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
537 | | Rarely be found. “So shall the world go on, |
538 | | To good malignant, to bad men benign, |
539 | | Under her own weight groaning, till the day |
540 | | Appear of respiration |
541 | | And vengeance to the wicked, at return |
542 | | Of him so lately promised to thy aid, |
543 | | The woman’s seed, obscurely then foretold, |
544 | | Now ampler known thy Savior and thy Lord, |
545 | | Last |
546 | | In glory of the Father, to dissolve |
547 | | Satan with his perverted world, then raise |
548 | | From the conflagrant |
549 | | New Heav’ns, new earth, ages of endless date, |
550 | | Founded in righteousness, and peace, and love— |
551 | | To bring forth fruits, joy and eternal bliss.” |
552 | | He ended, and thus Adam last |
553 | | |
554 | | |
555 | | Till time stand fixed! Beyond is all abyss, |
556 | | Eternity, whose end no eye can reach. |
557 | | Greatly-instructed I shall hence depart, |
558 | | Greatly in peace of thought, and have my fill |
559 | | Of knowledge, what this vessel can contain, |
560 | | Beyond which was my folly to aspire. |
561 | | Henceforth I learn that to obey is best, |
562 | | And love with fear the only God; to walk |
563 | | As in His presence, ever to observe |
564 | | His providence, and on Him sole depend, |
565 | | Merciful over |
566 | | Still |
567 | | Accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak |
568 | | Subverting |
569 | | By simply meek; that suffering for truth’s sake |
570 | | Is fortitude to highest victory |
571 | | And, to the faithful, death the gate of life, |
572 | | Taught this by his example, whom I now |
573 | | Acknowledge my Redeemer ever blest.” |
574 | | To whom thus also th’ Angel last |
575 | | |
576 | | Of wisdom. Hope no higher, though all the stars |
577 | | Thou knew’st by name, and all the ethereal powers, |
578 | | All secrets of the deep, all Nature’s works, |
579 | | Or works of God in Heav’n, air, earth, or sea, |
580 | | And all the riches of this world enjoyd’st, |
581 | | And all the rule, one empire. Only add |
582 | | Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, |
583 | | Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love, |
584 | | By name to come called charity, the soul |
585 | | Of all the rest. Then wilt thou not be loath |
586 | | To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess |
587 | | A Paradise within thee, happier far. |
588 | | |
589 | | |
590 | | Exacts |
591 | | By me encamped on yonder hill! Expect |
592 | | Their motion, at whose front |
593 | | |
594 | | We may no longer stay. Go, waken Eve. |
595 | | Her also I with gentle dreams have calmed, |
596 | | |
597 | | |
598 | | Let her with thee partake |
599 | | Chiefly what may concern her faith to know, |
600 | | The great deliverance by her seed to come |
601 | | (For by the woman’s seed) on all mankind, |
602 | | That ye may live, which will be many days, |
603 | | Both in one faith unanimous, |
604 | | With cause, for evils past, yet much more cheered |
605 | | With meditation |
606 | | |
607 | | Descended Adam to the bow’r where Eve |
608 | | Lay sleeping, ran before, but found her waked, |
609 | | And thus with words not sad she him received: |
610 | | |
611 | | For God is also in sleep, and dreams advise, |
612 | | Which He hath sent propitious, |
613 | | Presaging, since with sorrow and heart’s distress |
614 | | Wearied I fell asleep. But now lead on: |
615 | | In me is no delay. With thee to go |
616 | | Is to stay here. Without thee here to stay |
617 | | Is to go hence unwilling. Thou to me |
618 | | Art all things under Heav’n, all places thou, |
619 | | Who for my wilful crime art banished hence. |
620 | | This further consolation yet secure |
621 | | I carry hence, though all by me is lost, |
622 | | Such favor I unworthy am vouchsafed, |
623 | | By me the promised seed shall all restore.” |
624 | | So spoke our mother Eve, and Adam heard |
625 | | Well pleased, but answered not. For now, too nigh |
626 | | The Arch-Angel stood and, from the other hill |
627 | | To their fixed station, all in bright array |