Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/220

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��PARADISE LOST

��Whose liquid murmur heard new thirst ex- cites, Proceeded thus to ask his Heavenly

Guest:

" Great things, and full of wonder in our

ears, 70

Far differing from this World, thou hast

revealed,

Divine Interpreter ! by favour sent Down from the Empyrean to forewarn Us timely of what might else have been

our loss, Unknown, which human knowledge could

not reach;

For which to the infinitely Good we owe Immortal thanks, and his admonishment Receive with solemn purpose to observe Immutably his sovran will, the end Of what we are. But, since thou hast voutsafed So

Gently, for our instruction, to impart Things above Earthly thought, which yet

concerned

Our knowing, as to highest Wisdom seemed, Deign to descend now lower, and relate What may no less perhaps avail us known How first began this Heaven which we be- hold

Distant so high, with moving fires adorned Innumerable; and this which yields or fills All space, the ambient Air, wide inter- fused,

Imbracing round this florid Earth; what cause 90

Moved the Creator, in his holy rest Through all eternity, so late to build In Chaos; and, the work begun, how soon Absolved: if unforbid thou may'st unfold What we not to explore the secrets ask Of his eternal empire, but the more To magnify his works the more we know. And the great Light of Day yet wants to

run Much of his race, though steep. Suspense

in heaven

Held by thy voice, thy potent voice he hears, 100

And longer will delay, to hear thee tell His generation, and the rising birth Of Nature from the unapparent Deep: Or, if the Star of Evening and the Moon Haste to thy audience, Night with her will

bring

Silence, and Sleep listening to thee will watch;

��Or we can bid his absence till thy song End, and dismiss thee ere the morning

shine."

Thus Adam his illustrious guest be- sought ;

And thus the godlike Angel answered

mild: no

" This also thy request, with caution

asked,

Obtain; though to recount almighty works What words or tongue of Seraph can

suffice,

Or heart of man suffice to comprehend ? Yet what thou canst attain, which best may

serve

To glorify the Maker, and infer Thee also happier, shall not be withheld Thy hearing. Such commission from above I have received, to answer thy desire Of knowledge within bounds; beyond ab- stain 120 To ask, nor let thine own inventions hope Things not revealed, which the invisible

King,

Only Omniscient, hath suppressed in night, To none communicable in Earth or Heaven. Enough is left besides to search and know; But Knowledge is as food, and needs no

less

Her temperance over appetite, to know In measure what the mind may well con- tain ;

Oppresses else with surfeit, and soon turns

Wisdom to folly, as nourishment to wind. 130

" Know then that, after Lucifer from

Heaven

(So call him, brighter once amidst the host Of Angels than that star the stars among) Fell with his flaming Legions through the

Deep

Into his place, and the great Son returned Victorious with his Saints, the Omnipotent Eternal Father from his Throne beheld Their multitude, and to his Son thus

spake : " ' At least our envious foe hath failed,

who thought

All like himself rebellious ; by whose aid 140 This inaccessible high strength, the seat Of Deity supreme, us dispossessed, He trusted to have seized, and into fraud Drew many whom their place knows here

no more.

Yet far the greater part have kept, I see, Their station ; Heaven, yet populous, retains

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