Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online
Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel
Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry
882
To question thy bold entrance on this place,
883
Employed, it seems, to violate sleep, and those
884
Whose dwelling God hath planted here in bliss!
885
To whom thus Satan, with contemptuous brow:
886
“Gabriel, thou had’st in Heav’n th’ esteem
3198
of wise,
887
And such I held thee. But this question asked
888
Puts me in doubt. Lives there who loves his pain?
889
Who would not, finding way, break loose from Hell,
890
Though thither doomed?
3199
Thou would’st thyself, no doubt,
891
And boldly venture to whatever place
892
Farthest from pain, where thou might’st hope to change
3200
893
Torment with ease, and soonest recompense
3201
894
Dole
3202
with delight, which in this place I sought.
895
To thee no reason, who know’st only good,
896
But evil hast not tried. And wilt object
897
His will who bound us? Let him surer
3203
bar
898
His iron gates, if he intends our stay
899
In that dark durance.
3204
Thus much what was asked.
900
The rest is true, they found me where they say,
901
But that implies not violence or harm.
902
Thus he in scorn. The warlike Angel, moved,
3205
903
Disdainfully half smiling, thus replied:
904
“O loss of one in Heav’n to judge of wise,
3206
905
Since Satan fell, whom folly overthrew,
906
And now returns him from his prison ’scaped,
907
Gravely in doubt whether to hold them wise
908
Or not, who ask what boldness brought him hither
909
910
So wise he judges it to fly
3209
from pain,
911
However,
3210
and to ’scape his punishment!
912
So judge thou still, presumptuous! till the wrath,
913
Which thou incurr’st by flying, meet
3211
thy flight
914
Sevenfold, and scourge
3212
that wisdom back to Hell,
915
Which taught thee yet no better, than no pain
916
Can equal anger infinite provoked.
917
But wherefore thou alone? Wherefore with thee
918
Came not all Hell broke loose? Is pain to them
919
Less pain, less to be fled, or thou than they
920
Less hardy
3213
to endure? Courageous chief,
921
The first in flight from pain! Had’st thou alleged
3214
922
To thy deserted host this cause of flight,
923
Thou surely hadst not come sole fugitive.
924
To which the fiend thus answered, frowning stern:
925
“Not that I less endure, or shrink from pain,
926
Insulting Angel! Well thou know’st I stood
927
Thy fiercest, when in battle to thy aid
928
The blasting vollied thunder made all speed
3215
929
930
But still thy words at random,
3218
as before,
931
932
933
A faithful leader, not to hazard all
934
Through ways
3223
of danger by himself untried.
935
I, therefore, I alone first undertook
936
To wing
3224
the desolate abyss, and spy
937
This new created world, whereof in Hell
938
Fame
3225
is not silent, here in hope to find
939
Better abode, and my afflicted Powers
940
To settle here on earth, or in mid air,
941
942
What thou and thy gay legions dare against,
943
Whose easier business were to serve their Lord
944
High up in Heav’n, with songs to hymn His throne,
945
And practised distances to cringe, not fight.
946
To whom the warrior Angel soon
3228
replied:
947
“To say and straight unsay, pretending first
948
949
950
Satan—and couldst thou faithful add? O name,
951
O sacred name of faithfulness profaned!
952
Faithful to whom? To thy rebellious crew?
953
Army of fiends, fit body to fit head!
954
Was this your discipline and faith engaged,
955
Your military obedience, to dissolve
956
Allegiance to th’ acknowledged Power supreme?
957
And thou, sly hypocrite, who now would’st seem
958
Patron of liberty, who more than thou
959
Once fawned, and cringed, and servilely
3233
adored
960
961
To dispossess Him, and thyself to reign?
962
963
Fly thither whence thou fled’st! If from this hour
964
Within these hallowed limits
3238
thou appear,
965
Back to the infernal pit I drag thee chained,
966
And seal
3239
thee so as henceforth not to scorn
967
The facile
3240
gates of Hell too slightly barred.
968
So threatened he, but Satan to no threats
969