BOOK FIFTH
��Each in their several active spheres as- signed,
Till body up to spirit work, in bounds Proportioned to each kind. So from the
root
Springs lighter the green stalk, from thence
the leaves 480
More aerie, last the bright consummate
flower Spirits odorous breathes: flowers and their
fruit,
Man's nourishment, by gradual scale sub- limed,
To vital spirits aspire, to animal, To intellectual; give both life and sense, Fancy and understanding; whence the Soul Reason receives, and Reason is her being, Discursive, or Intuitive: Discourse Is oftest yours, the latter most is ours, 489 Differing but in degree, of kind the same. Wonder not, then, what God for you saw
good
If I refuse not, but convert, as you, To proper substance. Time may come
when Men
With Angels may participate, and find No inconvenient diet, nor too light fare; And from these corporal nutriments, per- haps,
Your bodies may at last turn all to spirit, Improved by tract of time, and winged
ascend
Ethereal, as we, or may at choice Here or in heavenly paradises dwell, S If ye be found obedient, and retain Unalterably firm his love entire Whose progeny you are. Meanwhile enjoy, Your fill, what happiness this happy state Can comprehend, incapable of more." To whom the Patriarch of Mankind re-
pljed :
" O favourable Spirit, propitious guest, Well hast thou taught the way that might
direct Our knowledge, and the scale of Nature
set
From centre to circumference, whereon, s> In contemplation of created things, By steps we may ascend to God. But say, What meant that caution joined, If ye be
found
Obedient ? Can we want obedience, then, To him, or possibly his love desert, Who formed us from the dust, and placed us here
��Full to the utmost measure of what bliss Human desires can seek or apprehend ? " To whom the Angel: " Son of Heaven
and Earth, Attend ! That thou art happy, owe to
God; 52
That thou continuest such, owe to thyself, That is, to thy obedience ; therein stand. This was that caution given thee; be ad- vised.
God made thee perfect, not immutable; And good he made thee; but to persevere He left it in thy power ordained thy
will
By nature free, not over-ruled by fate Inextricable, or strict necessity. Our voluntary service he requires, Not our necessitated. Such with him 53 Finds no acceptance, nor can find; for how Can hearts not free be tried whether they
serve
Willing or no, who will but what they must By destiny, and can no other choose ? Myself, and all the Angelic Host, that
stand
In sight of God enthroned, our happy state Hold, as you yours, while our obedience
holds.
On other surety none: freely we serve, Because we freely love, as in our will To love or not; in this we stand or fall. 54 And some are fallen, to disobedience fallen, And so from Heaven to deepest Hell. O
fall From what high state of bliss into what
woe ! " To whom our great Progenitor: " Thy
words
Attentive, and with more delighted ear, Divine instructor, I have heard, than when Cherubic songs by night from neighbouring
hills
Aerial music send. Nor knew I not To be, both will and deed, created free. Yet that we never shall forget to love 55 Our Maker, and obey him whose command Single is yet so just, my constant thoughts Assured me, and still assure; though what
thou tell'st Hath passed in Heaven some doubt within
me move,
But more desire to hear, if thou consent, The full relation, which must needs be
strange, Worthy of sacred silence to be heard.
�� �
