he wanted to catch any discrepancies or changes of text they might encounter. Little did they realize that they’d find a very large discrepancy indeed!
~
Calvin had just begun reading Book IV, in which Satan has found the Garden of Eden but is having self-doubts about whether it was in his best interest to be avenged on man, God’s best loved creation. His fall from the heavens was essentially tearing him apart, and he sat on the outskirts of the Garden, contemplating breaking in, so to speak, and bringing Chaos with him. Calvin read these lines:
So farewel Hope, and with Hope farewel Fear, Farewel Remorse: all Good to me is lost; Evil be thou my Good; by thee at least Divided Empire with Heav’ns King I hold
“Satan is saying goodbye to any last good feelings he has about God,” explained Julien. “He is committing himself to what he is about to do, which is to bring Hell into God’s own earthly paradise. He is talking himself into destroying God’s most precious creatures.”
“I wonder what the world would have been like, if he’d left us alone,” Natalie mused.
“I imagine that we’d be dwelling in perfect happiness and innocence, in surroundings totally void of what we consider civilization. We’d still be living in the Garden,” answered her uncle.
“But is that better?” wondered Calvin. “I can’t imagine living without books, or museums, or things baked in an oven. I’ve often wished to live with the wild animals I study in Africa, but I know I’d miss going to pubs, and plays, and I’d miss watching movies. And I can’t help but feel that I’d dislike running around like a buffoon, naked and ignorant.”
“And oh, to be denied the sight of a beautiful woman in a Valentino gown!” Uncle Julien’s eyes grew misty at some distant memory.
“But you wouldn’t know what you were missing,” Natalie argued. “If those things never existed, you could never long for them.”
They continued reading throughout the morning, until they came to a part of Book IV that described the Garden of Eden:
Of goodliest Trees loaden with fairest Fruit, Blossoms and Fruits at once of golden hue Appeerd, with gay enameld colours mixt: Fanning thir odoriferous wings dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole Those balmie spoiles. As when to them who saile Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past Mozambic, off at Sea North-East windes blow Sabean Odours from the spicie shoare
Natalie sighed. “I love how he describes Eden.” She closed her eyes. “I can almost smell the spices and perfumes in the air.”
“Nutmeg,” said Calvin dreamily.
“Pears and limes,” added Uncle Julien.
They shook their heads, as if from a spell, and Natalie took her turn reading.
Flowers of all hue, and without Thorn the Rose: Flowers of exotic enchantment, which wrest Malignant spirits from the soul And Goodly Herbes, though gone from man now, Herbes of power, and magical fruits, Fruits that heal all manner of woes, all suffering repel Roots of moste potente charms, hiding underground Resting til’ Eve brings them to the light
“Attendez!” cried Uncle Julien suddenly. “Those last lines were never in any translation, except the first line about the rose.” He read the unfamiliar section over again.
“He’s talking about plants that are now extinct, it sounds like,” said Natalie. “Herbs and flowers and such that have powerful healing properties. I wonder what they were?”
“And what does Milton mean when he writes, Resting til’ Eve brings them to the light?” Calvin asked.
“I don’t know,” Julien replied, his brow furrowed in concentration. “This is very curious. Very curious indeed! Why would he have left these lines out of the published poem?”
“Who knows, but we should mark the discrepancy and read on. Maybe he will enlighten us,” suggested Calvin.
~
After discovering such an intriguing addition to the poem, all three were on the alert for more differences. After a couple more days of reading, however, they had not found anything new. Despite their disappointment, they continued to read and appreciate the verse.
Of Eden planted; Eden stretchd her Line From Auran Eastward to the Royal Towrs Of Great Seleucia, built by Grecian Kings, Or where the Sons of Eden long before Dwelt in Telassar: in this pleasant soile His farr more pleasant Garden God ordaind
“I wonder what this part means,” Natalie said. “It sounds like he’s describing the actual boundaries of the Garden.”
“He is,” Julien affirmed. “Milton is describing areas from the east bank of the Jordan River in Israel, to Telassar City in Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq.”
“That’s quite a distance,” remarked Calvin. “I always thought of the Garden of Eden as a regular garden, maybe a few acres at the most.”
“Oh no, it was at least 600 miles across,” Julien assured him. “At least according to the boundaries set by John Milton,”he added.
“Please, do keep reading,” Natalie urged. “I am enthralled.”
And so on they read, interrupted only once around noon, when Mrs. Murphy arrived with a tray of hot tatties and a pitcher of ale. After a short break, which included a little flirting on Julien’s part with the widow Murphy, he took his turn reading, and paid especially close attention to Milton’s description of Eve.
Shee as a vail down to the slender waste Her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveld, but in wanton ringlets wav’d
“Ah,” he sighed, breaking off. “You young ladies these days are always chopping off your crowning glory.” He eyed Natalie’s short black hair and shook his head sadly.
“Oh Uncle!” Natalie laughed. “You’re a bit old-fashioned, I’m afraid.”
“Not at all,” he said. “Your hair is tres chic, and very becoming on you, but I do so love to unpin a woman’s glorious locks.”
Calvin eyed his uncle appraisingly. “I think you must see a good deal more action than is seemly for a man your age, Uncle.”
Julien’s warm brown eyes twinkled, and he pretended to be affronted. “What you call ‘action,’ my dear boy, I call romance!”
For the next several days they continued to read the poem. Julien was very familiar with it, and knew many sections by heart, but it was as if Natalie and Calvin were reading it for the first time. They had never given a poem such minute focus, and found that each line was infused with beauty and meaning. Their uncle explained the more obscure references, and they had a thoroughly enjoyable time, despite being all but sequestered in the library for a good part of the week. At last, they were nearing the end of the great work, and Calvin read the lines in which Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden, and their punishment is announced to them by God’s son.
To
