Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/235

 BOOK EIGHTH

��J 93

��An outside fair, no doubt, and worthy

well Thy cherishing, thy honouring, and thy

love;

Not thy subjection. Weigh with her thy- self; 570 Then value. Oft - times nothing profits

more Than self-esteem, grounded on just and

right Well managed. Of that skill the more

thou kuow'st, The more she will acknowledge thee her

head,

And to realities yield all her shows Made so adorn for thy delight the more, So awful, that with honour thou may'st love Thy mate, who sees when thou art seen

least wise.

But, if the sense of touch, whereby man- kind

Is propagated, seem such dear delight 580 Beyond all other, tbink the same voutsafed To cattle and each beast; which would not

be To them made common and divulged, if

aught

Therein enjoyed were worthy to subdue The soul of Man, or passion in him move. What higher in her society thou fiud'st Attractive, human, rational, love still: In loving thou dost well ; in passion not, Wherein true Love consists not. Love re- fines

The thoughts, and heart enlarges hath his seat 590

In Reason, and is judicious, is the scale By which to Heavenly Love thou may'st

ascend, Not sunk in carnal pleasure; for which

cause Among the beasts no mate for thee was

found."

To whom thus, half abashed, Adam re- plied: " Neither her outside formed so fair, nor

aught

In procreation, common to all kinds (Though higher of the genial bed by far, And with mysterious reverence, I deem), So much delights me as those graceful acts, 600

Those thousand decencies, that daily flow From all her words and actions, mixed with love

��And sweet compliance, which declare un- feigned

Union of mind, or in us both one soul Harmony to behold in wedded pair More grateful than harmonious sound to

the ear.

Yet these subject not; I to thee disclose What inward thence I feel, not therefore

foiled, Who meet with various objects, from the

sense

Variously representing, yet, still free, 6 > Approve the best, aud follow what I ap- prove. To love thou blam'st me not for Love,

thou say'st, Leads up to Heaven, is both the way and

guide;

Bear with me, then, if lawful what I ask. Love not the Heavenly Spirits, and how

their love Express they by looks only, or do they

mix

Irradiance, virtual or immediate touch ? " To whom the Angel, with a smile that

glowed

Celestial rosy-red, Love's proper hne, Answered: " Let it suffice thee that thou know'st 620

Us happy, and without Love no happiness. Whatever pure thou in the body enjoy'st (And pure thou wert created) we enjoy In eminence, and obstacle find none Of membrane, joint, or limb, exclusive

bars.

Easier than air with air, if Spirits embrace, Total they mix, union of pure with pure Desiring, nor restrained conveyance need As flesh to mix with flesh, or soul with

soul.

But I can now no more: the parting Sun Beyond the Earth's green Cape and ver- dant Isles 631 Hesperean sets, my signal to depart. Be strong, live happy, and love ! but first

of all

Him whom to love is to obey, and keep His great command; take heed lest passion

sway

Thy judgment to do aught which else free- will

Would not admit; thine and of all thy sons The weal or woe in thee is placed; be- ware ! I in thy persevering shall rejoice,

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