The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (119 page)

Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online

Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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702

      

Notus,
5556
and Afer,
5557
black with thund’rous clouds

703

      

From Serraliona.
5558
Thwart of
5559
these, as
5560
fierce,

704

      

Forth rush the Levant
5561
and the Ponent
5562
winds,

705

      

Eurus and Zephyr, with their lateral
5563
noise,
5564

706

      

Sirocco
5565
and Libecchio.
5566

Thus began

707

      

Outrage
5567
from lifeless things, but Discord first,

708

      

Daughter of Sin, among th’ irrational
5568

709

      

Death introduced, through fierce antipathy.
5569

710

      

Beast now with beast ’gan war, and fowl with fowl,

711

      

And fish with fish. To graze the herb all leaving,
5570

712

      

Devoured each other, nor stood much in awe

713

      

Of man, but fled him or, with count’nance grim,
5571

714

      

Glared on him passing.

These were from without
5572

715

      

The growing miseries, which Adam saw

716

      

Already in part, though hid in gloomiest shade,

717

      

To sorrow abandoned, but worse felt within,

718

      

And in a troubled sea of passion tossed,

719

      

Thus to disburden sought
5573
with sad complaint:

720

      

   
“O miserable of
5574
happy! Is this the end

721

      

Of this new glorious world, and me so late
5575

722

      

The glory of that glory, who now become

723

      

Accursed, of
5576
blessèd? Hide me from the face

724

      

Of God, whom to behold was then my height

725

      

Of happiness! Yet well,
5577
if here would end

726

      

The misery. I deserved it, and would
5578
bear

727

      

My own deservings. But this will not serve:
5579

728

      

All that I eat or drink, or shall beget,

729

      

Is propagated
5580
curse. O voice, once heard

730

      

Delightfully, ‘Increase and multiply,

731

      

Now death to hear! For what can I increase

732

      

Or multiply, but curses on my head?

733

      

Who of all ages to succeed,
5581
but feeling

734

      

The evil on him brought by me, will curse

735

      

My head? ‘Ill fare our ancestor impure,

736

      

For this we may thank Adam!’ But his thanks

737

      

Shall be the execration.
5582
So, besides

738

      

Mine own
5583
that bide
5584
upon me, all from me

739

      

Shall with a fierce reflux
5585
on me redound—
5586

740

      

On me, as on their natural center, light
5587

741

      

Heavy, though in their place.
5588
O fleeting joys

742

      

Of Paradise, dear bought with lasting woes!

743

      

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay

744

      

To mould me man? Did I solicit Thee

745

      

From darkness to promote
5589
me, or here place

746

      

In this delicious
5590
garden? As my will

747

      

Concurred
5591
not to my being, it were but right

748

      

And equal to reduce me to my dust,

749

      

Desirous to resign
5592
and render back

750

      

All I received, unable to perform

751

      

Thy terms too hard, by which I was to hold

752

      

The good I sought not. To the loss of that,

753

      

Sufficient penalty: why hast Thou added

754

      

The sense of endless woes? Inexplicable

755

      

Thy Justice seems. Yet to say truth, too late

756

      

I thus contest. Then should have been refused

757

      

Those terms whatever, when they were proposed.

758

      

Thou
5593
didst accept them. Wilt thou
5594
enjoy the good,

759

      

Then cavil
5595
the conditions? And though God

760

      

Made thee without thy leave,
5596
what if thy
5597
son

761

      

Prove disobedient, and reproved, retort,

762

      

‘Wherefore did’st thou beget me? I sought it not.

763

      

Would’st thou admit
5598
for his contempt of thee

764

      

That proud excuse? Yet him not thy election
5599

765

      

But natural necessity begot.
5600

766

      

God made thee of choice His own, and of His own

767

      

To serve Him: thy reward was of His grace,

768

      

Thy punishment then justly is at His will.

769

      

   
“Be it so, for I submit: His doom
5601
is fair,

770

      

That dust I am, and shall to dust return.

771

      

O welcome hour whenever! Why delays

772

      

His hand to execute what His decree

773

      

Fixed
5602
on this day?
5603
Why do I overlive,
5604

774

      

Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out

775

      

To deathless pain? How gladly would I meet

776

      

Mortality, my sentence, and be earth

777

      

Insensible!
5605
How glad would lay me down

778

      

As in my mother’s lap! There I should rest,

779

      

And sleep secure.
5606
His dreadful voice no more

780

      

Would thunder in my ears. No fear of worse

781

      

To me, and to my offspring, would torment me

782

      

With cruel expectation.

 

      

“Yet one doubt

783

      

Pursues me still, lest all
5607
I cannot die,

784

      

Lest that pure breath of life, the spirit of man

785

      

Which God inspired, cannot together perish

786

      

With this corporeal clod.
5608
Then in the grave,

787

      

Or in some other dismal place, who knows

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