Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/226

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��PARADISE LOST

��Directed in devotion, to adore

And worship God Supreme, who made him

chief

Of all his works. Therefore the Omnipo- tent

Eternal Father (for where is not He Present ?) thus to his Son audibly spake: ' Let us make now Man in our image, Man In our similitude, and let them rule 520 Over the fish and fowl of sea and air, Beast of the field, and over all the earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the

ground ! ' This said, he formed thee, Adam, thee, O

Man, Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils

breathed

The breath of life; in his own image he Created thee, in the image of God Express, and thou becam'st a living Soul. Male he created thee, but thy consort' Female, for race; then blessed mankind,

and said, 530

' Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the Earth ; Subdue it, and throughout dominion hold Over fish of the sea, and fowl of the air, And every living thing that moves on the

Earth ! '

Wherever thus created for no place Is yet distinct by name thence, as thou

know'st,

He brought thee into this delicious grove, This Garden, planted with the trees of

God,

Delectable both to behold and taste, And freely all their pleasant fruit for food Gave thee. All sorts are here that all the

earth yields, 541

Variety without end; but of the tree Which tasted works knowledge of good

and evil Thou may'st not; in the day thou eat'st,

thou diest.

Death is the penalty imposed; beware, And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin Surprise thee, and her black attendant,

Death. " Here finished He, and all that he had

made Viewed, and, behold ! all was entirely

good. So even and morn accomplished the sixth

Day; 550

Yet not till the Creator, from his work Desisting, though unwearied, up returned,

��Up to the Heaven of Heavens, his high

abode,

Thence to behold this new-created World, The addition of his empire, how it shewed In prospect from his Throne, how good,

how fair,

Answering his great Idea. Up he rode, Followed with acclamation, and the sound Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that

tuned

Angelic harmonies. The Earth, the Air Resounded (thou remember'st, for thou

heard 'st), 561

The heavens and all the constellations

rung, The planets in their stations listening

stood,

While the bright pomp ascended jubilant. ' Open, ye everlasting gates ! ' they sung; ' Open, ye Heavens, your living doors ! let

in

The great Creator, from his work returned Magnificent, his six days' work, a World ! Open, and henceforth oft; for God will

deign

To visit oft the dwellings of just men 570 Delighted, and with frequent intercourse Thither will send his winged messengers On errands of supernal grace.' So sung The glorious train ascending. He through

Heaven,

That opened wide her blazing portals, led To God's eternal house direct the way A broad and ample road, whose dust is

gold,

And pavement stars, as stars to thee ap- pear

Seen in the Galaxy, that milky way Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest Powdered with stars. And now on Earth

the seventh 581

Evening arose in Eden for the sun Was set, and twilight from the east came

on, Forerunning night when at the holy

mount Of Heaven's high-seated top, the imperial

throne

Of Godhead, fixed for ever firm and sure, The Filial Power arrived, and sat him

down

With his great Father; for He also went Invisible, yet stayed (such privilege Hath Omnipresence) and the work or- dained, 59

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