The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (77 page)

Read The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems Online

Authors: John Milton,Burton Raffel

Tags: #Fiction, #General, #Literary Collections, #Poetry, #Classics, #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #English poetry

BOOK: The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems
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265

      

Though heaviest by just measure
3830
on thyself

266

      

And thy adherents! How hast thou disturbed

267

      

Heav’n’s blessèd peace, and into Nature brought

268

      

Misery, uncreated till the crime

269

      

Of thy rebellion! How hast thou instilled

270

      

Thy malice into thousands, once upright

271

      

And faithful, now proved false! But think not here

272

      

To trouble holy rest.
3831
Heav’n casts thee out

273

      

From all her confines.
3832
Heav’n, the seat of bliss,

274

      

Brooks
3833
not the works of violence and war.

275

      

Hence then, and evil go with thee along,

276

      

Thy offspring, to the place of evil, Hell,

277

      

Thou and thy wicked crew! There mingle
3834
broils,
3835

278

      

Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom,

279

      

Or some more sudden vengeance, winged from God,

280

      

Precipitate thee with augmented pain.

281

      

   
“So spoke the Prince of Angels, to whom thus

282

      

The adversary:

“‘Nor think thou with wind

283

      

Of airy threats to awe whom yet with deeds

284

      

Thou canst not. Hast thou turned the least of these

285

      

To flight, or if to fall, but that they rise

286

      

Unvanquished? Easier to transact
3836
with me

287

      

That thou shouldst hope, imperious, and with threats

288

      

To chase me hence? Err not, that so shall end

289

      

The strife which thou call’st evil, but we style

290

      

The strife of glory, which we mean to win,

291

      

Or turn this Heav’n itself into the Hell

292

      

Thou fablest, here however to dwell free,

293

      

If not to reign. Meanwhile, thy utmost force

294

      

(And join Him named Almighty to thy aid)

295

      

I fly not, but have sought thee far and nigh.

296

      

   
“They ended parle,
3837
and both addressed
3838
for fight

297

      

Unspeakable, for who, though with the tongue

298

      

Of Angels, can relate, or to what things

299

      

Liken on earth conspicuous,
3839
that may lift

300

      

Human imagination to such height

301

      

Of godlike power? For likest gods they seemed,

302

      

Stood they or moved, in stature, motion, arms,

303

      

Fit to decide the empire of great Heav’n.

304

      

Now waved their fiery swords, and in the air

305

      

Made horrid circles: two broad suns their shields

306

      

Blazed opposite, while expectation stood

307

      

In horror. From each hand
3840
with speed retired,

308

      

Where erst was thickest
3841
fight, th’Angelic throng,

309

      

And left large field,
3842
unsafe within the wind
3843

310

      

Of such commotion—such as, to set forth

311

      

Great things by small, if Nature’s concord broke,

312

      

Among the constellations war were sprung,

313

      

Two planets, rushing from aspect
3844
malign

314

      

Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky

315

      

Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound.
3845

316

      

Together both with next to almighty arm

317

      

Up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aimed

318

      

That might determine,
3846
and not need repeat,

319

      

As not of power at once, nor odds
3847
appeared

320

      

In might or swift prevention.
3848
But the sword

321

      

Of Michael from the armory of God

322

      

Was giv’n him tempered so that neither keen

323

      

Nor solid might resist that edge. It met

324

      

The sword of Satan, with steep force to smite

325

      

Descending, and in half cut sheer,
3849
nor stayed,

326

      

But with swift wheel reverse, deep ent’ring, shared
3850

327

      

All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain,

328

      

And writhed him to and fro convolved,
3851
so sore

329

      

The griding
3852
sword with discontinuous
3853
wound

330

      

Passed through him. But the ethereal substance closed,

331

      

Not long divisible, and from the gash

332

      

A stream of nectarous humor
3854
issuing flowed

333

      

Sanguine,
3855
such as celestial Spirits may bleed,

334

      

And all his armor stained, erewhile so bright.

335

      

Forthwith on all sides to his aid was run

336

      

By Angels many and strong, who interposed

337

      

Defence, while others bore him on their shields

338

      

Back to his chariot, where it stood retired
3856

339

      

From off the files of war.
3857
There they him laid

340

      

Gnashing for anguish and despite
3858
and shame

341

      

To find himself not matchless, and his pride

342

      

Humbled by such rebuke,
3859
so far beneath

343

      

His confidence to equal God in power.

344

      

Yet soon he healed, for Spirits that live throughout

345

      

Vital in every part, not as frail man

346

      

In entrails, heart or head, liver or reins,
3860

347

      

Cannot but
3861
by annihilating die,

348

      

Nor in their liquid texture mortal wound

349

      

Receive, no more than can the fluid air.

350

      

All heart they live, all head, all eye, all ear,

351

      

All intellect, all sense, and as they please

352

      

They limb themselves, and color, shape, or size

353

      

Assume, as likes them best, condense or rare.

354

      

   
“Meanwhile in other parts like
3862
deeds deserved

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