Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/270

 228

��PARADISE LOST

��Livelier thaii Melibuean, or the grain Of Sarra, worn by kings and heroes old In time of truce ; Iris had dipt the woof. His starry helm unbuckled shewed him

prime

In manhood where youth ended; by his side, As in a glistering zodiac, hung the sword, Satan's dire dread, and in his hand the

spear.

Adam bowed low; he, kingly, from his state Inclined not, but his coming thus de- clared: 250 " Adam, Heaven's high behest no preface

needs. Sufficient that thy prayers are heard, and

Death, Then due by sentence when thou didst

transgress,

Defeated of his seizure many days, Given thee of grace, wherein thou may'st

repent,

And one bad act with many deeds well done May'st cover. Well may then thy Lord,

appeased, Redeem thee quite from Death's rapacious

claim;

But longer in this Paradise to dwell Permits not. To remove thee I am come, And send thee from the Garden forth, to

till 261

The ground whence thou wast taken, fitter

soil."

He added not; for Adam, at the news Heart-strook, with chilling gripe of sorrow

stood,

That all his senses bound; Eve, who un- seen

Yet all had heard, with audible lament Discovered soon the place of her retire : " O unexpected stroke, worse than of

Death ! Must I thus leave thee, Paradise? thus

leave Thee, native soil ? these happy walks and

shades, 270

Fit haunt of Gods, where I had hope to

spend,

Quiet, though sad, the respite of that day That must be mortal to us both ? O

flowers,

That never will in other climate grow, My early visitation, and my last At even, which I bred up with tender hand From the first opening bud, and gave ye

names,

��Who now shall rear ye to the Sun, or rank Your tribes, and water from the ambrosial

fount ?

Thee, lastly, nuptial bower, by me adorned With what to sight or smell was sweet,

from thee 281

How shall I part, and whither wander

down

Into a lower world, to this obscure And wild ? How shall we breathe in other

air

Less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits ? " Whom thus the Angel interrupted mild: " Lament not, Eve, but patiently resign What justly thou hast lost; nor set thy

heart,

Thus over-fond, on that which is not thine. Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes 290 Thy husband; him to follow thou art

bound; Where he abides, think there thy native

soil." Adam, by this from the cold sudden

damp

Recovering, and his scattered spirits re- turned,

To Michael thus his humble words ad- dressed: " Celestial, whether among the Thrones,

or named Of them the highest for such of shape

may seem Prince above princes gently hast thou

told Thy message, which might else in telling

wound,

And in performing end us. What be- sides 300 Of sorrow, and dejection, and despair, Our frailty can sustain, thy tidings bring Departure from this happy place, our sweet Recess, and only consolation left Familiar to our eyes; all places else Inhospitable appear, and desolate, Nor knowing us, nor known. And, if by

prayer

Incessant I could hope to change the will Of Him who all things can, I would not

cease

To weary him with my assiduous cries; 310 But prayer against his absolute decree No more avails than breath against the

wind, Blown stifling back on him that breathes it

forth:

�� �