The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (31 page)

606

      

The fellows
¹⁷⁸⁷
of his crime, the followers rather

607

      

(Far other once beheld in bliss), condemned

608

      

For ever now to have their lot
¹⁷⁸⁸
in pain

609

      

Millions of Spirits for his fault amerced
¹⁷⁸⁹

610

      

Of heav’n, and from eternal splendors flung

611

      

For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood

612

      

Their glory withered—as when Heaven’s fire

613

      

Hath scathed
¹⁷⁹⁰
the forest oaks or mountain pines

614

      

With singèd top their stately
¹⁷⁹¹
growth, though bare

615

      

Stands on the blasted
¹⁷⁹²
heath. He now prepared

616

      

To speak, whereat their doubled ranks they bend

617

      

From wing to wing, and half enclose him round

618

      

With all his peers. Attention held them mute

619

      

Thrice he assayed,
¹⁷⁹³
and thrice, in spite of
¹⁷⁹⁴
scorn

620

      

Tears, such as Angels weep, burst forth. At last

621

      

Words interwove with sighs found out their way

622

      

   
“O myriads of immortal Spirits! O Powers

623

      

Matchless, but
¹⁷⁹⁵
with th’Almighty! And that strife

624

      

Was not inglorious, though th’ event
¹⁷⁹⁶
was dire,
¹⁷⁹⁷

625

      

As this place testifies, and this dire change

626

      

Hateful to utter. But what power of mind

627

      

Foreseeing or presaging,
¹⁷⁹⁸
from the depth

628

      

Of knowledge past or present, could have feared

629

      

How such united force of gods, how such

630

      

As stood like these, could ever know repulse?
¹⁷⁹⁹

631

      

For who can yet believe, though after loss

632

      

That all these puissant
¹⁸⁰⁰
legions,
¹⁸⁰¹
whose exile

633

      

Hath emptied Heav’n, shall fail to re-ascend

634

      

Self-raised, and repossess their native seat

635

      

For me, be witness all the host of Heav’n,

636

      

If counsels
¹⁸⁰²
different, or danger shunned

637

      

By me, have lost our hopes. But He who reigns

638

      

Monarch in Heav’n till then as one secure

639

      

Sat on His throne, upheld by old repute

640

      

Consent or custom, and His regal state

641

      

Put forth at full,
¹⁸⁰³
but still His strength concealed

642

      

Which tempted our attempt, and wrought
¹⁸⁰⁴
our fall

643

      

Henceforth His might
¹⁸⁰⁵
we know, and know our own

644

      

So as not either to provoke, or dread

645

      

New war provoked. Our better part
¹⁸⁰⁶
remains

646

      

To work in close
¹⁸⁰⁷
design,
¹⁸⁰⁸
by fraud or guile

647

      

What force effected
¹⁸⁰⁹
not, that He no less

648

      

At length from us may find:
¹⁸¹⁰
who overcomes

649

      

By force hath overcome but half his foe

650

      

Space may produce new worlds—whereof so rife
¹⁸¹¹

651

      

There went a fame
¹⁸¹²
in Heav’n that He ere long

652

      

Intended to create, and therein plant

653

      

A generation whom His choice
¹⁸¹³
regard
¹⁸¹⁴

654

      

Should favor equal to the sons of Heav’n.

655

      

Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps

656

      

Our first eruption
¹⁸¹⁵
—thither, or elsewhere

657

      

For this infernal pit shall never hold

658

      

Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor th’ abyss

659

      

Long under darkness cover.
¹⁸¹⁶

“But these thoughts

660

      

Full counsel must mature. Peace is despaired

661

      

For who can think submission? War, then, war

662

      

Open or understood, must be resolved

663

      

   
He spoke and, to confirm his words, outflew

664

      

Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs
¹⁸¹⁷

665

      

Of mighty Cherubim: the sudden blaze

666

      

Far round illumined Hell. Highly
¹⁸¹⁸
they raged

667

      

Against the Highest, and fierce with graspèd
¹⁸¹⁹
arms

668

      

Clashed on their sounding
¹⁸²⁰
shields the din of war

669

      

Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.

670

      

There stood a hill not far, whose grisly
¹⁸²¹
top

671

      

Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
¹⁸²²

672

      

Shone with a glossy scurf
¹⁸²³
—undoubted sign

673

      

That in his womb was hid metallic ore

674

      

The work of sulphur.
¹⁸²⁴
Thither, winged with speed

675

      

A numerous brigade hastened: as when bands

676

      

Of pioneers,
¹⁸²⁵
with spade and pickaxe armed

677

      

Forerun
¹⁸²⁶
the royal camp, to trench
¹⁸²⁷
a field

678

      

Or cast
¹⁸²⁸
a rampart.
¹⁸²⁹
Mammon led them on—

679

      

Mammon, the least erected
¹⁸³⁰
Spirit that fell

680

      

From Heav’n, for even in Heav’n his looks and thoughts

681

      

Were always downward bent, admiring more

682

      

The riches of Heav’n’s pavement, trodden gold

683

      

Than aught divine or holy else
¹⁸³¹
enjoyed

684

      

In vision beatific.
¹⁸³²
By him first

685

      

Men also, and by his suggestion taught

686

      

Ransacked the center,
¹⁸³³
and with impious hands

687

      

Rifled
¹⁸³⁴
the bowels of their mother earth

688

      

For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew

689

      

Opened into the hill a spacious wound

690

      

And digged out ribs
¹⁸³⁵
of gold. Let none admire
¹⁸³⁶

691

      

That riches grow in Hell: that soil may best

692

      

Deserve the precious bane.
¹⁸³⁷
And here let those