The Complete Poetry of John Milton (103 page)

   490     
I overjoyd could not forbear aloud.

           
      
       This turn hath made amends; thou hast fulfill’d

               
Thy words, Creator bounteous and benigne,

               
Giver of all things fair, but fairest this

               
Of all thy gifts, nor enviest. I now see

   495     
Bone of my Bone, Flesh of my Flesh, my Self

               
Before me; Woman is her Name, of Man

               
Extracted; for this cause he shall forgoe

               
Father and Mother, and to his Wife adhere;

               
And they shall be one Flesh, one Heart, one Soul.

           
      
       She heard me thus, and though divinely brought,

               
Yet Innocence and Virgin Modestie,

               
Her vertue and the conscience of her worth,

               
That would be woo’d, and not unsought be won,

               
Not obvious, not obtrusive, but retir’d,

   505     
The more desirable, or to say all,

               
Nature her self, though pure of sinful thought,

               
Wrought in her so, that seeing me, she turn’d;

               
I follow’d her, she what was Honour knew,

               
And with obsequious
³³
Majestie approv’d

   510     
My pleaded reason. To the Nuptial Bowr

               
I led her blushing like the Morn: all Heav’n,

               
And happie Constellations on that hour

               
Shed thir selectest influence; the Earth

               
Gave sign of gratulation, and each Hill;

   515     
Joyous the Birds; fresh Gales and gentle Aires

               
Whisper’d it to the Woods, and from thir wings

               
Flung Rose, flung Odours from the spicie Shrub,

               
Disporting, till the amorous Bird of Night
³⁴

               
Sung Spousal, and bid haste the Eevning Starr

   520     
On his Hill top, to light the bridal Lamp.

               
Thus I have told thee all my State, and brought

               
My Storie to the sum of earthly bliss

               
Which I enjoy, and must confess to find

               
In all things else delight indeed, but such

   525     
As us’d or not, works in the mind no change,

               
Nor vehement desire, these delicacies

               
I mean of Taste, Sight, Smell, Herbs, Fruits, and Flowrs,

               
Walks, and the melodie of Birds; but here

               
Farr otherwise, transported I behold,

   530     
Transported touch; here passion first I felt,

               
Commotion strange, in all enjoyments else

               
Superiour and unmov’d, here onely weak

               
Against the charm of Beauties powerful glance.

               
Or Nature faild in mee, and left some part

   535     
Not proof enough such Object to sustain,

               
Or from my side subducting, took perhaps

               
More then enough; at least on her bestow’d

               
Too much of Ornament, in outward shew

               
Elaborate, of inward less exact.

   540     
For well I understand in the prime end

               
Of Nature her th’ inferiour, in the mind

               
And inward Faculties, which most excell,

               
In outward also her resembling less

               
His Image who made both, and less expressing

   545     
The character of that Dominion giv’n

               
O’re other Creatures; yet when I approach

               
Her loveliness, so absolute
³⁵
she seems

               
And in her self compleat, so well to know

               
Her own, that what she wills to do or say,

   550     
Seems wisest, vertuousest, discreetest, best;

               
All higher knowledge in her presence falls

               
Degraded, Wisdom in discourse with her

               
Looses discount’nanc’t, and like folly shews;

               
Authority and Reason on her wait,

   555     
As one intended first, not after made

               
Occasionally; and to consummate all,

               
Greatness of mind and nobleness thir seat

               
Build in her loveliest, and create an awe

               
About her, as a guard Angelic plac’t.

   560     
To whom the Angel with contracted brow.

           
      
       Accuse not Nature, she hath don her part;

               
Do thou but thine, and be not diffident

               
Of Wisdom, she deserts thee not, if thou

               
Dismiss not her, when most thou needst her nigh,

   565     
By attributing overmuch to things

               
Less excellent, as thou thy self perceav’st.

               
For what admir’st thou, what transports thee so,

               
An outside? fair no doubt, and worthy well

               
Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy love,

   570     
Not thy subjection: weigh with her thy self;

               
Then value: Oft times nothing profits more

               
Then self-esteem, grounded on just and right

               
Well manag’d; of that skill
³⁶
the more thou know’st,

               
The more she will acknowledge thee her Head,

   575     
And to realities yeild all her shows:

               
Made so adorn for thy delight the more,

               
So awful, that with honour thou maist love

               
Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen least wise.

               
But if the sense of touch whereby mankind

   580     
Is propagated seem such dear delight

               
Beyond all other, think the same voutsaf’t

               
To Cattel and each Beast; which would not be

               
To them made common and divulg’d, if aught

               
Therein enjoy’d were worthy to subdue

   585     
The Soul of Man, or passion in him move.

               
What higher in her societie thou findst

               
Attractive, human, rational, love still;

               
In loving thou dost well, in passion not,

               
Wherein true Love consists not; love refines

   590     
The thoughts, and heart enlarges, hath his seat

               
In Reason, and is judicious, is the scale

               
By which to heav’nly Love thou maist ascend,

               
Not sunk in carnal pleasure, for which cause

               
Among the Beasts no Mate for thee was found.

   105     
To whom thus half abash’t
Adam
repli’d.

               
Neither her out-side formd so fair, nor aught

               
In procreation common to all kinds

               
(Though higher of the genial
³⁷
Bed by far,

               
And with mysterious reverence I deem)

   600     
So much delights me as those graceful acts,

               
Those thousand decencies that daily flow

               
From all her words and actions mixt with Love

               
And sweet compliance, which declare unfeign’d

               
Union of Mind, or in us both one Soul;

   605     
Harmonie to behold in wedded pair

               
More grateful then harmonious sound to th’ ear.

               
Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose

               
What inward thence I feel, not therefore foild,

               
Who meet with various objects, from the sense

   610     
Variously representing; yet still free

               
Approve the best, and follow what I approve.

               
To love thou blam’st me not, for love thou saist

               
Leads up to Heav’n, is both the way and guide;

               
Bear with me then, if lawful what I ask;

   615     
Love not the heav’nly Spirits, and how thir Love

               
Express they, by looks onely, or do they mix

               
Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch?

           
      
       To whom the Angel with a smile that glow’d

               
Celestial rosie red, Loves proper hue,

   620     
Answer’d. Let it suffice thee that thou know’st

               
Us happie, and without Love no happiness.

               
Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy’st

               
(And pure thou wert created) we enjoy

               
In eminence, and obstacle find none

   625     
Of membrane, joynt, or limb, exclusive barrs:

               
Easier then Air with Air, if Spirits embrace,

               
Total they mix, Union of Pure with Pure

               
Desiring; nor restrain’d conveyance need

               
As Flesh to mix with Flesh, or Soul with Soul.

   630     
But I can now no more; the parting Sun

               
Beyond the Earths green Cape and verdant Isles
³⁸

               
Hesperean
³⁹
sets, my Signal to depart.

               
Be strong, live happie, and love, but first of all

               
Him whom to love is to obey, and keep

   635     
His great command; take heed least Passion sway

               
Thy Judgement to do aught, which else free Will

               
Would not admit; thine and of all thy Sons

               
The weal or woe in thee is plac’t; beware.

               
I in thy persevering shall rejoyce,

   640     
And all the Blest: stand fast; to stand or fall

               
Free in thine own Arbitrement it lies.

               
Perfet within, no outward aid require;

               
And all temptation to transgress repel.

           
      
       So saying, he arose; whom
Adam
thus

   645     
Follow’d with benediction. Since to part,

               
Go heav’nly Guest, Ethereal Messenger,

               
Sent from whose sovran goodness I adore.

               
Gentle to me and affable hath been

               
Thy condescension, and shall be honour’d ever