Before his eyes appear'd, sad, noisome, dark, 480 485 Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums. 495 O miserable mankind! to what fall 500 505 So goodly and erect, though faulty since, To such unsightly suff'rings be debased 510 Under inhuman pains? Why should not man, In part, from such deformities be free, And for his Maker's image sake exempt? Their Maker's image, answer'd Michael, then 515 Forsook them when themselves they vilify'd To serve ungovern'd appetite, and took 517. There is a considerable error, I imagine, in the ideas thus put into the mouth of Michael. By supposing Eve swayed, as here said, by a brutish vice, the consequences of the fall and the His image whom they served (a brutish vice) 520 525 To death, and mix with our connatural dust? 530 Till many years over thy head return: So may'st thou live till, like ripe fruit, thou drop 535 Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature. This is old age; but then thou must outlive Thy youth,thy strength, thy beauty, which will change To wither'd, weak, and grey. Thy senses then 540 To what thou hast; and for the air of youth, To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume 545 Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong 550 corruption which it produced are anticipated. There is not sufficient authority in Scripture for this strong introduction of low sensual feeling, as the whole passage in which the fall is related turns upon the strong desire felt by Eve to become as the gods, accomplished in the knowledge of good and evil. I am a little surprised Milton's commentators have not remarked this.-See Gen. iii. 5, 6. 552. In the first edition it was, of rendering up, Michael to hum replied. Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st Live well; how long or short permit to Heav'n. And now prepare thee for another sight. 555 565 He look'd, and saw a spacious plain, whereon 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 560 Their stops and chords, was seen. His volant touch Instinct, through all proportions low and high, Fled and pursued transverse the resonant fugue. In other part stood one who, at the forge Labouring, 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 wash'd by stream From under ground): the liquid ore he drain'd Into fit moulds prepared; from which he form'd First his own tools; then, what might else be wrought Fusile, or grav'n in metal. After these, But on the hither side, a different sort 570 576 From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their seat, In gems and wanton dress. To th' harp they sung The men, tho' grave, eyed them, and let their eyes 585 Rove without rein, till in the amorous net Fast caught, they liked, and each his liking chose: 557. Gen. iv. 20-22. 573. Fusil, cast in moulds. The account of the descendants of Seth is partly derived from Scripture, and partly from other sources. 582. In allusion to the union mentioned in Scripture, which the sons of God, or the descendants of his true worshippers, formed with the daughters of Cain's posterity. See Gen. vi. 1, 2. That the sons of God meant celestial beings, an idea once supported by some divines, and that on which Mr. Moore has founded his poem of the Loves of the Angels, has been long ago an exploded Supposition. T 590 And now of love they treat, till th' ev'ning star, 595 True opener of mine eyes, prime Angel blest, Much better seems this vision, and more hope Of peaceful days portends, than those two past: 600 Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse; Here Nature seems fulfill'd 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. 605 610 Those tents thou saw'st so pleasant, were the tents For that fair female troop thou saw'st, that seem'd Of Goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay, Yet empty of all good, wherein consists Bred only and completed to the taste Of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance, 615 To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye. 620 To these that sober race of men, whose lives Religious, titled them the sons of God, Shall yield up all their virtue, all their fame, Of these fair atheists, and now swim in joy, 625 Enter'd so fair, should turn aside to tread Holds on the same, from Woman to begin. From Man's effeminate slackness it begins, 630 Said th' Angel, who should better hold his place 635 By wisdom, and superior gifts received. But now prepare thee for another scene. He look'd, 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 : 640 Part wield their arms, part curb the foaming steed, Single or in array of battle ranged Both horse and foot; nor idly must'ring stood. 645 A herd of beeves, fair oxen and fair kine, 655 Lay siege, encamp'd; by battery, scale, and mine, Assaulting others, from the wall, defend With dart and javelin, stones and sulph'rous fire: On each hand slaughter and gigantic deeds. In other part the scepter'd heralds call To council in the city gates. Anon 660 Grey-headed men and grave, with warriors mix'd, Of middle age one rising, eminent 665 645. Nor idly must'ring stood: there is supposed to be an allusion here, and in one or two other similar lines, to the situation of the English army at the time Milton was writing. 660. There are several imitations of Homer in this description. Iliad, xviii. 661. The judges are described in Scripture as sitting in the gates of the cities. Gen. xxxiv. 20. Zech. viii. 16, &c. 665. Of middle age, as the years of life were then numbered. Enoch was 365 years old when translated, Gen. v. 23. |