The Poetry Corner

Paradise Regained - The First Book

By John Milton

I who ere while the happy Garden sung, By one mans disobedience lost, now sing Recoverd Paradise to all mankind, By one mans firm obedience fully trid Through all temptation, and the Tempter foild In all his wiles, defeated and repulst, And Eden raisd in the wast Wilderness. Thou Spirit who ledst this glorious Eremite Into the Desert, his Victorious Field Against the Spiritual Foe, and broughtst him thence By proof the undoubted Son of God, inspire, As thou art wont, my prompted Song else mute, And bear through highth or depth of natures bounds With prosperous wing full summd to tell of deeds Above Heroic, though in secret done, And unrecorded left through many an Age, Worthy thave not remaind so long unsung. Now had the great Proclaimer with a voice More awful then the sound of Trumpet, crid Repentance, and Heavens Kingdom nigh at hand To all Baptizd: to his great Baptism flockd With aw the Regions round, and with them came From Nazareth the Son of Joseph deemd To the flood Jordan, came as then obscure, Unmarkt, unknown; but him the Baptist soon Descrid, divinely warnd, and witness bore As to his worthier, and would have resignd To him his Heavenly Office, nor was long His witness unconfirmd: on him baptizd Heaven opend, and in likeness of a Dove The Spirit descended, while the Fathers voice From Heavn pronouncd him his beloved Son. That heard the Adversary, who roving still About the world, at that assembly famd Would not be last, and with the voice divine Nigh Thunder-struck, th exalted man, to whom Such high attest was givn, a while surveyd With wonder, then with envy fraught and rage Flies to his place, nor rests, but in mid air To Councel summons all his mighty Peers, Within thick Clouds and dark ten-fold involvd, A gloomy Consistory; and them amidst With looks agast and sad he thus bespake. O ancient Powers of Air and this wide world, For much more willingly I mention Air, This our old Conquest, then remember Hell Our hated habitation; well ye know How many Ages, as the years of men, This Universe we have possest, and ruld In manner at our will th affairs of Earth, Since Adam and his facil consort Eve Lost Paradise deceivd by me, though since With dread attending when that fatal wound Shall be inflicted by the Seed of Eve Upon my head, long the decrees of Heavn Delay, for longest time to him is short; And now too soon for us the circling hours This dreaded time have compast, wherein we Must bide the stroak of that long threatnd wound, At least if so we can, and by the head Broken be not intended all our power To be infringd, our freedom and our being. In this fair Empire won of Earth and Air; For this ill news I bring, the Womans seed Destind to this, is late of woman born, His birth to our just fear gave no small cause, But his growth now to youths full flowr, displaying All vertue, grace and wisdom to atchieve Things highest, greatest, multiplies my fear. Before him a great Prophet, to proclaim His coming, is sent Harbinger, who all Invites, and in the Consecrated stream Pretends to wash off sin, and fit them so Purified to receive him pure, or rather To do him honour as their King; all come, And he himself among them was baptizd, Not thence to be more pure, but to receive The testimony of Heaven, that who he is Thenceforth the Nations may not doubt; I saw The Prophet do him reverence, on him rising Out of the water, Heavn above the Clouds Unfold her Crystal Dores, thence on his head A perfect Dove descend, what ere it meant, And out of Heavn the Sovraign voice I heard, This is my Son belovd, in him am pleasd. His Mother then is mortal, but his Sire, He who obtains the Monarchy of Heavn, And what will he not do to advance his Son? His first-begot we know, and sore have felt, When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep; Who this is we must learn, for man he seems In all his lineaments, though in his face The glimpses of his Fathers glory shine. Ye see our danger on the utmost edge Of hazard, which admits no long debate, But must with something sudden be opposd, Not force, but well coucht fraud, well woven snares, Ere in the head of Nations he appear Their King, their Leader, and Supream on Earth. I, when no other durst, sole undertook The dismal expedition to find out And ruine Adam, and the exploit performd Successfully; a calmer voyage now Will waft me; and the way found prosperous once Induces best to hope of like success. He ended, and his words impression left Of much amazement to th infernal Crew, Distracted and surprizd with deep dismay At these sad tidings; but no time was then For long indulgence to their fears or grief: Unanimous they all commit the care And management of this main enterprize To him their great Dictator, whose attempt At first against mankind so well had thrivd In Adams overthrow, and led thir march From Hells deep-vaulted Den to dwell in light, Regents and Potentates, and Kings, yea gods Of many a pleasant Realm and Province wide. So to the Coast of Jordan he directs His easie steps; girded with snaky wiles, Where he might likeliest find this new-declard, This man of men, attested Son of God, Temptation and all guile on him to try; So to subvert whom he suspected raisd To end his Raign on Earth so long enjoyd: But contrary unweeting he fulfilld The purposd Counsel pre-ordaind and fixt Of the most High, who in full frequence bright Of Angels, thus to Gabriel smiling spake. Gabriel this day by proof thou shalt behold, Thou and all Angels conversant on Earth With man or mens affairs, how I begin To verifie that solemn message late, On which I sent thee to the Virgin pure In Galilee, that she should bear a Son Great in Renown, and calld the Son of God; Then toldst her doubting how these things could be To her a Virgin, that on her should come The Holy Ghost, and the power of the highest Ore-shadow her: this man born and now up-grown, To shew him worthy of his birth divine And high prediction, henceforth I expose To Satan; let him tempt and now assay His utmost subtilty, because he boasts And vaunts of his great cunning to the throng Of his Apostasie; he might have learnt Less over-weening, since he faild in Job, Whose constant perseverance overcame Whatere his cruel malice could invent. He now shall know I can produce a man Of female Seed, far abler to resist All his sollicitations, and at length All his vast force, and drive him back to Hell, Winning by Conquest what the first man lost By fallacy surprizd. But first I mean To exercise him in the Wilderness, There he shall first lay down the rudiments Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth To conquer Sin and Death the two grand foes, By Humiliation and strong Sufferance: His weakness shall orecome Satanic strength And all the world, and mass of sinful flesh; That all the Angels and therial Powers, They now, and men hereafter may discern, From what consummate vertue I have chose This perfect Man, by merit calld my Son, To earn Salvation for the Sons of men. So spake the Eternal Father, and all Heaven Admiring stood a space, then into Hymns Burst forth, and in Celestial measures movd, Circling the Throne and Singing, while the hand Sung with the voice, and this the argument. Victory and Triumph to the Son of God Now entring his great duel, not of arms, But to vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles. The Father knows the Son; therefore secure Ventures his filial Vertue, though untrid, Against whatere may tempt, whatere seduce, Allure, or terrifie, or undermine. Be frustrate all ye stratagems of Hell, And devilish machinations come to nought. So they in Heavn their Odes and Vigils tund: Mean while the Son of God, who yet some days Lodgd in Bethabara where John baptizd, Musing and much revolving in his brest, How best the mighty work he might begin Of Saviour to mankind, and which way first Publish his God-like office now mature, One day forth walkd alone, the Spirit leading; And his deep thoughts, the better to converse With solitude, till far from track of men, Thought following thought, and step by step led on, He entred now the bordering Desert wild, And with dark shades and rocks environd round, His holy Meditations thus persud. O what a multitude of thoughts at once Awaknd in me swarm, while I consider What from within I feel my self, and hear What from without comes often to my ears, Ill sorting with my present state compard. When I was yet a child, no childish play To me was pleasing, all my mind was set Serious to learn and know, and thence to do What might be publick good; my self I thought Born to that end, born to promote all truth, All righteous things: therefore above my years, The Law of God I read, and found it sweet, Made it my whole delight, and in it grew To such perfection, that ere yet my age Had measurd twice six years, at our great Feast I went into the Temple, there to hear The Teachers of our Law, and to propose What might improve my knowledge or their own; And was admird by all, yet this not all To which my Spirit aspird, victorious deeds Flamd in my heart, heroic acts, one while To rescue Israel from the Roman yoke, Then to subdue and quell ore all the earth Brute violence and proud Tyrannick powr, Till truth were freed, and equity restord: Yet held it more humane, more heavenly first By winning words to conquer willing hearts, And make perswasion do the work of fear; At least to try, and teach the erring Soul Not wilfully mis-doing, but unware Misled; the stubborn only to destroy. These growing thoughts my Mother soon perceiving By words at times cast forth inly rejoycd, And said to me apart, high are thy thoughts O Son, but nourish them and let them soar To what highth sacred vertue and true worth Can raise them, though above example high; By matchless Deeds express thy matchless Sire. For know, thou art no Son of mortal man, Though men esteem thee low of Parentage, Thy Father is the Eternal King, who rules All Heaven and Earth, Angels and Sons of men, A messenger from God fore-told thy birth Conceivd in me a Virgin, he fore-told Thou shouldst be great and sit on Davids Throne, And of thy Kingdom there should be no end. At thy Nativity a glorious Quire Of Angels in the fields of Bethlehem sung To Shepherds watching at their folds by night, And told them the Messiah now was born, Where they might see him, and to thee they came; Directed to the Manger where thou laist, For in the Inn was left no better room: A Star, not seen before in Heaven appearing Guided the Wise Men thither from the East, To honour thee with Incense, Myrrh, and Gold, By whose bright course led on they found the place, Affirming it thy Star new gravn in Heaven, By which they knew thee King of Israel born. Just Simeon and Prophetic Anna, warnd By Vision, found thee in the Temple, and spake Before the Altar and the vested Priest, Like things of thee to all that present stood. This having heard, strait I again revolvd The Law and Prophets, searching what was writ Concerning the Messiah, to our Scribes Known partly, and soon found of whom they spake I am; this chiefly, that my way must lie Through many a hard assay even to the death, Ere I the promisd Kingdom can attain, Or work Redemption for mankind, whose sins Full weight must be transferrd upon my head. Yet neither thus disheartnd or dismayd, The time prefixt I waited, when behold The Baptist, (of whose birth I oft had heard, Not knew by sight) now come, who was to come Before Messiah and his way prepare. I as all others to his Baptism came, Which I believd was from above; but he Strait knew me, and with loudest voice proclaimd Me him (for it was shewn him so from Heaven) Me him whose Harbinger he was; and first Refusd on me his Baptism to confer, As much his greater, and was hardly won; But as I rose out of the laving stream, Heaven opend her eternal doors, from whence The Spirit descended on me like a Dove, And last the sum of all, my Fathers voice, Audibly heard from Heavn, pronouncd me his, Me his beloved Son, in whom alone He was well pleasd; by which I knew the time Now full, that I no more should live obscure, But openly begin, as best becomes The Authority which I derivd from Heaven. And now by some strong motion I am led Into this Wilderness, to what intent I learn not yet, perhaps I need not know; For what concerns my knowledge God reveals. So spake our Morning Star then in his rise, And looking round on every side beheld A pathless Desert, dusk with horrid shades; The way he came not having markd, return Was difficult, by humane steps untrod; And he still on was led, but with such thoughts Accompanied of things past and to come Lodgd in his breast, as well might recommend Such Solitude before choicest Society. Full forty days he passd, whether on hill Sometimes, anon in shady vale, each night Under the covert of some ancient Oak, Or Cedar, to defend him from the dew, Or harbourd in one Cave, is not reveald; Nor tasted humane food, nor hunger felt Till those days ended, hungerd then at last Among wild Beasts: they at his sight grew mild, Nor sleeping him nor waking harmd, his walk The fiery Serpent fled, and noxious Worm, The Lion and fierce Tiger glard aloof. But now an aged man in Rural weeds, Following, as seemd, the quest of some stray Ewe, Or witherd sticks to gather; which might serve Against a Winters day when winds blow keen, To warm him wet returnd from field at Eve, He saw approach, who first with curious eye Perusd him, then with words thus uttred spake. Sir, what ill chance hath brought thee to this place So far from path or road of men, who pass In Troop or Caravan, for single none Durst ever, who returnd, and dropt not here His Carcass, pind with hunger and with droughth? I ask the rather, and the more admire, For that to me thou seemst the man, whom late Our new baptizing Prophet at the Ford Of Jordan honourd so, and calld thee Son Of God; I saw and heard, for we sometimes Who dwell this wild, constraind by want, come forth To Town or Village nigh (nighest is far) Where ought we hear, and curious are to hear, What happns new; Fame also finds us out. To whom the Son of God. Who brought me hither Will bring me hence, no other Guide I seek. By Miracle he may, replyd the Swain, What other way I see not, for we here Live on tough roots and stubs, to thirst inurd More then the Camel, and to drink go far, Men to much misery and hardship born; But if thou be the Son of God, Command That out of these hard stones be made thee bread; So shalt thou save thy self and us relieve With Food, whereof we wretched seldom taste. He ended, and the Son of God replyd. Thinkst thou such force in Bread? is it not written (For I discern thee other then thou seemst) Man lives not by Bread only, but each Word Proceeding from the mouth of God; who fed Our Fathers here with Manna; in the Mount Moses was forty days, nor eat nor drank, And forty days Eliah without food Wandred this barren waste, the same I now. Why dost thou then suggest to me distrust, Knowing who I am, as I know who thou art? Whom thus answerd th Arch Fiend now undisguisd. Tis true, I am that Spirit unfortunate, Who leagud with millions more in rash revolt Kept not my happy Station, but was drivn With them from bliss to the bottomless deep, Yet to that hideous place not so confind By rigour unconniving, but that oft Leaving my dolorous Prison I enjoy Large liberty to round this Globe of Earth, Or range in th Air, nor from the Heavn of Heavns Hath he excluded my resort sometimes. I came among the Sons of God, when he Gave up into my hands Uzzean Job To prove him, and illustrate his high worth; And when to all his Angels he proposd To draw the proud King Ahab into fraud That he might fall in Ramoth, they demuring, I undertook that office, and the tongues Of all his flattering Prophets glibbd with lyes To his destruction, as I had in charge. For what he bids I do; though I have lost Much lustre of my native brightness, lost To be belovd of God, I have not lost To love, at least contemplate and admire What I see excellent in good, or fair, Or vertuous, I should so have lost all sense. What can be then less in me then desire To see thee and approach thee, whom I know Declard the Son of God, to hear attent Thy wisdom, and behold thy God-like deeds? Men generally think me much a foe To all mankind: why should I? they to me Never did wrong or violence, by them I lost not what I lost, rather by them I gaind what I have gaind, and with them dwell Copartner in these Regions of the World, If not disposer; lend them oft my aid, Oft my advice by presages and signs, And answers, oracles, portents and dreams, Whereby they may direct their future life. Envy they say excites me, thus to gain Companions of my misery and wo. At first it may be; but long since with wo Nearer acquainted, now I feel by proof, That fellowship in pain divides not smart, Nor lightens aught each mans peculiar load. Small consolation then, were Man adjoynd: This wounds me most (what can it less) that Man, Man falln shall be restord, I never more. To whom our Saviour sternly thus replyd. Deservedly thou grievst, composd of lyes From the beginning, and in lies wilt end; Who boastst release from Hell, and leave to come Into the Heavn of Heavens; thou comst indeed, As a poor miserable captive thrall, Comes to the place where he before had sat Among the Prime in Splendour, now deposd, Ejected, emptyed, gazd, unpityed, shund, A spectacle of ruin or of scorn To all the Host of Heaven; the happy place Imparts to thee no happiness, no joy, Rather inflames thy torment, representing Lost bliss, to thee no more communicable, So never more in Hell then when in Heaven. But thou art serviceable to Heavens King. Wilt thou impute to obedience what thy fear Extorts, or pleasure to do ill excites? What but thy malice movd thee to misdeem Of righteous Job, then cruelly to afflict him With all inflictions, but his patience won? The other service was thy chosen task, To be a lyer in four hundred mouths; For lying is thy sustenance, thy food. Yet thou pretendst to truth; all Oracles By thee are givn, and what confest more true Among the Nations? that hath been thy craft, By mixing somewhat true to vent more lyes. But what have been thy answers, what but dark Ambiguous and with double sense deluding, Which they who askd have seldom understood, And not well understood as good not known? Who ever by consulting at thy shrine Returnd the wiser, or the more instruct To flye or follow what concernd him most, And run not sooner to his fatal snare? For God hath justly givn the Nations up To thy Delusions; justly, since they fell Idolatrous, but when his purpose is Among them to declare his Providence To thee not known, whence hast thou then thy truth, But from him or his Angels President In every Province, who themselves disdaining To approach thy Temples, give thee in command What to the smallest tittle thou shalt say To thy Adorers; thou with trembling fear, Or like a Fawning Parasite obeyst; Then to thy self ascribst the truth fore-told. But this thy glory shall be soon retrenchd; No more shalt thou by oracling abuse The Gentiles; henceforth Oracles are ceast, And thou no more with Pomp and Sacrifice Shalt be enquird at Delphos or elsewhere, At least in vain, for they shall find thee mute. God hath now sent his living Oracle Into the World, to teach his final will, And sends his Spirit of Truth henceforth to dwell In pious Hearts, an inward Oracle To all truth requisite for men to know. So spake our Saviour; but the subtle Fiend, Though inly stung with anger and disdain, Dissembld, and this Answer smooth returnd. Sharply thou hast insisted on rebuke, And urgd me hard with doings, which not will But misery hath rested from me; where Easily canst thou find one miserable, And not inforcd oft-times to part from truth; If it may stand him more in stead to lye, Say and unsay, feign, flatter, or abjure? But thou art plact above me, thou art Lord; From thee I can and must submiss endure Check or reproof, and glad to scape so quit. Hard are the ways of truth, and rough to walk, Smooth on the tongue discourst, pleasing to th ear, And tuneable as Silvan Pipe or Song; What wonder then if I delight to hear Her dictates from thy mouth? most men admire Vertue, who follow not her lore: permit me To hear thee when I come (since no man comes) And talk at least, though I despair to attain. Thy Father, who is holy, wise and pure, Suffers the Hypocrite or Atheous Priest To tread his Sacred Courts, and minister About his Altar, handling holy things, Praying or vowing, and vouchsafd his voice To Balaam Reprobate, a Prophet yet Inspird; disdain not such access to me. To whom our Saviour with unalterd brow. Thy coming hither, though I know thy scope, I bid not or forbid; do as thou findst Permission from above; thou canst not more. He added not; and Satan bowing low His gray dissimulation, disappeard Into thin Air diffusd: for now began Night with her sullen wing to double-shade The Desert, Fowls in thir clay nests were coucht; And now wild Beasts came forth the woods to roam.