The four men now, at eight o'clock, went down to supper: a very spare and
frugal meal, so far as Milton was concerned: for all he consumed was a
little light wine, a piece of bread and a few olives. His flow of speech
was still unwearied, his spirits as near vivacity as they could approach
it, when his friends rose to take leave. "The night is yet young," said
Paget, "but I know that nowadays you seek rest early." "That is so,"
Milton assented, "since I am no longer able to study o' nights, and
since the best of secretaries,"--he smiled towards Elwood--"must needs
grow weary of a blind man's whims, I were as well in bed as out of it.
Moreover, I can compose my lines to better advantage lying down."
"One thing, at least, you are spared," Marvell told him, "darkness
cannot discommode your doings, nor doth the eye-weariness of the
midnight student afflict you with grievous brow-aches in the morning as
of old."
Milton answered, "My darkness hitherto, by the singular kindness of God,
amid rest and studies, and the voices and greetings of friends, has been
much easier to bear than that deathly one. What should prevent me from
resting in the belief that eyesight lies not in eyes alone, but enough
for all purposes in God's leading and providence? And to you now I bid
farewell, with a mind not less brave and steadfast than if I were
Lynceus himself for keenness of sight."
In a short space of time he was at rest in his darkened room; not as yet
drowsy, but revolving great phrases, and deriving a greater joy from
these lonely silences of the night-watches than could ever accrue to him
by day. Gradually the aisles and bowers of the Paradise which his mental
eyes enjoyed took upon them more and more the lovely similitude of rural
England. The greennesses and sweetnesses of his childhood's home, the
Buckinghamshire village, were fused into the "eternal spring" of the
primeval garden. And from the "glassy, cool, translucent wave" of the
river that ran through Eden,
"by the rushy-fringed bank
Where grows the willow and the osier dank,"
arose "Sabrina, attended by water-nymphs" as once he saw her rise in
_Comus_, and sang the sightless bard to sleep with the plashing of
water-music.
[Illustration: "Rose"]
_Printed by Percy Lund, Humphries & Co., Ltd._
_Bradford and London._
_10322_
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Transcriber's Notes:
Some illustration's captions have been moved out of the paragraph.
The following captions have been added:
Illustration: Colour plate of book cover;
Illustration: Byron portrait plate;
Illustration: Paradise lost plate;
Illustration: "Angel" plate;
Illustration: Comus colour plate;
Illustration: Satan in paradise colour plate;
Illustration: Il Penseroso colour plate;
Illustration: "Rose".
The following noted Illustration was removed:
Dropped Cap "A" at start of text - "About ..."
Spelling has been made consistent throughout.