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15 - Paradise Lost - John Milton · Philosophy and Faith

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Speaker 1: Book ten, Part one. Thus they, in lowliest plight, repentant,
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Speaker 1: stood praying for from the mercy seat above, provenient grace
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Speaker 1: descending had removed the stony from their hearts and made
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Speaker 1: new flesh, regenerate grow instead. That sighs now breathed, unutterable,
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Speaker 1: which the spirit of prayer inspired, and winged for Heaven
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Speaker 1: with speedier flight than loudest oratory. Yet their port not
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Speaker 1: of mean suitors, nor important, less seemed their petition than
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Speaker 1: when the ancient pair and fables old less ancient yet
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Speaker 1: than these Ducalian and chas Pyah to restore the race
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Speaker 1: of mankind drowned before the shrine of themis stood devout
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Speaker 1: to heaven. Their prayers flew up, nor missed the way
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Speaker 1: by envious winds, blown vagabond or frustrate. In they passed
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Speaker 1: dimentionless through heavenly doors, then clad with incense, where the
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Speaker 1: golden altrifund by their great intercessor, came in sight before
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Speaker 1: the Father's throne them the glad son, presenting thus to intercede, began,
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Speaker 1: See Father, what first fruits on earth are sprung from
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Speaker 1: Thy implanted grace in man? These sighs and prayers, which
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Speaker 1: in this golden censer mixed with incense, I, thy priest
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Speaker 1: before THEE, bring fruits of more pleasing savor from thy
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Speaker 1: seed sown with contrition in his heart than those which
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Speaker 1: his own hand, manuring all the trees of paradise could
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Speaker 1: have produced. Ere fallen from innocence. Now therefore bend thine
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Speaker 1: ear to supplication. Hear his sighs. Thou mute, I am
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Speaker 1: skillful with what words to pray. Let me interpret for him,
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Speaker 1: me his advocate and propitiation all his works on me,
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Speaker 1: good or not good, in graft my merit, those shall
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Speaker 1: perfet and for these my death shall pay. Accept me,
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Speaker 1: and in me from these receive the smell of peace
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Speaker 1: towards mankind. Let him live before THEE, reconciled at least
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Speaker 1: his day's number, though sad till death his doom, which
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Speaker 1: I to mitigate. Thus plead not to reverse to better life,
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Speaker 1: shall yield him. Where with me all my redeemed may
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Speaker 1: dwell in joy and bliss, made one with me, as
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Speaker 1: I with THEE, am one to whom the Father without
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Speaker 1: clouds serene. All thy request for men, excepted son obtain.
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Speaker 1: All thy request was my decree, but longer in that
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Speaker 1: paradise to dwell. The law I gave to nature him
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Speaker 1: forbids those pure immortal elements that know no gross, no
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Speaker 1: unharmonious mixture fowl eject him tainted now and purge him
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Speaker 1: off as a distemper gross to err as gross and
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Speaker 1: mortal food as may dispose him best for dissolution. Wrought
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Speaker 1: by sin that first distempered all things, and of incorrupt corrupted.
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Speaker 1: I at first, with two fair gifts, created him, endowed
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Speaker 1: with happiness and immortality that fondly lost. This other served
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Speaker 1: but to eternalize woe till I provided death. So death
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Speaker 1: comes his final remedy. And after life tried in sharp
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Speaker 1: tribulation and refined by faith and faithful works, to second life,
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Speaker 1: waked in the renovation of the just, resigns him up
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Speaker 1: with heaven and earth renewed. But let us call to
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Speaker 1: synod all the blessed through Heaven's wide bounds. From them.
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Speaker 1: I will not hide my judgments. How with mankind I
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Speaker 1: proceed as now with peccant angels. Late they saw, and
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Speaker 1: in their state, though firm stood more confirmed he ended,
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Speaker 1: and the sun gave signal high to the bright minister
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Speaker 1: that watched he blew his trumpet heard in orbs, since
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Speaker 1: perhaps when God descended, and perhaps once more to sound
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Speaker 1: at general doom. The angelic blast filled all the regions
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Speaker 1: from their blissful bowers of emarand and shade, fountain or
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Speaker 1: spring by the waters of life, where they e'er they
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Speaker 1: sate in old fellowships of joy. The sons of Light hasted,
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Speaker 1: resorting to the summons high, and took their seats till
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Speaker 1: from his throne Supreme, the Almighty thus pronounced his sovereign
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Speaker 1: will o sons. Like one of us men, is become
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Speaker 1: to know both good and evil, since his taste of
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Speaker 1: that defended fruit. But let him boast his knowledge of
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Speaker 1: good lost in evil. God happier had it sufficed him
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Speaker 1: to have known good by itself, and evil not at all.
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Speaker 1: He sorrows now, repents and praise. Contrite my motions in
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Speaker 1: him longer than they move his heart. I know how
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Speaker 1: variable and vain self left, least therefore his now bolder hand,
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Speaker 1: reach also of the tree of life, and eat and
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Speaker 1: live forever, dream at least to live forever. To remove him,
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Speaker 1: I decree and send him from the garden forth to
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Speaker 1: till the ground whence he was taken fitter soil. Michael,
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Speaker 1: this my behest, Have thou in charge, take to THEE
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Speaker 1: from among the cheruboom thy choice of flaming warriors, least
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Speaker 1: the fiend or in behalf of man or to invade
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Speaker 1: vacant possessions some new trouble rays. Haste thee, and from
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Speaker 1: the paradise of God, without remorse, drive out the civil
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Speaker 1: pair from hallowed ground the unholy, and denounce to them
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Speaker 1: and to their progeny. From thence perpetual banishment. Yet least
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Speaker 1: they faint at the sad sentence, rigorously urged, for I
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Speaker 1: behold them, softened and with tears, bewailing their excess all terror. Hide,
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Speaker 1: If patiently thy bidding they obey, dismiss them, not disconsolate.
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Speaker 1: Reveal to Adam what shall come in future days, as
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Speaker 1: I shall be enlightened, intermix my covenant in the woman's
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Speaker 1: seed renewed. So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace.
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Speaker 1: And on the east side of the garden, place where
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Speaker 1: entrance up from Eden's easiest climes, kerubic watch and of
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Speaker 1: a sword, the flame wide waving all approached far off
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Speaker 1: to fright, and guard all passage to the tree of life,
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Speaker 1: least Paradise, a receptacle proof to Spirit's fowl, and all
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Speaker 1: my trees there prey with whom stolen fruit man once
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Speaker 1: more to delude he ceased, and the archangelic power prepared
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Speaker 1: for swift descent with him. The cohort brighte of watchful Cheribim,
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Speaker 1: four faces each had like a double Janus, all their
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Speaker 1: shapes spangled with eyes more numerous than those of Argus,
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Speaker 1: and more wakeful than to drowse, charmed with Arcadian pipe,
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Speaker 1: the pastoral reed of Hermes or his opiate rod. Meanwhile
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Speaker 1: to resolute the world with sacred light, Leucothia waked and
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Speaker 1: with fresh dews embalmed the earth. When Adam and first
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Speaker 1: matron Eve had ended now their horizons and found strength
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Speaker 1: added from above new hope to spring out of despair joy,
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Speaker 1: but with fear yet linked, which thus to Eve his
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Speaker 1: welcome words renewed Eve easily may faith admit that all
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Speaker 1: the good which we enjoy from heaven descends, but that
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Speaker 1: from us aught should ascend to Heaven so prevalent as
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Speaker 1: to concern the mind of God high blest or to
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Speaker 1: incline his will. Hard to belief, may seem yet this
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Speaker 1: will prayer, or one short sigh of humane breath upborne
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Speaker 1: even to the seat of God. For since I sought
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Speaker 1: by prayer the offended deity to appease, kneeled and before
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Speaker 1: him humbled all my heart methought, I saw him placable
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Speaker 1: and mild, bending his ear. Persuasion in me grew that
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Speaker 1: I was heard with favor. Peace returned home to my
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Speaker 1: breast and to my memory his promise that Thy seed
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Speaker 1: shall bruise our foe, which then not minded in dismay,
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Speaker 1: yet now assures me that the bitterness of death is past,
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Speaker 1: and we shall live. Whence hail to thee Eve rightly
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Speaker 1: called mother of all mankind, mother of all things living,
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Speaker 1: Since by THEE man is to live, and all things live.
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Speaker 1: For man to whom thus eve with sad demeanor, meek
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Speaker 1: ill worthy, I such titles should belong to me, transgressor,
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Speaker 1: who for THEE ordained a help became thy snare to
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Speaker 1: me reproach rather belongs distrust and all dispraise. But infinite
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Speaker 1: pardon was my judge that I, who first brought death
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Speaker 1: on all am, graced the source of life next favorable
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Speaker 1: Thou who highly thus to entitle me vouchsafed far other
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Speaker 1: name deserving. But the field to labor calls us now
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Speaker 1: was sweat imposed. Though after sleepless night for see the morn,
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Speaker 1: all concerned with our unrest, begins her rosy progress, smiling,
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Speaker 1: Let us forth I never from thy side, henceforth the
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Speaker 1: same where'er our day's work lies, though now enjoined, laborious
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Speaker 1: till day droop, while here we dwell what can be
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Speaker 1: toilsome in these pleasant walks. Here let us live, though
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Speaker 1: in fallen state. Content So spake, so wished, much humbled Eve,
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Speaker 1: but fate subscribed not. Nature first gave signs impressed on
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Speaker 1: bird beast air air suddenly eclipsed after a short blush
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Speaker 1: of morn nigh in her sight, the bird of Joe
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Speaker 1: stooped from his airy tour. Two birds of gayest plume
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Speaker 1: before him, drove down from a hill. The beast that
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Speaker 1: reigns in woods. First hunter then pursued a gentle brace,
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Speaker 1: goodliest of all the forest heart and hind direct to
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Speaker 1: the eastern gate, was bent their flight. Adam observed, and
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Speaker 1: with his eye the chase pursuing, not unmoved to Eve.
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Speaker 1: Thus spake o Eve some further change awaits us nigh,
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Speaker 1: which heave by these mute signs in nature shows forerunners
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Speaker 1: of his purpose, or to warn us happily too secure
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Speaker 1: of our discharge from penalty, because from death released some days?
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Speaker 1: How long and what till then our life? Who knows
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Speaker 1: or more than this than we are dust? And thither
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Speaker 1: must return and be no more? Why else this double
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Speaker 1: object in our sight of flight pursued in the air
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Speaker 1: and o'er the ground one way the self same hour.
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Speaker 1: Why in the east darkness ere day's mid course and
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Speaker 1: morning light more orient in yon western cloud that draws
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Speaker 1: o'er the blue firmament, a radiant white, and slow descends
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Speaker 1: with something heavenly fraught. He erred not for by this
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Speaker 1: the heavenly bands down from a sky of jasper, lighted
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Speaker 1: now in paradise, and on a hill made alt a
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Speaker 1: glorious apparition, had not doubt and carnal fear that day
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Speaker 1: dimmed Adam's eye. Not that more glorious when the angels
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Speaker 1: met Jacob in mayn Ahem, where he saw the field
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Speaker 1: pavilioned with his guardian's bright, Nor that which on the
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Speaker 1: flaming mount appeared in Dothan covered with a camph of
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Speaker 1: fire against the Syrian king, who, to surprise, when man
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Speaker 1: assassinlike had levied war war unproclaimed the princely hierarch in
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Speaker 1: their bright stand. There left his powers to seize possession
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Speaker 1: of the garden. He alone to find where Adam Shelter
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Speaker 1: took his way, not unperceived of Adam, who to Eve
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Speaker 1: while the great visitant approach, Thus spake Eve. Now expect
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Speaker 1: great tidings, which perhaps of us will soon determine or
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Speaker 1: impose new laws to be observed. For I describe from
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Speaker 1: yonder blazing cloud that veils the hill, one of the
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Speaker 1: heavenly host, and by his gait none of the meanest,
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Speaker 1: some potentiate or of the thrones above. Such majesty invests
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Speaker 1: him coming. Yet not terrible that I should fear, nor
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Speaker 1: sociably mind as Raphael, that I should much confiness, but
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Speaker 1: solemn and sublime, whom not to offend with reverence, I
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Speaker 1: must meet, and thou retire. He ended, and the archangel
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Speaker 1: soon drew nigh, not in his shape celestial, but as man,
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Speaker 1: clad to meet man. Over his lucid arms. A military
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Speaker 1: vest of purple flowed livelier than molybyan or the grain
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Speaker 1: of Sarah, worn by kings and heroes old in time
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Speaker 1: of truce. Iris had dipped the wolf, his starry helm, unbuckled,
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Speaker 1: shewed him prime in manhood, where youth ended by his side,
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Speaker 1: as in a glistering zodiac, hung the sword Satan's dire dread,
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Speaker 1: and in his hand the spear. Adam bowed low, he
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Speaker 1: kingly from his state inclined not but his coming. Thus
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Speaker 1: declared Adam, Heaven's high behest. No preface needs sufficient, that
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Speaker 1: thy prayers are heard, and death then do by sentence,
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Speaker 1: when thou didst transgress, defeated of his seizure many days
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Speaker 1: given thee of grace, wherein thou mayst repent, and one
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Speaker 1: bad act, with many deeds well done, mayst cover well.
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Speaker 1: May then thy Lord appease to redeem thee quite from
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Speaker 1: Death's rapacious claims. But longer in this paradise to dwell
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Speaker 1: permits not to remove THEE. I am come and send
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Speaker 1: THEE from the garden forth to till the ground. Whence
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Speaker 1: thou wast taken bitter soil, he added, not for Adam,
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Speaker 1: at the news, heart stroke, with chilling gripe of sorrow,
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Speaker 1: stood that all his senses bound Eve, who unseen yet
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Speaker 1: all had heard with audible lament, discovered soon the place
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Speaker 1: of her retire O unexpected stroke worse than of death.
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Speaker 1: Must I thus leave thee paradise, Thus leave thee native soil.
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Speaker 1: These happy walks and shades fit haunt of gods, where
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Speaker 1: I had hope to spend quiet, though sad, the respite
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Speaker 1: of thine day that must be mortal to us, both
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Speaker 1: O flowers that never will in other climate grow my
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Speaker 1: early visitation and my last at even which I bred
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Speaker 1: up with tender hand from the first opening bud and
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Speaker 1: gave ye names, which now shall rear ye to the sun,
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Speaker 1: or rank your tribes. And water from the ambrosial found
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Speaker 1: thee lastly nuptial bower by me, adorned with what to
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Speaker 1: sight or smell was sweet from thee. How shall I part,
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Speaker 1: and whither wander down into a lower world to this
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Speaker 1: obscure and wild? How shall we breathe in other air,
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Speaker 1: less pure, accustomed to immortal fruits whom thus the angel
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Speaker 1: interrupted mild lament, not Eve, but patiently resign what justly
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Speaker 1: thou hast lost, nor set thy heart thus over fond
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Speaker 1: on that which is not thine, Thy going is not
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Speaker 1: lonely with thee go o, thy husband him to follow
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Speaker 1: thou art bound where he abides. Think there thy native soil.
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Speaker 1: Adam by this from the cold, sudden, damp, recovering, and
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Speaker 1: his scattered spirits returned to Michael. Thus his humble words
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Speaker 1: addressed celestial, whether among the thrones or named of them
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Speaker 1: the highest, for such shape may seem Prince above princes,
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Speaker 1: gently hast thou told thy message, which might else in
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Speaker 1: telling wound and in performing and us what besides of
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Speaker 1: sorrow and dejection and despair our frailty can sustain Thy
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Speaker 1: tidings bring departure from this happy place, our sweet recess,
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Speaker 1: and only consolation left familiar to our eyes. All places
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Speaker 1: else inhospitable, appear and desolate, nor knowing us, nor known.
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Speaker 1: And if by prayer incessant I could hope to change
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Speaker 1: the will of Him who all things can, I would
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Speaker 1: not cease to worry him with my assiduous cries. But
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Speaker 1: prayer against his absolute decree no more avails than breath
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Speaker 1: against the wind blown stifling back on him that breast
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Speaker 1: set forth. Therefore, to his great bidding, I submit this
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Speaker 1: most afflicts me, that departing hence as from his face
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Speaker 1: I shall be hid, deprived his blessed countenance. Here I
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Speaker 1: could frequent with worship, placed by place where he vouchsafed
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Speaker 1: presence divine and to my sons relate on this mount.
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Speaker 1: He appeared under this tree, stood visible among these pines.
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Speaker 1: His voice I heard here with him at this fountain,
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Speaker 1: talked so many grateful altars. I would rear of grassy turf,
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Speaker 1: and pile up every stone of luster from the brook
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Speaker 1: in memory or monument to ages, and thereon offer sweet
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Speaker 1: smelling gums and fruits and flowers. In yonder nether world,
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Speaker 1: Where shall I seek his bright appearances or footsteps trace,
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Speaker 1: For though I fled him angry, yet recalled to life
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Speaker 1: prolonged and promise race, I now gladly behold though but
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Speaker 1: his utmost skirts of glory, and far off his steps
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Speaker 1: adore to whom, Thus Michael, with regard benign Adam, thou
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Speaker 1: know'st heaven his and all the earth, not this rock.
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Speaker 1: Only His omnipresence fills land, sea and air, and every
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Speaker 1: kind that lives. Fomented by his virtual power, and warmed
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Speaker 1: all the earth. He gave thee to possess and rule
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Speaker 1: no despicable gift surmise not then his presence to these
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Speaker 1: narrow bounds confined of Paradise or Eden. This had been
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Speaker 1: perhaps thy capital seat, from whence had spread. All generations
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Speaker 1: had had hither come from all the ends of the
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Speaker 1: earth to celebrate and reverence THEE, their great progenitor. But
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Speaker 1: this pre eminence thou hast lost, brought down to dwell
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Speaker 1: on even ground now with thy sons. Yet doubt not,
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Speaker 1: but in valley and in plain God is as here
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Speaker 1: and will be found alike present, and all of his
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Speaker 1: presence many a sign still following THEE, still compassing THEE
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Speaker 1: round with goodness and paternal love. His face express and
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Speaker 1: of his steps attract divine, which that thou mayst believe
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Speaker 1: and be confirmed. Ere thou, from hence depart know. I
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Speaker 1: am sent to show THEE what shall come in future days.
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Speaker 1: To THEE and to thy offspring, good with bad, expect
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Speaker 1: to hear supernal grace contending with simfulness of men. Thereby
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Speaker 1: to learn true patience, and to temper joy with fear
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Speaker 1: and pious sorrow, equally inerd by moderation, either state to
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Speaker 1: bear prosperous or adverse. So shalt thou lead safest thy life,
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Speaker 1: and best prepared endure thy mortal passage when it comes.
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Speaker 1: Ascend this hill. Let eve, for I have drenched her
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Speaker 1: eyes here sleep below, while thou to foresight watt and one.
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Speaker 1: Whence thou slep'st while she to life was formed to whom.
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Speaker 1: Thus Adam gratefully replied, I send, I follow thee, save,
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Speaker 1: guide the path thou lead'st me, and to the hand
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Speaker 1: of Heaven. Submit, however, chastening to the evil, turn my
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Speaker 1: obvious breath, arming to overcome by suffering and earn rest
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Speaker 1: from labor one. If so I may attain, so both
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Speaker 1: ascend in the visions of God. It was a hill
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Speaker 1: of paradise, the highest, from whose top the hemisphere of
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Speaker 1: Earth in clearest ken stretched out to amplest reach of
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Speaker 1: prospect lay not higher that hill, nor wider looking round whereon.
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Speaker 1: For different cause, the Tempter set our atom in the
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Speaker 1: wilderness to show him all the Earth's kingdoms and their glory.
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Speaker 1: His eye might there command wherever stood city of old
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Speaker 1: or modern fame, the seat of mightiest Empire, from the
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Speaker 1: destined walls of Kambaloo, seat of Catayan Can and Samarkan
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Speaker 1: by Oxus Timir's throne to Pacinuseneane kings, and thence to
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Speaker 1: Agra and the whore of Great Mogul down to the
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Speaker 1: golden Chersones, or where the Persian in Ecbatan sat or
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Speaker 1: since in Hispahin, or where the Russian Czar in Moscow
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Speaker 1: or the Sultan in Byzance turksten born. Nor could his
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Speaker 1: I not kin the Empire of Negus to its utmost
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Speaker 1: port Ercuco and the less Maritan kings Mombasa in Kilwa
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Speaker 1: and Milind and Sophala, though offer to the realm of
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Speaker 1: Congo and Angola farthest south, or thence from Niger fled
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Speaker 1: to Atlas Mount, the kingdoms of Alamensor, Fez and Sous Morocco,
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Speaker 1: and Algiers and Tremensen on Europe, thence and where Rome
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Speaker 1: was to sway the world in spirit. Perhaps he also
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Speaker 1: saw rich Mexico, the seat of Montezuma, and Cusco in Peru,
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Speaker 1: the richer seat of Atabilipah, and yet unspoiled Guiana, whose
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Speaker 1: great city Jerrian sons call El Dorado. But to nobler sights,
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Speaker 1: Michael from Adam's eye the film removed, which that false
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Speaker 1: fruit that promised clearer sight had bred than purged with
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Speaker 1: euphrasi and rue the visual nerve, for he had much
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Speaker 1: to see. And from the well of life three drops
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Speaker 1: instilled so deep the power of these ingredients pierced even
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Speaker 1: to the inmost seat of mental sight, that Adam, now
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Speaker 1: enforced to close his eyes sunk down, and all his
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Speaker 1: spirits became intransit. But him, the gentle angel by the hand,
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Speaker 1: soon raised, and his attention thus recalled. Adam. Now ope
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Speaker 1: thine eyes, and first behold the effects which thy original
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Speaker 1: crime hath wrought in some to spring from thee who
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Speaker 1: never touched the accepted tree, nor with the snake conspired,
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Speaker 1: nor sinned thy sin. Yet from that sin derived corruption
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Speaker 1: to bring forth more violent deeds. His eyes he opened
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Speaker 1: and beheld a field part arable and tilt, whereon were
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Speaker 1: sheaves new repped the other part sheep walks and folds.
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Speaker 1: If amidst an altar, as the landmarks stood rustic of
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Speaker 1: grassy sword. Thither Anon, a sweaty reaper, from his tillage,
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Speaker 1: brought first fruits, the green ear and the yellow sheaf,
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Speaker 1: uncalled as came to hand a shepherd. Next, more meek
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Speaker 1: came with the firstlings of his flock, choicest and best. Then,
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Speaker 1: sacrificing laid the inwards, and their fat, with incense strewed
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Speaker 1: on the cleft of wood, and all due rites performed
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Speaker 1: his offerings. Soon proprietous fire from heaven consumed with nimble
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Speaker 1: glance and grateful steam. The others not, for his was
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Speaker 1: not sincere whereat he and lie raged, And as as
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Speaker 1: they talked, smote him into the middriff with a stone
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Speaker 1: that beat out life. He fell, and deadly, pale, groaned
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Speaker 1: out his soul with gushing blood affused. Much at that
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Speaker 1: sight was Adam, and his heart dismayed. And thus in
23:13
Speaker 1: haste to the angel, cried, O teacher, some great mischief
23:17
Speaker 1: hath befallen to that meek man, who well had sacrificed.
23:21
Speaker 1: Is piety thus and pure devotion paid to whom Michael.
23:25
Speaker 1: Thus he also moved, replied, these two are brethren, Adam,
23:30
Speaker 1: and to come out of thy loins the unjust the
23:33
Speaker 1: just hath flain for envy that his brother's offering found
23:37
Speaker 1: from heaven acceptance. But the bloody fact will be avenged,
23:41
Speaker 1: and the other's faith approved. Loose no reward, though here
23:45
Speaker 1: thou see him die rolling in dust and gore, to
23:49
Speaker 1: which are a sire alas, both for the deed and
23:52
Speaker 1: for the cause. But have I now seen death? Is
23:56
Speaker 1: this the way I must return to native dust? Oh?
23:59
Speaker 1: So ight of terror, foul and ugly to behold, horrid
24:03
Speaker 1: to think, how horrible to feel to whom Thus Michael
24:09
Speaker 1: dst thou hast seen in his first shape on man,
24:12
Speaker 1: But many shapes of death, And that many are the
24:15
Speaker 1: ways that lead to his grim cave, all dismal yet
24:19
Speaker 1: to sense, more terrible at the entrance than within. Some,
24:23
Speaker 1: as thou sawest, by violent stroke, shall die by fire, flood, famine,
24:28
Speaker 1: by intemperance, more in meats and drinks, which on the
24:32
Speaker 1: earth shall bring disease, dire, of which a monstrous crew
24:35
Speaker 1: before thee shall appear. That thou mayst know what misery
24:40
Speaker 1: the inabstinence of eve shall bring on men. Immediately a
24:45
Speaker 1: place before his eyes appeared sad, noisome, dark alazar house,
24:50
Speaker 1: it seemed, wherein were laid numbers of all diseased, all
24:54
Speaker 1: maladies of ghastly spasm or racking, torture, qualms of heart sake, agony,
25:00
Speaker 1: all fever's kinds, convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catters, intestines stood on
25:06
Speaker 1: an ulcer, colic pangs, dropsies and athmos and joint racking rooms.
25:13
Speaker 1: Dire were the tossing, deep, the groans despair tended the
25:16
Speaker 1: sick busiest from couch to couch, and over them triumphant death.
25:21
Speaker 1: His dart shook, but delayed to strike, though oft invoked,
25:25
Speaker 1: with vows as their chief good and final hope, sight
25:31
Speaker 1: so deform. What heart of rock could long, dry eyed behold?
25:35
Speaker 1: Adam could not but wept, though not of woman born.
25:40
Speaker 1: Compassion quelled his best of man and gave him up
25:43
Speaker 1: to tears, a space till firmer thoughts restrained excess and
25:47
Speaker 1: scarce recovering words, his plaint renewed, O miserable mankind? To
25:53
Speaker 1: what fall degraded? To what wretched state reserved better? End
25:58
Speaker 1: here unborn? Why is life given to be thus wrested
26:02
Speaker 1: from us? Rather? Why obtruded on us? Thus? Who, if
26:07
Speaker 1: we knew what we receive, would either not accept life
26:09
Speaker 1: offered or soon beg to lay it down? Glad to
26:13
Speaker 1: be so dismissed in peace? Can thus the image of
26:17
Speaker 1: God in man created once so goodly an erect, though faulty,
26:21
Speaker 1: Since to such unsightly sufferings be debased under inhuman pains,
26:26
Speaker 1: Why should not man, retaining still divine similitude in part
26:30
Speaker 1: from such deformities, be free and for his maker's image
26:34
Speaker 1: sake exempt Their maker's image, answered Michael, Then forsook them
26:41
Speaker 1: when themselves, they vilified to serve ungoverned appetite, untook his image,
26:46
Speaker 1: whom they served a brutish vice inductive mainly to the
26:49
Speaker 1: sin of eve. Therefore, so object is their punishment disfiguring
26:54
Speaker 1: not God's likeness but their own, or if his likeness
26:58
Speaker 1: by themselves defaced while they pervert pure nature's healthful rules,
27:02
Speaker 1: to loathe them sickness worthily, since they God's image did
27:06
Speaker 1: not reverence in themselves. I yield it, just said Adam,
27:13
Speaker 1: and submit. But is there yet no other way besides
27:17
Speaker 1: these painful passages? How we may come to death and
27:20
Speaker 1: mix with our cannatural dust? There is, said Michael, if
27:27
Speaker 1: thou well observe the rule of not too much thy
27:30
Speaker 1: temperance taught in what thou east, and drinkst seeking from
27:34
Speaker 1: thence due nourishment, not gluttonous delight. Till many years o'er
27:39
Speaker 1: thy head return, So mayst thou live till like ripe
27:43
Speaker 1: fruit thou drop into thy mother's lap, or be with
27:46
Speaker 1: ease gathered, not harshly plucked for death mature. This is
27:51
Speaker 1: old age. But then thou must outlive thy youth, thy strength,
27:56
Speaker 1: thy beauty, which will change to withered, weak and gray
27:59
Speaker 1: thy senses. Then obtuse all taste of pleasure must forego
28:04
Speaker 1: to what thou hast, and for the air of youth,
28:06
Speaker 1: hopeful and cheerful in thy blood, will rain a melancholy
28:09
Speaker 1: damp of cold and dry, to weigh thy spirits down,
28:13
Speaker 1: and last consume the balm of life, to whom our ancestor.
28:18
Speaker 1: Hence forth I fly, not death, nor would prolong life
28:22
Speaker 1: much vent. Rather, how I may quit fairest and easiest
28:25
Speaker 1: of this conrous charge, which I must keep till my
28:28
Speaker 1: appointed day of rendering up. Michael to him replied, nor
28:33
Speaker 1: love thy life, nor hate, But what thou lidst live? Well?
28:39
Speaker 1: How long were short? Permit to heaven? And now prepare
28:42
Speaker 1: thee for another sight? He looked and saw a spacious plain,
28:49
Speaker 1: whereon were tents of various hue. By some were herds
28:53
Speaker 1: of cattle. Grazing others. Whence the sound of instruments that
28:57
Speaker 1: made melodious chime was heard of harp and or and
29:00
Speaker 1: who moved their stops and cords was seen his violent
29:04
Speaker 1: touch instinct through all proportions low and high, fled and pursued,
29:08
Speaker 1: transversed the resonant fugue. In other parts stood one who,
29:12
Speaker 1: at the forged laboring two massy clods of iron and
29:16
Speaker 1: brass had melted, whether found where casual fire had wasted
29:20
Speaker 1: woods on mountain or in veil down to the veins
29:23
Speaker 1: of earth, then s gliding hot to some cave's mouth,
29:26
Speaker 1: or whether washed by stream from underground. The liquid ore
29:30
Speaker 1: he drained into fit molds prepared from which he formed
29:34
Speaker 1: first his own tools. Then what might else be wrought,
29:37
Speaker 1: fulfill or graven in metal? After these, but on the
29:41
Speaker 1: heather side, a different sort from the high neighboring hills,
29:44
Speaker 1: which was their seat, down to the plain, descended by
29:49
Speaker 1: their guise. Just men, they seemed, and all their study
29:52
Speaker 1: bent to worship God aright, and know his works, not hid,
29:55
Speaker 1: nor those things lost, which might preserve freedom and peace
29:58
Speaker 1: to men. They on the plain long had not walked,
30:02
Speaker 1: when from the tents behold a bevy of fair woman,
30:05
Speaker 1: richly gay in gems, in wanton dress. To the harp
30:08
Speaker 1: they sung soft, amorous ditties, and in dance came on
30:12
Speaker 1: the men, though grave, eyed them, and let their eyes
30:15
Speaker 1: rove without rain, till in the amorous net fast caught
30:19
Speaker 1: they liked, and each his liking chose, And now of
30:23
Speaker 1: love they treat till the evening star love's harbinger appeared.
30:27
Speaker 1: Then all in heat, they liked the nuptial torch, and
30:30
Speaker 1: bid invoke hymen than first to marriage rights invoked with
30:34
Speaker 1: feast and music, all the tents resound such happy interview
30:38
Speaker 1: and fair event of love and youth. Not lost songs, garlands,
30:42
Speaker 1: flowers and charming symphonies attached the heart of Adam soon
30:47
Speaker 1: inclined to admit delight the bent of nature, which he
30:51
Speaker 1: thus expressed, true opener of mine eyes, prime angel blest.
30:56
Speaker 1: Much better seemed this vision, and more hopeful of peaceful
30:59
Speaker 1: day portend than these two past those were of hate
31:04
Speaker 1: and death or pain, much worse. Here Nature seems fulfilled
31:08
Speaker 1: in all her ends, to whom thus Michael judge not
31:13
Speaker 1: what is best by pleasure, though to nature seeming meet
31:17
Speaker 1: created as thou art to nobler end, holy and pure conformity,
31:21
Speaker 1: divine those tents thou sawest, so pleasant were the tents
31:26
Speaker 1: of wickedness. Wherein shall dwell his race who slew his
31:29
Speaker 1: brother studious. They appear of arts that polished life, inventors
31:34
Speaker 1: rare mindful of their maker, though Spirit taught them, but
31:38
Speaker 1: they his gifts acknowledged none. Yet they a beauteous offspring
31:42
Speaker 1: shall beget for that fair female troope thou sawest, that
31:47
Speaker 1: seemed of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay, yet
31:51
Speaker 1: empty of all good, wherein consists woman's domestic honour and
31:55
Speaker 1: chief praise, bread only and completed to the taste of
31:59
Speaker 1: lustful appearance, to sing, to dance, to dress, and truel
32:03
Speaker 1: the tongue and roll the eye. To these, that sober
32:06
Speaker 1: race of men, whose lives religious title them sons of God,
32:11
Speaker 1: shall yield all their virtue, all their fame, ignobly to
32:15
Speaker 1: the trains and to the smiles of these fair atheists.
32:17
Speaker 1: And now swim in joy ere long, to swim at
32:20
Speaker 1: large and laugh, for which the world ere long, a
32:24
Speaker 1: world of tears, must weep, to whom this atom of
32:29
Speaker 1: short joy bereft o pity and shame that they who
32:34
Speaker 1: live well interred so fair should turn aside to tread
32:37
Speaker 1: paths indirect or in the midway. Faint, but still I
32:41
Speaker 1: see the tenor of man's woe holds on the same,
32:44
Speaker 1: from woman to begin, from man's effeminate slackness, it begins,
32:50
Speaker 1: said the angel, who should better hold his place by
32:53
Speaker 1: wisdom and superior gifts received. But now prepare thee for
32:58
Speaker 1: another scene. He looked and saw wide territory spread before him,
33:05
Speaker 1: towns and rural works, between cities of men with lofty
33:09
Speaker 1: gates and towers, concours and arms, fierce faces, threatening war.
33:14
Speaker 1: Giants of mighty bone and bold emprise, part wheeled, their arms,
33:19
Speaker 1: part curb the foaming steed. Single or an array of
33:23
Speaker 1: battle ranged both horse and foot, nor idly mustering stood
33:27
Speaker 1: one way. A band select from forage, drives a herd
33:30
Speaker 1: of beads, fair oxen and fair kind from a fat
33:33
Speaker 1: meadow ground or fleecy flock us in their beating lambs
33:37
Speaker 1: over the plain, their booty scarce with life. The shepherds fly,
33:42
Speaker 1: but call an aid, which tacks a bloody fray with
33:45
Speaker 1: cruel tournament. The squadrons join where cattle pasture late now
33:50
Speaker 1: scattered lies with carcasses and arms. The ensanguined field deserted
33:55
Speaker 1: others to a city strongly siege, encamped by battery, scale
33:59
Speaker 1: and mine, assaulting others from the wall, defend with dart
34:03
Speaker 1: and javelin, stones and sulfurous fire on each hand. Slaughter
34:07
Speaker 1: and gigantic deeds in other parts. The sceptred heralds called
34:11
Speaker 1: to council in the city gates Anon, gray headed men
34:15
Speaker 1: and grave with warriors mixed assemble and harangues are heard,
34:19
Speaker 1: but soon in factious opposition. Till at last of middle age,
34:22
Speaker 1: one rising eminent and wise deports spake much of right
34:26
Speaker 1: and wrong, of justice, of religion, truth and peace, and
34:30
Speaker 1: judgment from above him old and young, exploded and had
34:34
Speaker 1: seized with violent hads. Had not a cloud descending snatched
34:37
Speaker 1: him thence unseen among the throng. So violence proceeded, and
34:41
Speaker 1: oppression and sword law through all the plane and refuge,
34:45
Speaker 1: none was found. Adam was volunteers, and who his guide, lamenting,
34:51
Speaker 1: turned full sad. Oh, what are these death's ministers? Not? Men?
34:57
Speaker 1: Who thus deal death inhumanely to men? And multiplied ten
35:01
Speaker 1: thousand fold the sin of him who slew his brother,
35:05
Speaker 1: for of whom such massacre make they, but of their brethren,
35:09
Speaker 1: men of men. But who was that just man whom
35:12
Speaker 1: had not Heaven rescued, had in his righteousness, been lost
35:17
Speaker 1: to whom Thus, Michael, these are the product of those
35:22
Speaker 1: illmated marriages thou sawest, where good with bad were matched,
35:26
Speaker 1: who of themselves abhorred to join, and by imprudence mixed
35:31
Speaker 1: produce prodigious births of body or mind. Such were these giants,
35:37
Speaker 1: men of high renown. For in those days might one
35:40
Speaker 1: only shall be admired, and valor and heroic virtue, called
35:45
Speaker 1: to overcome and battle and subdue nations and bring home
35:48
Speaker 1: spoils with infinite manslaughter, shall be held the highest pitch
35:52
Speaker 1: of human glory, and for glory done of triumph, to
35:55
Speaker 1: be styled great conquerors, patrons of mankind, gods and son
36:00
Speaker 1: of gods, destroyers rightly called, and plagues of men. Thus
36:07
Speaker 1: fame shall be achieved renown on earth. And what most
36:11
Speaker 1: merits fame and silence hid But he the seventh, from
36:15
Speaker 1: thee whom thou beheldst the only righteous in a world perverse,
36:19
Speaker 1: and therefore hated, therefore so beset with foes for daring
36:23
Speaker 1: single to be just, an utter odious truth, that God
36:27
Speaker 1: would come to judge them with his saints, Him the
36:30
Speaker 1: most High, wrapt in a balmy cloud, with winged steeds,
36:33
Speaker 1: did as thou sawest received to walk with God in
36:37
Speaker 1: high salvation and the climes of bliss, exempt from death.
36:42
Speaker 1: To show thee what reward awaits, the good, the rest,
36:45
Speaker 1: what punishment which now direct thine eyes and soon behold.
36:54
Speaker 1: End of Book ten, Part one,