The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (43 page)

890

      

Before their eyes in sudden view appear

891

      

The secrets of the hoary deep—a dark

892

      

Illimitable ocean, without bound,

893

      

Without dimension, where length, breadth, and height,

894

      

And time, and place, are lost, where eldest Night

895

      

And Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold

896

      

Eternal anarchy, amidst the noise

897

      

Of endless wars, and by confusion
²³³⁹
stand.

898

      

For hot, cold, moist, and dry, four champions fierce,

899

      

Strive here for mast’ry, and to battle bring

900

      

Their embryon
²³⁴⁰
atoms. They around the flag

901

      

Of each his faction, in their several clans,

902

      

Light-armed or heavy, sharp, smooth, swift, or slow,

903

      

Swarm populous, unnumbered as the sands

904

      

Of Barca
²³⁴¹
or Cyrene’s
²³⁴²
torrid soil,

905

      

Levied
²³⁴³
to side with warring winds, and poise
²³⁴⁴

906

      

Their lighter wings. To whom these most adhere,
²³⁴⁵

907

      

He rules a moment. Chaos umpire sits,

908

      

And by decision more embroils
²³⁴⁶
the fray

909

      

By which he reigns. Next him, high arbiter,

910

      

Chance governs all. Into this wild abyss,

911

      

The womb of Nature, and perhaps her grave,

912

      

Of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire,

913

      

But all these in their pregnant causes mixed

914

      

Confus’dly, and which thus must ever fight,

915

      

Unless th’Almighty Maker them ordain
²³⁴⁷

916

      

His dark materials to create more worlds—

917

      

Into this wild abyss the wary
²³⁴⁸
fiend

918

      

Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while,

919

      

Pondering his voyage, for no narrow frith
²³⁴⁹

920

      

He had to cross. Nor was his ear less pealed
²³⁵⁰

921

      

With noises loud and ruinous
²³⁵¹
(to compare

922

      

Great things with small) than when Bellona
²³⁵²
storms

923

      

With all her battering engines,
²³⁵³
bent
²³⁵⁴
to raze
²³⁵⁵

924

      

Some capital city; or less than if this frame

925

      

Of Heav’n were falling, and these elements

926

      

In mutiny had from her axle torn

927

      

The steadfast earth. At last his sail-broad vans
²³⁵⁶

928

      

He spread for flight and, in the surging smoke

929

      

Uplifted, spurns
²³⁵⁷
the ground, thence many a league,

930

      

As in a cloudy chair, ascending rides

931

      

Audacious,
²³⁵⁸
but that seat soon failing, meets

932

      

A vast vacuity. All unawares,

933

      

Flutt’ring his pennons
²³⁵⁹
vain,
²³⁶⁰
plumb-down he drops

934

      

Ten thousand fathom deep, and to this hour

935

      

Down had been falling, had not, by ill chance,

936

      

The strong rebuff
²³⁶¹
of some tumultuous cloud,

937

      

Instinct
²³⁶²
with fire and niter,
²³⁶³
hurried him

938

      

As many miles aloft. That fury
²³⁶⁴
stayed—
²³⁶⁵

939

      

Quenched in a boggy Syrtis,
²³⁶⁶
neither sea,

940

      

Nor good dry land—nigh
²³⁶⁷
foundered,
²³⁶⁸
on he fares,

941

      

Treading the crude
²³⁶⁹
consistence,
²³⁷⁰
half on foot,

942

      

Half flying. Behoves him now
²³⁷¹
both oar and sail.

943

      

As when a gryphon
²³⁷²
through the wilderness

944

      

With wingèd course, o’er hill or moory dale,

945

      

Pursues the Arimaspian,
²³⁷³
who by stealth

946

      

Had from his
²³⁷⁴
wakeful
²³⁷⁵
custody purloined
²³⁷⁶

947

      

The guarded gold, so eagerly the fiend

948

      

O’er bog or steep, through strait, rough, dense, or rare,

949

      

With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues his way,

950

      

And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flies.

951

      

   
At length a universal hubbub wild

952

      

Of stunning sounds, and voices all confused,

953

      

Borne through the hollow dark, assaults his ear

954

      

With loudest vehemence.
²³⁷⁷
Thither he plies
²³⁷⁸

955

      

Undaunted, to meet there whatever Power

956

      

Or Spirit of the nethermost abyss

957

      

Might in that noise reside, of whom to ask

958

      

Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies,

959

      

Bord’ring on light. When straight behold the throne

960

      

Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread

961

      

Wide on the wasteful deep! With him enthroned

962

      

Sat sable-vested Night, eldest of things,

963

      

The consort
²³⁷⁹
of his reign; and by them stood

964

      

Orcus and Adès,
²³⁸⁰
and the dreaded name

965

      

Of Demogorgon,
²³⁸¹
Rumor next, and Chance,

966

      

And Tumult, and Confusion, all embroiled,
²³⁸²

967

      

And Discord with a thousand various
²³⁸³
mouths.

968

      

   
T’ whom Satan, turning boldly, thus: “Ye Powers

969

      

And Spirits of this nethermost abyss,

970

      

Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy

971

      

With purpose to explore or to disturb

972

      

The secrets of your realm, but by constraint

973

      

Wand’ring this darksome desert, as my way

974

      

Lies through your spacious empire up to light,

975

      

Alone and without guide, half lost, I seek

976

      

What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds

977

      

Confine
²³⁸⁴
with Heav’n, or if some other place