Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/228

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��PARADISE LOST

��Their magnitudes this Earth, a spot, a

grain,

An atom, with the Firmament compared And all her numbered stars, that seem to

rowl

Spaces incomprehensible (for such 20

Their distance argues, and their swift re- turn

Diurnal) merely to officiate light Round this opacous Earth, this punctual

spot,

One day and night, in all their vast survey Useless besides reasoning, I oft admire How Nature, wise and frugal, could com- mit

Such disproportions, with superfluous hand So many nobler bodies to create, Greater so manifold, to this one use, For aught appears, and on their Orbs im- pose 30 Such restless revolution day by day Repeated, while the sedentary Earth, That better might with far less compass

move,

Served by more noble than herself, attains Her end without least motion, and receives, As tribute, such a sumless journey brought Of incorporeal speed, her warmth and light: Speed, to describe whose swiftness number

fails." So spake our Sire, and by his countenance

seemed

Entering on studious thoughts abstruse; which Eve 4 o

Perceiving, where she sat retired iu 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

flowers,

To visit how they prospered, bud and bloom, Her nursery; they at her coming sprung, And, touched by her fair tendance, gladlier

grew.

Yet went she not as not with such discourse Delighted, or not capable her ear Of what was high. Such pleasure she re- served, 50 Adam relating, she sole auditress; Her husband the relater she preferred Before the Angel, and of him to ask Chose rather; he, she knew, would inter- mix

Grateful digressions, and solve high dispute With conjugal caresses: from his lip

��Not words alone pleased her. Oh, when

meet now Such pairs, in love and mutual honour

joined ? With goddess-like demeanour forth she

went,

Not unattended; for on her as Queen 60 A pomp 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 pro- posed

Benevolent and facile thus replied: " To ask or search I blame thee not; for

Heaven

Is as the Book of God before thee set, Wherein to read his wondrous works, and

learn His seasons, hours, or days, or months, or

years.

This to attain, whether Heaven move or Earth 70

Imports not, if thou reckon right; the rest From Man or Angel the great Architect Did wisely to conceal, and not divulge His secrets, to be scanned by them who

ought

Rather admire. Or, if they list to try Conjecture, he his fabric of the Heavens Hath left to their disputes perhaps to

move

His laughter at their quaint opinions wide Hereafter, when they come to model Hea- ven,

And calculate the stars; how they will

wield 80

The mighty frame; how build, unbuild,

contrive

To save appearances; how gird the Sphere With Centric and Eccentric scribbled o'er, Cycle and Epicycle, orb in orb. Already by thy reasoning this I guess, Who art to lead thy offspring, and suppos-

est That bodies bright and greater should not

serve

The less not bright, nor Heaven such jour- neys run,

Earth sitting still, when she alone receives The benefit. Consider, first, that great 90 Or bright infers not excellence. The Earth, Though, in comparison of Heaven, so small, Nor glistering, may of solid good contain More plenty than the Sun that barren shines,

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