Milton Lines/Sample 2

Milton Lines

The "Lost" books of Paradise Lost: Book 14. Generated with Olipy using Queneau generation.

Book XIV

Of Tartarus, which ready opens wide
The only sign of our obedience left,
Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shore,
As far removed from God and light of Heaven
He never shall find out fit mate, but such
The serpent; him fast-sleeping soon he found
Belial came last; than whom a Spirit more lewd
Set over all his works; which in our fall,
There lands the Fiend, a spot like which perhaps
Their appetite with gust, instead of fruit
To judge the unfaithful dead, but to reward
Can end it.  Into thee such virtue and grace
Thus said, he turned; and Satan, bowing low,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate!--
Things not revealed, which the invisible King,
And crystal wall of Heaven; which, opening wide,
Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,
And am I now upbraided as the cause
Original: while Adam took no thought,
Part good, part bad; of bad the longer scroll;
His worshippers?  He knows that in the day
By herald's voice explained; the hollow Abyss
So judged he Man, both Judge and Saviour sent;
So saying, through each thicket dank or dry,
To his grim cave, all dismal; yet to sense
Had not the snaky Sorceress, that sat
Rural repast; permitting him the while
How overcome this dire calamity,
In common, ranged in figure, wedge their way,
Endless, and no solution will be found:
Their inward state of mind, calm region once
Eclipses at their charms.  The other Shape--
Some disadvantage we endured and pain,
And from their ivory port the Cherubim,
At joust and tournament; then marshall'd feast
Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Desart and bare, unsightly, unadorned,
As he supposed, all unobserved, unseen.
Destroyers rightlier called, and plagues of men.
With odours.  There ye shall be fed and filled
I see not who partakes.  In solitude
Scepter and power, thy giving, I assume,
His turret crest, and sleek enamelled neck,
Nor the deep tract of Hell--say first what cause
Of force to its own likeness:  Up he starts
Shone with a glossy scurf--undoubted sign
True appetite, and not disrelish thirst
Out of my side to thee, nearest my heart,
Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build:
Though in mysterious terms, judged as then best:
Let us not then suspect our happy state
Their universal shout, and high applause,
Or that, not mystick, where the sapient king
Though for possession put to try once more
In Rhodope, where woods and rocks had ears
Of these fair atheists; and now swim in joy,
I charged thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat thereof:
Thus drooping, or with linked thunderbolts
Or shall the Adversary thus obtain
Now at his feet submissive in distress;
For whom all this was made, all this will soon
On the bare outside of this world, that seem'd
Therefore from this high pitch let us descend
Full-orbed the moon, and with more pleasing light
A violent cross wind from either coast
Hopeless to circumvent us joined, where each
Into our room of bliss thus high advanced
Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise
Sanguine, such as celestial Spirits may bleed,
All that of me can die, yet, that debt paid,
But Heaven's free love dealt equally to all?
Not mind us not offending, satisfied
Shot forth peculiar graces; then with voice
Apostate! still thou errest, nor end wilt find
To whom thus Michael.  Justly thou abhorrest
The sharpest-sighted Spirit of all in Heaven;
Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.
Lay sleeping, ran before; but found her waked;
Ride on thy wings, and thou with thy compeers,
Against the Torturer; when, to meet the noise
With his great Father; for he also went
Suspended Hell, and took with ravishment
I was at first as other beasts that graze
How all befel:  They towards the throne supreme,
I not; so much hath Hell debased, and pain
Mother of human race."  What could I do,
Sown with contrition in his heart, than those
Invincible; lead forth my armed Saints,
To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume
Or in this abject posture have ye sworn
The serpent; him fast-sleeping soon he found
And in their state, though firm, stood more confirmed.
  T' whom Satan, turning boldly, thus:--"Ye Powers
His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years:
Him have anointed, whom ye now behold
And looking down, to see the hubbub strange,
Mother of science! now I feel thy power
Affecting God-head, and, so losing all,
To Adam what shall come in future days,
Nor where Abassin kings their issue guard,
So spake the Cherub; and his grave rebuke,
Some I have chosen of peculiar grace,
Though without number still, amidst the hall
Scipio, the highth of Rome.  With tract oblique
Or if, inspiring venom, he might taint
Of disobedience; firm they might have stood,
Lived ignorant of future! so had borne
Of guardians bright, when he from Esau fled
To me committed, and by me exposed.
Thee, native soil! these happy walks and shades,
In battles feign'd; the better fortitude
To fill his ear; when, contrary, he hears
To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe.
Dominion exercise and in the air,
Now falling with soft slumbrous weight, inclines
Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown
Branching so broad and long, that in the ground
The puny habitants; or, if not drive,
Longer on earth, than certain times to appear
From all the rest, of whom to be invoked,
To bellow through the vast and boundless Deep.
And quiver with three-bolted thunder stored;
By act of grace, my former state; how soon
Thou usest, and from thence createst more good.
Swallows him with his host; but them lets pass,
Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear,
Love hath abounded more than glory abounds;
What should they do? if on they rushed, repulse
Amid the garden by the tree of life,
A help, became thy snare; to me reproach
To whom our great progenitor.  Thy words
The ford, and of itself the water flies
Mankind?  This mischief had not been befallen,
Others whose fruit, burnished with golden rind,
Of tears and sorrow a flood, thee also drowned,
Or turn this Heaven itself into the Hell
Destined Restorer of mankind, by whom
Considered every creature, which of all
Perpetual banishment.  Yet, lest they faint
Look round, and scouts each coast light-armed scour,
Such, where ye find, seise fast, and hither bring.
With cruel tournament the squadrons join;
Of tardy execution, since denounced
Of wandering, as thou callest it, which who knows
To forked tongue; for now were all transformed
Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,
Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire,
All thoughts of war.  Ye have what I advise."
Astonished.  None among the choice and prime
To sorrow abandoned, but worse felt within;
True is, me also he hath judged, or rather
Impregnable: oft on the bordering Deep
With fry innumerable swarm, and shoals
From love's due rights, nuptial embraces sweet;
By thousands and by millions, ranged for fight,
Of Amram's son, in Egypt's evil day,
At once the Four spread out their starry wings
Instead shall double ours upon our heads.
Which thus to Eve his welcome words renewed.
In favour and pre-eminence, yet fraught
City of old or modern fame, the seat
Came furious down to be revenged on men,
Pretending so commanded to consult
Unspeakable; for who, though with the tongue
Will ye submit your necks, and choose to bend
O miserable mankind, to what fall
By my complaint: but strict necessity
In our similitude, and let them rule
In part, from such deformities be free,
Go therefore, half this day as friend with friend
I offer: on me let thine anger fall;
Abdiel, than whom none with more zeal adored
In dust, our final rest and native home.
Their orisons, each morning duly paid
But Heaven's free love dealt equally to all?
So spake the enemy of mankind, enclosed
So, on this windy sea of land, the Fiend
And judgement from above: him old and young
Mombaza, and Quiloa, and Melind,
For should Man finally be lost, should Man,
Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor th' Abyss
Breathe forth Elixir pure, and rivers run
Remained still happy; not, as now, despoiled
Assured me, and still assure:  Though what thou tellest
Voluminous and vast--a serpent armed
The mighty frame; how build, unbuild, contrive
Excelling human; princely Dignities;
Thou interposest, that my sudden hand,
Whose virtue for of good still good proceeds,
Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.
The powers of darkness bound.  Thou, at the sight
Thou canst not.  Hast thou turned the least of these
Such whispering waked her, but with startled eye
Or in Dodona, and through all the bounds
His starry helm unbuckled showed him prime
For who can yet believe, though after loss,
Heard far and wide, and all the host of Hell
And fly, ere evil intercept thy flight.
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
Neglect not, and the benefit embrace
But wherefore all night long shine these? for whom
Labouring, two massy clods of iron and brass
Save what sin hath impaired; which yet hath wrought
Did, as thou sawest, receive, to walk with God
In Dothan, covered with a camp of fire,
Within himself unworthy powers to reign

Into th' Euboic sea.  Others, more mild,
Be frustrate, do, undo, and labour lose;
  "O myriads of immortal Spirits! O Powers
Forth flourished thick the clustering vine, forth crept
Into all eyes, to wish her still in sight.
Upon the Cronian sea, together drive
Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath
Thenceforth to speculations high or deep
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
Espoused Eve decked first her nuptial bed;
The danger, and the lurking enemy
If chance, with nymph-like step, fair virgin pass,
Highly beloved, being but the minister
Pure, and commands to some, leaves free to all.
Bestirs her then, and from each tender stalk
Unterrified, and like a comet burned,
Advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl,
But not in silence holy kept: the harp
Throughout the fluid mass; but downward purged
Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise;
To utter is not safe.  Assemble thou
Disloyal on the part of Man, revolt,
To let his sojourners depart, and oft
If I refuse not, but convert, as you
With me, as I besought thee, when that strange
An atom, with the firmament compared
Murmuring, and with him fled the shades of night.
As when thou stoodest in Heaven upright and pure;
Single against thee wicked, and thence weak.
Even he, who now foretold his fatal bruise;
Thus Adam made request; and Raphael,
Giving to death, and dying to redeem,
And scarce to the Angel utter'dst thus thy plaint.
Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen.
By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.
As when the Tartar from his Russian foe,
Not to defer; hunger and thirst at once,
Sanguine, such as celestial Spirits may bleed,
Monarch in Heaven till then as one secure
Suspected to a sequent king, who seeks
Chiefly by what thy own last reasoning words
Whom he had vanquished.  After these appeared
For that celestial light? Be it so, since he
Thy power! what thought can measure thee, or tongue
Leads up to Heaven, is both the way and guide;
A glorious apparition, had not doubt
As at the world's great period; and our sire,
Awaked, should blow them into sevenfold rage,
Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame,
Whom thus the angelick Virtue answered mild.
Into utter darkness, deep ingulfed, his place
The thronging audience.  In discourse more sweet
Straight side by side were laid; nor turned, I ween,
From skirt to skirt a fiery region, stretched
Inward and outward both, his image fair:
Eyed them askance, and to himself thus plained.
Of misery, so thinking to evade
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Delighted; and with frequent intercourse
The matin trumpet sung:  In arms they stood
Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy,
Mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries,
Of that inflamed sea he stood, and called
Have left us this our spirit and strength entire,
The paths of righteousness, how much more safe
Servant of servants, on his vicious race.
Eating his fill; nor Eve to iterate
The horrid shock.  Now storming fury rose,
Shalt lose, expelled from hence into a world
So high above the circling canopy
Our Maker, and obey him whose command
Gray-headed men and grave, with warriours mixed,
Pleased, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,
Ten thousand banners rise into the air,
Though to delude them sent, could not abstain;
Had in her sober livery all things clad;
In female sex, the more to draw his love,
Almighty!  Thine this universal frame,
Yet chains in Hell, not realms, expect:  Mean while
Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view
Light issues forth, and at the other door
And one bad act with many deeds well done
As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,
But still I see the tenour of Man's woe
In prison, under judgements imminent:
Than aught divine or holy else enjoyed
Son of my bosom, Son who art alone.
Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind
Determined, and thy hapless crew involved
Let us divide our labours; thou, where choice
And gaze, and worship thee of right declared
With hideous ruin and combustion, down
Of leaves and fuming rills, Aurora's fan,
When God hath showered the earth; so lovely seemed
The trembling leaves, while universal Pan,
From God, and over wrath grace shall abound.
The other's not, for his was not sincere;
To idols foul.  Thammuz came next behind,
His mighty standard.  That proud honour claimed
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame
Had, like a double Janus; all their shape
Mistrust, suspicion, discord; and shook sore
Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops
In this enclosure wild, these beasts among,
Nor doth the moon no nourishment exhale
Of circuit inexpressible they stood,
His zenith, while the sun in Aries rose:
But to my own conviction: first and last
Titanian or Earth-born, that warred on Jove,
To Satan first in sin his doom applied,
Inhospitable appear, and desolate;
To that first naked glory!  Such of late
Vary to our great Maker still new praise.
Of servile pomp.  Our greatness will appear
Find pastime, and bear rule; thy realm is large.
Upon her husband; saw their shame that sought
Pain for a while or anguish, and excite
As with new wine intoxicated both,
To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll
Up to the fiery concave towering high.
To mould me Man? did I solicit thee
The universe, and to each inward part
The Spirit malign, but much more envy seised,
Which now sat high in his meridian tower:
Both good and evil; good lost, and evil got;
Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold,
Clear victory; to our part loss and rout
Said mildly, "Author of all this thou seest
As in their crime.  Thus was the applause they meant,
In outward also her resembling less
All trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste;
O Eve, some further change awaits us nigh,
These disobedient:  Sore hath been their fight,
To manifest thee worthiest to be Heir
O son, in whom my soul hath chief delight,
Canaan he now attains; I see his tents
The Maker's high magnificence, who built
But first low reverence done, as to the Power
To council, in the city-gates; anon
Prolifick humour softening all her globe,
Not merely titular, since by decree
Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign
All, though all-knowing, what had passed with Man
Quaff immortality and joy, secure
Humbled by such rebuke, so far beneath
In presence of the Almighty Father, pleased
Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined;
Thoughts, which how found they harbour in thy breast,
Under a platane; yet methought less fair,
The head of all mankind, though Adam's son.
Knew not; to speak I tried, and forthwith spake;
Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
With vanity had filled the works of men:
As in a glistering zodiack, hung the sword,
He spread for flight, and, in the surging smoke
Revisit'st not these eyes, that roll in vain
Or in this abject posture have ye sworn
Explores his solitary flight: sometimes
Hail, Mother of Mankind, whose fruitful womb
Lowly they bowed adoring, and began
In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge
Zophiel, of Cherubim the swiftest wing,
Stupidly good; of enmity disarmed,
Grim Death, my son and foe, who set them on,
Upon her center poised; when on a day
Their stops and chords, was seen; his volant touch,
  He ended frowning, and his look denounced
Shame to be overcome or over-reached,
Of missive ruin; part incentive reed
Th' imperial ensign; which, full high advanced,
Incessant I could hope to change the will
New Babels, had they wherewithal, would build:
Glad was the Spirit impure, as now in hope
And venturous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear
His outward freedom:  Tyranny must be;
Sanguine, such as celestial Spirits may bleed,
Bending his ear; persuasion in me grew
Reserved from night, and kept for thee in store.
The dismal gates, and barricadoed strong;
To show thee what shall come in future days
Of those four-footed kinds, himself now one,
Levied to side with warring winds, and poise
Corrupt and pestilent:  Now from the north
Rather your dauntless virtue, whom the pain
Her also I with gentle dreams have calmed
So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infused
In curls on either cheek played; wings he wore
There wanted yet the master-work, the end
That space the Evil-one abstracted stood
Stays not on Man; to God his tower intends
Unvanquished, easier to transact with me
Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow,
Thus talking, hand in hand alone they passed
With ported spears, as thick as when a field
This second source of Men, while yet but few,
Sluiced from the lake, a second multitude
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
And head! what thou hast said is just and right.
Darkness must overshadow all his bounds,
Their brood as numerous hatch, from the egg that soon
Beyond this deep; whatever draws me on,
Worlds, and on whom hath all these graces poured;
On even ground against his mortal foe;
And makes a covenant never to destroy
Their station; Heaven, yet populous, retains
To find thee I directed then my walk;
To manifest the more thy might: his evil
Be forced to satisfy his ravenous maw.
And know not that the King of Heaven hath doomed
Nor sinned thy sin; yet from that sin derive
Their inward lost:  Witness the irreverent son
Expected, least of all from thee,  Ingrate,
Found so erroneous; thence by just event
Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage
Obedient to his will, that he vouchsafes
With terrors and with clamours compassed round
That scaled by steps of gold to Heaven-gate,
His wonder was to find unwakened Eve
Hill, dale, and shady woods, and sunny plains,
And due to theirs which out of thine will grow:
And with obsequious majesty approved
That morn when first they parted: by the tree
Or happiness in this or the other life;
All now was turned to jollity and game,
Sore toiled, his riven arms to havock hewn,
Is hard; for who himself beginning knew
Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond
So spake the Eternal Father, and fulfilled
The hands' dispatch of two gardening so wide,
Had lively shadowed:  Here had new begun
Shoots far into the bosom of dim Night
Embattled in her field, and the humble shrub,
Entered, and foul disorder; all the ground
As resting on that day from all his work,
The more desirable; or, to say all,
Though last created, that for him I spare
Dispenses light from far; they, as they move
And fruit-tree yielding fruit after her kind,
In his own strength, this place may lie exposed,
Raised from their dark Divan, and with like joy
Satan, from Hell 'scaped through the darksome gulf,
Of that Plutonian hall, invisible
But such as at this day, to Indians known,
Know ye not me? ye knew me once no mate
Who justly hath driven out his rebel foes
O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise,
Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence
Within, her ample spaces o'er the smooth
On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread,
Man-like, but different sex; so lovely fair,
A Paradise within thee, happier far.--
  He ceased; for both seemed highly pleased, and Death
Or cast a rampart.  Mammon led them on--
To make them mirth, used all his might, and wreathed

Labouring, two massy clods of iron and brass
Nay, didst permit, approve, and fair dismiss.
Then, as new waked, thus gratefully replied.
Not more almighty to resist our might
As resting on that day from all his work,
And there take root an island salt and bare,
Beyond the horizon; then from pole to pole
Open, ye Heavens! your living doors; let in
The Assessour of his throne, he thus began.
Attractive, human, rational, love still;
Remained still happy; not, as now, despoiled
Medusa with Gorgonian terror guards
That with no middle flight intends to soar
Light-armed or heavy, sharp, smooth, swift, or slow,
Of high Olympus; thence by Saturn driven
And valour and heroick virtue called;
In this his satisfaction; so he dies,
Life offered, or soon beg to lay it down;
Satan had journeyed on, pensive and slow;
In measure what the mind may well contain;
Veiled in a cloud of fragrance, where she stood,
Of Majesty Divine; sapience and love
Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew
Tenfold the length of this terrene:  At last,
In gems and wanton dress; to the harp they sung
That Moses might report to them his will,
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Which God hath in his mighty Angels placed!)
Alone, for other creature in this place,
Instinct with fire and nitre, hurried him
Of Man, with strength entire and free will armed,
In blissful solitude; he then survey'd
Where boldest, though to fight unconquerable?
Is woman's happiest knowledge, and her praise.
To Haran; after him a cumbrous train
Not understood, this gift they have besides,
Nor did they not perceive the evil plight
That with the Mightiest raised me to contend,
Eating his fill; nor Eve to iterate
Quite out their native language; and, instead,
Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite
Equally free; for orders and degrees
And felt how awful goodness is, and saw
Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail:
And light from darkness by the hemisphere
And where the river of bliss through midst of Heaven
These feminine.  For Spirits, when they please,
Likening his Maker to the grazed ox--
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,
This tumult, and permitted all, advised:
In future days, if malice should abound,
Who knows? or more than this, that we are dust,
The serpent sleeping; in whose mazy folds
In triumph issuing forth their glorious Chief;
No light; but rather darkness visible
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
And sunk thee as thy sons; till, gently reared
About him all the Sanctities of Heaven
Shall bruise the head of Satan, crush his strength,
Of Paradise could have produced, ere fallen
Of servitude, to serve whom God ordains,
Me overtook, his mother, all dismayed,
The dismal situation waste and wild.
Acknowledged and deplored, in Adam wrought
Fenced up the verdant wall; each beauteous flower,
Of Hell should spout her cataracts of fire,
From a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock,
Thee satiate, to short absence I could yield:
Their pleasant dwelling-place.  Thrice happy Men,
By Nature as in aid, and closed mine eyes.
Drew many, whom their place knows here no more:
Hate stronger, under show of love well feigned;
As deep as Capricorn; to bring in change
Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise
Or wonders move the obdurate to relent?
By the other first:  Man therefore shall find grace,
Light shone, and order from disorder sprung:
Reason, is free; and Reason he made right,
Which marred his borrowed visage, and betrayed
The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
Long to continue, and this high seat your Heaven
Then feed on thoughts, that voluntary move
Or when Ulysses on the larboard shunned
Of cedar, overlaid with gold; therein
Of purity, and place, and innocence,
So spake our sire, and by his countenance seemed
Offspring of Heaven and Earth, and all Earth's Lord!
Them fully satisfied, and thee appease.
The realm itself of Satan, long usurped;
Had not the snaky Sorceress, that sat
Hath touched my sense, flat seems to this, and harsh.
Came towering, armed in adamant and gold;
This yet I apprehend not, why to those
Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
This essence to incarnate and imbrute,
And rapture so oft beheld?  Those heavenly shapes
With plant, fruit, flower ambrosial, gems, and gold;
All are not of thy train; there be, who faith
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice
The clouded ark of God, till then in tents
Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep
To mortal combat, or career with lance),
On each hand slaughter, and gigantick deeds.
Or fountain, some belated peasant sees,
Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, condemned
To know ye right, or if ye know yourselves
Be question'd and blasphem'd without defence.
Soft-ebbing; nor withstood them rock or hill;
Too numerous; whence of guests he makes them slaves
His fallen condition is, and to me owe
Ye Hills, and Dales, ye Rivers, Woods, and Plains,
By thy conception; children thou shalt bring
Familiar the fierce heat; and, void of pain,
In dusky wreaths, reluctant flames, the sign
Whose fountain who shall tell?  before the sun,
Me, now your curse!  Ah, why should all mankind,
Gave proof unheeded; others on the grass
Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit,
Of Majesty Divine; sapience and love
Just Abraham and his seed: now first I find
Us his prime creatures, dignified so high,
As in a glistering zodiack, hung the sword,
Arraying, covered from his Father's sight.
To wing the desolate abyss, and spy
Adam from his fair spouse, nor Eve the rites
Whom reason hath equalled, force hath made supreme
  This said, he sat; and expectation held
Still as it rose, impossible to climb.
Looks intervene and smiles, or object new
This to attain, whether Heaven move or Earth,
For bliss, as thou hast part, to me is bliss;
Knowledge of good bought dear by knowing ill.
Those thoughts that wander through eternity,
Roaming to seek their prey on Earth, durst fix
Fruitless to me, though fruit be here to excess,
In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land
Our voluntary service he requires,
Which else to several spheres thou must ascribe,
Driven headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down
Each to his place; they heard his voice, and went
As in him perish all men, so in thee,
He brought thee into this delicious grove,
Here let us live, though in fallen state, content.
  Forthwith upright he rears from off the pool
Fame in the world, high titles, and rich prey;
No ground of enmity between us known,
To win the mount of God, and on his throne
In Paradise of all things common else!
Of God ordained them: His creating hand
Of weakness, not of power.  Will he draw out,
Flew through the midst of Heaven; the angelick quires,
His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or years:
For, while so near each other thus all day
Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest
His flesh, his bone; to give thee being I lent
Her husband she, to taste the fatal fruit,
Thus while he spake, each passion dimmed his face
And for thee, whose perfection far excelled
To her original darkness and your sway
For Death from Sin no power can separate.
To me inferiour, infinite descents
And morning chorus sung the second day.
Deliberation sat, and public care;
So spake this oracle, then verified
Now had the Almighty Father from above,
Short intermission bought with double smart.
Tell me, how may I know him, how adore,
And what she did, whatever in itself,
But thy relation now; for I attend,
To wait them with his keys, and now at foot
That with exhilarating vapour bland
Of nuptial sanctity, and marriage rites:
One greater, of whose day he shall foretel,
But her with stern regard he thus repelled.
And easily approved; when the Most High
Griped in each paw: when, Adam first of men
Destined Restorer of mankind, by whom
Which he hath sent propitious, some great good
To gorge the flesh of lambs or yeanling kids,
The fluid skirts of that same watery cloud,
Brass, iron, stony mould, had not their mouths
That with the Mightiest raised me to contend,
Thrones, Princedoms, Powers, Dominions, I reduce:
By his donation; but man over men
Left them superiour, while we can preserve
Hear, all ye Angels, progeny of light,
Of mischief, gratulating, thus excites.
Grasping ten thousand thunders, which he sent
So under fiery cope together rushed
Had not a voice thus warned me;  "What thou seest,
And silence on the odious din of war:
So promised he; and Uriel to his charge
And with the majesty of darkness round
Ere thou from hence depart; know, I am sent
Groves whose rich trees wept odorous gums and balm,
Adore thee, Author of this universe,
Defeated of his seisure many days
Though threatened, which no worse than this can bring.
Then due by sentence when thou didst transgress,
Me from attempting.  Wherefore do I assume
Taste this, and be henceforth among the Gods
Where he fell flat and shamed his worshippers:
The rigid satisfaction, death for death.
To heavenly souls had been all one; but now
An atom, with the firmament compared
Fled over Adria to th' Hesperian fields,
The smell of peace toward mankind: let him live
But long ere our approaching heard within
In universal ruin last; and now
Leads thee, or where most needs, whether to wind
No second stroke intend; and such a frown
  The Stygian council thus dissolved; and forth
Elect above the rest; so is my will:
Of midnight vapour glide obscure, and pry
Of his almighty engine, he shall hear
Equally free; for orders and degrees
With honey stored:  The rest are numberless,
O'ershades; for these mid-hours, till evening rise,
Ascend to Heaven, by merit thine, and see
The sense of endless woes?  Inexplicable
But whom thou hatest, I hate, and can put on
Light-armed or heavy, sharp, smooth, swift, or slow,
She tempers dulcet creams; nor these to hold
Regardless whether good or evil fame.
Into his place, and the great Son returned
Which when Beelzebub perceived--than whom,
Retire; or taste thy folly, and learn by proof,
Each quarter to descry the distant foe,
So all was cleared, and to the field they haste.
Lest that pure breath of life, the spirit of Man
He sought them both, but wished his hap might find
Shadowy sets off the face of things; in vain,
Love unlibidinous reigned, nor jealousy
Girt with Omnipotence, with radiance crowned
Or in the emptier waste, resembling air,
Of yesterday, so late hath passed the lips
That under ground they fought in dismal shade;
Lodged in a small partition; and the rest
To entertain our Angel-guest, as he
Far other operation first displayed,
Passed underneath ingulfed; for God had thrown
Social communication; yet, so pleased,
Or high foreknowledge they themselves decreed
Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
Hateful to utter.  But what power of mind,
What shall be right: farthest from him is best
I in thy persevering shall rejoice,
Between us two let there be peace; both joining,
Whereat the heart of Adam, erst so sad,
There in captivity he lets them dwell
Through labour and endurance.  This deep world
And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
Eccentrick, intervolved, yet regular
Silence, ye troubled Waves, and thou Deep, peace,
A Spirit, zealous, as he seemed, to know
Or here the attempt, thou couldst not have discerned
Hatching vain empires." Thus Beelzebub
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
By him corrupted?  or wilt thou thyself
Of dauntless courage, and considerate pride
And of our good and of our dignity
Pleaded his devilish counsel--first devised
Likest she seemed, Pomona when she fled
Among the accursed, that withered all their strength,
With gentle penetration, though unseen,
The starry flock, allured them, and with lies
Roaming to seek their prey on Earth, durst fix
Contrive who need, or when they need; not now.
And touched their golden harps, and hymning praised
Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage,
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And with perpetual inroads to alarm,
Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
Impearls on every leaf and every flower.
What force effected not; that he no less
But knowledge is as food, and needs no less
Into their temper; which must needs remove
Receive thy new possessor--one who brings
And sin?  The body properly had neither,
And him thus answered soon his bold compeer:--
Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee
If him by force he can destroy, or, worse,
No happier state, and know to know no more.
That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
Through the wild Desart, not the readiest way;
We war, if war be best, or to regain
Like change on sea and land; sideral blast,
Their parent soon discerned, though in disguise.
O argument blasphemous, false, and proud!
And fluttered into rags; then reliques, beads,
Great are thy works, Jehovah! infinite
All these his wonderous works, but chiefly Man,
Listens delighted.  Evening now approached,
Into fit moulds prepared; from which he formed
And live for ever, dream at least to live
And overwhelm their war:  The race elect
From his transcendent seat the Saints among,
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Sabean odours from the spicy shore
And, to the faithful, death the gate of life;
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse
Of charming symphony they introduce
A sweaty reaper from his tillage brought
Thou hast repelled; while impiously they thought
With Angels food, and rubied nectar flows
Which he presumes already vain and void,
By me done, and occasioned; or rejoice
With what besides in council or in fight
For thee I have ordained it; and thus far
By sin to foul exorbitant desires;
Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast
To whom thus Michael.  These are the product
They worse abhorred.  Satan beheld their plight,
But that implies not violence or harm.
While with perfidious hatred they pursued
Pleased, out of Heaven shalt look down and smile,
And utter odious truth, that God would come
Each other's burden, in our share of woe;
The Paradise of Fools, to few unknown
Some I have chosen of peculiar grace,
Godlike erect, with native honour clad
That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance
One shaped and winged like one of those from Heaven
Of Majesty Divine; sapience and love
More aery, last the bright consummate flower
Equal with Gods: aspiring to be such,
Than this more secret, now designed, I haste
With hundreds and with thousands trooping came
Danced hand in hand.  A while discourse they hold;
That Heaven would want spectators, God want praise:
Incapable of stain, would soon expel
Defensive scarce, or with pale fear surprised,
See golden days, fruitful of golden deeds,
What yet they know must follow--to endure
Assured me, and still assure:  Though what thou tellest
Are brought; and feel by turns the bitter change
I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.
Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake.
On golden hinges moving, to let forth
All perfect good, unmeasured out, descends,
The haunt of seals, and orcs, and sea-mews' clang:
Ethereal, as we; or may, at choice,
Yield thee, so well this day thou hast purveyed.
Ascended his high throne; which, under state
Longer thy offered good; why else set here?"
Endless, and no solution will be found:
Advancing, sowed the earth with orient pearl,
Blossoms and fruits at once of golden hue,
By tincture or reflection they augment
Or solace his defects.  No need that thou
Ourselves with like defence, to me deserves
Sin against law to fight: that when they see
Why shouldst not thou like sense within thee feel
Serv'd up in hall with sewers and seneshals;
Transgressed, inevitably thou shalt die,
Rolled inward, and a spacious gap disclosed
Was heard, of harp and organ; and, who moved
Or end; though sharp and sad, yet tolerable,
Luxuriant; mean while murmuring waters fall
Resplendent all his Father manifest
His visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare;
That stood for Heaven, in mighty quadrate joined
In misery:  Such joy ambition finds.
From shadowy types to truth; from flesh to spirit;
Unnamed, undreaded, and thyself half starved?
Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how
Our minds, and teach us to cast off this yoke?
Wing silently the buxom air, embalmed
Millions of spiritual creatures walk the earth
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
Between the Cherubim; yea, often placed
On that opprobrious hill, and made his grove
Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what to accuse,
Brightens his crest; as when a wandering fire,
The utmost border of his kingdom, left
And by command of Heaven's all-powerful King,
Possesses lately, thither to arrive
Best with thyself accompanied, seekest not
Torments him: round he throws his baleful eyes,
The angelick name, and thinner left the throng
I must return to native dust?  O sight
In this perfidious fraud, contagion spread
To sentence Man:  The voice of God they heard
Glory to Him, whose just avenging ire
With inward consolations recompensed,
Of composition, straight they changed their minds,
And my fair son here show'st me, the dear pledge
Transformed: but he my inbred enemy
And thy adherents:  How hast thou disturbed
The Almighty thus pronounced his sovran will.
Shone full; he all his Father full expressed
By terrible example, the reward
Saw him disfigured, more than could befall
Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last
Of looks and smiles; for smiles from reason flow,
All intellect, all sense; and, as they please,
It seemed, now seems a boundless continent
Thou therefore also taste, that equal lot
Of creatures animate with gradual life
Roaming to seek their prey on Earth, durst fix
  This said, he sat; and expectation held
Soon closing, and by native vigour healed.
To better life shall yield him: where with me
(Whose praise be ever sung) to Man in part
Of battle now began, and rushing sound
Adam was all in tears, and to his guide
From all her confines.  Heaven, the seat of bliss,
O favourable Spirit, propitious guest,
Light out of darkness!  Full of doubt I stand,
These in their dark nativity the deep
Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,
To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind,
Oft sacrificing bullock, lamb, or kid,
That kept their watch; thence full of anguish driven,
Not in themselves, all their known virtue appears
His thunder in mid volley; for he meant
Our second Adam, in the wilderness;
Lest he, incensed at such eruption bold,
Remember what I warn thee, shun to taste,
As after thirst; which made their flowing shrink
Those two; the third best absent is condemned,
To see that none thence issued forth a spy,
In beds and curious knots, but Nature boon
Prone on the flood, extended long and large,
To whom the Son with calm aspect and clear,
In whose sight all things joy, with ravishment
Will prove no sudden, but a slow-paced evil;
With blackest insurrection to confound
Would thunder in my ears; no fear of worse
Not to the extent of their own sphere.  But say
With wide Cerberean mouths full loud, and rung
Which two great sexes animate the world,
Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings,
Displayed on the open firmament of Heaven.
To whom the Tempter guilefully replied.
Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound
In his first shape on Man; but many shapes
No spot or blame behind:  Which gives me hope