The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (52 page)

632

      

To Paradise, the happy seat of man,

633

      

His journey’s end and our beginning woe.

634

      

But first he casts
²⁶⁸⁹
to change his proper shape,

635

      

Which else might work him danger or delay.

636

      

And now a stripling
²⁶⁹⁰
Cherub he appears,

637

      

Not of the prime,
²⁶⁹¹
yet such as in his face

638

      

Youth smiled celestial, and to every limb

639

      

Suitable grace diffused,
²⁶⁹²
so well he feigned.

640

      

Under a coronet
²⁶⁹³
his flowing hair

641

      

In curls on either cheek played; wings he wore

642

      

Of many a colored plume,
²⁶⁹⁴
sprinkled with gold;

643

      

His habit fit for speed succinct,
²⁶⁹⁵
and held

644

      

Before his decent
²⁶⁹⁶
steps a silver wand.

645

      

He drew not nigh unheard. The Angel bright,

646

      

Ere he
²⁶⁹⁷
drew nigh, his radiant visage turned,

647

      

Admonished by his ear, and straight was known

648

      

The Arch-Angel Uriel, one of the seven

649

      

Who in God’s presence, nearest to His throne,

650

      

Stand ready at command, and are His eyes

651

      

That run through all the Heav’ns, or down to th’ earth

652

      

Bear His swift errands over moist and dry,

653

      

O’er sea and land. Him Satan thus accosts:
²⁶⁹⁸

654

      

   
“Uriel, for thou of those sev’n Spirits that stand

655

      

In sight of God’s high throne, gloriously bright,

656

      

The first art wont
²⁶⁹⁹
His great authentic
²⁷⁰⁰
will

657

      

Interpreter
²⁷⁰¹
through highest Heav’n to bring,

658

      

Where all His sons thy embassy
²⁷⁰²
attend,

659

      

And here art likeliest by supreme decree

660

      

Like honor to obtain, and as His eye

661

      

To visit oft this new creation round.

662

      

Unspeakable desire to see,
²⁷⁰³
and know

663

      

All these His wondrous works, but chiefly man,

664

      

His chief delight and favor, him for whom

665

      

All these His works so wondrous He ordained,

666

      

Hath brought me from the choirs
²⁷⁰⁴
of Cherubim

667

      

Alone thus wand’ring. Brightest Seraph, tell

668

      

In which of all these shining orbs hath man

669

      

His fixèd seat, or fixèd seat hath none,

670

      

But all these shining orbs his choice to dwell,

671

      

That I may find him, and with secret gaze

672

      

Or open admiration
²⁷⁰⁵
him behold,

673

      

On whom the great Creator hath bestowed

674

      

Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces poured,

675

      

That both in him and all things, as is meet,
²⁷⁰⁶

676

      

The universal Maker we may praise,

677

      

Who justly hath driven out His rebel foes

678

      

To deepest Hell and, to repair that loss,

679

      

Created this new happy race of men

680

      

To serve Him better. Wise are all His ways.

681

      

   
So spoke the false dissembler unperceived,

682

      

For neither man nor Angel can discern

683

      

Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks

684

      

Invisible, except to God alone,

685

      

By His permissive will, through Heav’n and earth,

686

      

And oft, though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps

687

      

At wisdom’s gate, and to simplicity
²⁷⁰⁷

688

      

Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill

689

      

Where no ill seems. Which now for once beguiled

690

      

Uriel, though regent
²⁷⁰⁸
of the sun, and held
²⁷⁰⁹

691

      

The sharpest-sighted Spirit of all in Heav’n,

692

      

Who to the fraudulent impostor foul,

693

      

In his
²⁷¹⁰
uprightness,
²⁷¹¹
answer thus returned:

694

      

   
“Fair Angel, thy desire, which tends to know

695

      

The works of God, thereby to glorify

696

      

The great work-master, leads to no excess

697

      

That reaches
²⁷¹²
blame, but rather merits praise

698

      

The more it seems excess, that led thee hither

699

      

From thy empyreal
²⁷¹³
mansion
²⁷¹⁴
thus alone,

700

      

To witness with thine eyes what some perhaps,

701

      

Contented with report, hear only in Heav’n.

702

      

For wonderful indeed are all His works,

703

      

Pleasant
²⁷¹⁵
to know, and worthiest to be all

704

      

Had in remembrance always with delight.

705

      

But what created mind can comprehend

706

      

Their number, or the wisdom infinite

707

      

That brought them forth, but hid their causes deep?

708

      

I saw when at His word the formless mass,

709

      

This world’s material mould, came to a heap.
²⁷¹⁶

710

      

Confusion heard His voice, and wild uproar

711

      

Stood
²⁷¹⁷
ruled,
²⁷¹⁸
stood vast infinitude confined,

712

      

Till at His second bidding darkness fled,

713

      

Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.

714

      

Swift to their several quarters hasted then

715

      

The cumbrous
²⁷¹⁹
elements, earth, flood, air, fire,

716

      

And this ethereal
²⁷²⁰
quintessence
²⁷²¹
of Heav’n

717

      

Flew upward, spirited
²⁷²²
with various forms,

718

      

That rolled orbicular,
²⁷²³
and turned to stars

719

      

Numberless, as thou seest, and how they move.

720

      

Each had his place appointed, each his course.

721

      

The rest, in circuit, walls
²⁷²⁴
this universe.