The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (35 page)

184

There to converse with everlasting groans

185

Unrespited,
¹⁹⁸³
unpitied, unreprieved

186

Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse

187

War, therefore, open or concealed, alike

188

My voice dissuades. For what can force or guile

189

With Him, or who deceive His mind, whose eye

190

Views all things at one view? He from Heav’n’s height

191

All these our motions vain sees and derides

192

Not more Almighty to resist our might

193

Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles

194

Shall we, then, live thus vile—the race of Heav’n

195

Thus trampled, thus expelled, to suffer here

196

Chains and these torments? Better these than worse,

197

By my advice, since fate inevitable

198

Subdues us, and omnipotent decree

199

The victor’s will. To suffer, as to do,

200

Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust

201

That so ordains. This was at first resolved

202

If we were wise, against so great a foe

203

Contending,
¹⁹⁸⁴
and so
¹⁹⁸⁵
doubtful what might fall.
¹⁹⁸⁶

204

I laugh when those who at the spear are bold

205

And vent’rous, if that fail them, shrink, and fear

206

What yet they know must follow—to endure

207

Exile, or ignominy,
¹⁹⁸⁷
or bonds, or pain

208

The sentence of their conqueror. This is now

209

Our doom,
¹⁹⁸⁸
which if we can sustain and bear

210

Our Supreme foe in time may much remit
¹⁹⁸⁹

211

His anger, and perhaps, thus far removed,
¹⁹⁹⁰

212

Not mind
¹⁹⁹¹
us, not offending, satisfied

213

With what is punished, whence these raging fires

214

Will slacken, if His breath stir not their flames

215

Our purer essence then will overcome

216

Their noxious
¹⁹⁹²
vapor or, inured,
¹⁹⁹³
not feel

217

Or, changed at length, and to the place conformed
¹⁹⁹⁴

218

In temper and in nature, will receive

219

Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain

220

This horror will grow mild, this darkness light

221

Besides what hope the never-ending flight

222

Of future days may bring, what chance, what change

223

Worth waiting—since our present lot appears

224

For happy though but ill, for ill not worst

225

If we procure not to ourselves more woe

226

Thus Belial, with words clothed in reason’s garb

227

Counselled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth

228

Not peace. And after him thus Mammon spoke

229

   
“Either to disenthrone the King of Heav’n

230

We war, if war be best, or to regain

231

Our own right lost. Him to unthrone we then

232

May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield

233

To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife

234

The former, vain to hope, argues as vain

235

The latter—for what place can be for us

236

Within Heav’n’s bound, unless Heav’n’s Lord supreme

237

We overpower? Suppose He should relent

238

And publish
¹⁹⁹⁵
grace to all, on promise made

239

Of new subjection?
¹⁹⁹⁶
With what eyes could we

240

Stand in His presence humble, and receive

241

Strict laws imposed, to celebrate His throne

242

With warbled hymns, and to His Godhead sing

243

Forced hallelujahs, while He lordly sits

244

Our envied sov’reign, and His altar breathes

245

Ambrosial odors and ambrosial flowers

246

Our servile offerings? This must be our task

247

In Heav’n, this our delight. How wearisome

248

Eternity so spent in worship paid

249

To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue

250

By force impossible, by leave obtained

251

Unacceptable, though in Heav’n, our state

252

Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek

253

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own

254

Live to
¹⁹⁹⁷
ourselves, though in this vast recess

255

Free and to none accountable, preferring

256

Hard liberty before the easy yoke

257

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear

258

Then most conspicuous when great things of
¹⁹⁹⁸
small,

259

Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse,
¹⁹⁹⁹

260

We can create, and in what place soe’er

261

Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain

262

Through labor and endurance. This deep world

263

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

264

Thick clouds and dark doth Heav’n’s all-ruling Sire

265

Choose to reside, His glory unobscured

266

And with the majesty of darkness round

267

Covers His throne, from whence deep thunders roar,

268

Must’ring
²⁰⁰⁰
their rage, and Heav’n resembles Hell!

269

As He our darkness, cannot we His light

270

Imitate when we please? This desert soil

271

Wants
²⁰⁰¹
not her hidden luster, gems and gold,

272

Nor want
²⁰⁰²
we skill or art from whence to raise

273

Magnificence. And what can Heav’n show more?

274

Our torments also may, in length of time,

275

Become our elements,
²⁰⁰³
these piercing fires

276

As soft as now severe, our temper changed