The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (90 page)

534

And every living thing that moves on th’ earth.

535

Wherever thus created, for no place

536

Is yet distinct
⁴³⁴⁹
by name, thence, as thou know’st,

537

He brought thee into this delicious grove,

538

This garden, planted with the trees of God,

539

Delectable both to behold and taste,

540

And freely all their pleasant fruit for food

541

Gave thee. All sorts are here that all th’ earth yields,

542

Variety without end. But of the tree

543

Which tasted, works knowledge of good and evil,

544

Thou may’st not. In the day thou eat’st, thou di’st.
⁴³⁵⁰

545

Death is the penalty imposed. Beware,

546

And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin

547

Surprise thee, and her black attendant, Death.

548

   
“Here finished He, and all that He had made

549

Viewed, and behold all was entirely good.

550

So ev’n and morn accomplished the sixth day.

551

   
“Yet not till the Creator from His work

552

Desisting, though unwearied, up returned,

553

Up to the Heav’n of Heav’ns, His high abode,

554

Thence to behold this new created world,

555

Th’ addition of His empire, how it showed

556

In prospect from His throne, how good, how fair,

557

Answering
⁴³⁵¹
His great idea.
⁴³⁵²
Up He rode

558

Followed with acclamation, and the sound

559

Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tuned

560

Angelic harmonies. The earth, the air

561

Resounded (thou rememb’rest, for thou heard’st)

562

The Heav’ns and all the constellations rung,

563

The planets in their station listening stood,

564

While the bright pomp
⁴³⁵³
ascended jubilant.

565

‘Open, ye everlasting gates!’ they sung,

566

‘Open, ye Heav’ns! your living doors! Let in

567

The great Creator from His work returned

568

Magnificent, His six days work, a world!

569

Open, and henceforth oft, for God will deign

570

To visit oft the dwellings of just men,

571

Delighted, and with frequent intercourse

572

Thither will send His wingèd messengers

573

On errands of supernal
⁴³⁵⁴
grace. ’ So sung

574

The glorious train
⁴³⁵⁵
ascending. He through Heav’n,

575

That opened wide her blazing portals, led

576

To God’s eternal house direct the way,

577

A broad and ample road, whose dust is gold

578

And pavement stars, as stars to thee appear,

579

Seen in the galaxy, that milky way

580

Which nightly, as a circling zone,
⁴³⁵⁶
thou see’st

581

Powdered with stars. And now on earth the seventh

582

Ev’ning arose in Eden, for the sun

583

Was set, and twilight from the east came on,

584

Forerunning night, when at the holy mount

585

Of Heav’n’s high-seated top, the imperial throne

586

Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure,

587

The Filial Power arrived, and sat him down

588

With his great Father, for he also went

589

Invisible, yet stayed
⁴³⁵⁷
(such privilege

590

Hath Omnipresence), and the work ordained,

591

Author and End of all things, and from work

592

Now resting, blessed and hallowed the sev’nth day,

593

As resting on that day from all His work,

594

But not in silence holy kept. The harp

595

Had work and rested not, the solemn pipe,

596

And dulcimer, all organs of sweet stop,

597

All sounds on fret
⁴³⁵⁸
by string or golden wire,

598

Tempered
⁴³⁵⁹
soft tunings, intermixed with voice

599

Choral or unison. Of incense clouds,

600

Fuming from golden censers, hid the mount.

601

Creation and the six days acts they sung:

602

   
“‘Great are thy works, Jehovah! Infinite

603

Thy power! What thought can measure Thee, or tongue

604

Relate thee? Greater now in Thy return

605

Than from the giant Angels. Thee that day

606

Thy thunders magnified, but to create

607

Is greater than created
⁴³⁶⁰
to destroy.

608

Who can impair
⁴³⁶¹
Thee, Mighty King, or bound
⁴³⁶²

609

Thy empire? Easily the proud attempt

610

Of Spirits apostate, and their counsels vain,

611

Thou hast repelled, while impiously they thought

612

Thee to diminish, and from Thee withdraw

613

The number of Thy worshippers. Who seeks

614

To lessen Thee, against his purpose serves

615

To manifest the more Thy might. His evil

616

Thou usest, and from thence creat’st more good.

617

Witness this new-made world, another Heav’n

618

From Heaven-gate not far, founded in view

619

On the clear hyaline,
⁴³⁶³
the glassy sea,

620

Of amplitude almost immense,
⁴³⁶⁴
with stars

621

Numerous, and every star perhaps a world

622

Of destined habitation. But thou know’st

623

Their seasons. Among
⁴³⁶⁵
these the seat of men,

624

Earth, with her nether
⁴³⁶⁶
ocean circumfused,
⁴³⁶⁷

625

Their pleasant dwelling-place. Thrice happy men,

626

And sons of men, whom God hath thus advanced!
⁴³⁶⁸