The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (27 page)

268

In this unhappy mansion,
¹⁵²⁵
or once more

269

With rallied arms to try what may be yet

270

Regained in Heav’n, or what more lost in Hell

271

So Satan spoke; and him Beelzebub

272

Thus answered: “Leader of those armies bright

273

Which, but th’ Omnipotent, none could have foiled!
¹⁵²⁶

274

If once they hear that voice, their liveliest pledge
¹⁵²⁷

275

Of hope in fears and dangers—heard so oft

276

In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge

277

Of battle, when it raged, in all assaults

278

Their surest signal—they will soon resume

279

New courage and revive, though now they lie

280

Grovelling and prostrate on yon lake of fire

281

As we erewhile, astounded
¹⁵²⁸
and amazed.
¹⁵²⁹

282

No wonder, fall’n such a pernicious
¹⁵³⁰
height

283

   
He scarce had ceased when the superior fiend

284

Was moving toward the shore, his ponderous shield

285

Ethereal
¹⁵³¹
temper,
¹⁵³²
massy, large, and round

286

Behind him cast. The broad circumference

287

Hung on his shoulders like the moon, whose orb

288

Through optic glass the Tuscan
¹⁵³³
artist
¹⁵³⁴
views

289

At evening, from the top of Fesolé

290

Or in Valdarno, to descry
¹⁵³⁵
new lands

291

Rivers, or mountains in her spotty
¹⁵³⁶
globe

292

His spear—to equal which the tallest pine

293

Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast

294

Of some great ammiral,
¹⁵³⁷
were but a wand—
¹⁵³⁸

295

He walked with, to support uneasy
¹⁵³⁹
steps

296

Over the burning marl,
¹⁵⁴⁰
not like those steps

297

On Heaven’s azure. And the torrid clime

298

Smote
¹⁵⁴¹
on him sore besides, vaulted
¹⁵⁴²
with fire

299

Nathless
¹⁵⁴³
he so endured, till on the beach

300

Of that inflamèd
¹⁵⁴⁴
sea he stood, and called

301

His legions, Angel forms, who lay entranced
¹⁵⁴⁵

302

Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks

303

In Vallombrosa,
¹⁵⁴⁶
where th’ Etrurian
¹⁵⁴⁷
shades

304

High over-arched, embow’r
¹⁵⁴⁸
—or scattered sedge
¹⁵⁴⁹

305

Afloat, when with fierce winds Orion armed
¹⁵⁵⁰

306

Hath vexed
¹⁵⁵¹
the Red-Sea coast, whose waves o’erthrew

307

Busiris
¹⁵⁵²
and his Memphian
¹⁵⁵³
chivalry,
¹⁵⁵⁴

308

While with perfidious
¹⁵⁵⁵
hatred they pursued

309

The sojourners
¹⁵⁵⁶
of Goshen,
¹⁵⁵⁷
who beheld

310

From the safe shore their floating carcases

311

And broken chariot-wheels. So thick bestrewn

312

Abject
¹⁵⁵⁸
and lost, lay these, covering the flood

313

Under amazement
¹⁵⁵⁹
of their hideous
¹⁵⁶⁰
change

314

   
He called so loud that all the hollow deep

315

Of Hell resounded: “Princes, Potentates,
¹⁵⁶¹

316

Warriors, the Flow’r of Heav’n—once yours, now lost

317

If such astonishment
¹⁵⁶²
as this can seize

318

Eternal Spirits! Or have ye chosen this place

319

After the toil of battle to repose

320

Your wearied virtue,
¹⁵⁶³
for the ease you find

321

To slumber here, as in the vales of Heav’n?

322

Or in this abject posture have ye sworn

323

To adore the conqueror, who now beholds

324

Cherub and Seraph rolling in the flood

325

With scattered arms and ensigns,
¹⁵⁶⁴
till anon
¹⁵⁶⁵

326

His swift pursuers from Heav’n-gates discern

327

Th’ advantage, and descending, tread us down

328

Thus drooping, or with linkèd thunderbolts

329

Transfix
¹⁵⁶⁶
us to the bottom of this gulf?
¹⁵⁶⁷

330

Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n!”

331

   
They heard, and were abashed, and up they sprung

332

Upon the wing,
¹⁵⁶⁸
as when men wont
¹⁵⁶⁹
to watch

333

On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread

334

Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake

335

Nor did they not perceive the evil plight

336

In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel

337

Yet to their general’s voice they soon obeyed

338

Innumerable. As when the potent rod

339

Of Amram’s son,
¹⁵⁷⁰
in Egypt’s evil day

340

Waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy
¹⁵⁷¹
cloud

341

Of locusts, warping
¹⁵⁷²
on the eastern wind

342

That o’er the realm of impious Pharaoh hung

343

Like night, and darkened all the land of Nile

344

So numberless were those bad Angels seen

345

Hovering on wing under the cope
¹⁵⁷³
of Hell

346

’Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding fires

347

Till, as a signal giv’n, th’ uplifted spear

348

Of their great sultan waving to direct

349

Their course, in even balance down they light
¹⁵⁷⁴

350

On the firm
¹⁵⁷⁵
brimstone,
¹⁵⁷⁶
and fill all the plain

351

A multitude like which the populous North
¹⁵⁷⁷

352

Poured never from her frozen loins to pass

353

Rhine or the Danau,
¹⁵⁷⁸
when her barbarous sons

354

Came like a deluge on the South and spread