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

field
678
      
Or cast 1828 a rampart. 1829 Mammon led them on—
679
      
Mammon, the least erected 1830 Spirit that fell
680
      
From Heav’n, for even in Heav’n his looks and thoughts
681
      
Were always downward bent, admiring more
682
      
The riches of Heav’n’s pavement, trodden gold
683
      
Than aught divine or holy else 1831 enjoyed
684
      
In vision beatific. 1832 By him first
685
      
Men also, and by his suggestion taught
686
      
Ransacked the center, 1833 and with impious hands
687
      
Rifled 1834 the bowels of their mother earth
688
      
For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew
689
      
Opened into the hill a spacious wound
690
      
And digged out ribs 1835 of gold. Let none admire 1836
691
      
That riches grow in Hell: that soil may best
692
      
Deserve the precious bane. 1837 And here let those
693
      
Who boast in 1838 mortal things, and wond’ring tell
694
      
Of Babel, and the works of Memphian 1839 kings
695
      
Learn how their greatest monuments of fame
696
      
And strength, and art, are easily outdone
697
      
By Spirits reprobate, 1840 and in an hour
698
      
What in an age they, 1841 with incessant toil
699
      
And hands innumerable, scarce perform
700
      
Nigh 1842 on the plain, in many cells 1843 prepared
701
      
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
702
      
Sluiced 1844 from the lake, a second multitude
703
      
With wondrous art 1845 founded 1846 the massy 1847 ore
704
      
Severing 1848 each kind, and scummed 1849 the bullion dross. 1850
705
      
A third as soon 1851 had formed within the ground
706
      
A various 1852 mould, and from the boiling cells
707
      
By strange 1853 conveyance filled each hollow nook
708
      
As in an organ, from one blast of wind
709
      
To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes
710
      
Anon 1854 out of the earth a fabric 1855 huge
711
      
Rose like an exhalation with the sound
712
      
Of dulcet 1856 symphonies 1857 and voices sweet
713
      
Built like a temple, where pilasters 1858 round
714
      
Were set, and Doric 1859 pillars overlaid
715
      
With golden architrave, 1860 nor did there want 1861
716
      
Cornice 1862 or frieze, 1863 with bossy sculptures 1864 grav’n.
717
      
The roof was fretted 1865 gold. Not Babylon
718
      
Nor great Alcairo 1866 such magnificence
719
      
Equaled in all their glories, to enshrine
720
      
Belus or Serapis 1867 their gods, or seat 1868
721
      
Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove
722
      
In wealth and luxury. Th’ ascending pile 1869
723
      
Stood fixed 1870 her stately height, and straight the doors
724
      
Opening their brazen 1871 folds, discover, 1872 wide
725
      
Within, her ample spaces o’er the smooth
726
      
And level pavement. From the archèd roof
727
      
Pendant 1873 by subtle 1874 magic, many a row
728
      
Of starry lamps and blazing cressets, 1875 fed
729
      
With naphtha and asphaltus, yielded light
730
      
As from a sky. The hasty 1876 multitude
731
      
Admiring entered, and the work some praise
732
      
And some the architect. His hand was known
733
      
In Heav’n by many a tow’red structure high
734
      
Where sceptered Angels held their residence
735
      
And sat as Princes, whom the supreme King
736
      
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule
737
      
Each in his hierarchy, the Orders bright
738
      
Nor was his name unheard or unadored
739
      
In ancient Greece. And in Ausonian 1877 land
740
      
Men called him Mulciber, 1878 and how he