The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (129 page)

531

      

The rule of not too much, by temperance taught,

532

      

In what thou eat’st and drink’st, seeking from thence

533

      

Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,

534

      

Till many years over thy head return.
⁶⁰¹⁸

535

      

So may’st thou live till, like ripe fruit, thou drop

536

      

Into thy mother’s lap, or be with ease

537

      

Gathered, nor harshly plucked, for Death mature:

538

      

This is old age. But then thou must outlive

539

      

Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change

540

      

To withered, weak, and gray. Thy senses, then

541

      

Obtuse,
⁶⁰¹⁹
all taste of pleasure must forego,
⁶⁰²⁰

542

      

To what thou hast
⁶⁰²¹
and, for the air of youth,

543

      

Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign

544

      

A melancholy damp
⁶⁰²²
of cold and dry

545

      

To weigh thy spirits down, and last
⁶⁰²³
consume

546

      

The balm of life.” To whom our ancestor:

547

      

   
“Henceforth I fly not Death, nor would prolong

548

      

Life much, bent
⁶⁰²⁴
rather how I may be quit,
⁶⁰²⁵

549

      

Fairest and easiest, of this cumbrous
⁶⁰²⁶
charge,
⁶⁰²⁷

550

      

Which I must keep till my appointed day

551

      

Of rend’ring up,
⁶⁰²⁸
and patiently attend
⁶⁰²⁹

552

      

My dissolution.” Michael
⁶⁰³⁰
replied:

553

      

   
“Nor
⁶⁰³¹
love thy life, nor hate, but what thouliv’st

554

      

Live well. How long, or short, permit
⁶⁰³²
to Heav’n.

555

      

And now prepare thee for another sight.”

556

      

   
He looked, and saw a spacious plain whereon

557

      

Were tents of various hue. By some,
⁶⁰³³
were herds

558

      

Of cattle grazing; others, whence the sound

559

      

Of instruments, that made melodious chime,
⁶⁰³⁴

560

      

Was heard, of harp and organ, and who
⁶⁰³⁵
moved

561

      

Their stops and chords was seen, his volant
⁶⁰³⁶
touch,

562

      

Instinct
⁶⁰³⁷
through all proportions, low and high,

563

      

Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue.

564

      

In other part stood one who, at the forge

565

      

Laboring, two massy clods of iron and brass

566

      

Had melted (whether found where casual
⁶⁰³⁸
fire

567

      

Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale,

568

      

Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot

569

      

To some cave’s mouth, or whether washed by stream

570

      

From underground). The liquid ore he drained

571

      

Into fit moulds prepared, from which he formed

572

      

First his own tools, then what might else be wrought,
⁶⁰³⁹

573

      

Fusil
⁶⁰⁴⁰
or graven
⁶⁰⁴¹
in metal. After these,

574

      

But on the hither
⁶⁰⁴²
side, a different sort

575

      

From the high neighboring hills, which was their seat,

576

      

Down to the plain descended. By their guise
⁶⁰⁴³

577

      

Just
⁶⁰⁴⁴
men they seemed, and all their study bent

578

      

To worship God aright, and know His works

579

      

Not hid, nor those things last
⁶⁰⁴⁵
which might preserve

580

      

Freedom and peace to men. They on the plain

581

      

Long had not walked when, from the tents, behold!

582

      

A bevy
⁶⁰⁴⁶
of fair women, richly gay

583

      

In gems and wanton
⁶⁰⁴⁷
dress! To th’ harp they sung

584

      

Soft amorous ditties,
⁶⁰⁴⁸
and in dance came on.
⁶⁰⁴⁹

585

      

The men, though grave,
⁶⁰⁵⁰
eyed them, and let their eyes

586

      

Rove without rein till, in the amorous net

587

      

Fast caught, they liked, and each his liking chose,

588

      

And now of love they treat,
⁶⁰⁵¹
till the ev’ningstar,
⁶⁰⁵²

589

      

Love’s harbinger,
⁶⁰⁵³
appeared. Then all in heat

590

      

They light the nuptial torch, and bid
⁶⁰⁵⁴
invoke
⁶⁰⁵⁵

591

      

Hymen,
⁶⁰⁵⁶
then first
⁶⁰⁵⁷
to marriage rites invoked:

592

      

With feast and music all the tents resound.

593

      

Such happy
⁶⁰⁵⁸
interview
⁶⁰⁵⁹
and fair event
⁶⁰⁶⁰

594

      

Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flow’rs,

595

      

And charming symphonies,
⁶⁰⁶¹
attached
⁶⁰⁶²
the heart

596

      

Of Adam, soon inclined t’ admit
⁶⁰⁶³
delight,

597

      

The bent
⁶⁰⁶⁴
of Nature, which he thus expressed:

598

      

   
“True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel blest,

599

      

Much better seems this vision, and more hope

600

      

Of peaceful days portends,
⁶⁰⁶⁵
than those two past.

601

      

Those were of hate and Death, or pain much worse.

602

      

Here Nature seems fulfilled in all her ends.”
⁶⁰⁶⁶

603

      

To whom thus Michael:

“Judge not what is best

604

      

By pleasure, though to Nature seeming meet,
⁶⁰⁶⁷

605

      

Created, as thou art, to nobler end

606

      

Holy and pure, conformity
⁶⁰⁶⁸
divine.

607

      

Those tents thou saw’st so pleasant were the tents

608

      

Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race

609

      

Who slew his brother. Studious they appear

610

      

Of arts that polish
⁶⁰⁶⁹
life, inventors rare,
⁶⁰⁷⁰

611

      

Unmindful of their Maker, though His Spirit

612

      

Taught them, but they His gifts acknowledged none.

613

      

Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget,

614

      

For that fair female troop thou saw’st, that seemed

615

      

Of goddesses, so blithe,
⁶⁰⁷¹
so smooth, so gay,