The Complete Poetry of John Milton (14 page)
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Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
2
god of the winds; the land of the Sicanians was Sicily.
3
Wife of the river-god Nereus, Doris was the mother of fifty sea-nymphs.
4
Medea fled from Jason in a chariot drawn by dragons, after murdering their children.
5
a son of Celeus, king of Eleusis, whom Ceres sent in her dragon-drawn chariot to sow wheat throughout the earth (including far Scythia). Ovid likewise wished for the chariots of Medea and Triptolemus to return him from exile (
Tristia
, III, viii, 1–4).
6
D. T. Starnes (A
Tribute to G. C. Taylor
, 1952, p. 39) shows that Milton could have learned this legend from entries in Charles Stephanus’
Dictionarium.
Hama was a Saxon champion reputedly killed by Starchatar, a Danish (Cimbrian) giant.
7
Alcibiades; one of Plato’s dialogues bears his name.
8
Aristotle, born in Stagira in Macedonia. His famous pupil was Alexander the Great, son of Olympias (of Chaonia in Epirus) and, in legend, of Ammon, as Jove was known in Libya.
9
Achilles, pupil of Phoenix (son of Amyntor) and Chiron (son of Philyra).
10
Mt. Parnassus, the haunt of the Muses, in Aonia. The waters that flowed in Castalia, a spring on Mt. Parnassus, afforded poetic inspiration by the bestowal of the Muses, who were born in Pieria. The Muse Clio, as Simonides tells us (Frag. 56), was the “overseer of the pure lustration-water, receiver of the prayers of many a pitcher-carrier.” What Milton says is that Young introduced him to the glories of the arts, and that, while under Young’s guidance and as a result of the talents given him by Clio, he had thrice been poetically inspired. These early poems are apparently not extant.
11
Because Aethon, one of the sun’s horses, has entered the zodiacal sign of the Ram (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) three times and because Chloris, goddess of flowers here signifying spring, and Auster, the south wind here signifying autumn, have visited the earth twice, Milton must not have seen Young since early 1625.
12
the east wind, named because Milton was writing to Germany at the time of year that it blows.
13
The conflicts of the Thirty Years’ War threatened Hamburg particularly after Christian IV of Denmark (a Protestant leader) was defeated by Tilly, general of the Catholic Holy League, in Western Germany on Aug. 27, 1626. See also ll. 71-76, where reference is made to Bernard, William, and Frederick, Dukes of Saxe-Weimar, who were preparing attacks against Tilly and Wallenstein. Hamburg tried to remain neutral. Enyo (l. 75), a goddess of war, was noted for destruction of cities.
14
Ulysses, disguised, revealed himself to his wife Penelope several days after his return from the Trojan War and his ensuing travels.
15
Thrace (Odrysia, l. 78) was the home of Mars.
16
Astraea; see
Fair Infant
, n. 9. The olive (l. 79) is the symbol of peace; it and truth are meant as perhaps forsaking earth later than justice.
17
Lines 87-94 allude to the probable reason for Young’s removal to Hamburg: the requirement that ministers subscribe not only to articles concerning faith and the sacraments in the Thirty-nine Articles, but also to those concerning rites and ceremonies. The “you” of l. 95 are those church and governmental officials responsible for Young’s exile.
18
Elijah, who fled into the wilderness from the anger of Ahab’s wife Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon (1 Kings xix. 1-4).
19
Paul, who came from Tarsus in Cilicia, was beaten by the multitude of Philippi in Macedonia, or Emathia (Acts xvi. 22-23).
20
Matt. viii. 28-34 relates how Jesus cast out the devils of two possessed only to have the citizens seek his departure because their swine had perished along with the devils.
21
Though Milton refers to Young’s ministry under the Christian God, he fuses with it the pagan image of Jove’s protective shield, borne by Athena, with its Gorgon head warding off all attackers.
22
the routing of Sennacherib and his Assyrian host at Jerusalem by the angel of God (2 Kings xix. 35).
23
The besieging of Samaria by the Damascans under Ben-Hadad is told in 1 and 2 Kings; the flight here described is found in 2 Kings vii. 6-7.
1
I
O Fairest flower no sooner blown but blasted,
Soft silken Primrose fading timelessly,
Summers chief honour if thou hadst out-lasted
Bleak winters force that made thy blossom drie;
5
For he being amorous on that lovely die
That did thy cheek envermeil, thought to kiss
But kill’d alas, and then bewayl’d his fatal bliss.
II
For since grim
Aquilo
2
his charioter
By boistrous rape th’
Athenian
damsel got,
10
He thought it toucht his Deitie full neer,
If likewise he some fair one wedded not,
Thereby to wipe away th’ infamous blot
Of long-uncoupled bed, and childless eld,
3
Which ‘mongst the wanton gods a foul reproach was held.
III
15
So mounting up in icy-pearled carr,
Through middle empire of the freezing air
He wanderd long, till thee he spy’d from farr,
There ended was his quest, there ceast his care.
Down he descended from his Snow-soft chair,
20
But all unwares with his cold-kind embrace
Unhous’d thy Virgin Soul from her fair biding place.
IV
Yet art thou not inglorious in thy fate;
For so
Apollo
, with unweeting
4
hand
Whilom
5
did slay his dearly-loved mate
25
Young
Hyacinth
born on
Eurotas
strand,
Young
Hyacinth
the pride of
Spartan
land;
20
But then transform’d him to a purple flower;
6
Alack that so to change thee winter had no power.
V
Yet can I not perswade me thou art dead
30
Or that thy corse corrupts in earths dark womb,
Or that thy beauties lie in wormie bed,
Hid from the world in a low delved tomb;
Could Heav’n for pittie thee so strictly doom?
20
Oh no! for something in thy face did shine
35
Above mortalitie that shew’d thou wast divine.
VI
Resolve me then oh Soul most surely blest
(If so it be that thou these plaints dost hear)
Tell me bright Spirit where e’re thou hoverest
Whether above that high first-moving Sphear
7
40
Or in th’ Elisian fields (if such there were).
20
Oh say me true if thou wert mortal wight
And why from us so quickly thou didst take thy flight.
VII
Wert thou some Starr which from the ruin’d roof
Of shak’t Olympus by mischance didst fall;
45
Which carefull
Jove
in natures true behoof
Took up, and in fit place did reinstall?
Or did of late earths Sons
8
besiege the wall
20
Of sheenie Heav’n, and thou some goddess fled
Amongst us here below to hide thy nectar’d head?
VIII
50
Or wert thou that just Maid
9
who once before
Forsook the hated earth, O tell me sooth
And cam’st again to visit us once more?
Or wert thou Mercy that sweet smiling Youth?
Or that crown’d Matron sage white-robed truth?
55
Or any other of that heav’nly brood
Let down in clowdie throne to do the world some good?
IX
Or wert thou of the golden-winged hoast,
Who having clad thy self in human weed
To earth from thy prefixed
10
seat didst poast,
60
And after short abode flie back with speed,
As if to shew what creatures Heav’n doth breed,
Thereby to set the hearts of men on fire
To scorn the sordid world, and unto Heav’n aspire?
X
But oh why didst thou not stay here below
65
To bless us with thy heav’n-lov’d innocence,
To slake his wrath whom sin hath made our foe
To turn Swift-rushing black perdition hence,
Or drive away the slaughtering pestilence,
11
To stand ‘twixt us and our deserved smart?
70
But thou canst best perform that office where thou art.
XI
Then thou the mother of so sweet a child
Her false imagin’d loss cease to lament,
And wisely learn to curb thy sorrows wild;
Think what a present thou to God hast sent,
75
And render him with patience what he lent;
This if thou do he will an off-spring give,
12
That till the worlds last-end shall make thy name to live.
13
(
Jan-Mar. 1628
)
1
Anne, daughter of Milton’s sister Anne and Edward Phillips, was baptized Jan. 12, 1626, and was buried Jan. 22, 1628. The stanza employed here, like that of the induction to the
Nativity Ode
, is perhaps derived from Phineas Fletcher.
2
the northeast wind who stole away the Athenian princess Orithyia.
3
old age.
4
“unaware” of the consequences.
5
formerly.
6
Compare
Lycidas
, 106.
7
The primum mobile, which lay farthest away from the earth of all other spheres of heavenly bodies, imparted motion to each succeeding inner shell.
8
the Giants, who waged war against Jove.
9
Astraea, goddess of justice, the last of the divinities to forsake mankind at the beginning of the Bronze Age because of its impious and wicked conduct.
10
ordained.
11
the plague.
12
an allusion to the imminent birth of another child; Milton’s niece Elizabeth was baptized on Apr. 9, 1628, at St. Martin’s-in-the-Fields.
13
Isa. lvi. 5: “Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walks a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.”
Latin,
part
English.
The
Latin
speeches ended, the
English
thus began.
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