Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
445 | | Ascended his high throne, which under state |
446 | | Of richest texture spread, at th’ upper end |
447 | | Was placed in regal luster. Down a while |
448 | | He sat, and round about him saw unseen. |
449 | | At last, as from a cloud, his fulgent |
450 | | And shape star-bright appeared, or brighter, clad |
451 | | With what permissive glory since his fall |
452 | | Was left him, or false glitter. All amazed |
453 | | At that so sudden blaze, the Stygian |
454 | | |
455 | | Their mighty chief returned. Loud was th’ acclaim! |
456 | | Forth rushed in haste the great consulting peers, |
457 | | Raised from their dark divan, |
458 | | Congratulant approached him, who with hand |
459 | | Silence, and with these words attention won: |
460 | | |
461 | | For in possession such, not only of right, |
462 | | I call ye and declare ye now, returned |
463 | | Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth |
464 | | Triumphant out of this infernal pit |
465 | | Abominable, accursed, the house of woe |
466 | | And dungeon of our tyrant. Now possess, |
467 | | As lords, a spacious world, t’ our native Heav’n |
468 | | Little inferior, by my adventure hard |
469 | | With peril great achieved. Long were to tell |
470 | | What I have done, what suffered, with what pain |
471 | | Voyaged th’ unreal, |
472 | | Of horrible confusion, over which |
473 | | By Sin and Death a broad way now is paved, |
474 | | To expedite your glorious march. But I |
475 | | |
476 | | The untractable |
477 | | Of unoriginal |
478 | | That, jealous of their secrets, fiercely opposed |
479 | | My journey strange, |
480 | | Protesting Fate supreme. Thence how I found |
481 | | The new created world, which fame |
482 | | Long had foretold, a fabric |
483 | | Of absolute |
484 | | Placed in a Paradise, by our exile |
485 | | Made happy. Him by fraud I have seduced |
486 | | From his Creator and, the more to increase |
487 | | |
488 | | Offended (worth your laughter!) hath given up |
489 | | Both His belovèd man and all his world |
490 | | To Sin and Death a prey, and so to us, |
491 | | Without our hazard, labor, or alarm, |
492 | | To range |
493 | | To rule, as over all He should have ruled. |
494 | | |
495 | | Me not, but the brute serpent in whose shape |
496 | | Man I deceived. That which to me belongs |
497 | | Is enmity, which He will put between |
498 | | Me and mankind. I am to bruise |
499 | | His seed (when is not set |
500 | | A world who would not purchase with a bruise, |
501 | | Or much more grievous pain? |
| | “Ye have th’ acc |
502 | | Of my performance. What remains, ye Gods, |
503 | | But up, and enter now into full bliss? |
504 | | |
505 | | Their universal shout and high applause |
506 | | To fill his ear—when, contrary, he hears |
507 | | On all sides, from innumerable tongues, |
508 | | |
509 | | Of public scorn. He wondered, but not long |
510 | | Had leisure, wond’ring at himself now more. |
511 | | His visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare; |
512 | | His arms clung to his ribs, his legs entwining |
513 | | Each other, till supplanted |
514 | | A monstrous serpent on his belly prone, |
515 | | Reluctant, |
516 | | Now ruled him, punished in the shape he sinned, |
517 | | According to his doom. |
518 | | But hiss for hiss returned with forkèd tongue |
519 | | To forkèd tongue, for now were all transformed |
520 | | Alike, to serpents all, as accessories |
521 | | |
522 | | Of hissing through the hall, thick swarming now |
523 | | With complicated |
524 | | Scorpion, and asp, and amphisbaena |
525 | | |
526 | | And dipsas |
527 | | Bedropped with blood of Gorgon, |
528 | | Ophiusa), |
529 | | Now dragon grown, larger than whom |
530 | | |
531 | | Huge python, and his |
532 | | Above the rest still to retain. They all |
533 | | Him followed, issuing forth to th’ open field, |