The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (117 page)

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

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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534

      

Where all yet left of that revolted rout,
5435

535

      

Heav’n-fall’n, in station
5436
stood or just
5437
array,

536

      

Sublime
5438
with expectation when to see

537

      

In triumph issuing forth their glorious chief.

538

      

They saw, but other sight instead! a crowd

539

      

Of ugly serpents. Horror on them fell,

540

      

And horrid sympathy, for what they saw

541

      

They felt themselves now changing. Down their arms,

542

      

Down fell both spear and shield, down they as fast,

543

      

And the dire hiss renewed, and the dire form

544

      

Catched by contagion,
5439
like
5440
in punishment

545

      

As in their crime. Thus was th’ applause they meant

546

      

Turned to exploding hiss, triumph to shame

547

      

Cast on themselves from their own mouths.

There stood

548

      

A grove hard by, sprung up with
5441
this their change

549

      

(His will who reigns above, to aggravate
5442

550

      

Their penance), laden with fair fruit, like that

551

      

Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve

552

      

Used by the Tempter. On that prospect
5443
strange
5444

553

      

Their earnest eyes they fixed, imagining

554

      

For one forbidden tree a multitude

555

      

Now ris’n, to work them further woe or shame.

556

      

Yet parched with scalding thirst and hunger fierce,

557

      

Though to delude them sent, could not abstain,

558

      

But on they rolled in heaps, and up the trees

559

      

Climbing, sat thicker than the snaky locks

560

      

That curled Megaera.
5445
Greedily they plucked

561

      

The fruitage fair to sight, like that which grew

562

      

Near that bituminous
5446
lake
5447
where Sodom flamed—

563

      

This more delusive, not the touch, but taste

564

      

Deceived. They fondly
5448
thinking to allay

565

      

Their appetite with gust,
5449
instead of fruit

566

      

Chewed bitter ashes, which th’ offended taste

567

      

With spattering noise rejected. Oft they assayed,

568

      

Hunger and thirst constraining, drugged
5450
as oft,

569

      

With hatefullest disrelish
5451
writhed their jaws,

570

      

With soot and cinders filled. So oft they fell

571

      

Into the same illusion, not as man

572

      

Whom they triumphed
5452
once
5453
lapsed. Thus were they plagued

573

      

And worn with famine,
5454
long and ceaseless hiss,

574

      

Till their lost shape, permitted, they resumed,

575

      

Yearly enjoined, some say, to undergo

576

      

This annual humbling certain
5455
numbered days,

577

      

To dash
5456
their pride and joy for man seduced.

578

      

However, some tradition
5457
they dispersed
5458

579

      

Among the heathen, of their purchase
5459
got,

580

      

And fabled how the serpent, whom they called

581

      

Ophion,
5460
with Eurynome
5461
(the wide-

582

      

Encroaching Eve,
5462
perhaps), had first the rule

583

      

Of high Olympus, thence by Saturn driv’n

584

      

And Ops,
5463
ere yet Dictaean Jove
5464
was born.

585

      

   
Meanwhile in Paradise the hellish pair

586

      

Too soon arrived, Sin there in power before,

587

      

Once
5465
actual,
5466
now in body, and to dwell

588

      

Habitual habitant; behind her Death,

589

      

Close following pace for pace, not mounted yet

590

      

On his pale horse.
5467
To whom Sin thus began:

591

      

   
“Second of Satan sprung, all-conquering Death!

592

      

What think’st thou of our empire now, though earned

593

      

With travel difficult, not better far

594

      

Than still at Hell’s dark threshold to have sat watch,

595

      

Unnamed, undreaded, and thyself half starved?

596

      

Whom thus the Sin-born monster answered soon:
5468

597

      

   
“To me, who with eternal famine pine,
5469

598

      

Alike is Hell, or Paradise, or Heaven—

599

      

There best, where most with ravine
5470
I may meet,

600

      

Which here, though plenteous, all too little seems

601

      

To stuff this maw, this vast unhide-bound
5471
corpse.”
5472

602

      

To whom th’ incestuous mother thus replied:

603

      

   
“Thou therefore on these herbs, and fruits, and flow’rs

604

      

Feed first. On each beast next, and fish, and fowl—

605

      

No homely
5473
morsels! And whatever thing

606

      

The scythe of Time mows down, devour unspared,
5474

607

      

Till I, in man residing through the race,

608

      

His thoughts, his looks, words, actions, all infect,

609

      

And season him thy last and sweetest prey.

610

      

   
This said, they both betook them several
5475
ways,

611

      

Both to destroy, or unimmortal make

612

      

All kinds, and for destruction to mature
5476

613

      

Sooner or later. Which th’Almighty seeing,

614

      

From His transcendent seat the Saints among,

615

      

To those bright orders uttered thus His voice:

616

      

   
“See with what heat these dogs of Hell advance

617

      

To waste
5477
and havoc
5478
yonder world, which I

618

      

So fair and good created, and had still

619

      

Kept in that state, had not the folly of man

620

      

Let in these wasteful Furies, who impute
5479

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