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
180 | | Here let us live, though in fall’n state, content.” |
181 | | |
182 | | |
183 | | On bird, beast, air—air suddenly eclipsed, |
184 | | After short blush |
185 | | |
186 | | Two birds of gayest plume before him drove. |
187 | | Down from a hill the beast that reigns in woods, |
188 | | First hunter then, pursued a gentle brace, |
189 | | Goodliest of all the forest, hart and hind. |
190 | | Direct to the eastern gate was bent their flight. |
191 | | Adam observed, and with his eye the chase |
192 | | Pursuing, not unmoved, to Eve thus spoke: |
193 | | |
194 | | Which Heav’n, by these mute signs in Nature, shows |
195 | | Forerunners of His purpose, or to warn |
196 | | |
197 | | From penalty, because from death released |
198 | | Some days. How long, and what till then our life, |
199 | | Who knows? Or more than this, that we are dust, |
200 | | And thither must return, and be no more? |
201 | | Why else this double object in our sight |
202 | | Of flight pursued in th’ air, and o’er the ground, |
203 | | One way the self-same hour? Why in the east |
204 | | Darkness ere day’s mid-course, and morning-light |
205 | | More orient |
206 | | O’er the blue firmament a radiant white, |
207 | | And slow descends with something Heavenly fraught?” |
208 | | |
209 | | Down from a sky of jasper |
210 | | In Paradise, and on a hill made halt— |
211 | | A glorious apparition, |
212 | | And carnal |
213 | | Not that more glorious |
214 | | Jacob in Mahanaim, |
215 | | |
216 | | Nor that, which on the flaming mount appeared |
217 | | In Dothan, |
218 | | Against the Syrian king, who to surprise |
219 | | |
220 | | War unproclaimed. The princely Hierarch |
221 | | In their bright stand |
222 | | Possession of the Garden. He alone, |
223 | | To find where Adam sheltered, took his way, |
224 | | Not unperceived of Adam, who to Eve, |
225 | | While the great visitant approached, thus spoke: |
226 | | |
227 | | Of us will soon determine, |
228 | | New laws to be observed, for I descry, |
229 | | From yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill, |
230 | | One of the Heav’nly host and, by his gait, |
231 | | None of the meanest, |
232 | | Or of the Thrones above, such majesty |
233 | | Invests |
234 | | (That I should fear) nor sociably |
235 | | As Raphael (that I should much confide) |
236 | | But solemn and sublime, |
237 | | With reverence I must meet, and thou retire.” |
238 | | |
239 | | Not in his shape celestial, but as man |
240 | | |
241 | | A military vest |
242 | | |
243 | | Of Sarra, |
244 | | |
245 | | His starry helm, |
246 | | In manhood where youth ended; by his side, |
247 | | As in a glistering zodiac, |
248 | | Satan’s dire dread, |
249 | | |
250 | | Inclined not, but his coming thus declared: |
251 | | |
252 | | Sufficient that thy prayers are heard, and Death, |
253 | | Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress, |
254 | | Defeated of his seizure many days |
255 | | Giv’n thee of grace, wherein thou may’st repent, |
256 | | And one bad act with many deeds well done |
257 | | May’st cover. |
258 | | |
259 | | But longer in this Paradise to dwell |
260 | | Permits not: to remove thee I am come, |
261 | | And send thee from the garden forth to till |
262 | | The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter soil.” |
263 | | |
264 | | Heart-struck with chilling grip of sorrow stood, |
265 | | That all his senses bound. |