Paradise Lost

by John Milton

What misery th’ inabstinence of Eve139 Shall bring on men. Immediately a place140 Before his eyes appeared, sad, noisome, dark; A lazar-house it seemed, wherein were laid141 480 Numbers of all diseased, all maladies Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds, Convulsions, epilepsies, fierce catarrhs, Intestine stone and ulcer, colic pangs, 485 Demoniac frenzy, moping melancholy142 And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy,143 Marasmus, and wide-wasting pestilence,144 Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums. Dire was the tossing, deep the groans; Despair 490 Tended the sick busiest from couch to couch; And over them triumphant Death his dart Shook, but delayed to strike, though oft invoked With vows, as their chief good, and final hope.

To whom thus Michael. Judge not what is best By pleasure, though to nature seeming meet, 605 Created, as thou art, to nobler end Holy and pure, conformity divine. Those tents thou saw’st so pleasant, were the tents179 Of wickedness, wherein shall dwell his race Who slew his brother; studious they appear 610 Of arts that polish life, inventors rare, Unmindful of their Maker, though his Spirit Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledged none. Yet they a beauteous offspring shall beget; For that fair female troop thou saw’st, that seemed 615 Of goddesses, so blithe, so smooth, so gay, Yet empty of all good wherein consists Woman’s domestic honour and chief praise; Bred only and completed to the taste180 Of lustful appetence, to sing, to dance,181 620 To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye.

But still I see the tenor of man’s woe186 Holds on the same, from woman to begin. From man’s effeminate slackness it begins, 635 Said th’ angel, who should better hold his place By wisdom, and superior gifts received. But now prepare thee for another scene.

For in those days might only shall be admired,200 690 And valour and heroic virtue called; To overcome in battle, and subdue Nations, and bring home spoils with infinite Manslaughter, shall be held the highest pitch Of human glory, and for glory done 695 Of triumph, to be styled great conquerors, Patrons of mankind, gods, and sons of gods, Destroyers rightlier called and plagues of men. Thus fame shall be achieved, renown on earth,201 And what most merits fame in silence hid.

Not by destroying Satan, but his works112 395 In thee and in thy seed: nor can this be, But by fulfilling that which thou didst want,113 Obedience to the law of God, imposed On penalty of death, and suffering death, The penalty to thy transgression due, 400 And due to theirs which out of thine will grow: So only can high justice rest apaid.114

Replete with joy and wonder thus replied. O goodness infinite, goodness immense!130, 131 470 That all this good of evil shall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which by creation first brought forth Light out of darkness! full of doubt I stand, Whether I should repent me now of sin 475 By me done and occasioned, or rejoice Much more, that much more good thereof shall spring, To God more glory, more good will to men From God, and over wrath grace shall abound.132 But say, if our Deliverer up to Heav’n 480 Must reascend, what will betide the few His faithful, left among th’ unfaithful herd, The enemies of truth; who then shall guide His people, who defend? will they not deal Worse with his followers than with him they dealt?

for the Spirit Poured first on his apostles, whom he sends To evangelize the nations, then on all 500 Baptized, shall them with wondrous gifts endue To speak all tongues, and do all miracles,137 As did their Lord before them.

so shall the world go on, To good malignant, to bad men benign, Under her own weight groaning, till the day152 540 Appear of respiration to the just,153 And vengeance to the wicked, at return Of him so lately promised to thy aid, The Woman’s Seed, obscurely then foretold, Now amplier known thy Saviour and thy Lord, 545 Last in the clouds from Heav’n to be revealed

Henceforth I learn, that to obey is best, And love with fear the only God, to walk As in his presence, ever to observe His Providence, and on him sole depend, 565 Merciful over all his works, with good160 Still overcoming evil, and by small161 Accomplishing great things, by things deemed weak162 Subverting worldly strong, and worldly wise By simply meek; that suffering for truth’s sake 570 Is fortitude to highest victory,

then wilt thou not be loath To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess A paradise within thee, happier far.

Let her with thee partake what thou hast heard, Chiefly what may concern her faith to know, 600 The great deliverance by her Seed to come (For by the Woman’s Seed) on all mankind, That ye may live, which will be many days,169 Both in one faith unanimous though sad, With cause for evils past, yet much more cheered 605 With

The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide: They hand in hand with wand’ring steps and slow,181, 182 Through Eden took their solitary way.