength, of courage haughty,
⁴⁹¹⁹
and of limb

485

Heroic built, though of terrestrial mould,

486

Foe not informidable!
⁴⁹²⁰
exempt from wound,

487

I not, so much hath Hell debased, and pain

488

Enfeebled me, to what I was in Heav’n.

489

She fair, divinely fair, fit love for Gods!

490

Not terrible, though terror be in love

491

And beauty, not
⁴⁹²¹
approached
⁴⁹²²
by stronger hate,

492

Hate stronger, under show of love well feigned,

493

The way which to her ruin now I tend.”
⁴⁹²³

494

   
So spoke the enemy of mankind, enclosed

495

In serpent, inmate
⁴⁹²⁴
bad! and toward Eve

496

Addressed
⁴⁹²⁵
his way, not with indented
⁴⁹²⁶
wave,

497

Prone on the ground, as since, but on his rear,

498

Circular base of rising folds, that tow’red

499

Fold above fold, a surging maze! His head

500

Crested aloft, and carbuncle
⁴⁹²⁷
his eyes,

501

With burnished neck of verdant gold, erect

502

Amidst his circling spires,
⁴⁹²⁸
that on the grass

503

Floated
⁴⁹²⁹
redundant.
⁴⁹³⁰
Pleasing was his shape

504

And lovely, never since of serpent-kind

505

Lovelier, not those that in Illyria changed
⁴⁹³¹

506

Hermione
⁴⁹³²
and Cadmus,
⁴⁹³³
or the god

507

In Epidaurus,
⁴⁹³⁴
nor to which transformed

508

Ammonian Jove,
⁴⁹³⁵
or Capitoline,
⁴⁹³⁶
was seen,

509

He with Olympias, this with her who bore

510

Scipio, the height
⁴⁹³⁷
of Rome. With tract
⁴⁹³⁸
oblique
⁴⁹³⁹

511

At first, as one who sought access
⁴⁹⁴⁰
but feared

512

To interrupt, sidelong he works his way.

513

As when a ship, by skilful steersman wrought

514

Nigh river’s mouth or foreland,
⁴⁹⁴¹
where the wind

515

Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail,

516

So varied he, and of his tortuous
⁴⁹⁴²
train

517

Curled many a wanton
⁴⁹⁴³
wreath
⁴⁹⁴⁴
in sight of Eve,

518

To lure her eye. She, busied, heard the sound

519

Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as used

520

To such disport before
⁴⁹⁴⁵
her through the field,

521

From every beast, more duteous
⁴⁹⁴⁶
at her call

522

Than at Circean call the herd disguised.
⁴⁹⁴⁷

523

   
He, bolder now, uncalled before her stood,

524

But as in gaze admiring. Oft he bowed

525

His turret crest, and sleek enamelled neck,

526

Fawning, and licked the ground whereon she trod.

527

His gentle dumb expression turned at length

528

The eye of Eve to mark his play. He, glad

529

Of her attention gained, with serpent-tongue