The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (33 page)

1

   
High on a throne of royal state, which far

2

Outshone the wealth of Ormus
¹⁹¹⁸
and of Ind,
¹⁹¹⁹

3

Or where the gorgeous
¹⁹²⁰
East with richest hand

4

Show’rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold

5

Satan exalted sat, by merit raised

6

To that bad eminence and, from despair

7

Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires

8

Beyond thus high, insatiate
¹⁹²¹
to pursue

9

Vain war with Heav’n and, by success
¹⁹²²
untaught

10

His proud imaginations thus displayed

11

   
“Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav’n!—

12

For since no deep within her gulf
¹⁹²³
can hold

13

Immortal vigor,
¹⁹²⁴
though oppressed and fall’n,

14

I give not Heav’n for lost. From this descent

15

Celestial Virtues
¹⁹²⁵
rising will appear

16

More glorious and more dread than from no fall

17

And trust themselves to fear no second fate

18

Me, though, just right
¹⁹²⁶
and the fixed laws of Heav’n

19

Did first create your leader, next free choice

20

With what besides in council or in fight

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Hath been achieved of merit, yet this loss

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Thus far at least recovered,
¹⁹²⁷
hath much more

23

Established in a safe, unenvied throne

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Yielded with full consent. The happier
¹⁹²⁸
state

25

In Heav’n, which follows
¹⁹²⁹
dignity,
¹⁹³⁰
might draw

26

Envy from each inferior. But who here

27

Will envy whom the highest place exposes

28

Foremost to stand against the Thunderer’s aim

29

Your bulwark,
¹⁹³¹
and condemns to greatest share

30

Of endless pain? Where there is then no good

31

For which to strive, no strife can grow up there

32

From faction,
¹⁹³²
for none sure will claim in Hell

33

Precedence, none whose portion is so small

34

Of present pain that with ambitious mind

35

Will covet more! With this advantage, then

36

To union, and firm faith, and firm accord

37

More than can be in Heav’n, we now return

38

To claim our just inheritance of old

39

Surer to prosper than prosperity

40

Could have assured us. And by what best way

41

Whether of open war or covert guile

42

We now debate. Who can advise may speak

43

   
He ceased. And next
¹⁹³³
him Moloch, sceptered king,

44

Stood up—the strongest and the fiercest Spirit

45

That fought in Heav’n, now fiercer by despair

46

His trust
¹⁹³⁴
was with th’ Eternal to be deemed

47

Equal in strength, and rather than be less

48

Cared not to be at all. With that care lost

49

Went all his fear—of God, or Hell, or worse

50

He recked
¹⁹³⁵
not—and these words thereafter spoke:

51

   
My sentence
¹⁹³⁶
is for open war. Of wiles

52

More unexpert, I boast not. Then let those

53

Contrive who need, or when they need; not now

54

For while they sit contriving, shall the rest

55

Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait

56

The signal to ascend—sit ling’ring here

57

Heav’n’s fugitives? and for their dwelling-place

58

Accept this dark opprobrious
¹⁹³⁷
den of shame

59

The prison of His tyranny who reigns

60

By our delay? No! Let us rather choose

61

Armed with Hell-flames and fury, all at once

62

O’er Heav’n’s high tow’rs to force resistless way

63

Turning our tortures into horrid arms

64

Against the Torturer! When to meet the noise

65

Of His almighty engine,
¹⁹³⁸
He shall hear

66

Infernal thunder and, for lightning, see

67

Black fire and horror shot with equal rage

68

Among His Angels, and His throne itself

69

Mixed with Tartarean
¹⁹³⁹
sulphur and strange
¹⁹⁴⁰
fire

70

His own invented torments. But perhaps

71

The way seems difficult, and steep to scale

72

With upright wing against a higher foe

73

Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench
¹⁹⁴¹

74

Of that forgetful
¹⁹⁴²
lake benumb not still

75

That in our proper
¹⁹⁴³
motion we ascend

76

Up to our native seat; descent and fall

77

To us is adverse.
¹⁹⁴⁴
Who but felt of late

78

When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear
¹⁹⁴⁵

79

Insulting,
¹⁹⁴⁶
and pursued us through the deep

80

With what compulsion and laborious flight

81

We sunk thus low? Th’ ascent is easy, then

82

Th’ event
¹⁹⁴⁷
is feared! Should we again provoke

83

Our stronger, some worse way His wrath may find

84

To our destruction, if there be in Hell

85

Fear to be worse destroyed! What can be worse

86

Than to dwell here, driv’n out from bliss condemned

87

In this abhorrèd
¹⁹⁴⁸
deep to utter
¹⁹⁴⁹
woe

88

Where pain of unextinguishable fire

89

Must exercise
¹⁹⁵⁰
us without hope of end

90

The vassals
¹⁹⁵¹
of His anger, when the scourge

91

Inexorably, and the torturing hour