The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (115 page)

357

For I no sooner in my heart divined

358

(My heart, which by a secret harmony

359

Still moves with thine, joined in connection sweet)

360

That thou on earth had’st prospered, which thy looks

361

Now also evidence, but straight I felt

362

(Though distant from thee worlds between), yet felt

363

That I must after
⁵³⁴⁹
thee, with this thy son,

364

Such fatal
⁵³⁵⁰
consequence
⁵³⁵¹
unites us three!

365

Hell could no longer hold us in our bounds,

366

Nor this unvoyageable gulf obscure

367

Detain from following thy illustrious track.

368

Thou hast achieved our liberty, confined

369

Within Hell-gates till now. Thou us empowered

370

To fortify
⁵³⁵²
thus far, and overlay,

371

With this portentous
⁵³⁵³
bridge, the dark abyss.

372

Thine now is all this world. Thy virtue hath won

373

What thy hands builded not, thy wisdom gained

374

With odds
⁵³⁵⁴
what war hath lost, and fully avenged

375

Our foil
⁵³⁵⁵
in Heav’n. Here thou shalt monarch reign,

376

There did’st not. There let Him still victor sway,
⁵³⁵⁶

377

As battle hath adjudged, from this new world

378

Retiring, by His own doom
⁵³⁵⁷
alienated,
⁵³⁵⁸

379

And henceforth monarchy with thee divide

380

Of all things, parted by the empyreal bounds,

381

His quadrature,
⁵³⁵⁹
from thy orbicular
⁵³⁶⁰
world—

382

Or try
⁵³⁶¹
thee, now more dang’rous to His throne.

383

Whom thus the Prince of darkness answered glad:

384

   
“Fair daughter, and thou son and grandchild both:

385

High proof ye now have giv’n to be the race

386

Of Satan (for I glory in the name,

387

Antagonist of Heaven’s Almighty King)

388

Amply have merited of me, of all

389

Th’ infernal empire, that so near Heav’n’s door

390

Triumphal with triumphal act have met,

391

Mine
⁵³⁶²
with this glorious work, and made one realm,

392

Hell and this world, one realm, one continent

393

Of easy thoroughfare. Therefore, while I

394

Descend through darkness, on your road with ease,

395

To my associate Powers, them to acquaint

396

With these successes, and with them rejoice,

397

You two this way, among these numerous orbs,

398

All yours, right down to Paradise descend.

399

There dwell, and reign in bliss, thence on the earth

400

Dominion exercise and in the air,

401

Chiefly on man, sole lord of all declared.

402

Him first make sure your thrall,
⁵³⁶³
and lastly kill.

403

My substitutes I send ye, and create

404

Plenipotent
⁵³⁶⁴
on earth, of matchless might

405

Issuing from me. On your joint vigor now

406

My hold of this new kingdom all depends,

407

Through Sin to Death exposed
⁵³⁶⁵
by my exploit.
⁵³⁶⁶

408

If your joint power prevail, th’ affairs of Hell

409

No detriment
⁵³⁶⁷
need fear. Go, and be strong!

410

   
So saying he dismissed them. They with speed

411

Their course through thickest constellations held,

412

Spreading their bane.
⁵³⁶⁸
The blasted
⁵³⁶⁹
stars looked wan,

413

And planets, planet-struck,
⁵³⁷⁰
real
⁵³⁷¹
eclipse
⁵³⁷²

414

Then suffered. Th’ other way Satan went down

415

The causey
⁵³⁷³
to Hell-gate. On either side

416

Disparted
⁵³⁷⁴
Chaos overbuilt exclaimed
⁵³⁷⁵

417

And with rebounding surge the bars
⁵³⁷⁶
assailed,

418

That scorned his indignation. Through the gate,

419

Wide open and unguarded, Satan passed,

420

And all about found desolate, for those

421

Appointed to sit there had left their charge,

422

Flown to the upper world. The rest were all

423

Far to the inland retired,
⁵³⁷⁷
about the walls

424

Of Pandemonium, city and proud seat

425

Of Lucifer, so by allusion called

426

Of that bright star to Satan paragoned.
⁵³⁷⁸

427

There kept their watch the legions, while the grand

428

In council sat, solicitous
⁵³⁷⁹
what chance

429

Might intercept
⁵³⁸⁰
their emperor sent.
⁵³⁸¹
So he

430

Departing gave
⁵³⁸²
command, and they observed.

431

As when the Tartar from his Russian foe

432

By Astrakhan
⁵³⁸³
over the snowy plains

433

Retires, or Bactrin Sophi,
⁵³⁸⁴
from the horns

434

Of Turkish crescent, leaves all waste beyond

435

The realm of Aladule,
⁵³⁸⁵
in his retreat

436

To Tauris
⁵³⁸⁶
or Casbeen,
⁵³⁸⁷
so these, the late
⁵³⁸⁸

437

Heav’n-banished host left desert
⁵³⁸⁹
utmost
⁵³⁹⁰
Hell

438

Many a dark league, reduced
⁵³⁹¹
in careful watch

439

Round their metropolis, and now expecting

440

Each hour their great adventurer, from the search

441

Of foreign worlds. He through the midst unmarked,
⁵³⁹²

442

In show
⁵³⁹³
plebeian
⁵³⁹⁴
Angel militant
⁵³⁹⁵

443

Of lowest order, passed, and from the door

444

Of that Plutonian hall, invisible