Read Online The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems by John Milton, Burton Raffel - Free Book Online Page A

prepared
616
      
To speak, whereat their doubled ranks they bend
617
      
From wing to wing, and half enclose him round
618
      
With all his peers. Attention held them mute
619
      
Thrice he assayed, 1793 and thrice, in spite of 1794 scorn
620
      
Tears, such as Angels weep, burst forth. At last
621
      
Words interwove with sighs found out their way
622
      
    “O myriads of immortal Spirits! O Powers
623
      
Matchless, but 1795 with th’Almighty! And that strife
624
      
Was not inglorious, though th’ event 1796 was dire, 1797
625
      
As this place testifies, and this dire change
626
      
Hateful to utter. But what power of mind
627
      
Foreseeing or presaging, 1798 from the depth
628
      
Of knowledge past or present, could have feared
629
      
How such united force of gods, how such
630
      
As stood like these, could ever know repulse? 1799
631
      
For who can yet believe, though after loss
632
      
That all these puissant 1800 legions, 1801 whose exile
633
      
Hath emptied Heav’n, shall fail to re-ascend
634
      
Self-raised, and repossess their native seat
635
      
For me, be witness all the host of Heav’n,
636
      
If counsels 1802 different, or danger shunned
637
      
By me, have lost our hopes. But He who reigns
638
      
Monarch in Heav’n till then as one secure
639
      
Sat on His throne, upheld by old repute
640
      
Consent or custom, and His regal state
641
      
Put forth at full, 1803 but still His strength concealed
642
      
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought 1804 our fall
643
      
Henceforth His might 1805 we know, and know our own
644
      
So as not either to provoke, or dread
645
      
New war provoked. Our better part 1806 remains
646
      
To work in close 1807 design, 1808 by fraud or guile
647
      
What force effected 1809 not, that He no less
648
      
At length from us may find: 1810 who overcomes
649
      
By force hath overcome but half his foe
650
      
Space may produce new worlds—whereof so rife 1811
651
      
There went a fame 1812 in Heav’n that He ere long
652
      
Intended to create, and therein plant
653
      
A generation whom His choice 1813 regard 1814
654
      
Should favor equal to the sons of Heav’n.
655
      
Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps
656
      
Our first eruption 1815 —thither, or elsewhere
657
      
For this infernal pit shall never hold
658
      
Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor th’ abyss
659
      
Long under darkness cover. 1816
    “But these thoughts
660
      
Full counsel must mature. Peace is despaired
661
      
For who can think submission? War, then, war
662
      
Open or understood, must be resolved
663
      
    He spoke and, to confirm his words, outflew
664
      
Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs 1817
665
      
Of mighty Cherubim: the sudden blaze
666
      
Far round illumined Hell. Highly 1818 they raged
667
      
Against the Highest, and fierce with graspèd 1819 arms
668
      
Clashed on their sounding 1820 shields the din of war
669
      
Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.
670
      
There stood a hill not far, whose grisly 1821 top
671
      
Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire 1822
672
      
Shone with a glossy scurf 1823 —undoubted sign
673
      
That in his womb was hid metallic ore
674
      
The work of sulphur. 1824 Thither, winged with speed
675
      
A numerous brigade hastened: as when bands
676
      
Of pioneers, 1825 with spade and pickaxe armed
677
      
Forerun 1826 the royal camp, to trench 1827 a