The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (74 page)

1

   
“All night the dreadless
³⁷⁰⁵
Angel,
³⁷⁰⁶
unpursued,

2

Through Heav’n’s wide champaign
³⁷⁰⁷
held his way, till morn,

3

Waked by the circling hours, with rosy hand

4

Unbarred the gates of light. There is a cave

5

Within the mount of God, fast by
³⁷⁰⁸
His throne,

6

Where light and darkness in perpetual round

7

Lodge
³⁷⁰⁹
and dislodge
³⁷¹⁰
by turns, which makes through Heav’n

8

Grateful
³⁷¹¹
vicissitude,
³⁷¹²
like day and night.

9

Light issues forth, and at the other door

10

Obsequious
³⁷¹³
darkness enters, till her hour

11

To veil the Heav’n, though darkness there might well

12

Seem twilight here. And now went forth the morn

13

Such as
³⁷¹⁴
in highest Heav’n, arrayed in gold

14

Empyreal.
³⁷¹⁵
From before her vanished night,

15

Shot through with orient
³⁷¹⁶
beams. When all the plain
³⁷¹⁷

16

Covered with thick embattled squadrons bright,

17

Chariots, and flaming arms, and fiery steeds,

18

Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his
³⁷¹⁸
view,

19

War he perceived, war in procinct,
³⁷¹⁹
and found

20

Already known what he for news had thought

21

To have reported. Gladly then he mixed

22

Among those friendly Powers, who him received

23

With joy and acclamations loud—that one

24

That of so many myriads
³⁷²⁰
fall’n—yet one

25

Returned not lost. On to the sacred hill

26

They led him, high applauded, and present
³⁷²¹

27

Before the seat supreme, from whence a voice,

28

From midst a golden cloud, thus mild was heard:

29

   
“‘Servant of God, well done, well hast thou fought

30

The better fight, who single hast maintained

31

Against revolted multitudes the cause

32

Of truth, in word mightier than they in arms,

33

And for the testimony of truth hast borne

34

Universal reproach, far worse to bear

35

Than violence. For this was all thy care,

36

To stand approved
³⁷²²
in sight of God, though worlds

37

Judged thee perverse.
³⁷²³
The easier conquest now

38

Remains
³⁷²⁴
thee, aided by this host of friends,

39

Back on thy foes more glorious to return

40

Than, scorned, thou didst depart, and to subdue

41

By force, who reason for their law refuse,

42

Right reason for their law, and for their King

43

Messiah, who by right of merit reigns.

44

   
“‘Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince,

45

And thou, in military prowess next,

46

Gabriel, lead forth to battle these my sons

47

Invincible, lead forth my armèd Saints,

48

By thousands and by millions, ranged for fight,

49

Equal in number to that Godless crew

50

Rebellious. Them with fire and hostile arms

51

Fearless assault,
³⁷²⁵
and to the brow
³⁷²⁶
of Heav’n

52

Pursuing, drive them out from God and bliss,

53

Into their place of punishment, the gulf

54

Of Tartarus,
³⁷²⁷
which ready opens wide

55

His fiery chaos to receive their fall.

56

   
“So spoke the Sov’reign Voice, and clouds began

57

To darken all the hill, and smoke to roll

58

In dusky wreaths, reluctant
³⁷²⁸
flames, the sign

59

Of wrath awaked, nor with less dread
³⁷²⁹
the loud

60

Ethereal trumpet from on high ’gan blow.

61

At which command the Powers militant

62

That stood
³⁷³⁰
for Heav’n, in mighty quadrate
³⁷³¹
joined

63

Of union irresistible, moved on

64

In silence their bright legions, to the sound

65

Of instrumental harmony that breathed

66

Heroic ardor to advent’rous deeds

67

Under their godlike leaders, in the cause

68

Of God and His Messiah. On they move

69

Indissolubly firm, nor
³⁷³²
obvious
³⁷³³
hill,

70

Nor straitening
³⁷³⁴
vale, nor wood, nor stream, divides

71

Their perfect ranks, for high above the ground

72

Their march was, and the passive
³⁷³⁵
air upbore

73

Their nimble
³⁷³⁶
tread. As when the total kind
³⁷³⁷

74

Of birds, in orderly array on wing,

75

Came summoned over Eden to receive

76

Their names of thee,
³⁷³⁸
so over many a tract
³⁷³⁹

77

Of Heav’n they marched, and many a province wide,

78

Tenfold the length of this terrene.
³⁷⁴⁰
At last,

79

Far in the horizon to the north appeared

80

From skirt
³⁷⁴¹
to skirt a fiery region, stretched

81

In battailous
³⁷⁴²
aspect, and nearer view
³⁷⁴³

82

Bristled with upright beams
³⁷⁴⁴
innumerable

83

Of rigid spears, and helmets thronged,
³⁷⁴⁵
and shields

84

Various, with boastful argument
³⁷⁴⁶
portrayed,
³⁷⁴⁷

85

The banded Powers of Satan hasting on

86

With furious
³⁷⁴⁸
expedition,
³⁷⁴⁹
for they weened
³⁷⁵⁰

87

That self-same day, by fight or by surprise,

88

To win the mount of God, and on His throne