And slits the thin-spun life. "But not "Fame is no plant that gro "How well could I have spared for thee, young swain, Nor in the glistering foil Enow of such as, for their bellies' sake Set off to the world, nor in broad rumor Creep, and intrude, and climb into the 115 lies; 80 But lives and spreads aloft by those pure eyes And perfect witness of all-judging Jove; fold! Of other care they little reckoning make Than how to scramble at the shearers' feast And shove away the worthy bidden guest; Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold meed." O fountain Arethuse, and thou honored A sheep-hook, or have learnt aught else flood, 85 Smooth-sliding Mincius, crowned with vocal reeds, That strain I heard was of a higher mood: And listens to the herald of the sea, 90 That came in Neptune's plea. What hard mishap hath doomed this That blows from off each beaked promon- They know not of his story; 95 And sage Hippotades their answer brings, That not a blast was from his dungeon strayed; The air was calm, and on the level brine That sunk so low that sacred head of thine. 105 edge Like to that sanguine flower inscribed with woe. "Ah! who hath reft," quoth he, "my dearest pledge? "2 Two massy keys he bore of metals twain 110 (The golden opes, the iron shuts amain). He shook his mitred locks, and stern bespake: Last came, and last did go, 1 criminal. 2 child. 135 Next Camus, reverend sire, went foot- Their bells and flowerets of a thousand His mantle hairy, and his bonnet sedge, Of shades and wanton winds and gushing On whose fresh lap the swart star sparely 131 Return, Alpheus; the dread voice is past That shrunk thy streams; return, Sicilian And call the vales, and bid them hither eyes, 3 accomplish their end. 4 harsh, discordant. the Dog-star, Sirius. That on the green turf suck the honeyed Through the dear might of Him that showers, walked the waves, 140 And purple all the ground with vernal flowers. Where, other groves and other streams along, 174 Bring the rathe1 primrose that forsaken dies, The tufted crow-toe, and pale jessamine, With nectar pure his oozy locks he laves, 145 The glowing violet, 179 There entertain him all the saints above, more; Henceforth thou art the Genius of the shore, In thy large recompense, and shalt be good To all that wander in that perilous flood. Thus sang the uncouth' swain to the oaks and rills, 186 While the still morn went out with sandals grey; He touched the tender stops of various quills,8 With eager thought warbling his Doric lay: And now the sun had stretched out all the hills, 190 And now was dropped into the western bay. At last he rose, and twitched his mantle blue: To-morrow to fresh woods and pastures new. SONNETS ON HIS HAVING ARRIVED AT THE How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth, Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! My hasting days fly on with full career, But my late spring no bud or blossom shew'th. Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth 5 That I to manhood am arrived so near; pear, That some more timely-happy spirits endu'th. ⚫ inexpressible. guardian angel. 7 unknown. 8 reeds. The labor of an age in pilèd stones? Or that his hallowed relics should be hid ON SHAKESPEARE 10 What needs my Shakespeare for his No less renowned than War: new foes honored bones arise, Thou in our wonder and astonishment Thy easy numbers flow, and that each heart IO Those Delphic lines with deep impression took, Then thou, our fancy of itself bereaving, Dost make us marble with too much conceiving, And so sepulchred in such pomp dost lie 15 That kings for such a tomb would wish to die. WELL ON HIS BLINDNESS When I consider how my light is spent Hath from the leaves of thy unvalued1 And that one talent which is death to hide TO THE LORD GENERAL CROM And on the neck of crownèd Fortune 5 Hast reared God's trophies, and his work While Darwen stream, with blood of Scots And Dunbar field, resounds thy praises MAY, 1652 ON THE PROPOSALS OF CERTAIN MINISTERS And Worcester's laureate wreath: yet To conquer still; Peace hath her vic- Cromwell, our chief of men, who through a Not of war only, but detractions rude, 1 invaluable. Threatening to bind our souls with Help us to save free conscience from the paw Of hireling wolves, whose gospel is their maw. Lodged with me useless, though my soul 4 To serve therewith my Maker, and present I fondly ask. But Patience, to prevent IO Either man's work or his own gifts. Is kingly: thousands at his bidding speed, They also serve who only stand and ON THE LATE MASSACRE IN PIED- Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains t Whom Jove's great son to her glad husband gave, Rescued from Death by force, though pale and faint. ON HIS DECEASED WIFE Methought I saw my late espoused saint Brought to me like Alcestis from the grave, Mine, as whom washed from spot of childbed taint 5 Purification in the old law did save, And such as yet once more I trust to have Full sight of her in Heaven without restraint, Came vested all in white, pure as her mind. Her face was veiled; yet to my fancied sight 10 Love, sweetness, goodness, in her person shined So clear as in no face with more delight. PARADISE LOST BOOK I THE ARGUMENT This First Book proposes, first in brief, the whole subject,-Man's disobedience, and the loss thereupon of Paradise, wherein he was placed: then touches the prime cause of his fall,-the Serpent, or rather Satan in the Serpent; who, revolting from God, and drawing to his side many legions of Angels, was, by the command of God, driven out of Heaven, with all his crew, into the great Deep. Which action passed over, the Poem hastens into the midst of things; presenting Satan, with his Angels, now fallen into Hell-described here, not in the Center (for Heaven and earth may be supposed as yet not made, certainly not yet accursed), but in a place of utter darkness, fitliest called Chaos. Here Satan with his Angels, lying on the burning lake, thunderstruck and astonished, after a certain space recovers, as from confusion; calls up him who, next in order and dignity, lay by him: they confer of their miserable fall. Satan awakens all his legions, who lay till then in the same manner confounded. They rise; their numbers; array of battle; their chief leaders named, according to the idols known afterwards in Canaan and the countries adjoining. To these Satan directs his speech; comforts them with hope yet of regaining Heaven; but tells them lastly of a new world and new kind of creature to be created, according to an ancient prophecy, or report, in Heaven-for that Angels were long before this visible creation was the opinion of many ancient Fathers. To find out the truth of this prophecy, and what to determine thereon, he refers to a full council. What his associates thence attempt. Pandemonium, the palace of Satan, rises, suddenly built out of the Deep: the infernal Peers there sit in council. Of Man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, 5 With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire In the beginning how the heavens and 10 Rose out of Chaos: or, if Sion hill Fast' by the oracle of God, I thence 17 1 close. Illumine; what is low, raise and support; Say first-for Heaven hides nothing Nor the deep tract of Hell-say first what cause Moved our grand Parents, in that happy Favored of Heaven so highly, to fall off 30 3 Who first seduced them to that foul revolt? The infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile, Stirred up with envy and revenge, deceived 35 The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from Heaven, with all Of rebel Angels, by whose aid, aspiring 25 40 If he opposed; and, with ambitious aim With vain attempt. Him the Almighty 45 Hurled headlong flaming from the ethereal 50 To mortal men, he with his horrid crew pure, Reserved him to more wrath; for now the Wast present, and, with mighty wings out- Both of lost happiness and lasting pain 55 20 That witnessed huge affliction and dismay, And mad'st it pregnant: what in me is Mixed with obdurate pride, and steadfast dark, hate. 2 vindicate. * because of. |