The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (91 page)

627

Created in His image, there to dwell

628

And worship Him, and in reward to rule

629

Over His works, on earth, in sea, or air,

630

And multiply a race of worshippers

631

Holy and just. Thrice happy, if they know

632

Their happiness, and persevere upright!

633

   
“So sung they, and the empyrean rung

634

With hallelujahs. Thus was sabbath kept.

635

And thy request think now fulfilled, that asked

636

How first this world and face
⁴³⁶⁹
of things began,

637

And what before thy memory was done

638

From the beginning, that
⁴³⁷⁰
posterity,

639

Informed by thee, might know. If else thou seek’st

640

Aught, not surpassing human measure,
⁴³⁷¹
say.

1

   
The Angel ended, and in Adam’s ear

2

So charming
⁴³⁷²
left his voice, that he a while

3

Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed
⁴³⁷³
to hear,

4

Then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied:

5

   
“What thanks sufficient, or what recompence

6

Equal, have I to render thee, divine

7

Historian,
⁴³⁷⁴
who thus largely
⁴³⁷⁵
hast allayed

8

The thirst I had of knowledge, and vouchsafed

9

This friendly condescension to relate

10

Things else by me unsearchable?
⁴³⁷⁶
now heard

11

With wonder, but delight, and as is due

12

With glory attributed to the high

13

Creator! Something yet of doubt remains,

14

Which only thy solution
⁴³⁷⁷
can resolve.

15

When I behold this goodly frame,
⁴³⁷⁸
this world,

16

Of Heav’n and earth consisting, and compute

17

Their magnitudes, this earth, a spot, a grain,

18

An atom, with the firmament compared

19

And all her numbered stars, that seem to roll

20

Spaces incomprehensible ( for such

21

Their distance argues,
⁴³⁷⁹
and their swift return

22

Diurnal)
⁴³⁸⁰
merely to officiate
⁴³⁸¹
light

23

Round this opaceous
⁴³⁸²
earth, this punctual
⁴³⁸³
spot,

24

One day and night, in all her vast survey
⁴³⁸⁴

25

Useless besides, reasoning I oft admire
⁴³⁸⁵

26

How Nature wise and frugal could commit

27

Such disproportions, with superfluous hand

28

So many nobler bodies to create,

29

Greater so manifold, to this one use

30

(For aught appears), and on their orbs impose

31

Such restless
⁴³⁸⁶
revolution
⁴³⁸⁷
day by day

32

Repeated, while the sedentary
⁴³⁸⁸
earth,

33

That better might with far less compass
⁴³⁸⁹
move,

34

Served by more
⁴³⁹⁰
noble than herself, attains

35

Her end without least motion, and receives,

36

As tribute, such a sumless
⁴³⁹¹
journey brought
⁴³⁹²

37

Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light—

38

Speed, to describe whose swiftness number fails.

39

   
So spoke our sire, and by his count’nance seemed

40

Entering on studious thoughts abstruse,
⁴³⁹³
which Eve

41

Perceiving, where she sat retired in
⁴³⁹⁴
sight,

42

With lowliness
⁴³⁹⁵
majestic from her seat,

43

And grace that won
⁴³⁹⁶
who
⁴³⁹⁷
saw to wish her stay,

44

Rose and went forth among her fruits and flow’rs,

45

To visit
⁴³⁹⁸
how they prospered, bud and bloom,

46

Her nursery. They at her coming sprung

47

And, touched by her fair tendance,
⁴³⁹⁹
gladlier grew.

48

Yet went she not, as not with such discourse

49

Delighted, or not capable her ear

50

Of what was high: such pleasure she reserved,
⁴⁴⁰⁰

51

Adam relating,
⁴⁴⁰¹
she sole auditress.
⁴⁴⁰²

52

Her husband the relater she preferred

53

Before the Angel, and of him to ask

54

Chose
⁴⁴⁰³
rather. He, she knew, would intermix

55

Grateful
⁴⁴⁰⁴
digressions, and solve high dispute

56

With conjugal caresses: from his lip

57

Not words alone pleased her. (O! when meet
⁴⁴⁰⁵
now

58

Such pairs, in love and mutual honor joined?

59

With goddess-like demeanor forth she went,

60

Not unattended, for on her, as queen,

61

A pomp
⁴⁴⁰⁶
of winning graces waited still,

62

And from about her shot darts of desire

63

Into all eyes, to wish her still in sight.

64

And Raphael now, to Adam’s doubt proposed,

65

Benevolent and facile,
⁴⁴⁰⁷
thus replied:

66

   
“To ask or search, I blame thee not, for Heav’n

67

Is as the book of God before thee set,

68

Wherein to read His wondrous works, and learn

69

His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years.

70

This to attain,
⁴⁴⁰⁸
whether Heav’n move or earth,

71

Imports
⁴⁴⁰⁹
not if
⁴⁴¹⁰
thou reckon
⁴⁴¹¹
right. The rest

72

From man or Angel the great Architect

73

Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge

74

His secrets to be scanned
⁴⁴¹²
by them who ought

75

Rather admire,
⁴⁴¹³
or if they list
⁴⁴¹⁴
to try

76

Conjecture, He His fabric of the Heav’ns

77

Hath left to their disputes, perhaps to move

78

His laughter at their quaint
⁴⁴¹⁵
opinions wide
⁴⁴¹⁶

79

Hereafter. When they come to model
⁴⁴¹⁷
Heav’n

80

And calculate the stars, how they will wield
⁴⁴¹⁸

81

The mighty frame, how build, unbuild, contrive

82

To save
⁴⁴¹⁹
appearances,
⁴⁴²⁰
how gird
⁴⁴²¹
the sphere

83

With centric
⁴⁴²²
and eccentric
⁴⁴²³
scribbled o’er,

84

Cycle
⁴⁴²⁴
and epicycle,
⁴⁴²⁵
orb
⁴⁴²⁶
in orb.

85

Already by thy reasoning this I guess,

86

Who
⁴⁴²⁷
art to lead thy offspring, and supposest

87

That bodies bright and greater should not serve