The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (113 page)

180

Enmity, and between thine and her seed.

181

Her seed shall bruise
⁵²⁵⁸
thy head, thou bruise his heel.

182

   
So spoke this oracle, then verified

183

When Jesus, Son of Mary, second Eve,

184

Saw Satan fall, like lightning, down from Heav’n,

185

Prince of the air. Then rising from his
⁵²⁵⁹
grave

186

Spoiled
⁵²⁶⁰
Principalities and Powers, triumphed

187

In open show
⁵²⁶¹
and, with ascension bright,

188

Captivity led captive through the air,

189

The realm itself of Satan, long usurped,
⁵²⁶²

190

Whom he
⁵²⁶³
shall tread at last under our feet,

191

Ev’n he,
⁵²⁶⁴
who now foretold his
⁵²⁶⁵
fatal bruise,
⁵²⁶⁶

192

And to the woman thus His sentence turned:

193

   
“Thy sorrow I will greatly multiply

194

By thy conception.
⁵²⁶⁷
Children thou shalt bring

195

In sorrow forth, and to thy husband’s will

196

Thine shall submit. He over thee shall rule.

197

On Adam last thus judgment He pronounced:

198

   
“Because thou hast heark’ned to the voice of thy wife,

199

And eaten of the tree, concerning which

200

I charged thee, saying, ‘Thou shalt not eat thereof,

201

Cursed is the ground for thy sake. Thou in sorrow

202

Shalt eat thereof all the days of thy life.

203

Thorns also and thistles it shall bring thee forth

204

Unbid,
⁵²⁶⁸
and thou shalt eat th’ herb of the field.

205

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,

206

Till thou return unto the ground, for thou

207

Out of the ground wast taken: know thy birth,

208

For dust thou art, and shalt to dust return.

209

   
So judged He man, both Judge and Savior sent,

210

And th’ instant stroke of death denounced
⁵²⁶⁹
that day,

211

Removed far off. Then pitying how they stood

212

Before Him, naked to the air, that now

213

Must suffer change, disdained not to begin

214

Thenceforth the form of servant to assume,

215

As when He washed His servant’s feet. So now,

216

As Father of His family, He clad

217

Their nakedness with skins of beasts, or slain,

218

Or as the snake with youthful coat
⁵²⁷⁰
repaid,
⁵²⁷¹

219

And thought not much
⁵²⁷²
to clothe His enemies.

220

Nor He their outward only with the skins

221

Of beasts, but inward nakedness, much more

222

Opprobrious,
⁵²⁷³
with His robe of righteousness

223

Arraying, covered from His Father’s sight.

224

   
To Him with swift ascent he up returned,

225

Into His blissful bosom reassumed

226

In glory, as of old. To Him appeased,
⁵²⁷⁴

227

All (though all-knowing) what had passed with man

228

Recounted, mixing intercession sweet.

229

   
Meanwhile, ere thus was sinned and judged on earth,

230

Within the gates of Hell sat Sin and Death,

231

In counterview
⁵²⁷⁵
within the gates, that now

232

Stood open wide, belching outrageous
⁵²⁷⁶
flame

233

Far into Chaos, since the fiend passed through,

234

Sin opening,
⁵²⁷⁷
who thus now to Death began:

235

   
“O son, why sit we here, each other viewing

236

Idly, while Satan, our great author, thrives

237

In other worlds, and happier seat
⁵²⁷⁸
provides

238

For us, his offspring dear? It cannot be

239

But that success attends him. If mishap,

240

Ere this he had returned, with fury driv’n

241

By his avengers, since no place like this

242

Can fit his punishment, or their revenge.

243

Methinks I feel new strength within me rise,

244

Wings growing, and dominion
⁵²⁷⁹
giv’n me large
⁵²⁸⁰

245

Beyond this deep. Whatever draws me on,
⁵²⁸¹

246

Or
⁵²⁸²
sympathy,
⁵²⁸³
or some connatural
⁵²⁸⁴
force,

247

Powerful
⁵²⁸⁵
at greatest distance to unite,

248

With secret amity, things of like kind,

249

By secretest conveyance. Thou, my shade

250

Inseparable, must with me along,

251

For Death from Sin no power can separate.

252

But lest the difficulty of passing back

253

Stay his return, perhaps, over this gulf
⁵²⁸⁶

254

Impassable, impervious,
⁵²⁸⁷
let us try

255

Advent’rous
⁵²⁸⁸
work, yet to thy power and mine

256

Not unagreeable, to found
⁵²⁸⁹
a path

257

Over this main
⁵²⁹⁰
from Hell to that new world

258

Where Satan now prevails, a monument

259

Of merit high to all th’ infernal host,

260

Easing their passage hence, for intercourse
⁵²⁹¹

261

Or transmigration, as their lot shall lead.

262

Nor can I miss
⁵²⁹²
the way, so strongly drawn

263

By this new-felt attraction and instinct.

264

Whom thus the meager shadow answered soon:

265

   
“Go whither Fate and inclination strong

266

Leads thee. I shall not lag behind, nor err
⁵²⁹³

267

The way, thou leading—such a scent I draw
⁵²⁹⁴

268

Of carnage, prey innumerable, and taste
⁵²⁹⁵

269

The savor of death from all things there that live.