The Annotated Read Online

1023

But he once passed,2410 soon after, when man fell,

1024

Strange alteration! Sin and Death amain2411

1025

Following his track (such was the will of Heav’n)

1026

Paved after him a broad and beaten way

1027

Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf

1028

Tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length,

1029

From Hell continued, reaching th’ utmost orb2412

1030

Of this frail world, by which the Spirits perverse2413

1031

With easy intercourse pass to and fro

1032

To tempt or punish mortals, except whom

1033

God and good Angels guard by special grace.

1034

   But now at last the sacred influence2414

1035

Of light appears, and from the walls of Heav’n

1036

Shoots far into the bosom of dim Night

1037

A glimmering dawn. Here Nature first begins

1038

Her farthest verge, 2415 and Chaos to retire2416

1039

As from her outmost works, a broken foe,

1040

With tumult less and with less hostile din,

1041

That Satan with less toil, and now with ease,

1042

Wafts2417 on the calmer wave by dubious2418 light,

1043

And like a weather-beaten vessel holds

1044

Gladly the port, though shrouds2419 and tackle2420 torn,

1045

Or in the emptier waste, resembling air,

1046

Weighs2421 his spread wings, at leisure to behold

1047

Far off th’ empyreal Heav’n, extended wide

1048

In circuit, undetermined 2422 square or round,

1049

With opal towers and battlements adorned

1050

Of living sapphire, once his native seat,

1051

And fast by, 2423 hanging in a golden chain,

1052

This pendant world, in bigness as a star

1053

Of smallest magnitude close by the moon.

1054

Thither, full fraught 2424 with mischievous revenge,

1055

Accursed, and in a cursèd hour, he hies.2425

1

   Hail holy light, offspring of Heav’n first-born,

2

Or of the Eternal Coeternal beam

3

May I express thee unblamed? since God is light,

4

And never but in unapproachèd light

5

Dwelt from eternity, dwelt then in thee

6

Bright effluence2426 of bright essence increate. 2427

7

Or hear’st 2428 thou rather pure ethereal stream,

8

Whose fountain who shall tell? Before the sun,

9

Before the Heav’ns thou wert, and at the voice

10

Of God, as with a mantle, didst invest2429

11

The rising world of waters dark and deep,

12

Won from the void and formless infinite.

13

Thee I re-visit now with bolder wing,

14

Escaped the Stygian2430 pool, though long detained

15

In that obscure sojourn,2431 while in my flight

16

Through utter and through middle darkness borne,

17

With other notes than to the Orphean2432 lyre2433

18

I sung of Chaos and eternal Night,

19

Taught by the Heav’nly Muse to venture down

20

The dark descent, and up to re-ascend,

21

Though hard and rare. 2434 Thee I re-visit safe,

22

And feel thy sov’reign vital lamp,2435 but thou

23

Re-visit’st not these eyes, that roll in vain

24

To find thy piercing ray, and find no dawn,

25

So thick a drop serene2436 hath quenched2437 their orbs,

26

Or dim suffusion2438 veiled.2439 Yet not the more

27

Cease I to wander where the Muses haunt,

28

Clear spring, or shady grove, or sunny hill,

29

Smit2440 with the love of sacred song. But chief

30

Thee, Sion,2441 and the flow’ry brooks beneath

31

That wash thy hallowed feet, and warbling flow,

32

Nightly I visit, nor sometimes forget

33

Those other two, equaled with2442 me in fate

34

(So were I equaled with them in renown)

35

Blind Thamyris,2443 and blind Maeonides,2444

36

And Tiresias,2445 and Phineus,2446 prophets old.

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Then feed 2447 on thoughts, that voluntary move

38

Harmonious numbers,2448 as the wakeful bird 2449

39

Sings darkling, 2450 and in shadiest covert 2451 hid

40

Tunes her nocturnal note. Thus with the year

41

Seasons return, but not to me returns

42

Day, or the sweet approach of ev’n or morn,

43

Or sight of vernal bloom, or summer’s rose,

44

Or flocks, or herds, or human face divine,

45

But cloud instead, and ever-during 2452 dark

46

Surrounds me, from the cheerful ways of men

47

Cut off, and for the book of knowledge fair

48

Presented with a universal blank

49

Of Nature’s works to me expunged2453 and razed,2454

50

And wisdom at one entrance quite shut out.

51

So much the rather thou, celestial light,

52

Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers

53

Irradiate. 2455 There plant 2456 eyes, all mist from thence

54

Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell

55

Of things invisible to mortal sight.

56

   Now had the Almighty Father from above,

57

From the pure empyrean where He sits

58

High throned above all height, bent down His eye,

59

His own works and their works at once to view.

60

About Him all the Sanctities of Heav’n

61

Stood thick as stars, and from His sight received

62

Beatitude2457 past utterance. 2458 On His right

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The radiant image of His glory sat,

64

His only Son. On earth He first beheld

65

Our two first parents, yet 2459 the only two

66

Of mankind in the happy garden placed,

67

Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,

68

Uninterrupted joy, unrivaled love,

69

In blissful solitude. He then surveyed

70

Hell and the gulf between, and Satan there

71

Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night

72

In the dun2460 air sublime, 2461 and ready now

73

To stoop with wearied wings and willing feet

74

On the bare outside of this world, that seemed

75

Firm land embosomed,2462 without firmament,2463

76

Uncertain which, in ocean or in air.

77

Him God beholding, from His prospect2464 high,

78

Wherein past, present, future, He beholds,

79

Thus to His only Son foreseeing spoke:

8

“Only-begotten Son, seest thou what rage

81

Transports2465 our adversary? whom no bounds

82

Prescribed, no bars of Hell, nor all the chains

83

Heaped on him there, nor yet the main abyss

84

Wide interrupt,2466 can hold, so bent he seems

85

On desperate revenge, that shall redound

86

Upon his own rebellious head. And now,

87

Through all restraint broke2467 loose, he wings his way

88

Not far off Heav’n, in the precincts2468 of light,

89

Directly towards the new created world,

90

And man there placed, with purpose to assay2469

91

If him by force he can destroy or, worse,

92

By some false guile pervert. And shall pervert,

93

For man will hearken to his glozing2470 lies,

94

And easily transgress2471 the sole command,

95

Sole pledge2472 of his obedience: So will fall

96

He and his faithless progeny. Whose fault?

97

Whose but his own? Ingrate, he had of me

98

All he could have. I made him just and right,

99

Sufficient to have stood,2473 though free to fall.

100

Such I created all the ethereal Powers

101

And Spirits, both them who stood and them who failed.

102

Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.

103

Not free, what proof could they have given sincere

104

Of true allegiance, constant faith, or love,

105

Where only what they needs must do appeared,

106

Not what they would? What praise could they receive?

107

What pleasure I, from such obedience paid,

108

When will and reason (reason also is choice)

109

Useless and vain, of freedom both despoiled,2474

110

Made passive both, had served necessity,

111

Not me? They therefore, as to right belonged,

112

So were created, nor can justly accuse

113

Their Maker, or their making, or their fate,

114

As if predestination over-ruled

115

Their will, disposed 2475 by absolute decree

116

Or high foreknowledge. They themselves decreed

117

Their own revolt, not I: if I foreknew,

118

Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault,

119

Which had no less proved certain unforeknown.

120

So without least impulse or shadow of Fate,

121

Or aught by me immutably 2476 foreseen,

122

They trespass, authors2477 to themselves in all

123

Both what they judge and what they choose. For so

124

I formed them free, and free they must remain,

125

Till they enthrall2478 themselves. I else must change

126

Their nature, and revoke the high decree

127

Unchangeable, eternal, which ordained

128

Their freedom. They themselves ordained their fall.

129

The first sort 2479 by their own suggestion fell,

130

Self-tempted, self-depraved. Man falls deceived

131

By the other first. Man therefore shall find grace,

132

The other none. In mercy and justice both,

133

Through Heav’n and earth, so shall my glory excel,

134

But mercy, first and last, shall brightest shine.

135

   Thus while God spoke, 2480 ambrosial fragrance filled

136

All Heav’n, and in the blessèd Spirits elect

137

Sense of new joy ineffable diffused.

138

Beyond compare, the Son of God was seen

139

Most glorious. In him all His Father shone,

140

Substantially2481 expressed, and in his face

141

Divine compassion visibly appeared,

142

Love without end, and without measure grace,

143

Which uttering thus he to his Father spoke:

144

   “O Father, gracious was that word which closed

145

Thy sov’reign2482 sentence, 2483 that man should find grace.

146

For which both Heav’n and earth shall high extol

147

Thy praises, with th’ innumerable sound

148

Of hymns and sacred songs, wherewith Thy throne

149

Encompassed 2484 shall resound 2485 Thee ever blessed.

150

For should man finally be lost? Should man,

151

Thy creature late so loved, Thy youngest son,

152

Fall circumvented 2486 thus by fraud, though joined

153

With his own folly? That be from Thee far,

154

That far be from Thee, Father, who art judge

155

Of all things made, and judgest only right.

156

Or shall the adversary 2487 thus obtain

157

His end, and frustrate Thine? Shall he fulfill

158

His malice, and Thy goodness bring to nought?

159

Or proud return, though to his heavier doom,2488

160

Yet with revenge accomplished, and to Hell

161

Draw after him the whole race of mankind,

162

By him corrupted? Or wilt Thou Thyself

163

Abolish Thy creation, and unmake

164

For him, what for Thy glory Thou hast made?

165

So should Thy goodness and Thy greatness both

166

Be questioned and blasphemed without defence.

167

To whom the great Creator thus replied:

168

   “O Son, in whom my soul hath chief delight,

169

Son of my bosom, Son who art alone

170

My word, my wisdom, and effectual 2489 might,

171

All hast thou spoken as my thoughts are, all

172

As my eternal purpose hath decreed.

173

Man shall not quite be lost, but saved who will,

174

Yet not of will in him, but grace in me

175

Freely vouchsafed.2490 Once more I will renew

176

His lapsèd 2491 powers, though forfeit 2492 and enthralled

177

By Sin to foul exorbitant desires.

178

Upheld by me, yet once more he shall stand

179

On even ground against his mortal foe,

180

By me upheld, that he may know how frail

181

His fall’n condition is, and to me owe

182

All his deliverance, and to none but me.

183

Some I have chosen of peculiar2493 grace,

184

Elect2494 above the rest; so is my will.

185

The rest shall hear me call, and oft be warned

186

Their sinful state, and to appease betimes2495

187

The incensed 2496 Deity, while offered 2497 grace

188

Invites, for I will clear their senses dark,

189

What may suffice, and soften stony hearts

190

To pray, repent, and bring obedience due. 2498

191

To prayer, repentance, and obedience due,

192

Though but endeavored with sincere intent,

193

Mine ear shall not be slow, mine eye not shut.

194

And I will place within them as a guide

195

My umpire2499 Conscience, whom if they will hear,

196

Light 2500 after light, well used, they shall attain,

197

And to the end, persisting, safe arrive.

198

This my long sufferance, 2501 and my day of grace,

199

They who neglect and scorn shall never taste,

200

But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more,

201

That they may stumble on, and deeper fall.

202

And none but such from mercy I exclude.

203

   “But yet all is not done. Man disobeying,

204

Disloyal, breaks his fealty2502 and sins

205

Against the high supremacy of Heav’n,

206

Affecting2503 God-head and, so losing all,

207

To expiate his treason hath nought left,

208

But to destruction sacred2504 and devote,

209

He, with his whole posterity, must die.

210

Die he or justice must; unless for him

211

Some other able, and as willing, pay

212

The rigid2505 satisfaction,2506 death for death.

213

Say, Heav’nly Powers, where shall we find such love?

214

Which of you will be mortal, to redeem

215

Man’s mortal crime and, just, the unjust to save?

216

Dwells in all Heav’n charity 2507 so dear?

217

   He asked, but all the Heav’nly choir2508 stood mute,

218

And silence was in Heav’n: on man’s behalf

219

Patron2509 or intercessor 2510 none appeared,

220

Much less that durst upon his own head draw

221

The deadly forfeiture and ransom set.

222

And now without redemption all mankind

223

Must have been lost, adjudged to Death and Hell

224

By doom2511 severe, had not the Son of God,

225

In whom the fullness dwells of love divine,

226

His dearest mediation thus renewed:

227

   “Father, Thy word is past, man shall find grace;

228

And shall grace not find means? that finds her way,

229

The speediest of Thy wingèd messengers,

230

To visit all Thy creatures, and to all

231

Comes unprevented,2512 unimplored, unsought?

232

Happy for man, so coming. He her aid

233

Can never seek, once dead in sins, and lost:

234

Atonement for himself, or offering meet,2513

235

Indebted and undone, hath none to bring.

236

Behold me, then: me for him, life for life

237

I offer.