The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (117 page)

534		Where all yet left of that revolted rout, 5435
535		Heav’n-fall’n, in station 5436 stood or just 5437 array,
536		Sublime 5438 with expectation when to see
537		In triumph issuing forth their glorious chief.
538		They saw, but other sight instead! a crowd
539		Of ugly serpents. Horror on them fell,
540		And horrid sympathy, for what they saw
541		They felt themselves now changing. Down their arms,
542		Down fell both spear and shield, down they as fast,
543		And the dire hiss renewed, and the dire form
544		Catched by contagion, 5439 like 5440 in punishment
545		As in their crime. Thus was th’ applause they meant
546		Turned to exploding hiss, triumph to shame
547		Cast on themselves from their own mouths. There stood
548		A grove hard by, sprung up with 5441 this their change
549		(His will who reigns above, to aggravate 5442
550		Their penance), laden with fair fruit, like that
551		Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve
552

Used by the Tempter. On that prospect
⁵⁴⁴³
strange
⁵⁴⁴⁴

553

      

Their earnest eyes they fixed, imagining

554

      

For one forbidden tree a multitude

555

      

Now ris’n, to work them further woe or shame.

556

      

Yet parched with scalding thirst and hunger fierce,

557

      

Though to delude them sent, could not abstain,

558

      

But on they rolled in heaps, and up the trees

559

      

Climbing, sat thicker than the snaky locks

560

      

That curled Megaera.
⁵⁴⁴⁵
Greedily they plucked

561

      

The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew

562

      

Near that bituminous
⁵⁴⁴⁶
lake
⁵⁴⁴⁷
where Sodom flamed—

563

      

This more delusive, not the touch, but taste

564

      

Deceived. They fondly
⁵⁴⁴⁸
thinking to allay

565

      

Their appetite with gust,
⁵⁴⁴⁹
instead of fruit

566

      

Chewed bitter ashes, which th’ offended taste

567

      

With spattering noise rejected. Oft they assayed,

568

      

Hunger and thirst constraining, drugged
⁵⁴⁵⁰
as oft,

569

      

With hatefullest disrelish
⁵⁴⁵¹
writhed their jaws,

570

      

With soot and cinders filled. So oft they fell

571

      

Into the same illusion, not as man

572

      

Whom they triumphed
⁵⁴⁵²
once
⁵⁴⁵³
lapsed. Thus were they plagued

573

      

And worn with famine,
⁵⁴⁵⁴
long and ceaseless hiss,

574

      

Till their lost shape, permitted, they resumed,

575

      

Yearly enjoined, some say, to undergo

576

      

This annual humbling certain
⁵⁴⁵⁵
numbered days,

577

      

To dash
⁵⁴⁵⁶
their pride and joy for man seduced.

578

      

However, some tradition
⁵⁴⁵⁷
they dispersed
⁵⁴⁵⁸

579

      

Among the heathen, of their purchase
⁵⁴⁵⁹
got,

580

      

And fabled how the serpent, whom they called

581

      

Ophion,
⁵⁴⁶⁰
with Eurynome
⁵⁴⁶¹
(the wide-

582

      

Encroaching Eve,
⁵⁴⁶²
perhaps), had first the rule

583

      

Of high Olympus, thence by Saturn driv’n

584

      

And Ops,
⁵⁴⁶³
ere yet Dictaean Jove
⁵⁴⁶⁴
was born.

585

      

   
Meanwhile in Paradise the hellish pair

586

      

Too soon arrived, Sin there in power before,

587

      

Once
⁵⁴⁶⁵
actual,
⁵⁴⁶⁶
now in body, and to dwell

588

      

Habitual habitant; behind her Death,

589

      

Close following pace for pace, not mounted yet

590

      

On his pale horse.
⁵⁴⁶⁷
To whom Sin thus began:

591

      

   
“Second of Satan sprung, all-conquering Death!

592

      

What think’st thou of our empire now, though earned

593

      

With travel difficult, not better far

594

      

Than still at Hell’s dark threshold to have sat watch,

595

      

Unnamed, undreaded, and thyself half starved?

596

      

Whom thus the Sin-born monster answered soon:
⁵⁴⁶⁸

597

      

   
“To me, who with eternal famine pine,
⁵⁴⁶⁹

598

      

Alike is Hell, or Paradise, or Heaven—

599

      

There best, where most with ravine
⁵⁴⁷⁰
I may meet,

600

      

Which here, though plenteous, all too little seems

601

      

To stuff this maw, this vast unhide-bound
⁵⁴⁷¹
corpse.”
⁵⁴⁷²

602

      

To whom th’ incestuous mother thus replied:

603

      

   
“Thou therefore on these herbs, and fruits, and flow’rs

604

      

Feed first. On each beast next, and fish, and fowl—

605

      

No homely
⁵⁴⁷³
morsels! And whatever thing

606

      

The scythe of Time mows down, devour unspared,
⁵⁴⁷⁴

607

      

Till I, in man residing through the race,

608

      

His thoughts, his looks, words, actions, all infect,

609

      

And season him thy last and sweetest prey.

610

      

   
This said, they both betook them several
⁵⁴⁷⁵
ways,

611

      

Both to destroy, or unimmortal make

612

      

All kinds, and for destruction to mature
⁵⁴⁷⁶

613

      

Sooner or later. Which th’Almighty seeing,

614

      

From His transcendent seat the Saints among,

615

      

To those bright orders uttered thus His voice:

616

      

   
“See with what heat these dogs of Hell advance

617

      

To waste
⁵⁴⁷⁷
and havoc
⁵⁴⁷⁸
yonder world, which I

618

      

So fair and good created, and had still

619

      

Kept in that state, had not the folly of man

620

      

Let in these wasteful Furies, who impute
⁵⁴⁷⁹