The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (53 page)

1

   
O, for that warning voice, which he, who saw

2

The Apocalypse, heard cry in Heaven aloud,

3

Then when the dragon, put to second rout,

4

Came furious down to be revenged on men,

5

“Woe to the inhabitants on earth!”
²⁷⁴²
that
²⁷⁴³
now,

6

While time was,
²⁷⁴⁴
our first parents had been warned

7

The coming of their secret foe, and ’scaped,

8

Haply
²⁷⁴⁵
so ’scaped, his mortal snare. For now

9

Satan, now first inflamed with rage, came down,

10

The tempter ere
²⁷⁴⁶
the accuser of mankind,

11

To wreak
²⁷⁴⁷
on innocent frail man his
²⁷⁴⁸
loss

12

Of that first battle, and his flight to Hell.

13

Yet, not rejoicing in his speed, though bold,

14

Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,

15

Begins his dire attempt, which night the birth

16

Now rolling,
²⁷⁴⁹
boils in his tumultuous breast,

17

And like a devilish engine
²⁷⁵⁰
back recoils

18

Upon himself. Horror and doubt distract

19

His troubled thoughts, and from the bottom stir

20

The Hell within him, for within him Hell

21

He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell

22

One step, no more than from himself, can fly

23

By change of place. Now conscience wakes despair

24

That slumbered, wakes the bitter memory

25

Of what he what must be

26

Worse: of
²⁷⁵¹
worse deeds, worse sufferings must ensue.
²⁷⁵²

27

Sometimes towards Eden, which now in his view

28

Lay pleasant, his grieved look he fixes sad,

29

Sometimes towards Heav’n and the full-blazing sun,

30

Which now sat high in his
²⁷⁵³
meridian
²⁷⁵⁴
tower.

31

Then much
²⁷⁵⁵
revolving,
²⁷⁵⁶
thus in sighs began:

32

   
“O thou,
²⁷⁵⁷
that with surpassing glory crowned,

33

Look’st from thy sole dominion like the god

34

Of this new world, at whose sight all the stars

35

Hide their diminished heads, to thee I call,

36

But with no friendly voice, and add thy name,

37

O Sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams,

38

That bring to my remembrance from what state

39

I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere,
²⁷⁵⁸

40

Till pride and worse ambition threw me down,

41

Warring in Heav’n against Heav’n’s matchless King.

42

Ah, wherefore! He deserved no such return

43

From me, whom He created what I was

44

In that bright eminence,
²⁷⁵⁹
and with His good

45

Upbraided
²⁷⁶⁰
none. Nor was His service hard.

46

What could be less than to afford
²⁷⁶¹
Him praise,

47

The easiest recompence,
²⁷⁶²
and pay Him thanks—

48

How due!
²⁷⁶³
Yet all His good proved ill in me,

49

And wrought
²⁷⁶⁴
but malice. Lifted up so high

50

I ’sdained
²⁷⁶⁵
subjection,
²⁷⁶⁶
and thought one step higher

51

Would set me highest, and in a moment quit
²⁷⁶⁷

52

The debt immense of endless gratitude,

53

So burdensome still
²⁷⁶⁸
paying, still to owe,

54

Forgetful what from Him I still received,

55

And understood not that a grateful mind

56

By owing owes not, but still pays, at once

57

Indebted and discharged. What burden then?

58

O, had His powerful destiny ordained

59

Me some inferior Angel, I had stood
²⁷⁶⁹

60

Then happy: no unbounded
²⁷⁷⁰
hope had raised

61

Ambition! Yet why not? Some other Power
²⁷⁷¹

62

As great might have aspired, and me, though mean,
²⁷⁷²

63

Drawn
²⁷⁷³
to his part.
²⁷⁷⁴
But other Powers as great

64

Fell not, but stand unshaken from within

65

Or from without, to all temptations armed.
²⁷⁷⁵

66

Hadst thou the same free will and power to stand?
²⁷⁷⁶

67

Thou hadst: whom hast thou then or what t’ accuse,

68

But Heav’n’s free
²⁷⁷⁷
love dealt equally to all?

69

Be then His love accursed, since love or hate,

70

To me alike, it deals
²⁷⁷⁸
eternal woe.

71

Nay, cursed be thou,
²⁷⁷⁹
since against His thy will

72

Chose freely what it now so justly
²⁷⁸⁰
rues!
²⁷⁸¹

73

   
“Me miserable!
²⁷⁸²
Which way shall I fly
²⁷⁸³

74

Infinite wrath, and infinite despair?

75

Which
²⁷⁸⁴
way I fly is Hell. Myself am Hell,

76

And in the lowest deep a lower deep

77

Still threat’ning to devour me opens wide,

78

To which the Hell I suffer seems a Heav’n.

79

O then, at last relent!
²⁷⁸⁵
Is there no place

80

Left for repentance, none for pardon left?

81

None left but by submission, and that word

82

Disdain forbids me, and my dread of shame

83

Among the Spirits beneath, whom I seduced

84

With other promises and other vaunts
²⁷⁸⁶

85

Than to submit, boasting I could subdue

86

The Omnipotent. Ay me! they little know

87

How dearly
²⁷⁸⁷
I abide
²⁷⁸⁸
that boast so vain,

88

Under what torments inwardly I groan,

89

While they adore me on the throne of Hell!