Paradise Lost (Modern Library Classics) (71 page)

Though not of woman born
⁴⁹⁶
; compassion quelled

His best of man
⁴⁹⁷
, and gave him up to tears

A space, till firmer thoughts restrained excess,

And scarce recovering words his plaint renewed.

   “O miserable mankind, to what fall

Degraded, to what wretched state reserved!

Better
⁵⁰²
end here unborn. Why is life giv’n

To be thus wrested from us? Rather why

Obtruded on us thus? Who if we knew

What we receive, would either not accept

Life offered, or soon beg to lay it down,

Glad to be so dismissed in peace. Can thus

Th’ image of God in man created once

So goodly and erect, though faulty since,

To such unsightly sufferings be debased

Under inhuman pains? Why should not man,

Retaining still divine similitude

In part, from such deformities be free,

And for his Maker’s image sake exempt?”

   “Their Maker’s image,” answered Michael, “then

Forsook them, when themselves they vilified

To serve ungoverned appetite, and took

His image whom they served, a brutish vice,

Inductive
⁵¹⁹
mainly to the sin of Eve.

Therefore so abject is their punishment,

Disfiguring not God’s likeness, but their own,

Or if his likeness, by themselves defaced

While they pervert pure nature’s healthful rules

To loathsome sickness, worthily, since they

God’s image did not reverence in themselves.”

   “I yield it just,” said Adam, “and submit.

But is there yet no other way, besides

These painful passages, how we may come

To death, and mix with our connatural dust?”

   “There is,” said Michael, “if thou well observe

The rule of
⁵³¹
not too much
, by temperance taught

In what thou eat’st and drink’st, seeking from thence

Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,

Till many years over thy head return:

So may’st
⁵³⁵
thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop

Into thy mother’s lap, or be with ease

Gathered, not harshly plucked, for death mature:

This is old age; but then thou must outlive

Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change

To withered weak and gray; thy senses then

Obtuse, all taste of pleasure must forgo,

To what thou hast, and for the air of youth

Hopeful and cheerful, in thy blood will reign

A melancholy damp
⁵⁴⁴
of cold and dry

To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume

The balm of life.” To whom our ancestor.

   “Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong

Life much, bent rather how I may be quit

Fairest and easiest of this cumbrous charge,

Which I must keep till my appointed day

Of rend’ring
⁵⁵¹
up, and patiently attend

My dissolution.” Michael replied,

   “Nor love thy life, nor hate
⁵⁵³
; but what thou liv’st

Live well, how long or short permit to Heav’n:

And now prepare thee for another sight.”

He looked and saw a spacious plain, whereon
⁵⁵⁶

Were tents of various hue; by some were herds

Of cattle grazing: others, whence the sound

Of instruments that made melodious chime

Was heard, of harp and organ; and who moved

Their stops and chords was seen: his volant
⁵⁶¹
touch

Instinct through all proportions low and high
⁵⁶²

Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue
⁵⁶³
.

In other part stood one who at the forge

Laboring, two massy clods of iron and brass

Had melted (whether found where casual fire

Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale,

Down to the veins of Earth, thence gliding hot

To some cave’s mouth, or whether washed by stream

From underground) the liquid ore he drained

Into fit molds prepared; from which he formed

First his own tools; then, what might else be wrought

Fusile
⁵⁷³
or grav’n in metal. After these,

But on the hither side a different sort

From the high neighboring hills, which was their seat,

Down to the plain descended: by their guise

Just men they seemed, and all their study bent

To worship God aright, and know his works

Not hid, nor those things last which might preserve

Freedom and peace to men: they on the plain

Long had not walked, when from the tents behold

A bevy of fair women, richly gay

In gems and wanton dress; to the harp they sung

Soft amorous ditties, and in dance came on:

The men though grave, eyed them, and let their eyes

Rove without rein, till in the amorous net
⁵⁸⁶

Fast caught, they liked, and each his liking chose;

And now of love they treat till th’ ev’ning star

Love’s harbinger appeared; then all in heat

They light the nuptial torch, and bid invoke

Hymen, then first to marriage rites invoked;

With feast and music all the tents resound.

Such happy interview
⁵⁹³
and fair event

Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flow’rs,

And charming symphonies attached
⁵⁹⁵
the heart

Of Adam, soon inclined to admit delight,

The bent of nature; which he thus expressed.

   “True opener of mine eyes, prime angel blest,

Much better seems this vision, and more hope

Of peaceful days portends, than those two past;

Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse,

Here nature seems fulfilled in all her ends.”

   To whom thus Michael. “Judge not what is best

By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet,

Created, as thou art, to nobler end

Holy and pure, conformity divine.

Those tents
⁶⁰⁷
thou saw’st so pleasant, were the tents

Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race

Who slew his brother; studious they appear

Of arts that polish life, inventors rare,

Unmindful of their Maker, though his spirit

Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledged none.

Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget;

For that fair female troop thou saw’st, that seemed

Of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay,

Yet empty of all good wherein consists

Woman’s domestic honor and chief praise;

Bred only and completed to the taste

Of lustful appetence
⁶¹⁹
, to sing, to dance,

To dress, and troll
⁶²⁰
the tongue, and roll the eye.

To these that sober race of men, whose lives

Religious titled them the Sons of God
⁶²²
,

Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame

Ignobly, to the trains
⁶²⁴
and to the smiles

Of these fair atheists, and now swim in joy,

(Erelong to swim at large
⁶²⁶
) and laugh; for which

The world erelong a world of tears must weep.”

   To whom thus Adam of short joy bereft.

“O pity and shame, that they who to live well

Entered so fair, should turn aside to tread

Paths indirect, or in the mid way
⁶³¹
faint!

But still I see the tenor of man’s woe
⁶³²

Holds on the same, from woman to begin.”

   From man’s effeminate slackness it begins,”

Said th’ angel, “who should better hold his place

By wisdom, and superior gifts received.

But now prepare thee for another scene.”

   He looked
⁶³⁸
and saw wide territory spread

Before him, towns, and rural works between,

Cities of men with lofty gates and tow’rs,

Concourse in arms, fierce faces threat’ning war,

Giants of mighty bone, and bold emprise
⁶⁴²
;

Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed
⁶⁴³
,

Single or in array of battle ranged
⁶⁴⁴

Both horse and foot, nor idly must’ring stood;

One way a band select from forage drives

A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine

From a fat meadow ground; or fleecy flock,

Ewes and their bleating lambs over the plain,

Their booty; scarce with life the shepherds fly,

But call in aid, which makes a bloody fray;

With cruel tournament the squadrons join;

Where cattle pastured late, now scattered lies

With carcasses and arms th’ ensanguined
⁶⁵⁴
field

Deserted: others to a city strong

Lay siege, encamped; by battery, scale, and mine
⁶⁵⁶
,

Assaulting; others from the wall defend

With dart and jav’lin, stones and sulfurous fire;

On each hand slaughter and gigantic deeds.

In other part the sceptered heralds call

To council in the city gates: anon

Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mixed,

Assemble, and harangues are heard, but soon

In factious opposition, till at last

Of middle age one rising
⁶⁶⁵
, eminent

In wise deport, spake much of right and wrong,

Of justice, of religion, truth and peace,

And judgment from above: him old and young

Exploded
⁶⁶⁹
and had seized with violent hands,

Had not a cloud descending snatched him thence

Unseen amid the throng: so violence

Proceeded, and oppression, and sword-law

Through all the plain, and refuge none was found.

Adam was all in tears, and to his guide

Lamenting turned full sad: “O what are these,

Death’s ministers, not men, who thus deal death

Inhumanly to men, and multiply

Ten-thousandfold the sin of him who slew

His brother; for of whom such massacre

Make they but of their brethren, men of men?

But who was that just man, whom had not Heav’n

Rescued, had in his righteousness been lost?”

   To whom thus Michael. “These are the product

Of those ill-mated marriages thou saw’st:

Where good with bad were matched, who of themselves

Abhor to join; and by imprudence mixed,

Produce prodigious births of body or mind.
⁶⁸⁷

Such were these giants, men of high renown;

For in those days might only shall be admired,

And valor and heroic virtue called;

To overcome in battle, and subdue

Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite

Manslaughter, shall be held the highest pitch

Of human glory, and for glory done

Of triumph, to be styled great conquerors,

Patrons of mankind, gods, and sons of gods,

Destroyers rightlier called and plagues of men.

Thus fame shall be achieved, renown on earth,

And what most merits fame in silence hid.

But he the sev’nth from thee
⁷⁰⁰
, whom thou beheld’st

The only righteous in a world perverse,

And therefore hated, therefore so beset

With foes for daring single to be just,

And utter odious truth, that God would come

To judge them with his saints: him the Most High

Rapt in a balmy cloud with wingèd steeds

Did, as thou saw’st, receive
⁷⁰⁷
, to walk with God

High in salvation and the climes of bliss,

Exempt from death, to show thee what reward

Awaits the good, the rest what punishment;

Which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.”

   He looked,
⁷¹²
and saw the face of things quite changed;

The brazen throat of war had ceased to roar,

All now was turned to jollity and game,

To luxury
⁷¹⁵
and riot, feast and dance,

Marrying or prostituting, as befell,

Rape or adultery, where passing fair
⁷¹⁷

Allured them; thence from cups to civil broils.

At length a reverend sire
⁷¹⁹
among them came,

And of their doings great dislike declared,

And testified against their ways; he oft

Frequented their assemblies, whereso met,

Triumphs or festivals, and to them preached

Conversion and repentance, as to souls

In prison under judgments imminent:

But all in vain: which when he saw, he ceased

Contending, and removed his tents far off;

Then from the mountain hewing timber tall,

Began to build a vessel of huge bulk,

Measured by cubit
⁷³⁰
, length, and breadth, and highth,

Smeared round with pitch, and in the side a door

Contrived, and of provisions laid in large

For man and beast: when lo a wonder strange!

Of every beast, and bird, and insect
⁷³⁴
small

Came sevens and pairs
⁷³⁵
, and entered in, as taught

Their order: last the sire, and his three sons

With their four wives; and God made fast the door.

Meanwhile the
⁷³⁸
south wind rose, and with black wings

Wide hovering, all the clouds together drove

From under Heav’n; the hills to their supply
⁷⁴⁰

Vapor, and exhalation dusk
⁷⁴¹
and moist,

Sent up amain; and now the thickened sky

Like a dark ceiling stood; down rushed the rain

Impetuous, and continued till the earth