Milton, L'Allegro and Il Penseroso

	L’Allegro	“The cheerful one” (Italian)
	Hence° loathed Melancholy	away from here
	Of Cerberus, and blackest midnight born,
	In Stygian Cave forlorn°	lost
	’Mongst° horrid shapes, and shreiks, and sights unholy,	among
5	Find out som uncouth° cell,	unknown
	Wher brooding darknes spreads his jealous wings,
	And the night-Raven sings;
	There under Ebon° shades, and low-brow’d° Rocks,	ebony — overhanging
	As ragged as thy Locks,
10	In dark Cimmerian desert ever dwell.
	But com thou Goddes fair and free,
	In Heav’n ycleap’d° Euphrosyne,	called
	And by men, heart-easing Mirth,
	Whom lovely Venus at a birth
15	With two sister Graces more
	To Ivy-crowned Bacchus bore;
	Or whether (as som Sager° sing)	some wiser people
	The frolick° Wind that breathes the Spring,	joyous
	Zephir° with Aurora° playing,	breeze — dawn
20	As he met her once a Maying,
	There on Beds of Violets blew,°	blue
	And fresh-blown° Roses washt in dew,	newly blossomed
	Fill’d her with thee a daughter fair,
	So bucksom,° blith,° and debonair.°	lively — happy — gracious
25	Haste° thee nymph, and bring with thee	hurry
	Jest and youthful Jollity,°	cheerfulness
	Quips° and Cranks,° and wanton Wiles,°	sayings — jokes — tricks
	Nods, and Becks,° and Wreathed° Smiles,	beckonings — curled
	Such as hang on Hebe’s cheek,
30	And love to live in dimple sleek;
	Sport that wrincled Care derides,°	laughs at contemptuously
	And Laughter holding both his sides.
	Com, and trip° it as ye go	dance
	On the light fantastick toe,
35	And in thy right hand lead with thee,
	The Mountain Nymph, sweet Liberty;
	And if I give thee honour due,
	Mirth, admit me of thy crue
	To live with her, and live with thee,
40	In unreproved° pleasures free;	blameless
	To hear the Lark begin his flight,
	And singing startle the dull night,
	From his watch-towre in the skies,
	Till the dappled° dawn doth rise;	patchy
45	Then to com in spight° of sorrow,	defiance
	And at my window bid good morrow,°	morning
	Through the Sweet-Briar, or the Vine,
	Or the twisted Eglantine.°	sweetbriar
	While the Cock with lively din,°	noise
50	Scatters the rear° of darknes thin,	last trace
	And to the stack,° or the Barn dore,	haystack
	Stoutly struts his Dames° before,	women
	Oft list’ning how the Hounds and horn,
	Chearly rouse the slumbring morn,
55	From the side of som Hoar° Hill,	white with old age
	Through the high wood echoing shrill.
	Som time walking not unseen
	By Hedge-row Elms, on Hillocks green,
	Right against the Eastern gate,
60	Wher the great Sun begins his state,°	procession
	Rob’d in flames, and Amber light,
	The clouds in thousand Liveries° dight.°	uniforms — dressed
	While the Plowman neer at hand,
	Whistles ore the Furrow’d° Land,	plowed
65	And the Milkmaid singeth blithe,°	happily
	And the Mower whets° his sithe,	sharpens
	And every Shepherd tells his tale
	Under the Hawthorn in the dale.
	Streit° mine eye hath caught new pleasures	immediately
70	Whilst the Lantskip° round it measures,	landscape
	Russet° Lawns, and Fallows° Gray,	reddish brown — cultivated ground
	Where the nibling flocks do stray,
	Mountains on whose barren brest
	The labouring clouds do often rest:
75	Meadows trim with Daisies pide,°	spotted
	Shallow Brooks, and Rivers wide.
	Towers, and Battlements it sees
	Boosom’d° high in tufted Trees,	held
	Wher perhaps som beauty lies,
80	The Cynosure° of neighbouring eyes.	object of attention
	Hard° by, a Cottage chimney smokes,	near
	From betwixt° two aged Okes,	between
	Where Corydon and Thyrsis met,
	Are at their savory dinner set
85	Of Hearbs,° and other Country Messes,°	succulent plants — meals
	Which the neat-handed° Phillis dresses;	dexterous
	And then in haste her Bowre° she leaves,	dwelling
	With Thestylis to bind the Sheaves;°	tie up the stalks of grain
	Or if the earlier season lead
90	To the tann’d° Haycock° in the Mead,°	dried by the sun — haystack — meadow
	Som times with secure° delight	careless
	The up-land Hamlets will invite,
	When the merry Bells ring round,
	And the jocond° rebecks° sound	cheerful — stringed instruments like fiddles
95	To many a youth, and many a maid,
	Dancing in the Chequer’d shade;
	And young and old com forth to play
	On a Sunshine Holyday,
	Till the live-long day-light fail,
100	Then to the Spicy Nut-brown Ale,
	With stories told of many a feat,
	How Faery Mab the junkets° eat,	sweet dishes
	She was pincht, and pull’d she sed,
	And he by Friars Lanthorn° led	lantern
105	Tells how the drudging Goblin swet
	To ern his Cream-bowle duly set,
	When in one night, ere glimps of morn,
	His shadowy Flale° hath thresh’d the Corn°	flail (for threshing) — grain
	That ten day-labourers could not end,
110	Then lies him down the Lubbar Fend.
	And stretch’d out all the Chimney’s° length,	fireplace’s
	Basks at the fire his hairy strength;
	And Crop-full° out of dores he flings,	satiated
	Ere° the first Cock his Mattin° rings.	before — morning song
115	Thus don° the Tales, to bed they creep,	finished
	By whispering Windes soon lull’d asleep.
	Towred Cities please us then,
	And the busie humm of men,
	Where throngs of Knights and Barons bold,
120	In weeds° of Peace high triumphs hold,	clothes
	With store of Ladies, whose bright eies
	Rain influence, and judge the prise
	Of Wit, or Arms, while both contend
	To win her Grace, whom all commend.
125	There let Hymen oft appear
	In Saffron° robe, with Taper° clear,	bright yellow — candle
	And pomp, and feast, and revelry,
	With mask, and antique° Pageantry,	both “old” and “wild’
	Such sights as youthfull Poets dream
130	On Summer eeves by haunted stream.
	Then to the well-trod° stage anon,	much walked-on
	If Jonsons learned Sock be on,
	Or sweetest Shakespear fancies° childe,	imagination’s
	Warble° his native Wood-notes° wilde,	sing — birdsong
135	And ever against eating Cares,
	Lap me in soft Lydian Aires,°	songs
	Married to immortal verse,
	Such as the meeting soul may pierce
	In notes, with many a winding bout°	orbit
140	Of lincked sweetnes long drawn out,
	With wanton heed, and giddy cunning,
	The melting voice through mazes running;
	Untwisting all the chains that ty
	The hidden soul of harmony.
145	That Orpheus self may heave his head
	From golden slumber on a bed
	Of heapt Elysian flowres, and hear
	Such streins° as would have won the ear	melodies
	Of Pluto, to have quite° set free	completely
150	His half regain’d Eurydice.
	These delights, if thou canst give,
	Mirth with thee, I mean to live.

	Il Penseroso	“The thoughtful one” (Italian)
	Hence° vain deluding joyes,	away from here
	The brood° of folly° without father bred,	offspring — foolishness
	How little you bested,°	help
	Or fill the fixed mind with all your toyes;°	unimportant things
5	Dwell in som idle brain,
	And fancies° fond° with gaudy shapes possess,	imagined things — foolish
	As thick and numberless
	As the gay motes that people the Sun Beams,
	Or likest hovering dreams
	The fickle Pensioners° of Morpheus train.°	attendants — followers
	But hail thou Goddes, sage° and holy,	wise
	Hail divinest Melancholy,
	Whose Saintly visage° is too bright	face
	To hit° the Sense of human sight;	suit
	And therfore to our weaker view,
	Ore laid° with black staid Wisdoms hue.	darkened
	Black, but such as in esteem,
	Prince Memnons sister might beseem,°	look
	Or that Starr’d Ethiope° Queen that strove	African
	To set her beauties praise above
	The Sea Nymphs, and their powers offended.
	Yet thou art higher far descended,
	Thee bright-hair’d Vesta long of yore,
	To solitary Saturn bore;°	born
	His daughter she (in Saturns raign,
	Such mixture was not held a stain).
	Oft in glimmering Bowres, and glades
	He met her, and in secret shades
	Of woody Ida’s inmost grove,
	While yet there was no fear of Jove.°	Jupiter (Zeus)
	Com pensive Nun, devout and pure,
	Sober, stedfast, and demure,°	modest
	All in a robe of darkest grain,°	hue
	Flowing with majestick train,°	followers
	And sable° stole of Cipres Lawn,°	black — fabric
	Over thy decent° shoulders drawn.	modest
	Com, but keep thy wonted° state,°	usual — dignity
	With eev’n step, and musing gate,
	And looks commercing with the skies,
	Thy rapt° soul sitting in thine eyes:	ecstatic, carried away
	There held in holy passion still,
	Forget thy self to Marble,° till	turn into a marble statue
	With a sad° Leaden downward cast,°	serious — look
	Thou fix them on the earth as fast.°	tightly
	And joyn with thee calm Peace, and Quiet,
	Spare Fast, that oft with gods doth diet,
	And hears the Muses in a ring,
	Ay° round about Joves Altar sing.	always
	And adde to these retired leasure,
	That in trim Gardens takes his pleasure;
	But first, and chiefest, with thee bring,
	Him that yon° soars on golden wing,	yonder, over there
	Guiding the fiery-wheeled throne,
	The Cherub° Contemplation,	angel
	And the mute Silence hist° along,	urge
	’Less° Philomel will daign° a Song,	unless — see fit to
	In her sweetest, saddest plight,°	mood
	Smoothing the rugged brow of night,
	While Cynthia checks her Dragon yoke,
	Gently o’re th’ accustom’d° Oke;	familiar
	Sweet Bird that shunn’st the noise of folly,
	Most musicall, most melancholy!
	Thee Chauntress oft the Woods among,
	I woo to hear thy eeven-Song;
	And missing thee, I walk unseen
	On the dry smooth-shaven Green,
	To behold the wandring Moon,
	Riding neer her highest noon,
	Like one that had bin led astray
	Through the Heav’ns wide pathles way;
	And oft, as if her head she bow’d,
	Stooping through a fleecy cloud.
	Oft on a Plat° of rising ground,	field
	I hear the far-off Curfeu° sound,	curfew bell
	Over som wide-water’d shoar,
	Swinging slow with sullen° roar;	mournful
	Or if the Ayr will not permit,
	Som still removed place will fit,
	Where glowing Embers through the room
	Teach light to counterfeit° a gloom,	imitate
	Far from all resort of mirth,
	Save the Cricket on the hearth,
	Or the Belmans drousie charm,°	the night watchman’s invocations
	To bless the dores from nightly harm:
	Or let my Lamp at midnight hour,
	Be seen in som high lonely Towr,
	Where I may oft out-watch° the Bear,	remain watching longer
	With thrice great Hermes, or unsphear
	The spirit of Plato to unfold
	What Worlds, or what vast Regions hold
	The immortal mind that hath forsook
	Her mansion in this fleshly nook:
	And of those Dæmons that are found
	In fire, air, flood, or under ground,
	Whose power hath a true consent°	agreement
	With Planet, or with Element.
	Som time let Gorgeous Tragedy
	In Scepter’d° Pall° com sweeping by,	royal — robe
	Presenting Thebs, or Pelops line,
	Or the tale of Troy divine.
	Or what (though rare) of later age,
	Ennobled hath the Buskind stage.
	But, O sad Virgin, that thy power
	Might raise Musæus from his bower,°	place of rest
	Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing
	Such notes as warbled° to the string,	sang
	Drew Iron tears down Pluto’s cheek,
	And made Hell grant what Love did seek.
	Or call up him° that left half told	[Chaucer]
	The story of Cambuscan bold,
	Of Camball, and of Algarsife,
	And who had Canace to wife,
	That own’d the vertuous° Ring and Glass,	powerful
	And of the wondrous Hors of Brass,
	On which the Tartar King did ride;
	And if ought° els, great Bards beside,	anything
	In sage° and solemn tunes have sung,	wise
	Of Turneys° and of Trophies hung;	tournaments
	Of Forests, and inchantments drear,°	dreary
	Where more is meant then meets the ear.
	Thus night oft see me in thy pale career,°	journey
	Till civil-suited° Morn appeer,	decent-looking
	Not trickt and frounc’t° as she was wont,°	dressed up — accustomed to
	With the Attick Boy to hunt,
	But Cherchef’t° in a comly Cloud,	wrapped
	While rocking Winds are Piping loud,
	Or usher’d with a shower still,°	mild
	When the gust° hath blown his fill,	wind
	Ending on the russling Leaves,
	With minute drops from off the Eaves.
	And when the Sun begins to fling
	His flaring beams, me Goddes bring
	To arched walks of twilight groves,
	And shadows brown that Sylvan° loves	god of woodlands
	Of Pine, or monumental Oake,
	Where the rude° Ax with heaved stroke,	primitive
	Was never heard the Nymphs to daunt,°	intimidate
	Or fright them from their hallow’d haunt.°	dwelling place
	There in close covert° by som Brook,	hidden recess
	Where no profaner° eye may look,	unholy
	Hide me from Day’s garish eie,
	While the Bee with Honied thie,°	thight
	That at her flowry work doth sing,
	And the Waters murmuring
	With such consort° as they keep,	harmony
	Entice the dewy-feather’d Sleep;
	And let som strange mysterious dream,
	Wave at his Wings in Airy stream,
	Of lively portrature display’d,
	Softly on my eye-lids laid.
	And as I wake, sweet musick breath
	Above, about, or underneath,
	Sent by som spirit to mortals good,
	Or th’ unseen Genius° of the Wood.	guardian spirit
	But let my due feet never fail,
	To walk the studious Cloysters pale,
	And love the high embowed Roof,
	With antick° Pillars massy proof,	both “old” and “outlandish”
	And storied° Windows richly dight,°	showing scenes of stories — decked out
	Casting a dimm religious light.
	There let the pealing° Organ blow,	ringing
	To the full voic’d Quire° below,	choir
	In Service high, and Anthems cleer,
	As may with sweetnes, through mine ear,
	Dissolve me into extasies,
	And bring all Heav’n before mine eyes.
	And may at last my weary age
	Find out the peacefull hermitage,
	The Hairy Gown and Mossy Cell,
	Where I may sit and rightly spell,°	study
	Of every Star that Heav’n doth shew,°	show
	And every Herb° that sips the dew;	plant
	Till old experience do attain
	To somthing like Prophetic strain.°	tone
	These pleasures Melancholy give,
	And I with thee will choose to live.

Notes

Cerberus: The three-headed hound at the gates of hell in classical mythology.
Stygian: The adjective form of Styx, the river in hell in classical mythology.
Cimmerian: A legendary people who lived in perpetual haze or darkness.
Euphronsyne: A goddess in Greek mythology, associated with good cheer.
Bacchus: The Roman name for Dionysus, the god of wine.
Zephir with Aurora playing: In classical mythology, Zephyr is the personification of the gentle west wind; Aurora is the goddess of the dawn.
Maying: Celebrating spring festivities.
Hebe: In Greek mythology, the cup-bearer to the gods and an embodiment of youth.
Corydon and Thyrsis: The names here are conventionally associated with poetic descriptions of shepherds.
Mab: The fairy queen, married to Oberon.
Lubbar Fend: One of many names for Robin Goodfellow or Puck, a goblin in English folklore.
Hymen: The Greek goddess of marriage.
Jonsons learned Sock: Jonson is the playwright and poet Ben Jonson, whose reputation for classical learning was widespread. The “sock” is traditionally associated with stage comedies; tragedies were associated with the “buskin.”
Lydian: The Lydian mode in music was associated with sensual pleasure.
Orpheus: In Greek mythology, Orpheus’s wife, Eurydice, dies; Orpheus descends to hell to recover her. He plays music so beautifully that Pluto agrees to let her return, on condition that Orpheus not look back as he leads her out of hell. But he does look back and loses her forever.
Elysian: Elysium refers to a conception of the afterlife in some Greek myths.
Pluto: God of the undeworld.
Eurydice: Wife to Orpheus, mentioned above.
Morpheus: The Greek god of sleep.
Memnon: A Black Ethiopian prince mentioned in The Odyssey, said to have a beautiful sister.
Cassiopeia: In Greek mythology, the queen of Ethiopia. She was known for her vanity and conceit.
Vesta: A virgin goddess in classical mythology.
Saturn: Milton seems to be the creator of the story that Vesta mated with Saturn to give birth to Melancholy.
Such mixture was not held a stain
Ida: Two mountains have this name in ancient Greek legend, one in Crete, the other in Turkey. Both are associated with the mother goddess.
Philomel: In classical mythology, Philomela was raped by her brother-in-law, Tereus. He cuts out her tongue to stop her from revealing who did it. The gods turn her into a nightingale, a species known for sad-sounding songs.
Cynthia: Goddess of the moon.
Bear: The constellation Ursa Major, “the Great Bear,” never sets for viewers in the northern hemisphere.
Hermes: Hermes Trismegistus (“thrice-great”), a legendary Egyptian sage who is associated with magic and alchemy.
Plato: Plato developed a philosophy in which abstract “forms” are reality; earthly things are merely imperfect images of these forms. To “unsphere” him would be to take him from the celestial spheres and bring him back to earth.
Thebs: A city in Greece that features in a number of tragic plays, most famously Sophocles’s Oedipus plays.
Pelops: The son of Tantalus and king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus. His descendants feature in several ancient tragedies, including Aeschylus’s Oresteia and Euripides’s Orestes.
Buskind: Wearing buskins, a kind of boot associated with stage tragedies.
Musæus: A legendary poet and priest, often considered either the son or the pupil of Orpheus.
Cambuscan: Another name for Genghis Khan, the “Tartar King.” The one who “left half told” his story is Geoffrey Chaucer, whose Squire’s Tale is unfinished. The names in the next few lines, and the “horse of brass,” come from that work.
Attick Boy: In ancient legend Aurora once went hunting with Cephaus, a boy from Attica.
Cloysters: An enclosed part of a church or monastery.

L’Allegro
and
Il Penseroso

John Milton

Edited by Jack Lynch

L’Allegro

Il Penseroso

Notes

L’Allegro and Il Penseroso

John Milton

Edited by Jack Lynch

L’Allegro

Il Penseroso

Notes

L’Allegro
and
Il Penseroso