The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (25 page)

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

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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90

      

Joined with me once, now misery hath joined

91

      

In equal ruin—into what pit thou seest

92

      

From what height fall’n, so much the stronger proved

93

      

He with His thunder. And till then who knew

94

      

The force of those dire arms? Yet not for those

95

      

Nor what the potent victor in His rage

96

      

Can else inflict, do I repent, or change

97

      

(Though changed in outward luster) that fixed mind

98

      

And high disdain from sense of injured merit

99

      

That with the Mightiest raised me to contend

100

      

And to the fierce contentions
1440
brought along

101

      

Innumerable
1441
force of Spirits armed

102

      

That durst dislike His reign and, me preferring

103

      

His utmost power with adverse
1442
power opposed

104

      

In dubious
1443
battle on the plains of Heav’n,

105

      

And shook His throne. What though the field be lost

106

      

All is not lost—the unconquerable will

107

      

And study
1444
of revenge, immortal hate

108

      

And courage never to submit or yield

109

      

And what is else not to be overcome

110

      

That glory never shall His wrath or might

111

      

Extort from me. To bow and sue
1445
for grace
1446

112

      

With suppliant
1447
knee, and deify His power

113

      

Who, from
1448
the terror
1449
of this arm, so late
1450

114

      

Doubted
1451
His empire: that were low indeed

115

      

That were an ignominy and shame beneath

116

      

This downfall, since, by fate, the strength of gods

117

      

And this empyreal
1452
substance, cannot fail

118

      

Since, through experience of this great event

119

      

In arms not worse, in foresight
1453
much advanced,
1454

120

      

We may with more successful hope resolve

121

      

To wage by force or guile eternal war

122

      

Irreconcilable to our grand foe

123

      

Who now triumphs, and in th’ excess of joy

124

      

Sole reigning holds the tyranny of Heav’n.”

125

      

   
So spoke th’ apostate Angel, though in pain

126

      

Vaunting
1455
aloud, but racked with deep despair

127

      

And him thus answered, soon, his bold compeer:
1456

128

      

   
“O Prince, O chief of many thronèd Powers
1457

129

      

That led th’ embattled Seraphim
1458
to war

130

      

Under thy conduct
1459
and, in dreadful deeds

131

      

Fearless, endangered Heav’n’s perpetual
1460
King

132

      

And put to proof
1461
His high supremacy

133

      

Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate

134

      

Too well I see and rue
1462
the dire event

135

      

That, with sad overthrow and foul defeat

136

      

Hath lost us Heav’n, and all this mighty host

137

      

In horrible destruction laid thus low

138

      

As far as gods and Heav’nly Essences
1463

139

      

Can perish—for the mind and spirit remains

140

      

Invincible,
1464
and vigor soon returns

141

      

Though all our glory extinct, and happy state

142

      

Here swallowed up in endless misery

143

      

But what if He our conqueror (whom I now

144

      

Of force
1465
believe almighty, since no less

145

      

Than such could have o’erpowered such force as ours

146

      

Have left us this our spirit and strength entire,
1466

147

      

Strongly to suffer
1467
and support
1468
our pains

148

      

That we may so suffice
1469
His vengeful ire

149

      

Or do Him mightier service as His thralls
1470

150

      

By right of war, whate’er His business be,

151

      

Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire

152

      

Or do His errands in the gloomy deep

153

      

What can it then avail, though yet we feel

154

      

Strength undiminished, or eternal being

155

      

To undergo eternal punishment

156

      

Whereto with speedy words th’ arch-fiend replied

157

      

   
“Fall’n Cherub, to be weak is miserable

158

      

Doing or suffering. But of this be sure

159

      

To do aught
1471
good never will be our task

160

      

But ever to do ill our sole delight

161

      

As being the contrary to His high will

162

      

Whom we resist. If then His providence

163

      

Out of our evil seek to bring forth good

164

      

Our labor must be to pervert that end

165

      

And out of good still
1472
to find means of evil

166

      

Which oft-times may succeed so as, perhaps

167

      

Shall grieve Him, if I fail not, and disturb
1473

168

      

His inmost counsels
1474
from their destined
1475
aim

169

      

   
“But see! the angry victor hath recalled

170

      

His ministers of vengeance and pursuit

171

      

Back to the gates of Heav’n. The sulphurous hail

172

      

Shot after us in storm
1476
o’erblown, hath laid
1477

173

      

The fiery surge
1478
that from the precipice

174

      

Of Heav’n received us falling, and the thunder

175

      

Winged with red lightning and impetuous rage

176

      

Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now

177

      

To bellow through the vast and boundless deep

178

      

Let us not slip
1479
th’ occasion, whether scorn

179

      

Or satiate
1480
fury yield it from our foe

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