PARADISE REGAINED 8

Fitzwilliam Museum
Paradise Regained
Christ's troubled sleep

Paradise Regained, Book 4

The Kingdoms of the world to thee I give;
For giv'n to me, I give to whom I please,
No trifle; yet with this reserve, not else, [ 165 ]
On this condition, if thou wilt fall down,
And worship me as thy superior Lord,
Easily done, and hold them all of me;
For what can less so great a gift deserve?
Whom thus our Saviour answer'd with disdain. [ 170 ]
I never lik'd thy talk, thy offers less,
Now both abhor, since thou hast dar'd to utter
The abominable terms, impious condition;
But I endure the time, till which expir'd,
Thou hast permission on me. It is written [ 175 ]
The first of all Commandments, Thou shalt worship
The Lord thy God, and only him shalt serve;
And dar'st thou to the Son of God propound
To worship thee accurst, now more accurst
For this attempt bolder then that on Eve, [ 180 ]
And more blasphemous? which expect to rue
...
So saying, he took (for still he knew his power
Not yet expir'd) and to the Wilderness [ 395 ] 
Brought back the Son of God, and left him there,
Feigning to disappear. Darkness now rose,
As day-light sunk, and brought in lowring night
Her shadowy off-spring, unsubstantial both,
Privation meer of light and absent day. [ 400 ]
Our Saviour meek and with untroubl'd mind
After his aerie jaunt, though hurried sore,
Hungry and cold betook him to his rest,
Wherever, under some concourse of shades
Whose branching arms thick intertwin'd might shield [ 405 ]
From dews and damps of night his shelter'd head,
But shelter'd slept in vain, for at his head
The Tempter watch'd, and soon with ugly dreams
Disturb'd his sleep; and either Tropic now
'Gan thunder; and both ends of Heav'n, the Clouds [ 410 ]
From many a horrid rift abortive pour'd
Fierce rain with lightning mixt, water with fire
In ruine reconcil'd: nor slept the winds
Within thir stony caves, but rush'd abroad
From the four hinges of the world, and fell [ 415 ]
On the vext Wilderness, whose tallest Pines,
Though rooted deep as high, and sturdiest Oaks
Bow'd thir Stiff necks, loaden with stormy blasts,
Or torn up sheer: ill wast thou shrouded then,
O patient Son of God, yet only stood'st [ 420 ]
Unshaken; nor yet staid the terror there,
Infernal Ghosts, and Hellish Furies, round
Environ'd thee, some howl'd, some yell'd, some shriek'd,
Some bent at thee their fiery darts, while thou
Sat'st unappall'd in calm and sinless peace. [ 425 ]

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It seems that Milton knew that Satan would not approach Jesus only through his ego - through his conscious mind - but would access the unconscious where fears, failures, and hidden secrets might be stored. In Paradise Regained through troubled dreams Jesus was exposed to disturbing events which threatened his calm. Although Milton wrote of natural events of storms, terrors, furries, and fiery darts, Blake pictured a dream of a dark, demented God releasing monstrous serpents.

Blake showed a terrifying aspect of God being encountered in the dream. Later when Blake made illustrations for the book of Job, he pictured on page 11 the frightening event of seeing God as an evil, angry being entwined by a serpent, and surrounded by the elements being released in all their power. When Blake portrayed the 'troubled sleep' of Jesus he showed a weak God who appeared to be more a victim than a victimizer. The ugly God was no threat to Jesus who knew himself to be under the protection of a loving God who is wise, and kind and good and who shielded him from the dark forces such as those which welled up from Job's unconscious.

Jerusalem Bible
Job 33: 14-30
God speaks first in one way, and then in another, but not one notices. He speaks by dreams, and visions that come in the night, when slumber comes on mankind, and men are all asleep in bed. Then it is he whispers in the ear of man, or may frighten him with fearful sights, to turn him away from evil-doing, and make an end of his pride; to save his soul from the pit and his life from the pathway to Sheol. With suffering, too, he corrects man on his sickbed, when his bones keep trembling with palsy; when his whole self is revolted by food, and his appetite spurns dainties; when his flesh rots as you watch it, and his bare bones begin to show; when his soul is drawing near to the pit, and his life to the dwelling of the dead. Then there is an Angel by his side, a Mediator, chosen out of thousands, to remind a man where his duty lies, to take pity on him and to say, "Release him from descent into the pit, for I have found a ransom for his life"; his flesh recovers the bloom of its youth, he lives again as he did when he was young. He prays to God who has restored him to favor, and comes, in happiness, to see his face. He publishes far and wide the news of his vindication, singing before his fellow men this hymn of praise, "I sinned and left the path of right, but God has not punished me as my sin deserved. He has spared my soul from going down into the pit, and is allowing my life to continue in the light." All this God does again and yet again for man, rescuing his soul from the pit, and letting the light of life shine bright on him.

Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Song 5, (E 7)  
"The Shepherd.
How sweet is the Shepherds sweet lot,
From the morn to the evening he strays:
He shall follow his sheep all the day
And his tongue shall be filled with praise.

For he hears the lambs innocent call,
And he hears the ewes tender reply,
He is watchful while they are in peace,
For they know when their Shepherd is nigh."

Songs of Experience, Song 34, (E 20)
"The Little Girl Lost
...
Sweet sleep come to me
Underneath this tree;
Do father, mother weep.--
Where can Lyca sleep.

Lost in desart wild
Is your little child.
How can Lyca sleep,
If her mother weep.

If her heart does ake, 
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Lyca shall not weep.

Frowning frowning night,
O'er this desart bright,
Let thy moon arise,
While I close my eyes.

Sleeping Lyca lay;
While the beasts of prey,

Come from caverns deep, 
View'd the maid asleep

The kingly lion stood
And the virgin view'd,
Then he gambold round
O'er the hallowd ground;

SONGS 35
Leopards, tygers play,
Round her as she lay;
While the lion old,
Bow'd his mane of gold.

And her bosom lick,
And upon her neck,
From his eyes of flame,
Ruby tears there came;

While the lioness,
Loos'd her slender dress,
And naked they convey'd
To caves the sleeping maid."  

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Notice the head of a lion in the lower right hand corner of the picture.