The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems

by John Milton; Burton Raffel

  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
r />   Environed,2404 wins his way, harder beset 2405

  1017

  And more endangered than when Argo2406 passed

  1018

  Through Bosphorus betwixt the jostling rocks,

  1019

  Or when Ulysses on the larboard 2407 shunned