The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (42 page)

801

      

Afresh, with conscious terrors vex me round,

802

      

That rest or intermission none I find.

803

      

Before mine eyes in opposition
²²⁹⁸
sits

804

      

Grim Death, my son and foe, who set them on,

805

      

And me, his parent, would full soon devour

806

      

For want of other prey, but that he knows

807

      

His end with mine involved, and knows that I

808

      

Should prove a bitter morsel, and his bane,
²²⁹⁹

809

      

Whenever that shall be. So Fate pronounced.

810

      

But thou, O father, I forewarn thee, shun

811

      

His deadly arrow. Neither
²³⁰⁰
vainly hope

812

      

To be invulnerable in those bright arms,
²³⁰¹

813

      

Though tempered
²³⁰²
Heav’nly, for that mortal dint,
²³⁰³

814

      

Save He who reigns above, none can resist.

815

      

She finished, and the subtle fiend, his lore
²³⁰⁴

816

      

Soon learned, now milder, and thus answered smooth:

817

      

   
“Dear daughter—since thou claim’st me for thy sire,

818

      

And my fair son here show’st me, the dear pledge
²³⁰⁵

819

      

Of dalliance
²³⁰⁶
had with thee in Heav’n, and joys

820

      

Then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change

821

      

Befall’n us unforeseen, unthought-of—know

822

      

I come no enemy, but to set free

823

      

From out this dark and dismal house of pain

824

      

Both him and thee, and all the Heav’nly host

825

      

Of Spirits that, in our just pretences
²³⁰⁷
armed,

826

      

Fell with us from on high. From them I go

827

      

This uncouth
²³⁰⁸
errand sole,
²³⁰⁹
and one for all

828

      

Myself expose, with lonely steps to tread

829

      

Th’ unfounded
²³¹⁰
deep, and through the void immense

830

      

To search, with wand’ring quest, a place foretold

831

      

Should be—and by concurring signs, ere now

832

      

Created vast and round—a place of bliss

833

      

In the purlieus
²³¹¹
of Heav’n, and therein placed

834

      

A race of upstart creatures, to supply

835

      

Perhaps our vacant room,
²³¹²
though more removed,
²³¹³

836

      

Lest Heav’n, surcharged
²³¹⁴
with potent
²³¹⁵
multitude,

837

      

Might hap to move
²³¹⁶
new broils.
²³¹⁷
Be this, or aught

838

      

Than this more secret, now designed,
²³¹⁸
I haste

839

      

To know, and this once known shall soon return

840

      

And bring ye to the place where thou and Death

841

      

Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen

842

      

Wing silently the buxom
²³¹⁹
air, embalmed

843

      

With odors. There ye shall be fed and filled

844

      

Immeasurably; all things shall be your prey.

845

      

   
He ceased, for both seemed highly pleased, and Death

846

      

Grinned horrible a ghastly smile, to hear

847

      

His famine
²³²⁰
should be filled, and blessed his maw
²³²¹

848

      

Destined to that good hour. No less rejoiced

849

      

His mother bad, and thus bespoke
²³²²
her sire:

850

      

   
“The key of this infernal pit, by due
²³²³

851

      

And by command of Heav’n’s all-powerful King,

852

      

I keep, by Him forbidden to unlock

853

      

These adamantine gates. Against all force

854

      

Death ready stands to interpose
²³²⁴
his dart,
²³²⁵

855

      

Fearless to be o’ermatched by living might.

856

      

But what owe I to His commands above,

857

      

Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down

858

      

Into this gloom of Tartarus
²³²⁶
profound,
²³²⁷

859

      

To sit in hateful office here confined,

860

      

Inhabitant of Heav’n and Heav’nly born—

861

      

Here in perpetual agony and pain,

862

      

With terrors and with clamors compassed round
²³²⁸

863

      

Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed?

864

      

Thou art my father, thou my author, thou

865

      

My being gav’st me. Whom should I obey

866

      

But thee? whom follow? Thou wilt bring me soon

867

      

To that new world of light and bliss, among

868

      

The gods who live at ease, where I shall reign

869

      

At thy right hand voluptuous,
²³²⁹
as beseems
²³³⁰

870

      

Thy daughter and thy darling, without end.

871

      

   
Thus saying, from her side the fatal key,

872

      

Sad instrument of all our woe, she took,

873

      

And towards the gate rolling her bestial train,
²³³¹

874

      

Forthwith the huge portcullis
²³³²
high up-drew,

875

      

Which, but herself, not all the Stygian
²³³³
Powers

876

      

Could once have moved, then in the key-hole turns

877

      

Th’ intricate wards,
²³³⁴
and every bolt and bar

878

      

Of massy iron or solid rock with ease

879

      

Unfastens. On a sudden, open fly

880

      

(With impetuous
²³³⁵
recoil and jarring sound)

881

      

Th’ infernal doors, and on their hinges grate

882

      

Harsh thunder, that the lowest bottom shook

883

      

Of Erebus.
²³³⁶
She opened—but to shut

884

      

Excelled
²³³⁷
her power. The gates wide open stood,

885

      

That with extended wings a bannered host,

886

      

Under spread ensigns marching, might pass through

887

      

With horse and chariots ranked in loose array.

888

      

So wide they stood, and like a furnace-mouth

889

      

Cast forth redounding
²³³⁸
smoke and ruddy flame.