Shall bring on men. Immediately a place 480 Of ghastly spasm, or racking torture, qualms Of heart-sick agony, all feverous kinds, 485 And moon-struck madness, pining atrophy, Dropsies, and asthmas, and joint-racking rheums. Life offer'd, or soon beg to lay it down, 490 495 500 505 Th' image of God in man created once So goodly and erect, though faulty since, To such unsightly sufferings be debas'd Under inhuman pains? Why should not man, In part, from such deformities be free, And for his Maker's image sake exempt? 510 THEIR Maker's image, answer'd Michael, then 515 Forsook them, when themselves they vilify'd To serve ungovern'd appetite, and took His image whom they serv'd, a brutish vice, Therefore so abject is their punishment, Disfiguring not God's likeness, but their own, 520 525 THERE is, said Michael, if thou well observe 530 The rule of not too much, by temp'rance taught, In what thou eat'st and drink'st, seeking from thence Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight, Till many years over thy head return : So may'st thou live, till like ripe fruit thou drop 535 Into thy mother's lap, or be with ease Gather'd, not harshly pluck'd, for death mature: This is old age; but then thou must outlive 540 Thy youth, thy strength, thy beauty, which will change To weigh thy spirits down, and last consume 545 Fairest and easiest of this cumb'rous charge, Which I must keep till my appointed day 550 Of rend'ring up, and patiently attend My dissolution. Michael reply'd. Nor love thy life, nor hate; but what thou liv'st 555 560 He look'd, and saw a spacious plain, whereon Were tents of various hue; by some were herds Of cattle grazing; others, whence the sound Of instruments that made melodious chime Was heard, of harp and organ; and who mov'd Their stops and chords was seen: his volant touch Instinct through all proportions low and high Fled and pursu'd transverse the resonant fugue. In other part stood one who at the forge Lab'ring, two massy clods of ir'on and brass Had melted, (whether found where casual fire Had wasted woods on mountain or in vale, Down to the veins of earth, thence gliding hot To some cave's mouth, or whether wash'd by stream 565 From under-ground) the liquid ore he drain'd Into fit moulds prepar'd; from which he form'd 570 First his own tools; then, what might else be wrought Fusile or grav'n in metal. After these, But on the hither side, a different sort From the high neighb'ring hills, which was their seat, Down to the plain descended: by their guise Just men they seem'd, and all their study bent 576 In gems and wanton dress; to th' harp they sung To worship God aright, and know his works 580 586 Fast caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose; Of love and youth not lost, songs, garlands, flowers, And charming symphonies attach'd the heart Of Adam, soon inclin'd t' admit delight, 590 595 600 Those were of hate and death, or pain much worse; To whom thus Michael. Judge not what is best Holy and pure, conformity divine. Those tents thou saw'st so pleasant, were the tents 605 610 Taught them, but they his gifts acknowledg'd none. For that fair female troop thou saw'st that seem'd Of Goddesses so blithe, so smooth, so gay, 615 Yet empty of all good wherein consists To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye; GG 620 625 630 |