by John Milton
His righteous altar, bowing lowly down
To bestial gods; for which their heads as low
Bowed down in battle, sunk before the spear
Of despicable foes. With these in troop
Came Astoreth,438 whom the Phoenicians called
Astarte, Queen of Heav’n, with crescent horns;
To whose bright image nightly by the moon
Sidonian virgins paid their vows and songs,
In Sion also not unsung, where stood
Her temple on th’ offensive mountain, built
By that uxorious king, whose heart though large,
Beguiled by fair idolatresses, fell
To idols foul444. Thammuz came next behind,446
Whose annual wound in Lebanon allured
The Syrian damsels to lament his fate
In amorous ditties all a summer’s day,
While smooth Adonis from his native rock
Ran purple to the sea, supposed with blood
Of Thammuz yearly wounded: the love-tale
Infected Sion’s daughters with like heat,
Whose wanton passions in the sacred porch
Ezekiel455 saw, when by the vision led
His eye surveyed the dark idolatries
Of alienated Judah. Next came one457
Who mourned in earnest, when the captive ark
Maimed his brute image, head and hands lopped off
In his own temple, on the grunsel edge,
Where he fell flat, and shamed his worshippers:
Dagon his name, sea monster, upward man
And downward fish: yet had his temple high
Reared in Azotus, dreaded through the coast
Of Palestine, in Gath and Ascalon
And Accaron and Gaza’s frontier bounds.
Him followed Rimmon, whose delightful seat
Was fair Damascus, on the fertile banks
Of Abbana and Pharphar, lucid streams.
He also against the house of God was bold:
A leper once he lost and gained a king471,
Ahaz his sottish472 conqueror, whom he drew
God’s altar to disparage and displace
For one of Syrian mode, whereon to burn
His odious off’rings, and adore the gods
Whom he had vanquished. After these appeared
A crew who under names of old renown,
Osiris478, Isis, Orus and their train
With monstrous shapes and sorceries abused
Fanatic Egypt and her priests, to seek
Their wand’ring gods disguised in brutish forms
Rather than human. Nor did Israel scape
Th’ infection when their borrowed gold composed
The calf484 in Oreb: and the rebel king
Doubled that sin in Bethel and in Dan,
Lik’ning his Maker to the grazèd ox,
Jehovah, who in one night when he passed
From Egypt marching, equaled488 with one stroke
Both her first born and all her bleating gods.
Belial490 came last, than whom a spirit more lewd
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love
Vice for itself: to him no temple stood
Or altar smoked; yet who more oft than he
In temples and at altars, when the priest
Turns atheist, as did Eli’s sons495, who filled
With lust and violence the house of God.
In courts and palaces he also reigns
And in luxurious cities, where the noise
Of riot ascends above their loftiest tow’rs,
And injury and outrage: and when night
Darkens the streets, then wander forth the sons
Of Belial, flown502 with insolence and wine.
Witness the streets of Sodom, and that night503
In Gibeah, when the hospitable door
Exposed a matron505 to avoid worse rape.
These were the prime in order and in might;
The rest were long to tell, though far renowned,
Th’ Ionian gods, of Javan’s issue held
Gods, yet confessed later than Heav’n and Earth509
Their boasted parents; Titan Heav’n’s first born
With his enormous brood, and birthright seized
By younger Saturn, he from mightier Jove
His own and Rhea’s son like measure found;
So Jove usurping reigned: these first in Crete
And Ida515 known, thence on the snowy top
Of cold Olympus516 ruled the middle air
Their highest heav’n; or on the Delphian cliff517,
Or in Dodona518, and through all the bounds
Of Doric land519; or who with Saturn old
Fled over520 Adria to th’ Hesperian fields,
And o’er the Celtic roamed the utmost isles.
All these and more came flocking; but with looks
Downcast and damp523, yet such wherein appeared
Obscure some glimpse of joy, to have found their chief
Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost
In loss itself; which on his count’nance cast
Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride
Soon recollecting528, with high words, that bore
Semblance of worth, not substance, gently raised
Their fainting courage, and dispelled their fears.
Then straight commands that at the warlike sound
Of trumpets loud and clarions532 be upreared
His mighty standard; that proud honor claimed
Azazel534 as his right, a cherub tall:
Who forthwith from the glittering staff unfurled
Th’ imperial ensign, which full high advanced
Shone like a meteor537 streaming to the wind
With gems and golden luster rich emblazed538,
Seraphic arms and trophies: all the while
Sonorous metal540 blowing martial sounds:
At which the universal host upsent
A shout that tore Hell’s concave542, and beyond
Frighted the reign543 of Chaos and old Night.
All in a moment through the gloom were seen
Ten thousand banners rise into the air
With orient546 colors waving: with them rose
A forest huge of spears: and thronging helms
Appeared, and serried548 shields in thick array
Of depth immeasurable: anon they move
In perfect phalanx to the Dorian550 mood
Of flutes and soft recorders; such as raised
To highth of noblest temper heroes old
Arming to battle, and instead of rage
Deliberate valor breathed, firm and unmoved
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,
Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage556
With solemn touches, troubled thoughts, and chase
Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they
Breathing united force with fixèd thought
Moved on in silence to soft pipes that charmed
Their painful steps o’er the burnt soil; and now
Advanced in view they stand, a horrid563 front
Of dreadful length and dazzling arms, in guise
Of warriors old565 with ordered spear and shield,
Awaiting what command their mighty chief
Had to impose: he through the armèd files567
Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse
The whole battalion views, their order due,
Their visages and stature as of gods,
Their number last he sums571. And now his heart
Distends with pride, and hard’ning in his strength
Glories: for never since created man573,
Met such embodied force, as named with these
Could merit more than that small infantry575
Warred on by cranes: though all the giant
brood
Of Phlegra577 with th’ heroic race were joined
That fought578 at Thebes and Ilium, on each side
Mixed with auxiliar579 gods; and what resounds
In fable or romance of Uther’s son580
Begirt with British and Armoric knights;
And all who since, baptized or infidel,
Jousted in Aspramont or Montalban583,
Damasco, or Marocco, or Trebisond,
Or whom Biserta585 sent from Afric shore
When Charlemagne with all his peerage fell586
By Fontarabia. Thus far these beyond
Compare of mortal prowess, yet observed588
Their dread commander: he above the rest
In shape and gesture proudly eminent
Stood like a tow’r; his form had yet not lost
All her original brightness, nor appeared
Less than Archangel ruined, and th’ excess
Of glory594 obscured: as when the sun new ris’n
Looks through the horizontal misty air
Shorn596 of his beams, or from behind the moon
In dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds
On half the nations, and with fear of change
Perplexes599 monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone
Above them all th’ Archangel: but his face
Deep scars of thunder had intrenched601, and care
Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows
Of dauntless courage, and considerate603 pride
Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast
Signs of remorse and passion605 to behold
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather
(Far other once beheld in bliss) condemned
For ever now to have their lot in pain,
Millions of spirits for his fault amerced609
Of Heav’n, and from eternal splendors flung
For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood,
Their glory withered. As when heaven’s fire
Hath scathed the forest oaks or mountain pines,
With singèd top their stately growth though bare
Stands on the blasted heath615. He now prepared
To speak; whereat their doubled ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half enclose him round
With all his peers: attention held them mute.
Thrice he assayed, and thrice in spite of scorn,
Tears such as angels weep burst forth620: at last
Words interwove with sighs found out their way.
O myriads of immortal spirits, O powers
Matchless, but with th’ Almighty, and that strife
Was not inglorious, though th’ event624 was dire,
As this place testifies, and this dire change
Hateful to utter: but what power of mind
Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth
Of knowledge past or present, could have feared,
How such united force of gods, how such
As stood like these, could ever know repulse?
For who can yet believe, though after loss,
That all these puissant632 legions, whose exile
Hath emptied Heav’n, shall fail to reascend
Self-raised, and repossess their native seat?
For me be witness all the host of Heav’n,
If counsels different, or danger shunned
By me, have lost our hopes. But he who reigns
Monarch in Heav’n, till then as one secure
Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Consent or custom, and his regal state
Put forth at full, but still641 his strength concealed,
Which tempted our attempt642, and wrought our fall.
Henceforth his might we know, and know our own
So as not either to provoke, or dread
New war, provoked; our better part remains
To work in close646 design, by fraud or guile
What force effected not: that he no less
At length from us may find, who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Space may produce650 new worlds; whereof so rife
There went a fame651 in Heav’n that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant
A generation653, whom his choice regard
Should favor equal to the sons of Heav’n:
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
Our first eruption656, thither or elsewhere:
For this infernal pit shall never hold
Celestial spirits in bondage, nor th’ abyss
Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts
Full counsel must mature: peace is despaired,
For who can think submission? War then, war
Open or understood must be resolved.”
He spake: and to confirm his words, out flew
Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs
Of mighty Cherubim; the sudden blaze
Far round illumined Hell: highly they raged
Against the Highest, and fierce with graspèd arms
Clashed on their sounding shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.
There stood a hill not far whose grisly top
Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
Shone with a glossy scurf672, undoubted sign
That in his womb673 was hid metallic ore,
The work of sulfur674. Thither winged with speed
A numerous brigade hastened. As when bands
Of pioneers676 with spade and pickax armed
Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field,
Or cast a rampart. Mammon678 led them on,
Mammon, the least erected679 spirit that fell
From Heav’n, for ev’n in Heav’n his looks and thoughts
Were always downward bent, admiring more
The riches of Heav’n’s pavement682, trodden gold,
Than aught divine or holy else enjoyed
In vision beatific684: by him first
Men also, and by his suggestion taught,
Ransacked the center686, and with impious hands
Rifled the bowels of their mother Earth
For treasures better hid. Soon688 had his crew
Opened into the hill a spacious wound
And digged out ribs690 of gold. Let none admire
That riches grow in Hell; that soil may best
Deserve the precious bane. And here let those
Who boast in mortal things, and wond’ring tell
Of Babel,694 and the works of Memphian kings,
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame,
And strength and art are easily outdone
By spirits reprobate, and in an hour
What in an age they with incessant toil
And hands innumerable scarce perform.
Nigh on the700 plain in many cells prepared,
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluiced from the lake, a second multitude
With wondrous art founded the massy ore,
Severing each kind, and scummed the bullion dross:
A third as705 soon had formed within the ground
A various mold, and from the boiling cells
By strange conveyance filled each hollow nook,
As in an organ from one blast of wind
To many a row of pipes the soundboard breathes.
Anon out of the earth a fabric710 huge
Rose like an711 exhalation, with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet,
Built713 like a temple, where pilasters round
Were set, and Doric714 pillars overlaid
With golden architrave715; nor did there want
Cornice or frieze716, with bossy sculptures grav’n;
The roof was fretted gold717. Not Babylon,
Nor great Alcairo718 such magnificence
Equaled in all their glories, to enshrine
Belus720 or Serapis their gods, or seat
Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove
In wealth and luxury. Th’ ascending pile722
Stood fixed her stately highth, and straight the doors
Op’ning their brazen folds discover wide
Within, her ample spaces, o’er the smooth
And level pavement: from the archèd roof
Pendant by subtle magic many a row
Of starry lamps and blazing cressets728 fed
With naphtha729 and asphaltus yielded light
As from a sky. The hasty multitude
Admiring entered, and the work some praise
And some the architect: his hand was known
In Heav’n by many a towered structure high,
Where sceptered angels held their residence,
And sat as princes, whom the supreme King
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule,
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.
Nor was his name unheard or unadored
In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land739
Men740 called him Mulciber; and how he fell
From Heav’n, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove
Sheer o’er the crystal battlements; from morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer’s day; and with the setting sun
Dropped from the zenith745 like a falling star,
On Lemnos th’ Aegean isle: thus they relate,
Erring; for he with this rebellious rout
Fell long before; nor aught availed him now
To have built in Heav’n high tow’rs; nor did he scape
By all his engines750, but was headlong sent
With his industrious crew to build in Hell.
Meanwhile the wingèd heralds by command
Of sov’reign power, with awful ceremony
And trumpets’ sound throughout the host proclaim
A solemn council forthwith to be held
At Pandaemonium756, the high capital
Of Satan and his peers: their summons called
From every band and squarèd regiment
By place or choice759 the worthiest; they anon
With hundreds and with thousands trooping came
Attended: all access was thronged, the gates
And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall
(Though like a covered field, where champions bold
Wont764 ride in armed, and at the soldan’s chair
Defied the best of paynim765 chivalry
To mortal combat or career766 with lance)
Thick swarmed767, both on the ground and in the air,
Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees
In springtime, when the sun with Taurus769 rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers