The grassy clods now calv'd; now half appear'd His hinder parts, then springs as broke from bonds, 464 Rising, the crumbled earth above them threw His vastness: fleec'd the flocks and bleating rose, 471 At once came forth whatever creeps the ground, 475 In all the liveries deck'd of summer's pride 463 calv'd] See Nonni Dionysiaca, iv. 427. " Καὶ στάχυς αυτολόχευτος ἀνηέξητο γιγάντων, 465 broke] Virg. Æn. xi. 492. 'Abruptis fugit præsepia vinclis.' 466 shakes] A. Ramsæi P. Sacr. vol. i. p. 9. 'Hinc Leo prædator, Lybicis nova incola campis, These as a line their long dimension drew, Of future, in small room large heart inclos'd, Hereafter, joined in her popular tribes Of commonalty: swarming next appear'd The female bee, that feeds her husband drone With honey stor'd: the rest are numberless, 480 485 490 And thou their natures know'st, and gav'st them names, Needless to thee repeated; nor unknown The serpent, subtlest beast of all the field, 484 snaky folds] A. Rams. P. Sacr. i. 10. 'Atque orbibus orbes Implexos sinuantem anguem.' 495 485 provident-large heart] The former part from Hor. Sat. I. i. 35, and the latter from Virg. Georg. iv. 83. Newton. 491 waxen cells] So Marino's Sl. of the Innocents, p. 28. 'Or when the bees, like murmuring armies, hide In troops, unto their waxen camp convey.' 497 hairy mane] See Virg. Æn. ii. 206. 38. J. Obsequens de Prodigiis, p. 54. Petronii Troje Elosis, v. Angues jubati.' Plauti 500 Now heaven in all her glory shone, and roll'd Her motions, as the great First Mover's hand First wheel'd their course; earth in her rich attire Consummate lovely smil'd; air, water, earth, By fowl, fish, beast, was flown, was swum, was walk'd Frequent; and of the sixth day yet remain'd; There wanted yet the master-work, the end Of all yet done; a creature, who not prone And brute as other creatures, but indued With sanctity of reason, might erect 505 His stature, and upright with front serene But grateful to acknowledge whence his good And worship GoD supreme, who made him chief 515 Of all his works: therefore the omnipotent Eternal Father, (for where is not he Present?) thus to his Son audibly spake. Let us make now man in our image, man In our similitude, and let them rule Over the fish and fowl of sea and air, Beast of the field, and over all the earth, And every creeping thing that creeps the ground. This said, he form'd thee, Adam, thee, O man, 520 Dust of the ground, and in thy nostrils breath'd 525 The breath of life in his own image he Amphitr. act. v. sc. i. 'Jubatus anguis major solitis.' Capitolin. Vit. Anton. Pii, ix. 35, ed. Putman. Created thee, in the image of GOD Express, and thou becam'st a living soul. Female for race; then bless'd mankind, and said, 530 Is yet distinct by name, thence, as thou know'st, And freely all their pleasant fruit for food 535 540 Gave thee; all sorts are here that all th' earth yields, Variety without end; but of the tree, Which tasted, works knowledge of good and evil, And govern well thy appetite, lest Sin Here finish'd he, and all that he had made 545 550 536 thence] Tickell, Fenton, and Bentley have adopted in this passage a wrong punctuation, putting only a comma after earth' (534), and a full stop after 'name' (536). Newton restored the reading of Milton's own editions. Thence to behold this new-created world, Symphonious of ten thousand harps, that tun'd Resounded, (thou remember'st, for thou heard'st;) 555 560 565 570 575 The glorious train ascending: He through heaven, 580 Which nightly as a circling zone thou seest Powder'd with stars. And now on earth the seventh 581 Powder'd] Sylvester's Du Bartas, p. 76. 'Powdred with stars streaming with glorious light.' Todd. |