Paradise Lost + Paradise Regained (2 Unabridged Classics + Original Illustrations by Gustave Doré). Джон Мильтон

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ things invisible to mortal sight.

      Now had the Almighty Father from above,

      From the pure Empyrean where he sits

      High Thron’d above all highth, bent down his eye,

      His own works and their works at once to view:

      About him all the Sanctities of Heaven

      Stood thick as Starrs, and from his sight receiv’d

      Beatitude past utterance; on his right

      The radiant image of his Glory sat,

      His onely Son; On Earth he first beheld

      Our two first Parents, yet the onely two

      Of mankind, in the happie Garden plac’t,

      Reaping immortal fruits of joy and love,

      Uninterrupted joy, unrivald love

      In blissful solitude; he then survey’d

      Hell and the Gulf between, and Satan there

      Coasting the wall of Heav’n on this side Night

      In the dun Air sublime, and ready now

      To stoop with wearied wings, and willing feet

      On the bare outside of this World, that seem’d

      Firm land imbosom’d without Firmament,

      Uncertain which, in Ocean or in Air.

      Him God beholding from his prospect high,

      Wherein past, present, future he beholds,

      Thus to his onely Son foreseeing spake.

      Onely begotten Son, seest thou what rage

      Transports our adversarie, whom no bounds

      Prescrib’d, no barrs of Hell, nor all the chains

      Heapt on him there, nor yet the main Abyss

      Wide interrupt can hold; so bent he seems

      On desperat revenge, that shall redound

      Upon his own rebellious head. And now

      Through all restraint broke loose he wings his way

      Not farr off Heav’n, in the Precincts of light,

      Directly towards the new created World,

      And Man there plac’t, with purpose to assay

      If him by force he can destroy, or worse,

      By som false guile pervert; and shall pervert;

      For man will heark’n to his glozing lyes,

      And easily transgress the sole Command,

      Sole pledge of his obedience: So will fall

      Hee and his faithless Progenie: whose fault?

      Whose but his own? ingrate, he had of mee

      All he could have; I made him just and right,

      Sufficient to have stood, though free to fall.

      Such I created all th’ Ethereal Powers

      And Spirits, both them who stood & them who faild;

      Freely they stood who stood, and fell who fell.

      Not free, what proof could they have givn sincere

      Of true allegiance, constant Faith or Love,

      Where onely what they needs must do, appeard,

      Not what they would? what praise could they receive?

      What pleasure I from such obedience paid,

      When Will and Reason (Reason also is choice)

      Useless and vain, of freedom both despoild,

      Made passive both, had servd necessitie,

      Not mee. They therefore as to right belongd,

      So were created, nor can justly accuse

      Thir maker, or thir making, or thir Fate;

      As if Predestination over-rul’d

      Thir will, dispos’d by absolute Decree

      Or high foreknowledge; they themselves decreed

      Thir own revolt, not I: if I foreknew,

      Foreknowledge had no influence on their fault,

      Which had no less prov’d certain unforeknown.

      So without least impulse or shadow of Fate,

      Or aught by me immutablie foreseen,

      They trespass, Authors to themselves in all

      Both what they judge and what they choose; for so

      I formed them free, and free they must remain,

      Till they enthrall themselves: I else must change

      Thir nature, and revoke the high Decree

      Unchangeable, Eternal, which ordain’d

      Thir freedom, they themselves ordain’d thir fall.

      The first sort by thir own suggestion fell,

      Self-tempted, self-deprav’d: Man falls deceiv’d

      By the other first: Man therefore shall find grace,

      The other none: in Mercy and Justice both,

      Through Heav’n and Earth, so shall my glorie excel,

      But Mercy first and last shall brightest shine.

      Thus while God spake, ambrosial fragrance fill’d

      All Heav’n, and in the blessed Spirits elect

      Sense of new joy ineffable diffus’d:

      Beyond compare the Son of God was seen

      Most glorious, in him all his Father shon

      Substantially express’d, and in his face

      Divine compassion visibly appeerd,

СКАЧАТЬ