DESCRIPTION DU PARADIS
Ergo ubi transmissis mundi caput incipit Indis, Quo perhibent terram confinia jungere cœlo , Lucus inaccessa cunclis mortalibiis arce Pcrtnanet, cetemo conclnsus limite, postquam Decidit expulsas primaevi criminis auctor, Atque reis digne felici a sede revulsis , Cœlestes hxc sancta capit nunc aula ministros. Non hic alterni succedit temporis unquam Bruma , nec sestivi redeunt post frigora soles , Excelsus calidum cum reddit circulus annum , Vel densante gelu canescunt arva pruinis.
Hic ver assiduum cœli elementia serval ; Turbidus auster abest , setnperque sub aëre sudo Nubila diflugiunt jngi cessura sereno.
Nec poscit natura loci quos non babet imbres , Sed contenta suo dolanlur gennina rore.
Perpetuo virct omne solum , terraeque lepentis BLanda nitet faciès. Stant semper collibus berbx, Arboribusquc comx : qu;c cum se flore frequenti Diflundunt, céleri confortant germina succo.
Nam quidquid nobis tolo nunc nascilur anno , Menstrua maturo dant illic tempora i'ructu.
Lilia perlucent nullo flaccentia sole.
Nec taclus violât violas , roseumque ruborcm Servan perpetuo suffundit gratia vullu.
NOTÉS
Sed ciim dcsit li yr ins , ncc torrida fenreat xslus , Fructibus aulumnus , ver floribus occupât annum. Hîc quœ donari mentitur fama Sabseis Cinnatna nascuntur, vivax quœ colligit aies, Natal i cum fine périt , nidoque perusta Succedcns sibimet quxsita morte resurgit :
Ncc contenta suo scroel aies oïdine nasci Longa veternosi rcnovatur corporis aetas , Inccnsamque levant exordia crebra senectara.
lllic desndans fragrantia balsama ramus Pcrpctuutn promit pin de slipile fluxum.
Tu in si forte levis movit spiramina vcnlus , Flatibus exiguis , lenique impulsa susurro , Dives sylva tremit foliis , ac flore salubri , Qui spaisas late suaves dispensât odores.
Hic fons perspicuo resplendens gurgite surgit. Talis in argcnto non fulget gratia , tantam Nec crystalla trahunt nitido de frigorc luccm. Margine riparum viridcs minière lapilli r Et quas miratur mundi jactantia gemmas, lllic saxa jacent: varios dant arva colores Et nalurali campos diadcmate pingunl
MlLTON :
Southward through Eden wcnt a river large , Nor cbang'd bis course , but tbrougb tbe shaggy bill Pass'd undcrnealli ingulf'd ; for God bad thrown Tbat mountain as bis gardon inound bigli rais'd Upou tbc rapid current, whi< h , llirough veins Of porons earlb wilh kindly thirst up drawn, Rose a fresh founlain, and wilh many a rill Water'd ihe garJen ; tbence unilcd fell Down the steep gladc , and met tbc nctUer flood , Which from bis darksome passage now apprars, And now , dividrd inlo four main strcauis ,
» Alcm Aviti tir I nitio muruii , I il». I, r. aii-nfy, .-.lit. île Sirmon.l.
NOTES
Rnns diverse , wand'ring many a famous realm
And country, whereof here needs no account ;
Bnt rather to tell how, if Art could tell ,
How from that sapphire fount the crisped brooks ,
Rollingon orient pearl and sands of gold,
With mary error under pendant shades
Ran nectar, visiting each plant , and fed
Flow'rs worthy of Paradise , which nut nice Art
In beds and curions knots , bnt nature boon
Poufd fortb profuse on bill , and dale , and plain ,
Both where tbe morning sun first warmly smote
The open field , and where the unpierc'd shade
Imbrown'd the noontide bow'rs ; thus was tins place
A happy rural seat of various view ;
Groves , whose ritîh trees wcpt od'rous gums and balm ;
Others , whose fruit , buruish'd with golden rind ,
Hung amiable , Hesperian fables true ,
If true , here only, and of dclicious taste :
Betwixt them lawns , or level downs , and flocks
Grazing the tender herb , were interpos'd ,
Or palmy hillock ; or the flow'ry lap
Of some irriguous va lie y spread her store ,
Flow'rs of ail hue , and without thorn the rose :
Another side , umbrageous grots and caves
Of cool recess, o'er which the mantling vine
Lays forlh her purple grape , and gently creeps
Luxuriant ; meanwhile murm'ring waters fall
Uown the slope hills , dispers'd , or in a lake ,
That to the fringed bank with myrtle crown'd
Her crystal mirror holds , unité their streams.
The birds their choir apply : airs , vernal airs,
Breathing the smeil of field and grove , attunc
The trembling leaves , while universal Pan ,
Knit wilh the Grâces and the Hours in dance ,
Led on th* eternal Spring. Not that fair field
Of Enna , where Proserpine , galhering flowers,
Herself a fairer flow'r , by gloomy Dis
Was gather'd , which cost Ceres ail that pain
354 NOTES
To seck her through the world ; nor tliat Of Daphne by Oruntes , and th' inspir'd Castalian spring, inight wîth thît Paradise Of EU] en strîte ; nor that Nyseian isle Girt with the riter Triton , where old Cham , Whom gentiles À m mon call and Lybian Jove , Hid Amalthea and her florid son Young Bacehus , from lus atepdame Rhca's eye ; Nor where Ahassin kings their issue guard , Mount Amara , though this by some suppos'd True Paradise under the Elhiop line By Nilus' head , inclosd with shining rock , A whole day's journey high , bat wide From this Assyrian garden , where the Sa w undelighted ail delight , ail kind Of living créatures , new to sight and s t range
Satan , à l'aspect du bonheur de l'homme , s'indigne et jure de l'entraîner dans sa chute :
Y id 1 1 ut iste no vos hommes in sede quieta Ducere felicem nullo discrimine vit a m , Lege sub accepta Domini famularier orbïs , Subjectisque frui placida inter gaudia rébus , Commovit subitum zeli scintilla vaporem Excrevitque calens in sœva incendia livor ; Vicinus tune forte fuit , quo concidit alto , Lapsus , et innexam traxit per prona catervam. Hoc recolens , casumque premens in corde recentem ; Plus doluit periisse sibi quod possidet alter. T uni mixtus cum felle pudor sic pectore questus Explicat , et tali suspiria voce relaxât :
Proh dolor, hoc nobis subitum consurgere plasma , Inrisumque genus nostra crevisse ruina !
Me celsum virtus habuit , nunc ecce rejectu* Pellor, et angelico limus snecedit honori.
> Parada» lo$t , li». 4, r. 933-287.
iNOTES.
Cœlum terra tein t , vili compare levata
Régnât humus , nobiaque périt translata potestas.
Non tamen in totum periit : pars magna retentat
Vim propriam , summaque cluil virtute nocendi.
Nec differrfe juvat. Jam nunc certamine blando
Congrediar, duiu prima sains , experta nec ullos
Simplicitas ignara dolos , ad tela patebit.
Et melius soli capientur fraude , priusquam
Fœcundam mittant œterna in sœcula prolem.
Immortale nihil terra prodire sinendumest;
Fons generis pereât , capitis dejectio victi
Semen erit mord». Pariât discrimina letfai
Vitœ principium : cuncti feriantur in uuo !
Non faciet vivum radix occisa cacumen.
Hacc mihi dejecto tandem solatia restant.
Si nequeo clausos ilerum conscehdere cœlos ,
His quoque claudentur. Levius cecidisse pulandura est
Si nova perdatur simili substanlia casu,
Si cornes excidii subeat consorlia pœmc ,
Ëtquos prœvidoo nobiscum dividat ignés '»
Milton :
0 hell ! what do mine eyes with grief behold ! lnto our room of bliss thus high advanc'd Créatures of olher mould, earth-born perhaps , Notspirits, yet to heav'nly spirils bright
1 ii tic inferior; whom my thougbts pursue With wonder, and could love , so lively sbines In them divine rescmblance , and such grâce
The hand thaï form'd them on their shape halh pour'd.
Ah ! gentle pair, yc little think how nigh
Your change approaches , when ail thèse delights
Will \anish , and deliver ye to woe;
More woe, Uie more your taste is now of joy :
Happy, but for so happy ill secur'd
Saint AyiTï , lîv a,». Go-iu.
NOTES
Ixmg to continue , and this high seat your heav'nr
ill fenc'd for heav'n , to keep oui such a foe
As now is cntcr'd ; yet no purpos'd foc
To you , whom I could pity thus forlorn ,
Though l unpitied : league with you I seck ,
And roatual aroity so «trait, so close ,
That I with you must dwell , or you with me
Henceforth ; my dwelling haply may not please ,
I,ike this fair Pm-adise , yonr sensé ? yet such
Accep , your Makers work ; he gave it me ,
Which I as freely give ; hell shall unfold ,
To entertain you two, her widest gâtes,
And send forth ail her kings ; there will he room ,
Not like thèse narrow limits, to receive
Your numerous offspiing : if no better place ,
Thank him who puts me loath to this revenge
On you , who wrong me not, for him who wrong'd.
And should I at your harmless innocence
Melt , as I do , yet pnhlic reason just ,
Honor and empire with revenge inlarg'd ,
By conq'ring this new world , compels me now
To do what else , though damn'd, 1 should ahhor
Reproches d'Adam à Eve :
llle uhi convictum claro se lumine vidit, Prodidit et totum discussio justa reatunr, Non prece summissa veniam pro crimine poscil r Non votis lacrymisve rogat , nec vindice fletu Pnecurrit meritam supplex confessio pœnara ; Jamque miser factus , nondum miscrabilis ille est. Erigitur sensu , tumidisque accensa querelis Fertur in insanas laxata superbia voces :
Heu maie perdendo mulier conjuncta roarito !
Quam sociam misero prima sub lege dedisti , Hœc me consiliis vicit devicla sinistris,
Parafe Ion, l.v. 4, ». 358-^.
NOTES
Et sibi juin notum pcrsuasit sumere pomum.
Ista h «a li caput est, çriiuen surrexit abista. Credulus ipse fui , sed credere tu docuisti , Connubium donans , et dulcia vincula nectens. Atque utinam felix , quse quondam sola vigebat Caelebs vita foret , talis nec conjugis unquam Fœdera-sensis^et, comiti non subdita pravx
Milton :
Out of my aight , thou serpent! that namebest
Befits thee with him leagu'd , thyself as l'aise
And hateful ; nothing wants, but that thy sliape ,
Like hia , and colour serpentine , may show
Thy inward fraud , to warn ail créatures from tbec
Henceforth ; lest that too heav'nly form , pretendcd
To hellish falsehood , snare thera ! But for thee
I bad persisted happy ; had not thy pride
And wand'ring vanity, when least was safe ,
Rejected my forewarning , and disdain'd
Not to lie trusted ; longing to be seen
Though by the Dev'l himself j him overweening
To over-reach ; but , with the serpent meeting ,
Fool'd and bcguil'd ; by lu m thou , I by ihee ,
To trust tbce from my side , imagin'd wise ,
Constant, mature, proof against ail assaults ;
And understood not ail was but a show
Rather than solid virtue , ail but a rib
Crooked by nature, bent, as now appears,
More to the part sinister, from me drawn ,
Well ifthrown out, as supernumerary
To my jusl number found. O why did God ,
Creator wise , that peopled highest heav'n
With spirits masculine , create at last
This novelty on earth , this fair defect
Of nature , and not nll the world at once
S*iht Avitk , \ir. 3, ». go-108.
NOTES
With Bien, as angcls, without féminine , Or find some other way to générale Mankînd? This mischief had not then befall'n , And more lhat shall befall ; innumerable Disturbances on earlh ihrough feraale snares , And strait conjunction with thia sex: for either Hc never shall find oui fit mate , but such As some misfortune brings him , or mistake ; Or whom he wishes mo&t sball seldom gain Through her perverseness , but shall see lier gain'd By a far worse ; or, if she love , withheld By parent* ; or his happiest eboice too late Shall meet , already lînk'd and wedlock bound To a fcll adversaiy, his hate or shame ; Which infinité calamity shall cause To hiiman lire , and household peace confound \
Dans cette description du Paradis , de l'orgueil et de la vengeance de Satan , des reproches d'Adam à Eve , saint Avite nous paraît sinon supérieur, au moins égal à Milton. La description que fait du Paradis saint Avite, un peu diffuse peut-être , est aussi plus riche , et je dirai presque plus locale ; celle de Milton ressemhle à toutes les peintures faciles d'un printemps éternel , d'un Elysée profane ; les images et les souvenirs de la fable y abondent ; on y retrouve Pan, les Grâces, les Heures ; toute la mythologie ancienne y figure. Saint Avite a peint la vengeance et les regrets de Satan avec une vigueur dépensées, une fierté pleine d'audace , à laquelle Milton n'a point atteint. Dans le discours qu'il prête à Satan , Milton trahit trop l'ancien républicain , et les souvenirs du politique , yet public reason just; les reproches d'Adam à Ève , reproches adroitement détournés dans saint Avite , et adressés à
. Paradise lest , liv. 10, v. 867-908.
NOTES. 359
Dieu . nous semblent tout à la fois , dans le poète latin , plus touchans et plus vrais ; dans la tristesse d'Adam il y a encore de la tendresse : mais Milton manque tout ensemble de mesure et de naturel ; la recherche de l'esprit s'y mêle à la dureté du cœur ; il a tout l'emportement d'une querelle domestique , et l'amertume d'une vieille colère.
Prétendons nous dire que le poème d'Avitus peut être, comme œuvre de génie , comparé à celui de Milton ? Non , sans doute ; nous voulions seulement montrer, dans son germe fécond , mais incomplet , la grande pensée du poème latin, et l'inspiration vigoureuse qu'au sixième siècle la foi communiquait encore à l'esprit ; inspiration qui , plus haute et plus soutenue dans Milton sous beaucoup de rapports , a cependant été altérée par les souvenirs d'une érudition souvent subtile , et par les habitudes singulières d'un siècle où le savoir , la religion et la politique se confondaient.
