The Complete Poetry of John Milton (101 page)

   170     
Wherever plac’t, let him dispose: joy thou

               
In what he gives to thee, this Paradise

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

               
To know what passes there; be lowlie wise:

               
Think onely what concerns thee and thy being;

   175     
Dream not of other Worlds, what Creatures there

               
Live, in what state, condition or degree,

               
Contented that thus farr hath been reveal’d

               
Not of Earth onely but of highest Heav’n.

           
      
       To whom thus
Adam
cleerd of doubt, repli’d.

   180     
How fully hast thou satisfi’d mee, pure

               
Intelligence of Heav’n, Angel serene,

               
And freed from intricacies, taught to live,

               
The easiest way, nor with perplexing thoughts

               
To interrupt the sweet of Life, from which

   185     
God hath bid dwell farr off all anxious cares,

               
And not molest us, unless we our selves

               
Seek them with wandring thoughts, and notions vain.

               
But apt the Mind or Fancie is to roave

               
Uncheckt, and of her roaving is no end;

   190     
Till warn’d, or by experience taught, she learn,

               
That not to know at large of things remote

               
From use, obscure and suttle, but to know

               
That which before us lies in daily life,

               
Is the prime Wisdom; what is more, is fume,

   195     
Or emptiness, or fond impertinence,

               
And renders us in things that most concern

               
Unpractis’d, unprepar’d, and still to seek.

               
Therefore from this high pitch let us descend

               
A lower flight, and speak of things at hand

   200     
Useful, whence haply mention may arise

               
Of somthing not unseasonable to ask

               
By sufferance, and thy wonted favour deign’d.

               
Thee I have heard relating what was don

               
Ere my remembrance: now hear mee relate

   205     
My Storie, which perhaps thou hast not heard;

               
And Day is yet not spent; till then thou seest

               
How suttly to detain thee I devise,

               
Inviting thee to hear while I relate,

               
Fond, were it not in hope of thy reply:

   210     
For while I sit with thee, I seem in Heav’n,

               
And sweeter thy discourse is to my ear

               
Then Fruits of Palm-tree pleasantest to thirst

               
And hunger both, from
¹⁸
labour, at the hour

               
Of sweet repast; they satiate, and soon fill,

   215     
Though pleasant, but thy words with Grace Divine

               
Imbu’d, bring to thir sweetness no satietie.

           
      
       To whom thus
Raphael
answer’d heav’nly meek.

               
Nor are thy lips ungraceful, Sire of men,

               
Nor tongue ineloquent; for God on thee

   220     
Abundantly his gifts hath also pour’d

               
Inward and outward both, his image fair:

               
Speaking or mute all comliness and grace

               
Attends thee, and each word, each motion formes.

               
Nor less think wee in Heav’n of thee on Earth

   225     
Then of our fellow servant, and inquire

               
Gladly into the wayes of God with Man:

               
For God we see hath honour’d thee, and set

               
On Man his equal Love: say therefore on;

               
For I that Day was absent, as befell,

   230     
Bound on a voyage uncouth
¹⁹
and obscure,

               
Farr on excursion toward the Gates of Hell;

               
Squar’d in full Legion (such command we had)

               
To see that none thence issu’d forth a spie,

               
Or enemie, while God was in his work,

   235     
Least hee incenst at such eruption bold,

               
Destruction with Creation might have mixt.

               
Not that they durst without his leave attempt,

               
But us he sends upon his high behests

               
For state, as Sovran King, and to enure
²⁰

   240     
Our prompt obedience. Fast we found, fast shut

               
The dismal Gates, and barricado’d strong;

               
But long ere our approaching heard within

               
Noise, other then the sound of Dance or Song,

               
Torment, and loud lament, and furious rage.

   245     
Glad we return’d up to the coasts of Light

               
Ere Sabbath Eev’ning: so we had in charge.

               
But thy relation now; for I attend,

               
Pleas’d with thy words no less then thou with mine.

           
      
       So spake the Godlike Power, and thus our Sire.

   250     
For Man to tell how human Life began

               
Is hard; for who himself beginning knew?

               
Desire with thee still longer to converse

               
Induc’d me. As new wak’t from soundest sleep

               
Soft on the flowrie herb I found me laid

   255     
In Balmie Sweat, which with his Beames the Sun

               
Soon dri’d, and on the reaking moisture fed.

               
Strait toward Heav’n my wondring Eyes I turnd,

               
And gaz’d a while the ample Skie, till rais’d

               
By quick instinctive motion up I sprung,

   260     
As thitherward endevoring, and upright

               
Stood on my feet; about me round I saw

               
Hill, Dale, and shadie Woods, and sunnie Plains,

               
And liquid Lapse of murmuring Streams; by these,

               
Creatures that liv’d, and mov’d, and walk’d, or flew,

   265     
Birds on the branches warbling; all things smil’d,

               
With fragrance and with joy my heart oreflow’d.

               
My self I then perus’d, and Limb by Limb

               
Survey’d, and sometimes went,
²¹
and sometimes ran

               
With supple joints, as lively vigour led:

   270     
But who I was, or where, or from what cause,

               
Knew not; to speak I tri’d, and forthwith spake,

               
My Tongue obey’d and readily could name

               
What e’re I saw. Thou Sun, said I, fair Light,

               
And thou enlight’n’d Earth, so fresh and gay,

   275     
Ye Hills and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains,

               
And ye that live and move, fair Creatures, tell,

               
Tell, if ye saw, how came I thus, how here?

               
Not of my self; by some great Maker then,

               
In goodness and in power præeminent;

   280     
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,

               
From whom I have that thus I move and live,

               
And feel that I am happier then I know.

               
While thus I call’d, and stray’d I knew not whither,

               
From where I first drew Air, and first beheld

   285     
This happie Light, when answer none return’d,

               
On a green shadie Bank profuse of Flowrs

               
Pensive I sate me down; there gentle sleep

               
First found me, and with soft oppression seis’d

               
My droused sense, untroubl’d, though I thought

   290     
I then was passing to my former state

               
Insensible, and forthwith to dissolve:

               
When suddenly stood at my Head a dream,

               
Whose inward apparition gently mov’d

               
My fancy to believe I yet had being,

   295     
And liv’d: One came, methought, of shape Divine,

               
And said, thy Mansion wants thee,
Adam
, rise,

               
First Man, of Men innumerable ordain’d

               
First Father, call’d by thee I come thy Guide

               
To the Garden of bliss, thy seat prepar’d.
²²

   300     
So saying, by the hand he took me rais’d,

               
And over Fields and Waters, as in Air

               
Smooth sliding without step, last led me up

               
A woodie Mountain; whose high top was plain,

               
A Circuit wide, enclos’d, with goodliest Trees

   305     
Planted, with Walks, and Bowers, that what I saw

               
Of Earth before scarse pleasant seemd. Each Tree

               
Load’n with fairest Fruit that hung to th’ Eye

               
Tempting, stirr’d in me sudden appetite

               
To pluck and eat; whereat I wak’d, and found

   310     
Before mine Eyes all real, as the dream

               
Had lively shadowd:
²³
Here had new begun

               
My wandring, had not hee who was my Guide

               
Up hither, from among the Trees appeer’d,

               
Presence Divine. Rejoycing, but with aw

   315     
In adoration at his feet I fell

               
Submiss:
²⁴
he rear’d me, and Whom thou soughtst I am,

               
Said mildly, Author of all this thou seest

               
Above, or round about thee or beneath.

               
This Paradise I give thee, count it thine

   320     
To Till and keep, and of the Fruit to eat:

               
Of every Tree that in the Garden grows

               
Eat freely with glad heart; fear here no dearth:

               
But of the Tree whose operation
²⁵
brings

               
Knowledge of good and ill, which I have set

   325     
The Pledge of thy Obedience and thy Faith,

               
Amid the Garden by the Tree of Life,

               
Remember what I warn thee, shun to taste,

               
And shun the bitter consequence: for know,

               
The day thou eat’st thereof, my sole command