Page Title

The Writings of Transcendence...

Paradise Lost

This contains my selected quotations from John
Milton's Paradise Lost, which I read while at
university.
Svenski Yatskutskaya, Hom-UHT Publishing

Paradise Lost - John Milton

Book VII:

Though to recount Almightie works
What words or tongue of Seraph can suffice,
Or heart of man suffice to comprehend? (112-114)

And Earth be chang’d to Heav’n, & Heav’n to Earth,
One Kingdom, Joy and Union without end. (160-161)

Glorie and praise, whose wisdom had ordain’d
Good out of evil to create, in stead
Of Spirits maligne a better Race to bring
Into thir vacant room, and thence diffuse
His good to Worlds and Ages infinite. (187-191)

With thousand thousand Starres, that then appear’d
Spangling the Hemisphere: then first adornd
With thir bright Luminaries that Set and Rose, (383-385)

From Branch to Branch the smaller Birds with song
Solac’d the Woods, and spred thir painted wings
Till Ev’n, nor then the solemn Nightingal
Cease’d warbling, but all night tun’d to her soft layes. (433-436)

Book VIII:

This Earth a spot, a graine
An Atom, with the Firmament compar’d
And all her numberd Starrs, (17-19)

For on her as Queen
A pomp of winning Graces waited still,
And from about her shot Darts of desire
Into all Eyes to wish her still in sight. (60-63)

Consider first, that Great
Or Bright infers not Excellence: the Earth
Though, in comparison of Heav’n, so small,
Nor glistering, may of solid good containe
More plenty then the Sun that barren shines, (90-94)

That not to know at large of things remote
From use, obscure and suttle, but to know
That which before us lies in daily life,
Is the prime Wisdom, (191-194)

From that day moral, and this happie State
Shall loose, expelled from hence into a World
Of woe and sorrow. (331-333)

In solitude
What happiness, who can enjoy alone,
Or all enjoying, what contentment find? (364-366)

Under his forming hands a Creature grew,
Manlike, but different Sex, so lovly faire,
That what seemd fair in all the World, seemd now
Mean, or in her summd up, (470-473)

That what she wills to do or say,
Seems wisest, vertuousest, discreetest, best;
All higher knowledge in her presence falls
Degraded, (549-552)

In loving thou dost well, in passion not,
Wherein true Love consists not; love refines
The thoughts, and heart enlarges, (588-590)

Which declare unfeigned
Union of Mind, or in us both one Soule;
Harmonie to behold in wedded pair
More grateful then harmonious sound to the eare. (603-606)

Celestial rosie red, Loves proper hue, (619)

Book IX:

Anger and just rebuke, and judgement giv’n,
That brought into this world of woe,
Sinne and her shadow Death, and Miserie
Deaths Harbinger: (10-13)

For not to irkson toile, but to delight
He made us, and delight to Reason joyn’d. (242-243)

Suttle he needs must be, who could seduce
Angels, nor think superfluous other aid. (307-308)

Thou never from that houre in Paradise
Foundst either sweet repast, or sound repose; (406-407)

If chance with Nymphlike step fair Virgin pass,
What pleasing seemd, for her now pleases more,
She most, and in her look summs all Delight. (452-454)

So much hath Hell debased, and paine
Infeebl’d me, to what I was in Heav’n. (487-488)

He glad
Of her attention gaind, with Serpent Tongue
Organic, or impulse of vocal Air,
His fraudulent temptation thus began. (528-531)

What may this mean? Language of Man pronoun’s
By Tongue of Brute, and human sense exprest? (553-554)

And life more perfect have attaind then Fate
Meant mee, by venturing higher then my Lot (689-690)

Your feare itself of Death removes the feare. (702)

Fixt on the Fruit she gaz’d, which to behold
Might tempt alone, and in her ears the sound
Yet rung of his perswasive words, impregn’d
With Reason, to her seeming, and with Truth; (735-738)

But if Death
Bind us with after-bands, what profits then
Our inward freedom? In the day we eate
Of this fair Fruit, our doom is, we shall die. (760-763)

Earth felt the wound, and Nature from her seat
Sighing through all her Works gave signs of woe,
That all was lost. (782-784)

So dear I love him, that with him all deaths
I could endure, without him live no life. (832-833)

Holy, divine, good, amiable, or sweet!
How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost,
Defac’t, defloured, and now to Death devote? (899-901)

How can I live without thee, how forgoe
Thy sweet Converse and Love so dearly joyn’d,
To live again in these wilde Woods forlorn? (908-910)

Death is to mee as life;
So forcible within my heart I feel
The Bond of Nature draw me tot my owne,
My own in thee, for what thou art is mine;
Our State cannot be severd, we are one,
One Flesh; to loose thee were to loose myself. (954-959)

Bad Fruit of Knowledge, if this be to know,
Which leaves us naked thus, of Honour void,
Of Innocence, of Faith, of Puritie,
Our wonted ornaments now soild and staind, (1073-1076)

But high Winds worse within
Began to rise, high Passions, Anger, Hate,
Mistrust, Suspicion, Discord, and shook sure
Thir inward State of Mind, calm Region once
And full of Peace, now tost and turbulent: (1122-1126)

Let none henceforth seek needless cause to approve
The Faith they owe; when earnestly they seek
Such proof, conclude, they begin to faile. (1140-1142)

And force upon free will hath here no place. (1174)

Book X:

The speed of Gods
Time counts not, though with swiftest minutes wing’d. (90-91)

Adornd
Shee was indeed, and lovely to attract
Thy Love, not thy Subjection, (151-153)

Children thou shalt bring
In sorrow forth, and to thy Husbands will
Thine shall submit, hee over thee shall rule, (194-196)

For dust thou art, and shalt to dust returne. (208)

For Death from Sin no power can separate. (251)

Obstruct the mouth of Hell
For ever, and seal up his ravenous Jawes.
Then Heav’n and Earth renewd shall be made pure
To sanctitie that shall receive no staine:
Till then the Curse pronoun’s on both precedes. (636-640)

Why comes not Death,
Said hee, with one thrice acceptable Stroke
To end me? Shall Truth fail to keep her word,
Justice Divine not hast’n to be just?
But Death comes not at call, Justice Divine
Mends not her slowest pace for prayers or cries. (854-859)

Rather then solid vertu, all but a Rib
Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears,
More to the part sinister from me drawn, (884-886)

Hopeful to regaine
Thy Love, the sole contentment of my heart
Living or dying, from thee I will not hide
What thoughts in my unquiet brest are risn’n, (972-975)

Hee will instruct us praying, and of Grace
Beseeching him, so as we need not fear
To pass commodiously this life, sustain’d
By him with many comforts, till we end
In dust, our final rest and native home. (1081-1085)

Book XI:

To better life shall yeeld him, where with mee
All my redeemd may dwell in joy and bliss,
Made one with me as I with thee am one. (42-44)

Happier, had it suffic’d him to have known
Good by it self, and Evil not at all. (88-89)

What can be toilsome in these pleasant Walkes?
Here let us live, though in fall’n state, content. (179-180)

Who knows, or more then this, that we are dust,
And thither must return and be no more. (199-200)

How shall we breath in other Aire
Less pure, accustomd to immortal Fruits? (284-285)

But many shapes
Of Death, and many are the wayes that lead
To his grim Care, all dismal; (467-469)

Of which a monstrous crew
Before thee shall appear; that thou mayst know
What miserie th’inabstinence of Eve
Shall bring on men. (474-477)

Daemonic Phrenzie, moaping Melancholie
And Moon-struck madness, pining Atrophie,
Marasmus, and wide-wasting Pestilence, (485-487)

So maist thou live, till like ripe Fruit thou drop
Into thy Mothers lap, or be with ease
Gatherd, not harshly pluckt, for death maturel
This is old age; (535-538)

Creates, as thou art, to nobler end
Holie and pure, conformitie divine. (605-606)

Thus Fame shall be atchiev’d, renown on Earth,
And what most merits fame in silence hid. (698-699)

I had hope
When violence was ceas’t, and War on Earth,
All would have then gon well, peace would have crownd
With lengths of happy dayes the race of man;
But I was fair deceav’d; for now I see
Peace to corrupt no less than Warr to waste.

Till fire purge all things new,
Both Heav’n and Earth, wherein the just shall dwell (900-901)

Book XII:

Till one shall rise
Of proud ambitious heart, who not content
With fair equalitie, fraternal state,
Will arrogate Dominion undeserved
Over his brethren, and quite dispossess
Concord and law of Nature from the Earth; (24-29)

But Man over men
He made not Lord; such title to himself
Reserving, human left from human free. (69-71)

For life
To noble and ignoble is more sweet
Untraind in Armes, where rashness leads not on. (220-222)

The Law of God exact he shall fulfill
Both by obedience and by love, though love
Alone fulfill the Law; (402-404)

This God-like act
Annuls thy doom, the death thou shouldst have dy’d,
In sin for ever lost from life; (427-429)

So in his seed all Nations shall be blest. (450)

And the Law of Faith
Working through love, upon their hearts shall write
To guide them in all truth; (488-490)

Who against Faith and Conscience can be heard
Infallible? (529-530)

Then raise
From the conflagrant mass, purg’d and refin’d,
New Heav’ns, new Earth, Ages of endless date
Founded in righteousness and peace and love
To bring forth fruits Joy and eternal Bliss. (546-551)

That suffering for Truths sake
Is fortitude to highest victorie,
And to the faithful Death the Gate of Life; (569-571)

Then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this Paradise, but shall possess
A paradise within thee, happier farr. (585-587)

Though all by mee is lost,
Such favour I unworthy am voutsaft,
By mee the Promis’d Seed shall all restore. (621-623)

The brandisht Sword of God before them blaz’d
Fierce as a comet; (633-634)

The World was all before them, where to choose
Thir place of rest, and Providence thir guide:
They hand in hand with wandring steps and slow,
Through Eden took thir solitarie way. (646-649)

The End.

Books I - VI
Books VII - XII

Hom-UHT Publishing