The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (32 page)

693

      

Who boast in
¹⁸³⁸
mortal things, and wond’ring tell

694

      

Of Babel, and the works of Memphian
¹⁸³⁹
kings

695

      

Learn how their greatest monuments of fame

696

      

And strength, and art, are easily outdone

697

      

By Spirits reprobate,
¹⁸⁴⁰
and in an hour

698

      

What in an age they,
¹⁸⁴¹
with incessant toil

699

      

And hands innumerable, scarce perform

700

      

Nigh
¹⁸⁴²
on the plain, in many cells
¹⁸⁴³
prepared

701

      

That underneath had veins of liquid fire

702

      

Sluiced
¹⁸⁴⁴
from the lake, a second multitude

703

      

With wondrous art
¹⁸⁴⁵
founded
¹⁸⁴⁶
the massy
¹⁸⁴⁷
ore

704

      

Severing
¹⁸⁴⁸
each kind, and scummed
¹⁸⁴⁹
the bullion dross.
¹⁸⁵⁰

705

      

A third as soon
¹⁸⁵¹
had formed within the ground

706

      

A various
¹⁸⁵²
mould, and from the boiling cells

707

      

By strange
¹⁸⁵³
conveyance filled each hollow nook

708

      

As in an organ, from one blast of wind

709

      

To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes

710

      

Anon
¹⁸⁵⁴
out of the earth a fabric
¹⁸⁵⁵
huge

711

      

Rose like an exhalation with the sound

712

      

Of dulcet
¹⁸⁵⁶
symphonies
¹⁸⁵⁷
and voices sweet

713

      

Built like a temple, where pilasters
¹⁸⁵⁸
round

714

      

Were set, and Doric
¹⁸⁵⁹
pillars overlaid

715

      

With golden architrave,
¹⁸⁶⁰
nor did there want
¹⁸⁶¹

716

      

Cornice
¹⁸⁶²
or frieze,
¹⁸⁶³
with bossy sculptures
¹⁸⁶⁴
grav’n.

717

      

The roof was fretted
¹⁸⁶⁵
gold. Not Babylon

718

      

Nor great Alcairo
¹⁸⁶⁶
such magnificence

719

      

Equaled in all their glories, to enshrine

720

      

Belus or Serapis
¹⁸⁶⁷
their gods, or seat
¹⁸⁶⁸

721

      

Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove

722

      

In wealth and luxury. Th’ ascending pile
¹⁸⁶⁹

723

      

Stood fixed
¹⁸⁷⁰
her stately height, and straight the doors

724

      

Opening their brazen
¹⁸⁷¹
folds, discover,
¹⁸⁷²
wide

725

      

Within, her ample spaces o’er the smooth

726

      

And level pavement. From the archèd roof

727

      

Pendant
¹⁸⁷³
by subtle
¹⁸⁷⁴
magic, many a row

728

      

Of starry lamps and blazing cressets,
¹⁸⁷⁵
fed

729

      

With naphtha and asphaltus, yielded light

730

      

As from a sky. The hasty
¹⁸⁷⁶
multitude

731

      

Admiring entered, and the work some praise

732

      

And some the architect. His hand was known

733

      

In Heav’n by many a tow’red structure high

734

      

Where sceptered Angels held their residence

735

      

And sat as Princes, whom the supreme King

736

      

Exalted to such power, and gave to rule

737

      

Each in his hierarchy, the Orders bright

738

      

Nor was his name unheard or unadored

739

      

In ancient Greece. And in Ausonian
¹⁸⁷⁷
land

740

      

Men called him Mulciber,
¹⁸⁷⁸
and how he fell

741

      

From Heav’n they fabled,
¹⁸⁷⁹
thrown by angry Jove

742

      

Sheer
¹⁸⁸⁰
o’er the crystal battlements.
¹⁸⁸¹
From morn

743

      

To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve

744

      

A summer’s day, and with the setting sun

745

      

Dropt from the zenith
¹⁸⁸²
like a falling star

746

      

On Lemnos, th’Aegean isle. Thus they relate,
¹⁸⁸³

747

      

Erring, for he with this rebellious rout
¹⁸⁸⁴

748

      

Fell long before, nor aught availed him now

749

      

To have built in Heav’n high tow’rs, nor did he scape

750

      

By all his engines,
¹⁸⁸⁵
but was headlong sent

751

      

With his industrious
¹⁸⁸⁶
crew, to build in Hell

752

      

Meanwhile the wingèd heralds, by command

753

      

Of sov’reign power, with awful
¹⁸⁸⁷
ceremony

754

      

And trumpet’s sound throughout the host
¹⁸⁸⁸
proclaim

755

      

A solemn council forthwith to be held

756

      

At Pandemonium, the high capital

757

      

Of Satan and his peers.
¹⁸⁸⁹
Their summons called

758

      

From every band and squarèd
¹⁸⁹⁰
regiment

759

      

By place
¹⁸⁹¹
or choice the worthiest. They anon
¹⁸⁹²

760

      

With hundreds and with thousands trooping came

761

      

Attended.
¹⁸⁹³
All access
¹⁸⁹⁴
was thronged, the gates

762

      

And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall

763

      

(Though like a covered field, where champions bold

764

      

Wont
¹⁸⁹⁵
ride in armed, and at the Soldan’s
¹⁸⁹⁶
chair

765

      

Defied the best of Paynim
¹⁸⁹⁷
chivalry

766

      

To mortal combat, or career
¹⁸⁹⁸
with lance

767

      

Thick swarmed, both on the ground and in the air

768

      

Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees

769

      

In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides

770

      

Pour forth their populous youth about the hive

771

      

In clusters, they among fresh dews and flowers

772

      

Fly to and fro, or on the smoothèd plank

773

      

The suburb
¹⁸⁹⁹
of their straw-built citadel

774

      

New rubbed with balm, expatiate
¹⁹⁰⁰
and confer

775

      

Their state-affairs. So thick the airy crowd

776

      

Swarmed and were straitened,
¹⁹⁰¹
till, the signal given

777

      

Behold a wonder! They but now who seemed