The Complete Poetry of John Milton (61 page)

   485     
Doubl’d that sin in
Bethel
and in
Dan
,

               
Lik’ning his Maker to the Grazed Ox,

               
Jehovah
, who in one Night when he pass’d

               
From
Egypt
marching, equal’d with one stroke

               
Both her first born and all her bleating Gods.
⁵⁸

   490     
Belial
⁵⁹
came last, then whom a Spirit more lewd

               
Fell not from Heaven, or more gross to love

               
Vice for it self: To him no Temple stood

               
Or Altar smoak’d; yet who more oft then hee

               
In Temples and at Altars, when the Priest

   495     
Turns Atheist, as did
Ely
’s Sons, who fill’d

               
With lust and violence the house of God.
⁶⁰

               
In Courts and Palaces he also Reigns

               
And in luxurious Cities, where the noyse

               
Of riot ascends above thir loftiest Towrs,

   500     
And injury and outrage: And when Night

               
Darkens the Streets, then wander forth the Sons

               
Of
Belial
, flown with insolence and wine.

               
Witness the Streets of
Sodom
, and that night

               
In
Gibeah
, when th’ hospitable door

   505     
Expos’d a Matron to avoid worse rape.
⁶¹

               
These were the prime in order and in might;

               
The rest were long to tell, though far renown’d,

               
Th’
Ionian
Gods, of
Javans
⁶²
Issue held

               
Gods, yet confest
⁶³
later then Heav’n and Earth

   510     
Thir boasted Parents;
Titan
⁶⁴
Heav’ns first born

               
With his enormous brood, and birthright seis’d

               
By younger
Saturn
, he from mightier
Jove

               
His own and
Rhea’s
Son like measure found;

               
So
Jove
usurping reign’d: these first in
Greet

   515     
And
Ida
known, thence on the Snowy top

               
Of cold
Olympus
rul’d the middle Air

               
Thir highest Heav’n; or on the
Delphian
Cliff,
⁶⁵

               
Or in
Dodona
, and through all the bounds

               
Of
Doric
Land; or who with
Saturn
old

   520     
Fled over
Adria
⁶⁶
to th’
Hesperian
Fields,

               
And ore the
Celtic
roam’d the utmost Isles.

               
All these and more came flocking; but with looks

               
Down cast and damp, yet such wherein appear’d

               
Obscure som glimps of joy, to have found thir chief

   525     
Not in despair, to have found themselves not lost

               
In loss it self; which on his count’nance cast

               
Like doubtful hue: but he his wonted pride

               
Soon recollecting, with high words, that bore

               
Semblance of worth, not substance, gently rais’d

   530     
Thir fainting courage, and dispel’d thir fears.

               
Then strait commands that at the warlike sound

               
Of Trumpets loud and Clarions be upreard

               
His mighty Standard; that proud honour claim’d

               
Azazel
as his right, a Cherub tall:

   535     
Who forthwith from the glittering Staff unfurld

               
Th’ Imperial Ensign, which full high advanc’t

               
Shon like a Meteor streaming to the Wind

               
With Gemms and Golden lustre rich imblaz’d,

               
Seraphic arms and Trophies: all the while

   540     
Sonorous mettal blowing Martial sounds:

               
At which the universal Host upsent

               
A shout that tore Hells Concave, and beyond

               
Frighted the Reign of
Chaos
and old Night.
⁶⁷

               
All in a moment through the gloom were seen

   545     
Ten thousand Banners rise into the Air

               
With Orient Colours waving: with them rose

               
A Forrest huge of Spears: and thronging Helms

               
Appear’d, and serried Shields in thick array

               
Of depth immeasurable: Anon they move

   550     
In perfect
Phalanx
to the
Dorian
mood

               
Of Flutes and soft Recorders; such as rais’d

               
To highth of noblest temper Hero’s old

               
Arming to Battel, and in stead of rage

               
Deliberate valour breath’d, firm and unmov’d

   555     
With dread of death to flight or foul retreat,

               
Nor wanting power to mitigate and swage

               
With solemn touches, troubl’d thoughts, and chase

               
Anguish and doubt and fear and sorrow and pain

               
From mortal or immortal minds. Thus they

   560     
Breathing united force with fixed thought

               
Mov’d on in silence to soft Pipes that charm’d

               
Thir painful steps o’re the burnt soyl; and now

               
Advanc’t in view they stand, a horrid Front

               
Of dreadful length and dazling Arms, in guise

   565     
Of Warriers old with order’d Spear and Shield,

               
Awaiting what command thir mighty Chief

               
Had to impose: He through the armed Files

               
Darts his experienc’t eye, and soon traverse

               
The whole Battalion views, thir order due,

   570     
Thir visages and stature as of Gods,

               
Thir number last he summs. And now his heart

               
Distends with pride, and hardning in his strength

               
Glories: For never since created man,

               
Met such imbodied force, as nam’d with these

   575     
Could merit more then that small infantry
⁶⁸

               
Warr’d on by Cranes: though all the Giant brood

               
Of
Phlegra
with th’ Heroic Race were joyn’d

               
That fought at
Thebes
and
Ilium
, on each side

               
Mixt with auxiliar Gods; and what resounds

   580     
In Fable or
Romance
of
Uthers
Son
⁶⁹

               
Begirt with
British
and
Armoric
⁷⁰
Knights;

               
And all who since, Baptiz’d or Infidel

               
Jousted in
Aspramont
or
Montalban
,

               
Damasco
, or
Morocco
, or
Trebisond
,

   585     
Or whom
Biserta
sent from
Afric
shore

               
When
Charlemain
with all his Peerage fell

               
By
Fontarabbia.
⁷¹
Thus far these beyond

               
Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ’d

               
Thir dread commander: he above the rest

   590     
In shape and gesture proudly eminent

               
Stood like a Towr; his form had yet not lost

               
All her Original brightness, nor appear’d

               
Less then Arch Angel ruind, and th’ excess

               
Of Glory obscur’d: As when the Sun new ris’n

   595     
Looks through the Horizontal misty Air

               
Shorn of his Beams, or from behind the Moon

               
In dim Eclips disastrous twilight sheds

               
On half the Nations, and with fear of change

               
Perplexes Monarchs. Dark’n’d so, yet shon

   600     
Above them all th’ Arch Angel: but his face

               
Deep scars of Thunder had intrencht, and care

               
Sat on his faded cheek, but under Brows

               
Of dauntless courage, and considerate Pride

               
Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast

   605     
Signs of remorse and passion to behold

               
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather

               
(Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn’d

               
For ever now to have thir lot in pain,

               
Millions of Spirits for his fault amerc’t
⁷²

   610     
Of Heav’n, and from Eternal Splendors flung

               
For his revolt, yet faithfull how they stood,

               
Thir Glory witherd. As when Heavens Fire

               
Hath scath’d the Forrest Oaks, or Mountain Pines,

               
With singed top thir stately growth though bare

   615     
Stands on the blasted Heath. He now prepar’d

               
To speak; whereat thir doubl’d Ranks they bend

               
From wing to wing, and half enclose him round

               
With all his Peers: attention held them mute.

               
Thrice he assayd, and thrice in spight of scorn,

   620     
Tears such as Angels weep, burst forth: at last

               
Words interwove with sighs found out thir way.

           
      
       O Myriads of immortal Spirits, O Powers

               
Matchless, but with th’ Almighty, and that strife

               
Was not inglorious, though th’ event
⁷³
was dire,

   625     
As this place testifies, and this dire change

               
Hateful to utter: but what power of mind

               
Foreseeing or presaging, from the Depth

               
Of knowledge past or present, could have fear’d,

               
How such united force of Gods, how such

   630     
As stood like these, could ever know repulse?

               
For who can yet beleeve, though after loss,

               
That all these puissant Legions, whose exile

               
Hath emptied Heav’n,
⁷⁴
shall fail to re-ascend

               
Self-rais’d, and repossess thir native seat?