Till the sun paint your fleecy skirts with gold, His praise, ye Winds, that from four quarters blow, Made vocal by my song, and taught his praise. So prayed they innocent, and to their thoughts Firm peace recovered soon, and wonted calm. in the sun, Gabriel as one of the guardians of Paradise, and now Raphael the friend of man, whose name means the divine healer, is sent to converse with Adam. In the Book of Tobit it was Raphael who walked with Tobias and gave him counsel, calling himself Azarias, the son of Ananias, which means the messenger of the Lord's help, springing from the Lord's mercy. "Go, therefore, half this day as friend with friend, In this way Milton prepares for the episode of Raphael, who is followed in his flight from Heaven to Paradise, then seen from Paradise by Adam, as he sits at noon in the door of his bower. Eve is called to look on the glorious shape of the coming guest, and then, "on hospitable thoughts intent," makes preparation while Adam welcomes the Archangel and invites him to the bower. With mild answer Raphael enters and hails Eve. Their table is spread in Paradise, and their discourse, opening naturally with question of the food of angels, passes by skilful transitions to the larger theme. They eat. Eve ministers. Then, after temperate repast, Adam takes the occasion given him to know of things above his world; of their fruits of Paradise compared with the high feasts of Heaven. Raphael associates things human and divine by the Platonic doctrine of the scale of Creation established by Him who -created all Such to perfection, one first matter all, Endued with various forms, various degrees Of substance, and, in things that live, of life; But more refined, more spirituous and pure, As nearer to him placed, or nearer tending, Each in their several active spheres assigned, Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned each to kind. Their bodies also may become ethereal if they be found obedient. Adam, replying, understands the ascent by steps to God; but what means that caution joined, "If ye be found obedient "? Raphael answers, Man is free; the angels also freely serve, but some are fallen from Heaven. Adam knows himself free, but feels unable to forget his love of God, though what is said of some fallen from Heaven moves desire to hear the full relation. Raphael then proceeds to tell of the war in heaven. Before earth was made, God in His glory appointed His only Son, set at His right hand, Lord. All seemed well pleased, and there was joy and feast in Heaven. But Satan-so call him now, his former name is heard no more-envied the Son of God, aroused at night his next subordinate, and bade him assemble their following and bid them withdraw to the quarters of the North, to prepare to receive the Messiah in His triumphal progress. And in the night so he withdrew with the third part of Heaven. God saw and spoke to the Son, who answered. The removed host was addressed by Satan from his royal seat. Satan disdained to bear a yoke. The seraph, Abdiel, rebuked his pride. Michael the Archangel, who represents the Sword of God-is sent with Gabriel to battle. Clouds darken the Mount, and thunders roll; the angelic host in form of battle reaches the rebellious North, and sees the banded powers of Satan advancing to win by surprise the Mount of God. Satan is figured as he advances. Abdiel speaks to his own heart; he steps forth and, now not alone, he defies Satan. Satan replies to his seditious angel, taunts him with servility. But Abdiel answers: "This is servitude, To serve the unwise, or him who hath rebelled Against his worthier, as thine now serve thee, Thyself not free, but to thyself enthralled." Night Abdiel strikes the first stroke for God upon the crest of Satan. Under its force Satan recoils. Michael bids sound the trumpet, and in Homeric form the first day's battle is described. silenced the din, and Michael and his angels held the battle-field. Satan dislodged, in darkness, called a council and addressed it. Nisroch, quailing under pain, asked for a new force against the yet unwounded enemies. Satan replied that the earth should yield them an infernal flame, and they should retort on God His thunder. So Satan was the first inventor of an arm more deadly than sword or shaft. Yet, Raphael says Haply of thy race Some one, intent on mischief, or inspired They make the black grain. When morning came the victor angels rose to arms. They found the enemy advancing, and Satan, with mockery and derision, discharges his artillery. Belial also jests. The rebels are secure of victory. The faithful angels throw their arms away and pluck up hills, with which they overwhelm the engines' triple row. The faithless, not overwhelmed, also uproot hills.' God had foreseen the tumult, and now bids His Son go forth. The third day is His. The Son answers and obeys. On the third morning the chariot of God flashed through Heaven, and angels bore aloft the great ensign of Messiah. At his command the uprooted hills retired The Son of God bade the hosts of the faithful rest. Alone his chariot rolled on the rebellious angels, till they were pursued to the bounds of Heaven, and thrown headlong to Hell. Nine days they fell through chaos, and Messiah returned victor to sit at the right hand of God. Such, Adam, was the war in Heaven. Remember, and fear to transgress. The Seventh Book contains Raphael's narrative of the six days of Creation, and is opened with an invocation from the poet to Urania, the heavenly muse, which like the other invocations in the poem has the dignity of being no piece of conventional rhetoric, but an utterance out of the depths of the poet's heart, here too out of the depths of the dark time in which he sang. Descend from Heaven, Urania, by that name Lest, from this flying steed unreined (as once Standing on Earth, not rapt above the pole, 1 Milton is here imitating and surpassing the battle of the Titans with the gods of Olympus in Hesiod's "Theogony," and he has recollections of Claudian's "Gigantomachia." Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race Adam thus forewarned, with Eve, heard attentive, and repenting of his doubts, yet sinless, seeks farther to know how this world began. He inquires of Raphael. It is not yet evening. The sun itself will stay to hear the angel telling of his generation. Raphael assents, for he had been commanded by God to answer Adam's desire of knowledge, within bounds. After the fall of Lucifer (So call him, brighter once amidst the host Of angels, than that star the stars among) God declared to His Son the resolve to create another world. The Word gave effect to the will of God, and there was joy in Heaven. The Son passed through the gates of Heaven: Heaven opened wide Her ever-during gates, harmonious sound, Then began the days of the Creation. The Son took the golden compasses and marked the bounds of the new world, said, "Let there be light," and there was light; and the celestial quires -praised God and his works; Creator him they sung, Both when first evening was, and when first morn. Raphael tells of the work of Creation on the following days, until the Creation of Man on the sixth day, with the test of obedience. The story of Creation, therefore, like the story of the fall of the rebellious angels, ends with the warning to Adam, "L -lest sin Surprise thee, and her black attendant, death." At the end of the sixth day there was the welcoming back to Heaven of the Creator returned from his work. Raphael then pictures the seventh evening in Eden, tells of the hallowing of the seventh day and of the angel's song of the Creation. Here the Seventh Book now ends. In its first edition "Paradise Lost" was in Ten Books. The original Seventh Book, divided in the second edition, formed the Books now numbered VII. and VIII. A similar subdivision of the original Tenth Book changed the whole number of ten into twelve. In each case the place of division was marked by the insertion of a sentence that suggested pause. In the Seventh Book Milton, at first, carried on to its close the story of the Creation of Man, by adding Adam's narrative and his discourse with the angel thereupon. The Book so planned contained two or three hundred lines beyond the average number. Milton then made a distinct Book of Raphael's narrative of the Six Days of Creation and the Sabbath Rest, and made his break where he had written continuously thus : "If else thou seek'st Aught not surpassing human measure, say.' To whom thus Adam gratefully replied: "What thanks sufficient," &c. The grace of the poet's art in making his pause a poet's pause is in the inserted lines which open the Eighth Book after thus closing the Seventh: "If else thou seek'st Aught not surpassing human measure, say." BOOK VIII. The angel ended, and in Adam's ear So charming left his voice, that he awhile Thought him still speaking, still stood fixed to hear; Then, as new-waked, thus gratefully replied · "What thanks sufficient," &c. Adam asked knowledge of the system of the universe, entering on studious thoughts abstruse. Eve went to her flowers, preferring to hear from Adam what he learnt. Raphael's reply indicates Milton's knowledge of the Copernican system, although the legendary part of his poem was inevitably bound to older astronomical ideas. But Raphael's answer ended in the lesson : "Solicit not thy thoughts with matters hid; Adam, replying, offers to tell his own story, which perhaps Raphael has not heard. He tells it to detain his heavenly visitor, "for while I sit with thee I seem in Heaven." Raphael delights also in the voice of man, and he was, on the day of Adam's creation, absent on an excursion towards the gates of Hell. Then Adam tells of his first sense of life. His first thought was a desire to know his Maker. God spoke with him and made known the interdict. Adam desired one to partake his happiness, not of the animals, but of his own kind. Whereto the Almighty answered, not displeased, trying the mind The Ninth Book of "Paradise Lost" opens with indication of coming change from converse with angels to mistrust, and the poet's sense of an -argument Not less, but more heroic, than the wrath Of stern Achilles on his foe pursued Thrice fugitive about Troy wall; or rage Of Turnus for Lavinia disespoused: if only he can obtain answerable style from the heavenly Muse who deigns Her nightly visitation unimplored, And dictates to me slumbering, or inspires Easy my unpremeditated verse, Since first this subject for heroic song Pleased me, long choosing and beginning late. He has not cared to sing of the vain pomps of war. Me, of these Nor skilled, nor studious, higher argument Remains; sufficient of itself to raise That name, unless an age too late, or cold Climate, or years, damp my intended wing Depressed; and much they may, if all be mine, Not hers who brings it nightly to my ear. It is night in Paradise, and Satan, who had fled with the shades of the night before, returns from compassing the earth, re-enters the happy garden by a river-course, and rising as a mist from the fountain by the tree of life, resolves to enter the Serpent. He utters a plaint of envy for his lost delight. Revenge, at all costs, is his aspiration. He seeks the Serpent; enters him. Then follows morning in Eden. Eve proposes to divide labour with Adam. Adam, gently answering, holds it safer that they keep together. There is an enemy to watch against. Eve repels doubt of her firmness. Adam replies, with healing words, that the fiend is subtle, and that he too feels stronger when Eve is by. Eve replies; Adam rejoins; the charm of the dialogue lies in the fact that it paints a division of opinion between minds perfect in innocence and love; it is designed as contrast to the debate between Adam and Eve after the clouding of their innocence. Adam assents to the wish of Eve: "Go; for thy stay, not free, absents thee more; Go in thy native innocence, rely On what thou hast of virtue; summon all: For God towards thee hath done his part; do thine." Eve has the last word, and goes. The poem then His words of love pass still into the warning he paints innocent Eve at her work. was sent to give : "Be strong, live happy, and love! but, first of all, The Book ends the episode of Raphael with the parting of the angel, the gentlest words and thoughts of love upon the lips and in the hearts of both. Satan, She is seen by -when to his wish Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies, Hang drooping unsustained; them she upstays Gently, with myrtle band, mindless the while Herself, though fairest unsupported flower, From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh. He Satan half relents, but recollects his hate, fortifies himself against pity, and approaches Eve. addresses her with a prelude of flattery. Eve wonders that the Serpent speaks; asks why. He answers that he has tasted of a tree which raised his thoughts until he could gaze at and worship her. Eve asks what tree it is. The Serpent undertakes to lead her to it; and he leads her to the forbidden tree. She cannot taste of that. The Serpent reasons guilefully, using all rhetoric of the tempter, in both under the first intoxication of the senses. Exhaustion follows, then the sense of shame. Adam complains. They clothe themselves in leaves of the fig-tree-not that kind for fruit renowned, but the leaves broad as Amazonian targe of the tree now known in Malabar or Deccan. Thus fenced, and, as they thought, their shame in part They sat them down to weep; nor only tears SORROW OF ADAM AND EVE. (From the MS. of Cadmon's "Paraphrase," tenth century). and wins acceptance. Eve's thoughts are followed as they are misled by the Serpent's reasoning: so -in rash hour Forth reaching to the fruit, she plucked, she ate. Or fancied so, through expectation high Of knowledge: nor was Godhead from her thought. And knew not eating death: satiate at length, Her thoughts now indicate the change wrought in her. Adam must share with her. She returns to Adam, who meets her with a bough of the fruit in her hand. Her address to him is marked by a new flush of emotion. Adam in love must live or die with her. He reasons to himself that he must eat since she has eaten. Eve rejoices in the love of Adam, He eats. There is next painted the change |