The Complete Poetry of John Milton (68 page)

   660     
Vex’d
Scylla
bathing in the Sea that parts

               
Calabria
from the hoarce
Trinacrian
³²
shore:

               
Nor uglier follow the Night-Hag,
³³
when call’d

               
In secret, riding through the Air she comes

               
Lur’d with the smell of infant blood, to dance

   665     
With
Lapland
Witches, while the labouring Moon

               
Eclipses at thir charms. The other shape,
³⁴

               
If shape it might be call’d that shape had none

               
Distinguishable in member, joynt, or limb,

               
Or substance might be call’d that shadow seem’d,

   670     
For each seem’d either; black it stood as Night,

               
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell,

               
And shook a dreadful Dart; what seem’d his head

               
The likeness of a Kingly Crown had on.

               
Satan
was now at hand, and from his seat

   675     
The Monster moving onward came as fast

               
With horrid strides, Hell trembled as he strode.

               
Th’undaunted Fiend what this might be admir’d,

               
Admir’d, not fear’d; God and his Son except,

               
Created thing naught valu’d he nor shun’d;

   680     
And with disdainful look thus first began.

           
      
       Whence and what art thou, execrable shape,

               
That dar’st, though grim and terrible, advance

               
Thy miscreated Front athwart my way

               
To yonder Gates? through them I mean to pass,

   685     
That be assur’d, without leave askt of thee:

               
Retire, or taste thy folly, and learn by proof,

               
Hell-born, not to contend with Spirits of Heav’n.

           
      
       To whom the Goblin full of wrauth reply’d,

               
Art thou that Traitor Angel, art thou hee,

   690     
Who first broke peace in Heav’n and Faith, till then

               
Unbrok’n, and in proud rebellious Arms

               
Drew after him the third part of Heav’ns Sons
³⁵

               
Conjur’d against the highest, for which both Thou

               
And they outcast from God, are here condemn’d

   695     
To waste Eternal dayes in woe and pain?

               
And reck’n’st thou thy self with Spirits of Heav’n,

               
Hell-doom’d, and breath’st defiance here and scorn,

               
Where I reign King, and to enrage thee more,

               
Thy King and Lord? Back to thy punishment,

   700     
False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,

               
Least with a whip of Scorpions I pursue

               
Thy lingring, or with one stroke of this Dart

               
Strange horror seise thee, and pangs unfelt before.

           
      
       So spake the grieslie terrour, and in shape,

   705     
So speaking and so threatning, grew tenfold

               
More dreadful and deform: on th’ other side

               
Incenst with indignation
Satan
stood

               
Unterrifi’d, and like a Comet burn’d,

               
That fires the length of
Ophiucus
³⁶
huge

   710     
In th’ Artick Sky, and from his horrid hair

               
Shakes Pestilence and Warr. Each at the Head

               
Level’d his deadly aim; thir fatall hands

               
No second stroke intend, and such a frown

               
Each cast at th’ other, as when two black Clouds

   715     
With Heav’ns Artillery fraught, come rattling on

               
Over the
Caspian
, then stand front to front

               
Hov’ring a space, till Winds the signal blow

               
To joyn their dark Encounter in mid air:

               
So frownd the mighty Combatants, that Hell

   720     
Grew darker at thir frown, so matcht they stood;

               
For never but once more was either like

               
To meet so great a foe:
³⁷
and now great deeds

               
Had been achiev’d, whereof all Hell had rung,

               
Had not the Snakie Sorceress that sat

   725     
Fast by Hell Gate, and kept the fatal Key,

               
Ris’n, and with hideous outcry rush’d between.

           
      
       O Father, what intends thy hand, she cry’d,

               
Against thy only Son? What fury O Son,

               
Possesses thee to bend that mortal Dart

   730     
Against thy Fathers head? and know’st for whom;

               
For him who sits above and laughs the while

               
At thee ordain’d his drudge, to execute

               
What e’re his wrath, which he calls Justice, bids,

               
His wrath which one day will destroy ye both.

   735  
      
       She spake, and at her words the hellish Pest

               
Forbore, then these to her
Satan
return’d:

           
      
       So strange thy outcry, and thy words so strange

               
Thou interposest, that my sudden hand

               
Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds

   740     
What it intends; till first I know of thee,

               
What thing thou art, thus double-form’d, and why

               
In this infernal Vale first met thou call’st

               
Me Father, and that Fantasm call’st my Son?

               
I know thee not, nor ever saw till now

   745     
Sight more detestable then him and thee.

           
      
       T’ whom thus the Portress of Hell Gate reply’d;

               
Hast thou forgot me then, and do I seem

               
Now in thine eye so foul, once deemd so fair

               
In Heav’n, when at th’ Assembly, and in sight

   750     
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin’d

               
In bold conspiracy against Heav’ns King,

               
All on a sudden miserable pain

               
Surpris’d thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzie swumm

               
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast

   755     
Threw forth, till on the left side op’ning wide,

               
Likest to thee in shape and count’nance bright,

               
Then shining heav’nly fair, a Goddess arm’d

               
Out of thy head I sprung:
³⁸
amazement seis’d

               
All th’ Host of Heav’n; back they recoild affraid

   760     
At first, and call’d me
Sin
, and for a Sign

               
Portentous
³⁹
held me; but familiar grown,

               
I pleas’d, and with attractive graces won

               
The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft

               
Thy self in me thy perfect image viewing

   765     
Becam’st enamour’d, and such joy thou took’st

               
With me in secret, that my womb conceiv’d

               
A growing burden. Mean while Warr arose,

               
And fields were fought in Heav’n; wherein remaind

               
(For what could else) to our Almighty Foe

   770     
Cleer Victory, to our part loss and rout

               
Through all the Empyrean: down they fell

               
Driv’n headlong from the Pitch of Heaven, down

               
Into this Deep, and in the general fall

               
I also; at which time this powerful Key

   775     
Into my hands was giv’n, with charge to keep

               
These Gates for ever shut, which none can pass

               
Without my op’ning. Pensive here I sat

               
Alone, but long I sat not, till my womb

               
Pregnant by thee, and now excessive grown

   780     
Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.

               
At last this odious offspring whom thou seest

               
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way

               
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain

               
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew

   785     
Transform’d: but he my inbred
⁴⁰
enemie

               
Forth issu’d, brandishing his fatal Dart

               
Made to destroy: I fled, and cry’d out
Death;

               
Hell trembl’d at the hideous Name, and sigh’d

               
From all her Caves, and back resounded
Death.

   790     
I fled, but he pursu’d (though more, it seems,

               
Inflam’d with lust then rage) and swifter far,

               
Mee overtook his mother all dismaid,

               
And in embraces forcible and foul

               
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot

   795     
These yelling Monsters that with ceasless cry

               
Surround me, as thou sawst, hourly conceiv’d

               
And hourly born, with sorrow infinite

               
To me, for when they list into the womb

               
That bred them they return, and howl and gnaw

   800     
My Bowels, thir repast; then bursting forth

               
Afresh with conscious terrours vex me round,

               
That rest or intermission none I find.

               
Before mine eyes in opposition sits

               
Grim
Death
my Son and foe, who sets them on,

   805     
And me his Parent would full soon devour

               
For want of other prey, but that he knows

               
His end with mine involv’d; and knows that I

               
Should prove a bitter Morsel, and his bane,

               
When ever that shall be; so Fate pronounc’d.

   810     
But thou O Father, I forewarn thee, shun

               
His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope

               
To be invulnerable in those bright Arms,

               
Though temper’d heav’nly, for that mortal dint,

               
Save he who reigns above, none can resist.