The Complete Poetry of John Milton (84 page)

   120     
That what in sleep thou didst abhorr to dream,

               
Waking thou never wilt consent to do.

               
Be not disheart’nd then, nor cloud those looks

               
That wont to be more chearful and serene

               
Then when fair Morning first smiles on the World,

   125     
And let us to our fresh imployments rise

               
Among the Groves, the Fountains, and the Flowrs

               
That open now thir choicest bosom’d smells

               
Reserv’d from night, and kept for thee in store.

           
      
       So cheard he his fair Spouse, and she was cheard,

   130     
But silently a gentle tear let fall

               
From either eye, and wip’d them with her hair;

               
Two other precious drops that ready stood,

               
Each in thir chrystal sluce, hee ere they fell

               
Kiss’d as the gracious signs of sweet remorse

   135     
And pious awe, that feard to have offended.

           
      
       So all was cleard, and to the Field they haste.

               
But first from under shadie arborous roof,

               
Soon as they forth were come to open sight

               
Of day-spring, and the Sun, who scarce up ris’n

   140     
With wheels yet hov’ring o’re the Ocean brim,

               
Shot paralel to th’ earth his dewie ray,

               
Discovering in wide Lantskip all the East

               
Of Paradise and
Edens
happie Plains,

               
Lowly they bow’d adoring, and began

   145     
Thir Orisons, each Morning duly paid

               
In various style, for neither various style

               
Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise

               
Thir Maker, in fit strains pronounc’t or sung

               
Unmeditated, such prompt eloquence

   150     
Flowd from thir lips, in Prose or numerous
⁵
Verse,

               
More tuneable then needed Lute or Harp

               
To add more sweetness, and they thus began.

           
      
       These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,

               
Almightie, thine this universal Frame,

   155     
Thus wondrous fair; thy self how wondrous then!

               
Unspeakable, who sitst above these Heav’ns

               
To us invisible or dimly seen

               
In these thy lowest works, yet these declare

               
Thy goodness beyond thought, and Power Divine:

   160     
Speak yee who best can tell, ye Sons of light,

               
Angels, for yee behold him, and with songs

               
And choral symphonies, Day without Night,

               
Circle his Throne rejoycing, yee in Heav’n,

               
On Earth joyn all ye Creatures to extoll

   165     
Him first, him last, him midst, and without end.

               
Fairest of Starrs,
⁶
last in the train of Night,

               
If better thou belong not to the dawn,

               
Sure pledge of day, that crownst the smiling Morn

               
With thy bright Circlet, praise him in thy Sphear

   170     
While day arises, that sweet hour of Prime.

               
Thou Sun, of this great World both Eye and Soul,

               
Acknowledge him thy Greater, sound his praise

               
In thy eternal course, both when thou climb’st,

               
And when high Noon hast gaind, and when thou fallst.

   175     
Moon, that now meetst the orient Sun, now fli’st

               
With the fixt Starrs, fixt in thir Orb that flies,
⁷

               
And yee five other wandring Fires that move

               
In mystic Dance not without Song, resound

               
His praise, who out of Darkness call’d up Light.

   180     
Air, and ye Elements the eldest birth

               
Of Natures Womb, that in quaternion
⁸
run

               
Perpetual Circle, multiform; and mix

               
And nourish all things, let your ceasless change

               
Varie to our great Maker still new praise.

   185     
Ye Mists and Exhalations that now rise

               
From Hill or steaming Lake, duskie or grey,

               
Till the Sun paint your fleecie skirts with Gold,

               
In honour to the Worlds great Author rise,

               
Whether to deck with Clouds th’ uncolourd
⁹
skie,

   190     
Or wet the thirstie Earth with falling showers,

               
Rising or falling still advance his praise.

               
His praise ye Winds, that from four Quarters blow,

               
Breath soft or loud; and wave your tops, ye Pines,

               
With every Plant, in sign of Worship wave.

   195     
Fountains and yee, that warble, as ye flow,

               
Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.

               
Joyn voices all ye living Souls, ye Birds,

               
That singing up to Heaven Gate ascend,

               
Bear on your wings and in your notes his praise;

   200     
Yee that in Waters glide, and yee that walk

               
The Earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep;

               
Witness if I be silent, Morn or Eev’n,

               
To Hill, or Valley, Fountain, or fresh shade

               
Made vocal by my Song, and taught his praise.

   205     
Hail universal Lord, be bounteous still

               
To give us onely good; and if the night

               
Have gather’d aught of evil or conceald,

               
Disperse it, as now light dispels the dark.

           
      
       So pray’d they innocent, and to thir thoughts

   210     
Firm peace recoverd soon and wonted calm.

               
On to thir mornings rural work they haste

               
Among sweet dews and flowrs; where any row

               
Of Fruit-trees overwoodie reach’d too farr

               
Thir pamperd boughs, and needed hands to check

   215     
Fruitless imbraces: or they led the Vine

               
To wed her Elm; she spous’d about
¹⁰
him twines

               
Her mariageable arms, and with her brings

               
Her dowr th’ adopted Clusters, to adorn

               
His barren leaves. Them thus imploid beheld

   220     
With pittie Heav’ns high King, and to him call’d

               
Raphael
,
¹¹
the sociable Spirit, that deign’d

               
To travel with
Tobias
, and secur’d

               
His marriage with the seaventimes-wedded Maid.
¹²

           
      
       
Raphael
, said hee, thou hear’st what stir on Earth

   225     
Satan
from Hell scap’t through the darksom Gulf

               
Hath rais’d in Paradise, and how disturb’d

               
This night the human pair, how he designes

               
In them at once to ruin all mankind.

               
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend

   230     
Converse with
Adam
, in what Bowr or shade

               
Thou find’st him from the heat of Noon retir’d,

               
To respit his day-labour with repast,

               
Or with repose; and such discourse bring on,

               
As may advise him of his happie state,

   235     
Happiness in his power left free to will,

               
Left to his own free Will, his Will though free,

               
Yet mutable; whence warn him to beware

               
He swerve not too secure: tell him withall

               
His danger, and from whom, what enemie

   240     
Late falln himself from Heav’n, is plotting now

               
The fall of others from like state of bliss;

               
By violence, no, for that shall be withstood,

               
But by deceit and lies; this let him know,

               
Least wilfully transgressing he pretend

   245     
Surprisal, unadmonisht, unforewarnd.

           
      
       So spake th’ Eternal Father, and fulfilld

               
All Justice: nor delaid the winged Saint

               
After his charge receiv’d; but from among

               
Thousand Celestial Ardors,
¹³
where he stood

   250     
Vaild with his gorgeous wings, up springing light

               
Flew through the midst of Heav’n; th’ angelic Quires

               
On each hand parting, to his speed gave way

               
Through all th’ Empyreal road; till at the Gate

               
Of Heav’n arriv’d, the gate self-opend wide

   255     
On golden Hinges turning, as by work

               
Divine the sov’ran Architect had fram’d.

               
From hence, no cloud, or, to obstruct his sight,

               
Starr interpos’d, however small he sees,

               
Not unconform to other shining Globes,

   260     
Earth and the Gard’n of God, with Cedars crownd

               
Above all Hills. As when by night the Glass
¹⁴

               
Of
Galileo
, less assur’d, observes

               
Imagind Lands and Regions in the Moon:

               
Or Pilot from amidst the
Cyclades
¹⁵

   265     
Delos
or
Samos
first appeering kenns

               
A cloudy spot. Down thither prone
¹⁶
in flight

               
He speeds, and through the vast Ethereal Skie

               
Sails between worlds and worlds, with steddie wing

               
Now on the polar winds, then with quick Fann
¹⁷

   270     
Winnows the buxom
¹⁸
Air; till within soar

               
Of Towring Eagles, to all the Fowls he seems

               
A
Phœnix
, gaz’d by all, as that sole Bird

               
When to enshrine his reliques in the Sun’s

               
Bright Temple, to
Ægyptian Thebes
he flies.
¹⁹