812
To be invulnerable in those bright arms,2301
813
Though tempered2302 Heav’nly, for that mortal dint,2303
814
Save He who reigns above, none can resist.
815
She finished, and the subtle fiend, his lore2304
816
Soon learned, now milder, and thus answered smooth:
817
“Dear daughter—since thou claim’st me for thy sire,
818
And my fair son here show’st me, the dear pledge2305
819
Of dalliance2306 had with thee in Heav’n, and joys
820
Then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change
821
Befall’n us unforeseen, unthought-of—know
822
I come no enemy, but to set free
823
From out this dark and dismal house of pain
824
Both him and thee, and all the Heav’nly host
825
Of Spirits that, in our just pretences2307 armed,
826
Fell with us from on high. From them I go
827
This uncouth2308 errand sole, 2309 and one for all
828
Myself expose, with lonely steps to tread
829
Th’ unfounded 2310 deep, and through the void immense
830
To search, with wand’ring quest, a place foretold
831
Should be—and by concurring signs, ere now
832
Created vast and round—a place of bliss
833
In the purlieus2311 of Heav’n, and therein placed
834
A race of upstart creatures, to supply
835
Perhaps our vacant room,2312 though more removed,2313
836
Lest Heav’n, surcharged2314 with potent2315 multitude,
837
Might hap to move2316 new broils.2317 Be this, or aught
838
Than this more secret, now designed,2318 I haste
839
To know, and this once known shall soon return
840
And bring ye to the place where thou and Death
841
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen
842
Wing silently the buxom2319 air, embalmed
843
With odors. There ye shall be fed and filled
844
Immeasurably; all things shall be your prey.
845
He ceased, for both seemed highly pleased, and Death
846
Grinned horrible a ghastly smile, to hear
847
His famine2320 should be filled, and blessed his maw2321
848
Destined to that good hour. No less rejoiced
849
His mother bad, and thus bespoke2322 her sire:
850
“The key of this infernal pit, by due2323
851
And by command of Heav’n’s all-powerful King,
852
I keep, by Him forbidden to unlock
853
These adamantine gates. Against all force
854
Death ready stands to interpose2324 his dart,2325
855
Fearless to be o’ermatched by living might.
856
But what owe I to His commands above,
857
Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down
858
Into this gloom of Tartarus2326 profound,2327
859
To sit in hateful office here confined,
860
Inhabitant of Heav’n and Heav’nly born—
861
Here in perpetual agony and pain,
862
With terrors and with clamors compassed round 2328
863
Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed?
864
Thou art my father, thou my author, thou
865
My being gav’st me. Whom should I obey
866
But thee? whom follow? Thou wilt bring me soon
867
To that new world of light and bliss, among
868
The gods who live at ease, where I shall reign
869
At thy right hand voluptuous,2329 as beseems2330
870
Thy daughter and thy darling, without end.
871
Thus saying, from her side the fatal key,
872
Sad instrument of all our woe, she took,
873
And towards the gate rolling her bestial train,2331
874
Forthwith the huge portcullis2332 high up-drew,
875
Which, but herself, not all the Stygian2333 Powers
876
Could once have moved, then in the key-hole turns
877
Th’ intricate wards,2334 and every bolt and bar
878
Of massy iron or solid rock with ease
879
Unfastens. On a sudden, open fly
880
(With impetuous2335 recoil and jarring sound)
881
Th’ infernal doors, and on their hinges grate
882
Harsh thunder, that the lowest bottom shook
883
Of Erebus.2336 She opened—but to shut
884
Excelled 2337 her power. The gates wide open stood,
885
That with extended wings a bannered host,
886
Under spread ensigns marching, might pass through
887
With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.
888
So wide they stood, and like a furnace-mouth
889
Cast forth redounding 2338 smoke and ruddy flame.
890
Before their eyes in sudden view appear
891
The secrets of the hoary deep—a dark
892
Illimitable ocean, without bound,
893
Without dimension, where length, breadth, and height,
894
And time, and place, are lost, where eldest Night
895
And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold
896
Eternal anarchy, amidst the noise
897
Of endless wars, and by confusion2339 stand.
898
For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce,
899
Strive here for mast’ry, and to battle bring
900
Their embryon2340 atoms. They around the flag
901
Of each his faction, in their several clans,
902
Light-armed or heavy, sharp, smooth, swift, or slow,
903
Swarm populous, unnumbered as the sands
904
Of Barca2341 or Cyrene’s2342 torrid soil,
905
Levied2343 to side with warring winds, and poise2344
906
Their lighter wings. To whom these most adhere, 2345
907
He rules a moment. Chaos umpire sits,
908
And by decision more embroils2346 the fray
909
By which he reigns. Next him, high arbiter,
910
Chance governs all. Into this wild abyss,
911
The womb of Nature, and perhaps her grave,
912
Of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire,
913
But all these in their pregnant causes mixed
914
Confus’dly, and which thus must ever fight,
915
Unless th’Almighty Maker them ordain2347
916
His dark materials to create more worlds—
917
Into this wild abyss the wary2348 fiend
918
Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while,
919
Pondering his voyage, for no narrow frith2349
920
He had to cross. Nor was his ear less pealed 2350
921
With noises loud and ruinous2351 (to compare
922
Great things with small) than when Bellona2352 storms
923
With all her battering engines,2353 bent2354 to raze2355
924
Some capital city; or less than if this frame
925
Of Heav’n were falling, and these elements
926
In mutiny had from her axle torn
927
The steadfast earth. At last his sail-broad vans 2356
928
He spread for flight and, in the surging smoke
929
Uplifted, spurns2357 the ground, thence many a league,
930
As in a cloudy chair, ascending rides
931
Audacious,2358 but that seat soon failing, meets
932
A vast vacuity. All unawares,
933
Flutt’ring his pennons 2359 vain,2360 plumb-down he drops
934
Ten thousand fathom deep, and to this hour
935
Down had been falling, had not, by ill chance,
936
The strong rebuff 2361 of some tumultuous cloud,
937
Instinct2362 with fire and niter, 2363 hurried him
938
As many miles aloft. That fury2364 stayed—2365
939
Quenched in a boggy Syrtis,2366 neither sea,
940
Nor good dry land—nigh2367 foundered,2368 on he fares,
941
Treading the crude2369 consistence, 2370 half on foot,
942
Half flying. Behoves him now2371 both oar and sail.
943
As when a gryphon2372 through the wilderness
944
With wingèd course, o’er hill or moory dale,
945
Pursues the Arimaspian,2373 who by stealth
946
Had from his2374 wakeful2375 custody purloined2376
947
The guarded gold, so eagerly the fiend
948
O’er bog or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare,
949
With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way,
950
And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies.
951
At length a universal hubbub wild
952
Of stunning sounds, and voices all confused,
953
Borne through the hollow dark, assaults his ear
954
With loudest vehemence. 2377 Thither he plies 2378
955
Undaunted, to meet there whatever Power
956
Or Spirit of the nethermost abyss
957
Might in that noise reside, of whom to ask
958
Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies,
959
Bord’ring on light. When straight behold the throne
960
Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread
961
Wide on the wasteful deep! With him enthroned
962
Sat sable-vested Night, eldest of things,
963
The consort 2379 of his reign; and by them stood
964
Orcus and Adès,2380 and the dreaded name
965
Of Demogorgon,2381 Rumor next, and Chance,
966
And Tumult, and Confusion, all embroiled,2382
967
And Discord with a thousand various 2383 mouths.
968
T’ whom Satan, turning boldly, thus: “Ye Powers
969
And Spirits of this nethermost abyss,
970
Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy
971
With purpose to explore or to disturb
972
The secrets of your realm, but by constraint
973
Wand’ring this darksome desert, as my way
974
Lies through your spacious empire up to light,
975
Alone and without guide, half lost, I seek
976
What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds
977
Confine 2384 with Heav’n, or if some other place
978
From your dominion won,2385 th’ Ethereal King
979
Possesses lately, thither to arrive
980
I travel this profound,2386 direct2387 my course:
981
Directed, no mean2388 recompense it brings
982
To your behoof, 2389 if I that region lost,2390
983
All usurpation2391 thence expelled, reduce
984
To her original darkness, and your sway
985
(Which is my present journey), and once more
986
Erect the standard2392 there of ancient Night.
987
Yours be th’ advantage all, mine the revenge!
988
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch2393 old,
989
With falt’ring speech and visage incomposed,2394
990
Answered: “I know thee, stranger, who thou art—
991
That mighty leading Angel, who of late
992
Made head 2395 against Heav’n’s King, though overthrown.
993
I saw and heard, for such a numerous host
994
Fled not in silence through the frighted deep,
995
With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,2396
996
Confusion worse confounded.2397 And Heav’n-gates
997
Poured out by millions her victorious bands,
998
Pursuing. I upon my frontiers here
999
Keep residence; if all I can2398 will serve
1000
That little which is left so2399 to def
1001
Encroached on still through our intestine2400 broils,2401
1002
Weakening the scepter of old Night. First Hell,
1003
Your dungeon, stretching far and wide beneath;
1004
Now lately Heav’n and earth, another world
1005
Hung o’er my realm, linked in a golden chain
1006
To that side Heav’n from whence your legions fell!
1007
If that way be your walk, you have not far;
1008
So much the nearer danger. Go, and speed;2402
1009
Havoc, and spoil, and ruin, are my gain.
1010
He ceased, and Satan stayed not to reply,
1011
But glad that now his sea should find a shore,
1012
With fresh alacrity and force renewed
1013
Springs upward like a pyramid of fire,
1014
Into the wild expanse, and through the shock2403
1015
Of fighting elements, on all sides round
1016
1017
And more endangered than when Argo2406 passed
1018
Through Bosphorus betwixt the jostling rocks,
1019
Or when Ulysses on the larboard 2407 shunned
The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Page 20