1 2 0 5 4 / J O H N M I L T O N

A d d v i r t u e , p a t i e n c e , t e m p e r a n c e , a d d l o v e ,

B y n a m e t o c o m e c a l l e d c h a r i t y , t h e s o u l

585 O f a l l t h e r e s t : t h e n w i l t t h o u n o t b e l o a t h

T o l e a v e t h i s P a r a d i s e , b u t s h a l t p o s s e s s
A p a r a d i s e w i t h i n t h e e , h a p p i e r f a r .

L e t u s d e s c e n d n o w t h e r e f o r e f r o m t h i s t o p
O f s p e c u l a t i o n ;

0

f o r t h e h o u r p r e c i s e hill o f speculation

590 E x a c t s

0

o u r p a r t i n g h e n c e ; a n d s e e t h e g u a r d s , requires

B y m e e n c a m p e d o n y o n d e r h i l l , e x p e c t

T h e i r m o t i o n ,

0

a t w h o s e f r o n t a f l a m i n g s w o r d , await their orders

I n s i g n a l o f r e m o v e , w a v e s f i e r c e l y r o u n d ;

W e m a y n o l o n g e r s t a y : g o , w a k e n E v e ;

595 H e r a l s o I w i t h g e n t l e d r e a m s h a v e c a l m e d

P o r t e n d i n g g o o d , a n d a l l h e r s p i r i t s c o m p o s e d

T o m e e k s u b m i s s i o n : t h o u a t s e a s o n f i t

L e t h e r w i t h t h e e p a r t a k e w h a t t h o u h a s t h e a r d ,
C h i e f l y w h a t m a y c o n c e r n h e r f a i t h t o k n o w ,

6oo T h e g r e a t d e l i v e r a n c e b y h e r s e e d t o c o m e

( F o r b y t h e W o m a n ' s S e e d ) o n a l l m a n k i n d .

T h a t y e m a y l i v e , w h i c h w i l l b e m a n y d a y s ,

B o t h i n o n e f a i t h u n a n i m o u s t h o u g h s a d ,

W i t h c a u s e f o r e v i l s p a s t , y e t m u c h m o r e c h e e r e d

605 W i t h m e d i t a t i o n o n t h e h a p p y e n d . "

H e e n d e d , a n d t h e y b o t h d e s c e n d t h e h i l l ;

D e s c e n d e d , A d a m t o t h e b o w ' r w h e r e E v e
L a y s l e e p i n g r a n b e f o r e , b u t f o u n d h e r w a k e d ;

A n d t h u s w i t h w o r d s n o t s a d s h e h i m r e c e i v e d :

6io " W h e n c e t h o u r e t u r n ' s t , a n d w h i t h e r w e n t ' s t , I k n o w ;

F o r G o d i s a l s o i n s l e e p , a n d d r e a m s a d v i s e ,

6

W h i c h h e h a t h s e n t p r o p i t i o u s , s o m e g r e a t g o o d

P r e s a g i n g , s i n c e w i t h s o r r o w a n d h e a r t ' s d i s t r e s s

W e a r i e d I f e l l a s l e e p : b u t n o w l e a d o n ;

615 I n m e i s n o d e l a y ; w i t h t h e e t o g o ,

I s t o s t a y h e r e ; w i t h o u t t h e e h e r e t o s t a y ,
I s t o g o h e n c e u n w i l l i n g ; t h o u t o m e

A r t a l l t h i n g s u n d e r h e a v ' n , a l l p l a c e s t h o u ,

7

W h o f o r m y w i l l f u l c r i m e a r t b a n i s h e d h e n c e .

620 T h i s f u r t h e r c o n s o l a t i o n y e t s e c u r e

I c a r r y h e n c e ; t h o u g h a l l b y m e i s l o s t ,
S u c h f a v o r I u n w o r t h y a m v o u c h s a f e d ,
B y m e t h e p r o m i s e d S e e d s h a l l a l l r e s t o r e . "

S o s p a k e o u r m o t h e r E v e , a n d A d a m h e a r d

625 W e l l p l e a s e d , b u t a n s w e r e d n o t ; f o r n o w t o o n i g h

T h ' A r c h a n g e l s t o o d , a n d f r o m t h e o t h e r h i l l
T o t h e i r f i x e d s t a t i o n , a l l i n b r i g h t a r r a y
T h e C h e r u b i m d e s c e n d e d ; o n t h e g r o u n d

G l i d i n g m e t e o r o u s ,

0

a s e v e n i n g m i s t like a meteor

630 R i s ' n f r o m a r i v e r o ' e r t h e m a r i s h

0

g l i d e s , marsh

6. The lines suggest that Eve's dream has provided

her a parallel (if lesser) prophecy to Adam's visions

and instruction. Cf. Numbers 12.6: "If there be a

prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself

known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto

him in a dream."

7. Eve's lines—the final speech in the poem—

recall her prelapsarian love song to Adam

(4.64Iff.) and Ruth's promise to accompany her

mother-in-law, Naomi (Ruth 1.16).

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P A R A D I S E L O S T , B O O K 1 1 / 2 0 5 5

And gathers ground fast at the laborer's heel

Homeward returning. High in front advanced,

The brandished sword of God before them blazed

Fierce as a comet; which with torrid heat,

635 And vapor

0

as the Libyan air adust,

0

smoke / -parched

Began to parch that temperate clime; whereat

In either hand the hast'ning angel caught

Our ling'ring parents, and to th' eastern gate

Led them direct, and down the cliff as fast

640 To the subjected

0

plain; then disappeared.

They looking back, all th' eastern side beheld

Of Paradise, so late their happy seat,

0

Waved over by that flaming brand,

0

the gate

With dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms:

645 Some natural tears they dropped, but wiped them soon;

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,

Through Eden took their solitary way.

1674

low-lying

estate

sword

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