The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (44 page)

978

      

From your dominion won,
²³⁸⁵
th’ Ethereal King

979

      

Possesses lately, thither to arrive

980

      

I travel this profound,
²³⁸⁶
direct
²³⁸⁷
my course:

981

      

Directed, no mean
²³⁸⁸
recompense it brings

982

      

To your behoof,
²³⁸⁹
if I that region lost,
²³⁹⁰

983

      

All usurpation
²³⁹¹
thence expelled, reduce

984

      

To her original darkness, and your sway

985

      

(Which is my present journey), and once more

986

      

Erect the standard
²³⁹²
there of ancient Night.

987

      

Yours be th’ advantage all, mine the revenge!

988

      

   
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch
²³⁹³
old,

989

      

With falt’ring speech and visage incomposed,
²³⁹⁴

990

      

Answered: “I know thee, stranger, who thou art—

991

      

That mighty leading Angel, who of late

992

      

Made head
²³⁹⁵
against Heav’n’s King, though overthrown.

993

      

I saw and heard, for such a numerous host

994

      

Fled not in silence through the frighted deep,

995

      

With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout,
²³⁹⁶

996

      

Confusion worse confounded.
²³⁹⁷
And Heav’n-gates

997

      

Poured out by millions her victorious bands,

998

      

Pursuing. I upon my frontiers here

999

      

Keep residence; if all I can
²³⁹⁸
will serve

1000

      

That little which is left so
²³⁹⁹
to def

1001

      

Encroached on still through our intestine
²⁴⁰⁰
broils,
²⁴⁰¹

1002

      

Weakening the scepter of old Night. First Hell,

1003

      

Your dungeon, stretching far and wide beneath;

1004

      

Now lately Heav’n and earth, another world

1005

      

Hung o’er my realm, linked in a golden chain

1006

      

To that side Heav’n from whence your legions fell!

1007

      

If that way be your walk, you have not far;

1008

      

So much the nearer danger. Go, and speed;
²⁴⁰²

1009

      

Havoc, and spoil, and ruin, are my gain.

1010

      

   
He ceased, and Satan stayed not to reply,

1011

      

But glad that now his sea should find a shore,

1012

      

With fresh alacrity and force renewed

1013

      

Springs upward like a pyramid of fire,

1014

      

Into the wild expanse, and through the shock
²⁴⁰³

1015

      

Of fighting elements, on all sides round

1016

      

Environed,
²⁴⁰⁴
wins his way, harder beset
²⁴⁰⁵

1017

      

And more endangered than when Argo
²⁴⁰⁶
passed

1018

      

Through Bosphorus betwixt the jostling rocks,

1019

      

Or when Ulysses on the larboard
²⁴⁰⁷
shunned

1020

      

Charybdis, and by th’ other whirlpool steered.

1021

      

So he
²⁴⁰⁸
with difficulty and labor hard

1022

      

Moved on, with difficulty and labor he.
²⁴⁰⁹

1023

      

But he once passed,
²⁴¹⁰
soon after, when man fell,

1024

      

Strange alteration! Sin and Death amain
²⁴¹¹

1025

      

Following his track (such was the will of Heav’n)

1026

      

Paved after him a broad and beaten way

1027

      

Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf

1028

      

Tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length,

1029

      

From Hell continued, reaching th’ utmost orb
²⁴¹²

1030

      

Of this frail world, by which the Spirits perverse
²⁴¹³

1031

      

With easy intercourse pass to and fro

1032

      

To tempt or punish mortals, except whom

1033

      

God and good Angels guard by special grace.

1034

      

   
But now at last the sacred influence
²⁴¹⁴

1035

      

Of light appears, and from the walls of Heav’n

1036

      

Shoots far into the bosom of dim Night

1037

      

A glimmering dawn. Here Nature first begins

1038

      

Her farthest verge,
²⁴¹⁵
and Chaos to retire
²⁴¹⁶

1039

      

As from her outmost works, a broken foe,

1040

      

With tumult less and with less hostile din,

1041

      

That Satan with less toil, and now with ease,

1042

      

Wafts
²⁴¹⁷
on the calmer wave by dubious
²⁴¹⁸
light,

1043

      

And like a weather-beaten vessel holds

1044

      

Gladly the port, though shrouds
²⁴¹⁹
and tackle
²⁴²⁰
torn,

1045

      

Or in the emptier waste, resembling air,

1046

      

Weighs
²⁴²¹
his spread wings, at leisure to behold

1047

      

Far off th’ empyreal Heav’n, extended wide

1048

      

In circuit, undetermined
²⁴²²
square or round,

1049

      

With opal towers and battlements adorned

1050

      

Of living sapphire, once his native seat,

1051

      

And fast by,
²⁴²³
hanging in a golden chain,

1052

      

This pendant world, in bigness as a star

1053

      

Of smallest magnitude close by the moon.

1054

      

Thither, full fraught
²⁴²⁴
with mischievous revenge,

1055

      

Accursed, and in a cursèd hour, he hies.
²⁴²⁵

 

The End of the Second Book

 

BOOK III

THE ARGUMENT

God sitting on His throne sees Satan flying towards this world, then newly created; shews him to the Son who sat at His right hand; foretells the success of Satan in perverting mankind; clears His own justice and wisdom from all imputation, having created man free and able enough to have withstood his tempter; yet declares His purpose of grace towards him, in regard he fell not of his own malice, as did Satan, but by him seduced.