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
268 | | In this unhappy mansion, |
269 | | With rallied arms to try what may be yet |
270 | | Regained in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell |
271 | | So Satan spoke; and him Beelzebub |
272 | | Thus answered: “Leader of those armies bright |
273 | | Which, but th’ Omnipotent, none could have foiled! |
274 | | If once they hear that voice, their liveliest pledge |
275 | | Of hope in fears and dangers—heard so oft |
276 | | In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge |
277 | | Of battle, when it raged, in all assaults |
278 | | Their surest signal—they will soon resume |
279 | | New courage and revive, though now they lie |
280 | | Grovelling and prostrate on yon lake of fire |
281 | | |
282 | | No wonder, fall’n such a pernicious |
283 | | |
284 | | Was moving toward the shore, his ponderous shield |
285 | | |
286 | | Behind him cast. The broad circumference |
287 | | Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb |
288 | | |
289 | | At evening, from the top of Fesolé |
290 | | Or in Valdarno, to descry |
291 | | Rivers, or mountains in her spotty |
292 | | His spear—to equal which the tallest pine |
293 | | Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast |
294 | | |
295 | | He walked with, to support uneasy |
296 | | Over the burning marl, |
297 | | On Heaven’s azure. And the torrid clime |
298 | | |
299 | | Nathless |
300 | | Of that inflamèd |
301 | | His legions, Angel forms, who lay entranced |
302 | | Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks |
303 | | |
304 | | |
305 | | Afloat, when with fierce winds Orion armed |
306 | | Hath vexed |
307 | | |
308 | | While with perfidious |
309 | | |
310 | | From the safe shore their floating carcases |
311 | | And broken chariot-wheels. So thick bestrewn |
312 | | Abject |
313 | | |
314 | | |
315 | | Of Hell resounded: “Princes, Potentates, |
316 | | Warriors, the Flow’r of Heav’n—once yours, now lost |
317 | | If such astonishment |
318 | | Eternal Spirits! Or have ye chosen this place |
319 | | After the toil of battle to repose |
320 | | Your wearied virtue, |
321 | | To slumber here, as in the vales of Heav’n? |
322 | | Or in this abject posture have ye sworn |
323 | | To adore the conqueror, who now beholds |
324 | | Cherub and Seraph rolling in the flood |
325 | | |
326 | | His swift pursuers from Heav’n-gates discern |
327 | | Th’ advantage, and descending, tread us down |
328 | | Thus drooping, or with linkèd thunderbolts |
329 | | |
330 | | Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n!” |
331 | | |
332 | | |
333 | | On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread |
334 | | Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake |
335 | | Nor did they not perceive the evil plight |
336 | | In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel |
337 | | Yet to their general’s voice they soon obeyed |
338 | | Innumerable. As when the potent rod |
339 | | Of Amram’s son, |
340 | | Waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy |
341 | | Of locusts, warping |
342 | | That o’er the realm of impious Pharaoh hung |
343 | | Like night, and darkened all the land of Nile |
344 | | So numberless were those bad Angels seen |
345 | | Hovering on wing under the cope |
346 | | ’Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding fires |
347 | | Till, as a signal giv’n, th’ uplifted spear |
348 | | Of their great sultan waving to direct |
349 | | Their course, in even balance down they light |
350 | | |
351 | | A multitude like which the populous North |
352 | | Poured never from her frozen loins to pass |
353 | | Rhine or the Danau, |
354 | | Came like a deluge on the South and spread |