The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (126 page)

266

Yet all had heard, with audible lament

267

Discovered
⁵⁸⁹¹
soon
⁵⁸⁹²
the place of her retire:
⁵⁸⁹³

268

   
“O unexpected stroke, worse than of Death!

269

Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? Thus leave

270

Thee, native soil, these happy walks and shades,

271

Fit haunt of Gods? Where I had hope to spend,

272

Quiet though sad, the respite
⁵⁸⁹⁴
of that day

273

That must be mortal
⁵⁸⁹⁵
to us both. O flow’rs

274

That never will in other climate grow,

275

My early visitation,
⁵⁸⁹⁶
and my last

276

At ev’n, which I bred up with tender
⁵⁸⁹⁷
hand

277

From the first op’ning bud, and gave ye names,

278

Who now shall rear ye to the sun? or rank
⁵⁸⁹⁸

279

Your tribes, and water
⁵⁸⁹⁹
from th’ ambrosial fount?

280

Thee lastly, nuptial bow’r, by me adorned

281

With what to sight or smell was sweet: from thee

282

How shall I part? and whither wander down

283

Into a lower world, to
⁵⁹⁰⁰
this obscure
⁵⁹⁰¹

284

And wild? How shall we breathe in other air

285

Less pure, accustomed
⁵⁹⁰²
to immortal fruits?”

286

Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild:

287

   
“Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign

288

What justly thou hast lost, nor set thy heart,

289

Thus over-fond,
⁵⁹⁰³
on that which is not thine.

290

Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes

291

Thy husband, whom to follow thou art bound.

292

Where he abides, think there thy native soil.”

293

   
Adam, by this from the cold sudden damp
⁵⁹⁰⁴

294

Recovering, and his scattered spirits returned,

295

To Michael thus his humble words addressed:

296

   
“Celestial, whether among the Thrones, or named

297

Of them the highest, for such of shape may seem

298

Prince above Princes, gently hast thou told

299

Thy message, which might else in telling wound,

300

And in performing
⁵⁹⁰⁵
end us. What besides

301

Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair,

302

Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring,

303

Departure from this happy place, our sweet

304

Recess,
⁵⁹⁰⁶
and only consolation left

305

Familiar to our eyes. All places else

306

Inhospitable appear, and desolate,

307

Nor knowing us, nor known. And if by prayer

308

Incessant I could hope to change the will

309

Of Him who all things can, I would not cease

310

To weary Him with my assiduous
⁵⁹⁰⁷
cries.

311

But prayer against His absolute decree

312

No more avails than breath against the wind,

313

Blown stifling
⁵⁹⁰⁸
back on him that breathes it forth.

314

Therefore to His great bidding I submit.

315

   
“This most afflicts me that, departing hence,

316

As from His face I shall be hid, deprived

317

His blessèd count’nance. Here I could frequent
⁵⁹⁰⁹

318

With worship place by place where He vouchsafed

319

Presence Divine, and to my sons relate

320

On this mount He appeared, under this tree

321

Stood visible, among these pines His voice

322

I heard, here with Him at this fountain talked.

323

So many grateful
⁵⁹¹⁰
altars I would rear

324

Of grassy turf, and pile up every stone

325

Of luster from the brook, in memory,

326

Or monument to ages, and theron

327

Offer sweet-smelling gums, and fruits, and flow’rs.

328

In yonder nether
⁵⁹¹¹
world where shall I seek

329

His bright appearances, or foot-step trace?

330

For though I fled Him angry, yet recalled

331

To life, prolonged and promised race,
⁵⁹¹²
I now

332

Gladly behold though but His utmost
⁵⁹¹³
skirts
⁵⁹¹⁴

333

Of glory, and far off His steps adore.”

334

To whom thus Michael, with regard benign:

335

   
“Adam, thou know’st Heav’n His, and all the earth,

336

Not this rock only. His omnipresence fills

337

Land, sea, and air, and every kind
⁵⁹¹⁵
that lives,

338

Fomented
⁵⁹¹⁶
by His virtual
⁵⁹¹⁷
power and warmed.

339

All th’ earth He gave thee to possess and rule:

340

No despicable
⁵⁹¹⁸
gift. Surmise not then

341

His presence to these narrow bounds confined

342

Of Paradise, or Eden. This had been

343

Perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread

344

All generations, and had hither come

345

From all the ends of th’ earth, to celebrate

346

And reverence thee, their great progenitor.

347

But this pre-eminence thou hast lost, brought down

348

To dwell on even
⁵⁹¹⁹
ground now with thy sons.

349

Yet doubt not but in valley, and in plain,

350

God is as here, and will be found alike

351

Present, and of His presence many a sign

352

Still following thee, still compassing thee round

353

With goodness and paternal love, His face

354

Express,
⁵⁹²⁰
and of His steps the track divine.

355

Which that thou may’st believe, and be confirmed

356

Ere thou from hence depart, know I am sent