The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (114 page)

270

Nor shall I to the work thou enterprisest
⁵²⁹⁶

271

Be wanting,
⁵²⁹⁷
but afford thee equal aid.

272

   
So saying, with delight he snuffed the smell

273

Of mortal
⁵²⁹⁸
change on earth. As when a flock

274

Of ravenous fowl, though many a league remote,

275

Against the day of battle, to a field

276

Where armies lie encamped, come flying, lured

277

With scent of living carcasses designed

278

For death the following day, in bloody fight,

279

So scented the grim feature,
⁵²⁹⁹
and upturned

280

His nostril wide into the murky air,

281

Sagacious
⁵³⁰⁰
of his quarry from so far.

282

Then both from out Hell-gates, into the waste,

283

Wide anarchy of Chaos, damp and dark,

284

Flew diverse,
⁵³⁰¹
and with power (their power was great)

285

Hovering
⁵³⁰²
upon the waters, what
⁵³⁰³
they met

286

Solid or slimy, as in raging sea

287

Tossed up and down, together crowded drove,

288

From each side shoaling
⁵³⁰⁴
towards the mouth of Hell,

289

As when two polar winds, blowing adverse

290

Upon the Cronian
⁵³⁰⁵
sea, together drive

291

Mountains of ice, that stop
⁵³⁰⁶
th’ imagined
⁵³⁰⁷
way

292

Beyond Petsora
⁵³⁰⁸
eastward, to the rich

293

Cathaian
⁵³⁰⁹
coast. The aggregated soil
⁵³¹⁰

294

Death with his mace petrific,
⁵³¹¹
cold and dry,

295

As with a trident,
⁵³¹²
smote, and fixed as firm

296

As Delos,
⁵³¹³
floating once. The rest his look

297

Bound with Gorgonian
⁵³¹⁴
rigor
⁵³¹⁵
not to move,

298

And with asphaltic
⁵³¹⁶
slime, broad as the gate,

299

Deep to the roots of Hell the gathered beach
⁵³¹⁷

300

They fastened, and the mole
⁵³¹⁸
immense wrought
⁵³¹⁹
on

301

Over the foaming deep high-arched, a bridge

302

Of length prodigious, joining to the wall

303

Immoveable
⁵³²⁰
of this now fenceless
⁵³²¹
world,

304

Forfeit
⁵³²²
to Death. From hence a passage broad,

305

Smooth, easy, inoffensive,
⁵³²³
down to Hell.

306

So (if great things to small may be compared)

307

Xerxes,
⁵³²⁴
the liberty of Greece to yoke,

308

From Susa,
⁵³²⁵
his Memnonian palace high,

309

Came to the sea, and over Hellespont
⁵³²⁶

310

Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined,

311

And scourged
⁵³²⁷
with many a stroke th’ indignant waves.

312

   
Now had they brought the work by wondrous art

313

Pontifical,
⁵³²⁸
a ridge of pendant
⁵³²⁹
rock

314

Over the vexed
⁵³³⁰
abyss, following the track

315

Of Satan to the self-same place where he

316

First lighted
⁵³³¹
from his wing,
⁵³³²
and landed safe

317

From out of Chaos, to the outside bare

318

Of this round world. With pins of adamant

319

And chains they made all fast—too fast they made

320

And durable! And now in little space

321

The confines
⁵³³³
met of empyrean Heav’n

322

And of this world, and on the left hand Hell

323

With long reach interposed.
⁵³³⁴
Three sev’ral
⁵³³⁵
ways
⁵³³⁶

324

In sight, to each of these three places led.

325

   
And now their way to earth they had descried,
⁵³³⁷

326

To Paradise first tending
⁵³³⁸
—when, behold!

327

Satan, in likeness of an Angel bright,

328

Betwixt the Centaur and the Scorpion steering

329

His zenith,
⁵³³⁹
while the sun in Aries rose.
⁵³⁴⁰

330

Disguised he came, but those his children dear

331

Their parent soon discerned,
⁵³⁴¹
though in disguise.

332

He, after Eve seduced, unminded
⁵³⁴²
slunk

333

Into the wood fast by and, changing shape

334

T’ observe the sequel, saw his guileful act

335

By Eve, though all unweeting,
⁵³⁴³
seconded

336

Upon her husband, saw their shame that sought

337

Vain covertures,
⁵³⁴⁴
but when he saw descend

338

The Son of God to judge them, terrified

339

He fled, not hoping to escape, but shun

340

The present, fearing, guilty, what His
⁵³⁴⁵
wrath

341

Might suddenly inflict. That past, returned
⁵³⁴⁶

342

By night, and list’ning where the hapless
⁵³⁴⁷
pair

343

Sat in their sad discourse and various plaint,

344

Thence gathered his own doom, which understood

345

Not instant, but of future time. With joy

346

And tidings fraught,
⁵³⁴⁸
to Hell he now returned,

347

And at the brink of Chaos, near the foot

348

Of this new wondrous pontifice, unhoped

349

Met who to meet him came, his offspring dear.

350

Great joy was at their meeting, and at sight

351

Of that stupendious bridge his joy increased.

352

Long he admiring stood, till Sin, his fair

353

Enchanting daughter, thus the silence broke:

354

   
“O parent, these are thy magnific deeds,

355

Thy trophies! which thou view’st as not thine own.

356

Thou art their author and prime architect,