The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (92 page)

88

The less not bright, nor Heav’n such journeys run,

89

Earth sitting still, when she alone receives

90

The benefit.

         
“Consider, first, that great

91

Or bright infers
⁴⁴²⁸
not excellence. The earth,

92

Though in comparison of Heav’n so small,

93

Nor glistering,
⁴⁴²⁹
may of solid good contain

94

More plenty than the sun that barren shines,

95

Whose virtue
⁴⁴³⁰
on itself works no effect,

96

But in the fruitful earth, there first received,

97

His beams, unactive
⁴⁴³¹
else,
⁴⁴³²
their vigor
⁴⁴³³
find.

98

Yet not to earth are those bright luminaries

99

Officious,
⁴⁴³⁴
but to thee, earth’s habitant.

100

And for the Heav’n’s wide circuit, let it speak

101

The Maker’s high magnificence, who built

102

So spacious, and His line stretched out so far

103

That man may know he dwells not in his own,

104

An edifice too large for him to fill,

105

Lodged in a small partition,
⁴⁴³⁵
and the rest

106

Ordained for uses to his Lord best known.

107

The swiftness of those circles attribute,
⁴⁴³⁶

108

Though numberless, to His Omnipotence,

109

That to corporeal substances could add

110

Speed almost spiritual. Me thou think’st not slow,

111

Who since the morning-hour set out from Heav’n

112

Where God resides, and ere mid-day arrived

113

In Eden—distance inexpressible

114

By numbers that have name. But this I urge,
⁴⁴³⁷

115

Admitting
⁴⁴³⁸
motion in the Heav’ns, to show

116

Invalid that which thee to doubt it moved.
⁴⁴³⁹

117

Not that I so affirm,
⁴⁴⁴⁰
though so it seem

118

To thee who hast thy dwelling here on earth.

119

God, to remove His ways from human sense,

120

Placed Heav’n from earth so far, that earthly sight,

121

If it presume, might err in things too high,

122

And no advantage gain. What if the sun

123

Be center to the world? and other stars,

124

By his
⁴⁴⁴¹
attractive
⁴⁴⁴²
virtue
⁴⁴⁴³
and their own

125

Incited, dance about him various rounds?

126

Their wand’ring course now high, now low, then hid,

127

Progressive,
⁴⁴⁴⁴
retrograde,
⁴⁴⁴⁵
or standing still,

128

In six
⁴⁴⁴⁶
thou see’st? And what if sev’nth to these

129

The planet earth, so steadfast though she seem,

130

Insensibly three different motions move,

131

Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,

132

Moved contrary with thwart
⁴⁴⁴⁷
obliquities,
⁴⁴⁴⁸

133

Or save the sun his labor, and that swift

134

Nocturnal and diurnal rhomb
⁴⁴⁴⁹
supposed,

135

Invisible
⁴⁴⁵⁰
else above all stars, the wheel

136

Of day and night, which needs not thy belief

137

If earth, industrious
⁴⁴⁵¹
of herself, fetch
⁴⁴⁵²
day

138

Travelling east, and with her part averse

139

From the sun’s beam meet night, her other part

140

Still luminous by his
⁴⁴⁵³
ray? What if that light,

141

Sent from her
⁴⁴⁵⁴
through the wide transpicuous
⁴⁴⁵⁵
air,

142

To the terrestrial moon be as a star,

143

Enlight’ning her
⁴⁴⁵⁶
by day, as she
⁴⁴⁵⁷
by night

144

This earth, reciprocal, if land be there,

145

Fields and inhabitants? Her spots thou see’st

146

As clouds, and clouds may rain, and rain produce

147

Fruits in her softened soil for some to eat

148

Allotted
⁴⁴⁵⁸
there. And other suns perhaps,

149

With their attendant moons, thou wilt descry,

150

Communicating male and female light,
⁴⁴⁵⁹

151

Which two great sexes animate the world,

152

Stored in each orb perhaps with some that live.

153

For such vast room
⁴⁴⁶⁰
in Nature unpossessed

154

By living soul, desert
⁴⁴⁶¹
and desolate,

155

Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute
⁴⁴⁶²

156

Each orb a glimpse of light, conveyed so far

157

Down to this habitable,
⁴⁴⁶³
which returns

158

Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.
⁴⁴⁶⁴

159

But whether thus these things, or whether not—

160

But whether the sun, predominant in Heav’n,

161

Rise on the earth, or earth rise on the sun—

162

He from the east his flaming road begin,

163

Or she from west her silent course advance,

164

With inoffensive
⁴⁴⁶⁵
pace that spinning sleeps

165

On her soft axle, while she paces ev’n,
⁴⁴⁶⁶

166

And bears thee soft with the smooth air along—

167

Solicit
⁴⁴⁶⁷
not thy thoughts with matters hid.

168

Leave them to God above. Him serve, and fear!

169

Of other creatures, as Him pleases best,

170

Wherever placed, let Him dispose. Joy thou

171

In what He gives to thee, this Paradise

172

And thy fair Eve. Heav’n is for thee too high

173

To know what passes there. Be lowly
⁴⁴⁶⁸
wise,

174

Think only what concerns thee, and thy being.

175

Dream not of other worlds, what creatures there