The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (81 page)

620

      

To whom thus Belial, in like gamesome mood:

621

      

   
“‘Leader! the terms we sent were terms of weight,

622

      

Of hard contents, and full of force urged home,

623

      

Such as we might perceive amused
⁴⁰⁰⁴
them all,

624

      

And stumbled
⁴⁰⁰⁵
many. Who receives them right

625

      

Had need from head to foot well understand.
⁴⁰⁰⁶

626

      

Not understood, this gift they have besides,

627

      

They show us when our foes walk not upright.

628

      

   
“So they among themselves in pleasant vein

629

      

Stood scoffing, heightened
⁴⁰⁰⁷
in their thoughts beyond

630

      

All doubt of victory. Eternal Might

631

      

To match with their inventions they presumed

632

      

So easy, and of His thunder made a scorn,

633

      

And all His host derided, while they stood

634

      

A while in trouble. But they
⁴⁰⁰⁸
stood not long.

635

      

Rage prompted them at length, and found them arms

636

      

Against such hellish mischief fit t’ oppose.

637

      

Forthwith (behold the excellence, the power,

638

      

Which God hath in His mighty Angels placed!

639

      

Their arms away they threw, and to the hills

640

      

(For earth hath this variety from Heav’n,

641

      

Of pleasure situate
⁴⁰⁰⁹
in hill and dale)

642

      

Light
⁴⁰¹⁰
as the lightning glimpse they ran, they flew.

643

      

From their foundations loos’ning to and fro,

644

      

They plucked the seated hills, with all their load,

645

      

Rocks, waters, woods, and by the shaggy tops

646

      

Up-lifting bore them in their hands. Amaze,

647

      

Be sure, and terror, seized the rebel host,

648

      

When coming towards them so dread they saw
⁴⁰¹¹

649

      

The bottom of the mountains upward turned,

650

      

Till on those cursed engines’ triple-row

651

      

They saw them whelmed,
⁴⁰¹²
and all their confidence

652

      

Under the weight of mountains buried deep,

653

      

Themselves invaded
⁴⁰¹³
next, and on their heads

654

      

Main
⁴⁰¹⁴
promontories
⁴⁰¹⁵
flung, which in the air

655

      

Came shadowing, and oppressed
⁴⁰¹⁶
whole legions armed.

656

      

Their armor helped their harm, crushed in and bruised

657

      

Into their substance pent,
⁴⁰¹⁷
which wrought them pain

658

      

Implacable,
⁴⁰¹⁸
and many a dolorous groan,

659

      

Long struggling underneath, ere they could wind

660

      

Out of such prison, though Spirits of purest light,

661

      

Purest at first, now gross by sinning grown.

662

      

The rest, in imitation, to like arms

663

      

Betook them, and the neighboring hills uptore.

664

      

So hills amid the air encountered hills,

665

      

Hurled to and fro with jaculation
⁴⁰¹⁹
dire,
⁴⁰²⁰

666

      

That under ground they fought in dismal shade.

667

      

Infernal noise! War seemed a civil game

668

      

To this uproar. Horrid confusion heaped

669

      

Upon confusion rose.

 

      

“And now all Heav’n

670

      

Had gone to wrack,
⁴⁰²¹
with ruin overspread,

671

      

Had not th’Almighty Father, where He sits

672

      

Shrined in His sanctuary of Heav’n secure,

673

      

Consulting on the sum of things, foreseen

674

      

This tumult, and permitted all, advised,
⁴⁰²²

675

      

That His great purpose He might so fulfil,

676

      

To honor His anointed Son avenged

677

      

Upon his enemies, and to declare

678

      

All power on him transferred. Whence to His Son,

679

      

The assessor
⁴⁰²³
of His throne, He thus began:

680

      

   
“‘Effulgence
⁴⁰²⁴
of my glory, Son belov’d,

681

      

Son, in whose face invisible is beheld

682

      

Visibly, what by Deity I am,

683

      

And in whose hand what by decree I do,

684

      

Second Omnipotence! Two days are past,

685

      

Two days, as we compute the days of Heav’n,

686

      

Since Michael and his Powers went forth to tame

687

      

These disobedient. Sore hath been their fight,

688

      

As likeliest was, when two such foes met armed,

689

      

For to themselves I left them, and thou know’st

690

      

Equal in their creation they were formed,

691

      

Save what sin hath impaired, which yet hath wrought

692

      

Insensibly, for I suspend their doom.
⁴⁰²⁵

693

      

Whence in perpetual fight they needs must last
⁴⁰²⁶

694

      

Endless, and no solution will be found.

695

      

War wearied hath performed what war can do,

696

      

And to disordered rage let loose the reins

697

      

With mountains, as with weapons, armed, which makes

698

      

Wild work in Heav’n, and dangerous to the main.
⁴⁰²⁷

699

      

Two days are therefore past, the third is thine,

700

      

For thee I have ordained it, and thus far

701

      

Have suffered
⁴⁰²⁸
that the glory may be thine

702

      

Of ending this great war, since none but thou

703

      

Can end it. Into thee such virtue and grace

704

      

Immense I have transfused,
⁴⁰²⁹
that all may know

705

      

In Heav’n and Hell thy power above compare

706

      

And, this perverse
⁴⁰³⁰
commotion
⁴⁰³¹
governed
⁴⁰³²
thus,

707

      

To manifest thee worthiest to be heir

708

      

Of all things, to be heir, and to be King

709

      

By sacred unction,
⁴⁰³³
thy deservèd right.