The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (112 page)

89

Eden, and all the coast, in prospect lay.

90

Down he descended straight: the speed of gods

91

Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes winged.

92

Now was the sun in western cadence
⁵²²⁶
low

93

From noon, and gentle airs, due at their hour,

94

To fan the earth now waked, and usher in

95

The ev’ning cool, when He, from wrath more cool,

96

Came the mild Judge and Intercessor
⁵²²⁷
both,

97

To sentence man. The voice of God they heard

98

Now walking in the garden, by soft winds

99

Brought to their ears, while day decline. They heard,

100

And from His presence hid themselves among

101

The thickest trees, both man and wife, till God,

102

Approaching, thus to Adam called aloud:

103

   
“Where art thou, Adam, wont with joy to meet

104

My coming seen far off? I miss thee here,

105

Not pleased, thus entertained
⁵²²⁸
with solitude,

106

Where obvious duty erewhile appeared unsought.

107

Or
⁵²²⁹
come I less conspicuous,
⁵²³⁰
or what change

108

Absents thee, or what chance detains? Come forth.

109

   
He came, and with him Eve, more loath, though first

110

T’ offend. Discount’nanced
⁵²³¹
both, and discomposed.
⁵²³²

111

Love was not in their looks, either to God

112

Or to each other, but apparent
⁵²³³
guilt,

113

And shame, and perturbation, and despair,

114

Anger, and obstinacy, and hate, and guile.

115

Whence Adam, falt’ring long, thus answered brief:

116

   
“I heard Thee in the garden, and of Thy voice

117

Afraid, being naked hid myself.” To whom

118

The gracious Judge, without revile,
⁵²³⁴
replied:

119

   
“My voice thou oft hast heard, and hast not feared,

120

But still rejoiced, How is it now become

121

So dreadful to thee? That thou art naked, who

122

Hath told thee? Hast thou eaten of the tree

123

Whereof I gave thee charge
⁵²³⁵
thou should’st not eat?

124

To whom thus Adam sore beset
⁵²³⁶
replied:

125

   
“O Heav’n! In evil strait
⁵²³⁷
this day I stand

126

Before my Judge, either to undergo
⁵²³⁸

127

Myself the total crime, or to accuse

128

My other self, the partner of my life,

129

Whose failing, while her faith to me remains,

130

I should conceal, and not expose to blame

131

By my complaint. But strict necessity

132

Subdues me, and calamitous
⁵²³⁹
constraint,

133

Lest on my head both sin and punishment,

134

However insupportable,
⁵²⁴⁰
be all

135

Devolved.
⁵²⁴¹
Though should I hold my peace, yet Thou

136

Would’st easily detect what I conceal.

137

   
“This woman, whom Thou mad’st to be my help,

138

And gav’st me as Thy perfect gift, so good,

139

So fit, so acceptable,
⁵²⁴²
so divine,

140

That from her hand I could suspect no ill,

141

And what she did, whatever in itself,

142

Her doing seemed to justify the deed.

143

She gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

144

To whom the sov’reign Presence thus replied:

145

   
“Was she thy God, that her thou did’st obey

146

Before His voice? Or was she made thy guide,

147

Superior,
⁵²⁴³
or but
⁵²⁴⁴
equal, that to her

148

Thou did’st resign thy manhood, and the place

149

Wherein God set thee above her, made of thee

150

And for thee, whose perfection far excelled

151

Hers in all real
⁵²⁴⁵
dignity?
⁵²⁴⁶
Adorned

152

She was indeed, and lovely, to attract

153

Thy love, not thy subjection, and her gifts

154

Were such, as under government
⁵²⁴⁷
well seemed,

155

Unseemly
⁵²⁴⁸
to bear rule, which was thy part

156

And person,
⁵²⁴⁹
had’st thou known thyself aright.

157

So having said, He thus to Eve in few:

158

   
“Say, woman, what is this which thou hast done?

159

   
To whom sad Eve, with shame nigh overwhelmed,

160

Confessing soon,
⁵²⁵⁰
yet not before her Judge

161

Bold or loquacious,
⁵²⁵¹
thus abashed replied:

162

   
“The serpent me beguiled, and I did eat.

163

Which when the Lord God heard, without delay

164

To judgment He proceeded on th’ accused

165

Serpent (though brute, unable to transfer

166

The guilt on him who made him instrument

167

Of mischief, and polluted from the end
⁵²⁵²

168

Of his creation), justly then accursed,

169

As vitiated
⁵²⁵³
in Nature. More to know

170

Concerned not man (since he no further knew)

171

Nor altered his offense. Yet God at last
⁵²⁵⁴

172

To Satan ( first in sin) his doom
⁵²⁵⁵
applied,

173

Though in mysterious
⁵²⁵⁶
terms, judged

174

And on the serpent thus His curse let fall:

175

   
“Because thou hast done this, thou art accursed

176

Above all cattle,
⁵²⁵⁷
each beast of the field.

177

Upon thy belly groveling thou shalt go,

178

And dust shalt eat all the days of thy life.

179

Between thee and the woman I will put