The Complete Poems (Penguin Classics)

  860 He held it vain; awe from above had quelled

  His heart, not else dismayed. Now drew they nigh

  The western point, where those half-rounding guards

  Just met, and closing stood in squadron joined

  Awaiting next command. To whom their chief

  865 Gabriel from the front thus called aloud.

  O friends, I hear the tread of nimble feet

  Hasting this way, and now by glimpse discern

  Ithuriel and Zephon through the shade,

  And with them comes a third of regal port,

  870 But faded splendour wan; who by his gait

  And fierce demeanour seems the Prince of Hell,

  Not likely to part hence without contést;

  Stand firm, for in his look defiance lours.

  He scarce had ended, when those two approached

  875 And brief related whom they brought, where found,

  How busied, in what form and posture couched.

  To whom with stern regard thus Gabriel spake.

  Why hast thou, Satan, broke the bounds prescribed

  To thy transgressions, and disturbed the charge

  880 Of others, who approve not to transgress

  By thy example, but have power and right

  To question thy bold entrance on this place;

  Employed it seems to violate sleep, and those

  Whose dwelling God hath planted here in bliss?

  885 To whom thus Satan with contemptuous brow.

  Gabriel, thou hadst in Heav’n th’ esteem of wise,

  And such I held thee; but this question asked

  Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain?

  Who would not, finding way, break loose from Hell,

  890 Though thither doomed? Thou wouldst thyself, no doubt,

  And boldly venture to whatever place

  Farthest from pain, where thou might’st hope to change

  Torment with ease, and soonest recompense

  Dole with delight, which in this place I sought;

  895 To thee no reason; who know’st only good,

  But evil hast not tried: and wilt object

  His will who bound us? Let him surer bar

  His iron gates, if he intends our stay

  In that dark durance: thus much what was asked.

  900 The rest is true, they found me where they say;

  But that implies not violence or harm.

  Thus he in scorn. The warlike angel moved,

  Disdainfully half smiling thus replied.

  O loss of one in Heav’n to judge of wise,

  905 Since Satan fell, whom folly overthrew,

  And now returns him from his prison ’scaped,

  Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise

  Or not, who ask what boldness brought him hither

  Unlicensed from his bounds in Hell prescribed;

  910 So wise he judges it to fly from pain

  However, and to ’scape his punishment.

  So judge thou still, presumptuous, till the wrath,

  Which thou incurr’st by flying, meet thy flight

  Sevenfold, and scourge that wisdom back to Hell,

  915 Which taught thee yet no better, that no pain

  Can equal anger infinite provoked.

  But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee

  Came not all Hell broke loose? Is pain to them

  Less pain, less to be fled, or thou than they

  920 Less hardy to endure? Courageous chief,

  The first in flight from pain, hadst thou alleged

  To thy deserted host this cause of flight,

  Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive.

  To which the Fiend thus answered frowning stern.

  925 Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain,

  Insulting angel, well thou know’st I stood

  Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid

  The blasting volleyed thunder made all speed

  And seconded thy else not dreaded spear.

  930 But still thy words at random, as before,

  Argue thy inexperience what behooves

  From hard assays and ill successes past

  A faithful leader, not to hazard all

  Through ways of danger by himself untried.

  935 I therefore, I alone first undertook

  To wing the desolate abyss, and spy

  This new-created world, whereof in Hell

  Fame is not silent, here in hope to find

  Better abode, and my afflicted powers

  940 To settle here on earth, or in mid air;

  Though for possession put to try once more

  What thou and thy gay legions dare against;

  Whose easier business were to serve their Lord

  High up in Heav’n, with songs to hymn his throne,

  945 And practised distances to cringe, not fight.

  To whom the warrior angel soon replied.

  To say and straight unsay, pretending first

  Wise to fly pain, professing next the spy,

  Argues no leader but a liar traced,

  950 Satan, and couldst thou faithful add? O name,

  O sacred name of faithfulness profaned!

  Faithful to whom? To thy rebellious crew?

  Army of fiends, fit body to fit head;

  Was this your discipline and faith engaged,

  955 Your military obedience, to dissolve

  Allegiance to th’ acknowledged Power Supreme?

  And thou sly hypocrite, who now wouldst seem

  Patron of liberty, who more than thou

  Once fawned, and cringed, and servilely adored

  960 Heav’n’s awful Monarch? Wherefore but in hope

  To dispossess him, and thyself to reign?

  But mark what I aread thee now, avaunt;

  Fly thither whence thou fledd’st: if from this hour

  Within these hallowed limits thou appear,

  965 Back to th’ infernal pit I drag thee chained,

  And seal thee so, as henceforth not to scorn

  The facile gates of Hell too slightly barred.

  So threatened he, but Satan to no threats

  Gave heed, but waxing more in rage replied.

  970 Then when I am thy captive talk of chains,

  Proud limitary Cherub, but ere then

  Far heavier load thyself expect to feel

  From my prevailing arm, though Heaven’s King

  Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers,

  975 Used to the yoke, draw’st his triumphant wheels

  In progress through the road of Heav’n star-paved.

  While thus he spake, th’ angelic squadron bright

  Turned fiery red, sharp’ning in moonèd horns

  Their phalanx, and began to hem him round

  980 With ported spears, as thick as when a field

  Of Ceres ripe for harvest waving bends

  Her bearded grove of ears, which way the wind

  Sways them; the careful ploughman doubting stands

  Lest on the threshing floor his hopeful sheaves

  985 Prove chaff. On th’ other side Satan alarmed

  Collecting all his might dilated stood,

  Like Teneriffe or Atlas unremoved:

  His stature reached the sky, and on his crest

  Sat Horror plumed; nor wanted in his grasp

  990 What seemed both spear and shield: now dreadful deeds

  Might have ensued, nor only Paradise

  In this commotion, but the starry cope

  Of heav’n perhaps, or all the elements

  At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn

  995 With violence of this conflict, had not soon

  Th’ Eternal to prevent such horrid fray

  Hung forth in heav’n his golden Scales, yet seen

  Betwixt Astraea and the Scorpion sign,

  Wherein all things created first he weighed,

  1000 The pendu
lous round earth with balanced air

  In counterpoise, now ponders all events,

  Battles and realms: in these he put two weights

  The sequel each of parting and of fight;

  The latter quick up flew, and kicked the beam;

  1005 Which Gabriel spying, thus bespake the Fiend.

  Satan, I know thy strength, and thou know’st mine,

  Neither our own but giv’n; what folly then

  To boast what arms can do, since thine no more

  Than Heav’n permits, nor mine, though doubled now

  1010 To trample thee as mire: for proof look up,

  And read thy lot in yon celestial sign

  Where thou art weighed, and shown how light, how weak,

  If thou resist. The Fiend looked up and knew

  His mounted scale aloft: nor more; but fled

  1015 Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night.

  BOOK V

  The Argument

  Morning approached, Eve relates to Adam her troublesome

  dream; he likes it not, yet comforts her: they come forth to

  their day labours: their morning hymn at the door of their

  bower. God to render man inexcusable sends Raphael to

  5 admonish him of his obedience, of his free estate, of his enemy

  near at hand; who he is, and why his enemy, and whatever

  else may avail Adam to know. Raphael comes down to Paradise,

  his appearance described, his coming discerned by Adam afar

  off sitting at the door of his bower; he goes out to meet him,

  10 brings him to his lodge, entertains him with the choicest fruits

  of Paradise got together by Eve; their discourse at table:

  Raphael performs his message, minds Adam of his state and

  of his enemy; relates at Adam’s request who that enemy is,

  and how he came to be so, beginning from his first revolt in

  15 Heaven and the occasion thereof; how he drew his legions

  after him to the parts of the North, and there incited them

  to rebel with him, persuading all but only Abdiel a Seraph,

  who in argument dissuades and opposes him, then forsakes

  him.

  Now Morn her rosy steps in th’ eastern clime

  Advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl,

  When Adam waked, so customed, for his sleep

  Was airy light, from pure digestion bred,

  5 And temperate vapours bland, which th’ only sound

  Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora’s fan,

  Lightly dispersed, and the shrill matin song

  Of birds on every bough; so much the more

  His wonder was to find unwakened Eve

  10 With tresses discomposed, and glowing cheek,

  As through unquiet rest: he on his side

  Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love

  Hung over her enamoured, and beheld

  Beauty, which whether waking or asleep,

  15 Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice

  Mild, as when Zephyrus on Flora breathes,

  Her hand soft touching, whispered thus. Awake

  My fairest, my espoused, my latest found,

  Heav’n’s last best gift, my ever new delight,

  20 Awake, the morning shines, and the fresh field

  Calls us; we lose the prime, to mark how spring

  Our tended plants, how blows the citron grove,

  What drops the myrrh, and what the balmy reed,

  How Nature paints her colours, how the bee

  25 Sits on the bloom extracting liquid sweet.

  Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye

  On Adam, whom embracing, thus she spake.

  O sole in whom my thoughts find all repose,

  My glory, my perfection, glad I see

  30 Thy face, and morn returned, for I this night,

  Such night till this I never passed, have dreamed,

  If dreamed, not as I oft am wont, of thee,

  Works of day past, or morrow’s next design,

  But of offence and trouble, which my mind

  35 Knew never till this irksome night; methought

  Close at mine ear one called me forth to walk

  With gentle voice, I thought it thine; it said,

  Why sleep’st thou Eve? Now is the pleasant time,

  The cool, the silent, save where silence yields

  40 To the night-warbling bird, that now awake

  Tunes sweetest his love-laboured song; now reigns

  Full orbed the moon, and with more pleasing light

  Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,

  If none regard; heav’n wakes with all his eyes,

  45 Whom to behold but thee, Nature’s desire,

  In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment

  Attracted by thy beauty still to gaze.

  I rose as at thy call, but found thee not;

  To find thee I directed then my walk;

  50 And on, methought, alone I passed through ways

  That brought me on a sudden to the Tree

  Of interdicted Knowledge: fair it seemed,

  Much fairer to my Fancy than by day:

  And as I wond’ring looked, beside it stood

  55 One shaped and winged like one of those from Heav’n

  By us oft seen; his dewy locks distilled

  Ambrosia; on that tree he also gazed;

  And O fair plant, said he, with fruit surcharged,

  Deigns none to ease thy load and taste thy sweet,

  60 Nor god, nor man; is knowledge so despised?

  Or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste?

  Forbid who will, none shall from me withhold

  Longer thy offered good, why else set here?

  This said he paused not, but with vent’rous arm

  65 He plucked, he tasted; me damp horror chilled

  At such bold words vouched with a deed so bold:

  But he thus overjoyed, O fruit divine,

  Sweet of thyself, but much more sweet thus cropped,

  Forbidden here, it seems, as only fit

  70 For gods, yet able to make gods of men:

  And why not gods of men, since good, the more

  Communicated, more abundant grows,

  The Author not impaired, but honoured more?

  Here, happy creature, fair angelic Eve,

  75 Partake thou also; happy though thou art,

  Happier thou may’st be, worthier canst not be:

  Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods

  Thyself a goddess, not to earth confined,

  But sometimes in the air, as we, sometimes

  80 Ascend to Heav’n, by merit thine, and see

  What life the gods live there, and such live thou.

  So saying, he drew nigh, and to me held,

  Even to my mouth of that same fruit held part

  Which he had plucked; the pleasant savoury smell

  85 So quickened appetite, that I, methought,

  Could not but taste. Forthwith up to the clouds

  With him I flew, and underneath beheld

  The earth outstretched immense, a prospect wide

  And various: wond’ring at my flight and change

  90 To this high exaltation; suddenly

  My guide was gone, and I, methought, sunk down,

  And fell asleep; but O how glad I waked

  To find this but a dream! Thus Eve her night

  Related, and thus Adam answered sad.

  95 Best image of myself and dearer half,

  The trouble of thy thoughts this night in sleep

  Affects me equally; nor can I like

  This uncouth dream, of evil sprung I fear;

  Yet evil whence? In thee can harbour none,

  100 Created pure. But know that in the soul

  Are many lesser faculties that serve

  Reason
as chief; among these Fancy next

  Her office holds; of all external things,

  Which the five watchful senses represent,

  105 She forms imaginations, airy shapes,

  Which Reason joining or disjoining, frames

  All what we affirm or what deny, and call

  Our knowledge or opinion; then retires

  Into her private cell when nature rests.

  110 Oft in her absence mimic Fancy wakes

  To imitate her; but misjoining shapes,

  Wild work produces oft, and most in dreams,

  Ill matching words and deeds long past or late.

  Some such resemblances methinks I find

  115 Of our last ev’ning’s talk, in this thy dream,

  But with addition strange; yet be not sad.

  Evil into the mind of god or man

  May come and go, so unapproved, and leave

  No spot or blame behind: which gives me hope

  120 That what in sleep thou didst abhor to dream,

  Waking thou never wilt consent to do.

  Be not disheartened then, nor cloud those looks

  That wont to be more cheerful and serene

  Than when fair morning first smiles on the world,

  125 And let us to our fresh employments rise

  Among the groves, the fountains, and the flow’rs

  That open now their choicest bosomed smells

  Reserved from night, and kept for thee in store.

  So cheered he his fair spouse, and she was cheered,

  130 But silently a gentle tear let fall

  From either eye, and wiped them with her hair;

  Two other precious drops that ready stood,

  Each in their crystal sluice, he ere they fell

  Kissed as the gracious signs of sweet remorse

  135 And pious awe, that feared to have offended.

  So all was cleared, and to the field they haste.

  But first from under shady arborous roof,

  Soon as they forth were come to open sight

  Of day-spring, and the sun, who scarce up risen

  140 With wheels yet hov’ring o’er the ocean brim,

  Shot parallel to the earth his dewy ray,

  Discovering in wide landscape all the east

  Of Paradise and Eden’s happy plains,

  Lowly they bowed adoring, and began

  145 Their orisons, each morning duly paid

  In various style, for neither various style

  Nor holy rapture wanted they to praise

  Their Maker, in fit strains pronounced or sung

  Unmeditated, such prompt eloquence

  150 Flowed from their lips, in prose or numerous verse,

  More tuneable than needed lute or harp

  To add more sweetness, and they thus began.

  These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,