46 flecked.

  47 on the smooth sea.

  48 natural.

  49 fully feathered their wings.

  50 Seen from afar, the birds seemed to be a cloud.

  51 separately.

  52 spreading out.

  53 lives.

  54 streaked with darker color.

  55 See Job xl. 15-24.

  56 hippopotamus.

  57 body; “involv’d”: gathered in their folds to obscure them.

  58 Gen. iii. 1: “Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” The same line occurs as IX, 86, 560.

  59 the object.

  60 Ps. xxiv. 7: “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.”

  61 a stop on a stringed instrument.

  62 solo.

  63 Gordon O’Brien discusses this recurrent image (in Renaissance Poetics and the Problem of Power, Chicago, 1956, especially pp. 113–15) as a correspondence between the mind of man (the “clear spirit” of Lycidas, 70) and the frame of heaven; derived from Rev. xv. 2, the figure embodies the concept of knowledge and the concept of power which come from God and are reflected back to Heaven.

  64 unmeasurable.

  BOOK VIII

  THE ARGUMENT

  Adam inquires concerning celestial Motions, is doubtfully answer’d, and exhorted to search rather things more worthy of knowledge: Adam assents, and still desirous to detain Raphael, relates to him what he remember’d since his own Creation, his placing in Paradise, his talk with God concerning solitude and fit society, his first meeting and Nuptials with Eve, his discourse with the Angel thereupon; who after admonitions repeated departs.

  The Angel ended, and in Adams Ear

  So Charming left his voice, that he a while

  Thought him still speaking, still stood fixt to hear;

  Then as new wak’t thus gratefully repli’d.

  5

  What thanks sufficient, or what recompence

  Equal have I to render thee, Divine

  Hystorian, who thus largely hast allayd

  The thirst I had of knowledge, and voutsaf’t

  This friendly condescention to relate

  10

  Things else by me unsearchable, now heard

  With wonder, but delight, and, as is due,

  With glorie attributed to the high

  Creator; something yet of doubt remains,

  Which onely thy solution can resolve.

  15

  When I behold this goodly Frame, this World1

  Of Heav’n and Earth consisting, and compute,

  Thir magnitudes, this Earth a spot, a grain,

  An Atom, with the Firmament compar’d

  And all her numberd Starrs, that seem to rowl

  20

  Spaces incomprehensible (for such

  Thir distance argues and thir swift return

  Diurnal) meerly to officiate2 light

  Round this opacous3 Earth, this punctual4 spot,

  One day and night; in all thir vast survey

  25

  Useless besides, reasoning I oft admire,5

  How Nature wise and frugal could commit

  Such disproportions, with superfluous hand

  So many nobler Bodies to create,

  Greater so manifold to this one use,

  30

  For aught appeers, and on thir Orbs impose

  Such restless revolution day by day

  Repeated, while the sedentarie Earth,

  That better might with farr less compass move,

  Serv’d by more noble then her self, attains

  35

  Her end without least motion, and receaves,

  As Tribute such a sumless6 journey brought

  Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light;

  Speed, to describe whose swiftness Number fails.

  So spake our Sire, and by his count’nance seemd

  40

  Entring on studious thoughts abstruse, which Eve

  Perceaving where she sat retir’d in sight,

  With lowliness Majestic from her seat,

  And Grace that won who saw to wish her stay,

  Rose, and went forth among her Fruits and Flowrs,

  45

  To visit how they prosper’d, bud and bloom,

  Her Nurserie; they at her coming sprung

  And toucht by her fair tendance gladlier grew.

  Yet went she not, as not with such discourse

  Delighted, or not capable her ear

  50

  Of what was high: such pleasure she reserv’d,

  Adam relating, she sole Auditress;

  Her Husband the Relater she preferr’d

  Before the Angel, and of him to ask

  Chose rather; hee, she knew would intermix

  55

  Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute

  With conjugal Caresses, from his Lip

  Not Words alone pleas’d her. O when meet now

  Such pairs, in Love and mutual Honour joyn’d?

  With Goddess-like demeanour forth she went;

  60

  Not unattended, for on her as Queen

  A pomp7 of winning Graces waited still,

  And from about her shot Darts of desire

  Into all Eyes to wish her still in sight.

  And Raphael now to Adam’s doubt propos’d

  65

  Benevolent and facil8 thus repli’d.

  To ask or search I blame thee not, for Heav’n

  Is as the Book of God before thee set,

  Wherein to read his wondrous Works, and learn

  His Seasons, Hours, or Dayes, or Months, or Yeares:

  70

  This to attain, whether Heav’n move or Earth,

  Imports not, if thou reck’n right, the rest

  From Man or Angel the great Architect

  Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge

  His secrets to be scann’d by them who ought

  75

  Rather admire; or if they list to try

  Conjecture, he his Fabric of the Heav’ns

  Hath left to thir disputes, perhaps to move

  His laughter at thir quaint Opinions wide9

  Hereafter, when they come to model Heav’n

  80

  And calculate the Starrs, how they will weild

  The mightie frame, how build, unbuild, contrive

  To save appeerances,10 how gird the Sphear

  With Centric and Eccentric scribl’d o’re,

  Cycle and Epicycle, Orb in Orb:

  85

  Alreadie by thy reasoning this I guess,

  Who art to lead thy ofspring, and supposest

  That bodies bright and greater should not serve

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

  Earth sitting still, when she alone receaves

  90

  The benefit: consider first, that Great

  Or Bright inferrs not Excellence: the Earth

  Though, in comparison of Heav’n, so small,

  Nor glistering, may of solid good contain

  More plenty then the Sun that barren shines,

  95

  Whose vertue on it self works no effect,

  But in the fruitful Earth; there first receav’d

  His beams, unactive else, thir vigour find.

  Yet not to Earth are those bright Luminaries

  Officious, but to thee Earths habitant.

  100

  And for the Heav’ns wide Circuit, let it speak

  The Makers high magnificence, who built

  So spacious, and his Line stretcht out so farr;

  That Man may know he dwells not in his own;

  An Edifice too large for him to fill,

  105

  Lodg’d in a small partition, and the rest

  Ordain’d for uses to his Lord best known.

  T
he swiftness of those Circles attribute,

  Though numberless, to his Omnipotence,

  That to corporeal substances could add

  110

  Speed almost Spiritual; mee thou thinkst not slow,

  Who since the Morning hour set out from Heav’n

  Where God resides, and ere mid-day arriv’d

  In Eden, distance inexpressible

  By Numbers that have name. But this I urge,

  115

  Admitting Motion in the Heav’ns, to shew

  Invalid that which thee to doubt it mov’d;

  Not that I so affirm, though so it seem

  To thee who hast thy dwelling here on Earth.

  God to remove his wayes from human sense,

  120

  Plac’d Heav’n from Earth so farr, that earthly sight,

  If it presume, might err in things too high,

  And no advantage gain. What if the Sun

  Be Center to the World, and other Starrs

  By his attractive vertue11 and thir own

  125

  Incited, dance about him various rounds?

  Thir wandring course now high, now low, then hid,

  Progressive, retrograde, or standing still,

  In six thou seest, and what if sev’nth to these

  The Planet Earth, so stedfast though she seem,

  130

  Insensibly12 three different Motions move?

  Which else to several Sphears thou must ascribe,

  Mov’d contrarie with thwart obliquities,13

  Or save the Sun his labour, and that swift

  Nocturnal and Diurnal rhomb14 suppos’d,

  135

  Invisible else above all Starrs, the Wheel

  Of Day and Night; which needs not thy beleef,

  If Earth industrious of her self fetch Day

  Travelling East, and with her part averse

  From the Suns beam meet Night, her other part

  140

  Still luminous by his ray. What if that light

  Sent from her through the wide transpicuous air,

  To the terrestrial Moon be as a Starr

  Enlightning her by Day, as she by Night

  This Earth? reciprocal, if Land be there,

  145

  Feilds and Inhabitants: Her spots thou seest

  As Clouds, and Clouds may rain, and Rain produce

  Fruits in her soft’n’d Soil, for some to eat

  Allotted there; and other Suns perhaps

  With thir attendant Moons thou wilt descrie

  150

  Communicating Male and Femal15 Light,

  Which two great Sexes animate the World,

  Stor’d in each Orb perhaps with some that live.

  For such vast room in Nature unpossest

  By living Soul, desert and desolate,

  155

  Onely to shine, yet scarce to contribute

  Each Orb a glimps of Light, conveyd so farr

  Down to this habitable, which returns

  Light back to them, is obvious to dispute.16

  But whether thus these things, or whether not,

  160

  Whether the Sun predominant in Heav’n

  Rise on the Earth, or Earth rise on the Sun,

  Hee from the East his flaming rode begin,

  Or Shee from West her silent course advance

  With inoffensive17 pace that spinning sleeps

  165

  On her soft Axle, while she paces Eev’n,

  And beares thee soft with the smooth Air along,

  Sollicit not thy thoughts with matters hid,

  Leave them to God above, him serve and fear;

  Of other Creatures, as him pleases best,

  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, from18 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 uncouth19 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 enure20

  240

  Our prompt obedience. Fast we found, fast shut

  The dism
al 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,