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
265 | | Though heaviest by just measure |
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. |
273 | | From all her confines. |
274 | | Brooks |
275 | | Hence then, and evil go with thee along, |
276 | | Thy offspring, to the place of evil, Hell, |
277 | | |
278 | | Ere this avenging sword begin thy doom, |
279 | | Or some more sudden vengeance, winged from God, |
280 | | Precipitate thee with augmented pain. |
281 | | |
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 |
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 | | |
297 | | Unspeakable, for who, though with the tongue |
298 | | Of Angels, can relate, or to what things |
299 | | Liken on earth conspicuous, |
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 |
308 | | Where erst was thickest |
309 | | |
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 |
314 | | Of fiercest opposition, in mid sky |
315 | | Should combat, and their jarring spheres confound. |
316 | | Together both with next to almighty arm |
317 | | Up-lifted imminent, one stroke they aimed |
318 | | That might determine, |
319 | | As not of power at once, nor odds |
320 | | In might or swift prevention. |
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, |
326 | | But with swift wheel reverse, deep ent’ring, shared |
327 | | All his right side. Then Satan first knew pain, |
328 | | And writhed him to and fro convolved, |
329 | | |
330 | | Passed through him. But the ethereal substance closed, |
331 | | Not long divisible, and from the gash |
332 | | A stream of nectarous humor |
333 | | Sanguine, |
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 |
339 | | From off the files of war. |
340 | | Gnashing for anguish and despite |
341 | | To find himself not matchless, and his pride |
342 | | Humbled by such rebuke, |
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, |
347 | | Cannot but |
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 | | |