The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (66 page)

181

Of Nature’s womb, that in quaternion
³³⁵⁰
run

182

Perpetual circle, multiform, and mix

183

And nourish all things: let your ceaseless change

184

Vary,
³³⁵¹
to our great Maker still new praise.

185

Ye mists and exhalations that now rise

186

From hill or steaming lake, dusky or gray,

187

Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold,

188

In honor to the world’s great Author rise,

189

Whether to deck with clouds the uncolored
³³⁵²
sky,

190

Or wet the thirsty earth with falling showers,

191

Rising or falling still advance His praise.

192

His praise, ye winds, that from four quarters blow,

193

Breathe soft or loud. And wave your tops, ye pines,

194

With every plant, in sign of worship wave!

195

Fountains,
³³⁵³
and ye that warble as ye flow,

196

Melodious murmurs, warbling tune
³³⁵⁴
His praise.

197

Join voices, all ye living souls! Ye birds,

198

That singing up to Heaven-gate ascend,

199

Bear on your wings, and in your notes, His praise.

200

Ye that in waters glide, and ye that walk

201

The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep,

202

Witness
³³⁵⁵
if I be silent, morn or ev’n,

203

To hill, or valley, fountain, or fresh shade,

204

Made vocal
³³⁵⁶
by my song, and taught His praise.

205

Hail, universal Lord, be bounteous still
³³⁵⁷

206

To give us only good. And if the night

207

Have gathered aught of evil, or concealed,

208

Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark!

209

   
So prayed they innocent, and to their thoughts

210

Firm peace recovered soon, and wonted
³³⁵⁸
calm.

211

On to their morning’s rural
³³⁵⁹
work they haste,

212

Among sweet dews and flow’rs, where any row

213

Of fruit-trees over-woody reached too far

214

Their pampered boughs,
³³⁶⁰
and needed hands to check

215

Fruitless
³³⁶¹
embraces.
³³⁶²
Or they led the vine

216

To wed her elm; she, spoused, about him twines

217

Her marriageable arms, and with him brings

218

Her dow’r, th’ adopted
³³⁶³
clusters,
³³⁶⁴
to adorn

219

His barren
³³⁶⁵
leaves. Them thus employed beheld

220

With pity Heav’n’s high King,
³³⁶⁶
and to him called

221

Raphael, the sociable Spirit that deigned

222

To travel with Tobias, and secured

223

His marriage with the seven-times-wedded maid.
³³⁶⁷

224

   
“Raphael,” said He, “thou hear’st what stir on earth

225

Satan, from Hell ’scaped through the darksome gulf,

226

Hath raised in Paradise, and how disturbed

227

This night the human pair, how he designs
³³⁶⁸

228

In them at once to ruin all mankind.

229

Go, therefore: half this day as friend with friend

230

Converse with Adam, in what bow’r or shade

231

Thou find’st him from the heat of noon retired,

232

To respite
³³⁶⁹
his day-labor with repast
³³⁷⁰

233

Or with repose, and such discourse bring on

234

As may advise him of his happy state,

235

Happiness in his power left free to will,

236

Left to his own free will, his will though free,

237

Yet mutable.
³³⁷¹
Whence warn him to beware

238

He swerve not, too secure.
³³⁷²
Tell him withal
³³⁷³

239

His danger, and from whom—what enemy,

240

Late fall’n himself from Heav’n, is plotting now

241

The fall of others from like state of bliss.

242

By violence? No, for that shall be withstood,
³³⁷⁴

243

But by deceit and lies. This let him know

244

Lest, wilfully transgressing, he pretend
³³⁷⁵

245

Surprisal, unadmonished,
³³⁷⁶
unforewarned.

246

   
So spoke the Eternal Father, and fulfilled
³³⁷⁷

247

All justice. Nor delayed the wingèd Saint

248

After his charge
³³⁷⁸
received, but from among

249

Thousand celestial Ardors,
³³⁷⁹
where he stood

250

Veiled
³³⁸⁰
with his gorgeous
³³⁸¹
wings, up springing light,

251

Flew through the midst of Heav’n. Th’ angelic choirs,

252

On each hand parting, to his speed gave way

253

Through all th’ empyreal road, till at the gate

254

Of Heav’n arrived, the gate self-opened wide

255

On golden hinges turning, as by work

256

Divine the sov’reign Architect had framed.
³³⁸²

257

From hence no cloud, or to obstruct his sight,

258

Star interposed,
³³⁸³
however small, he sees,

259

Not unconform
³³⁸⁴
to other shining globes,

260

Earth, and the garden of God, with cedars crowned

261

Above all hills. As when by night the glass

262

Of Galileo, less assured,
³³⁸⁵
observes

263

Imagined lands and regions in the moon,

264

Or pilot from amidst the Cyclades
³³⁸⁶

265

Delos
³³⁸⁷
or Samos
³³⁸⁸
first appearing, kens
³³⁸⁹

266

A cloudy spot. Down thither prone
³³⁹⁰
in flight

267

He speeds, and through the vast ethereal sky

268

Sails between worlds and worlds, with steady wing

269

Now on the polar winds, then with quick fan
³³⁹¹