The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (118 page)

621

      

Folly to me! So doth the Prince of Hell

622

      

And his adherents, that with so much ease

623

      

I suffer
⁵⁴⁸⁰
them to enter and possess

624

      

A place so Heav’nly, and conniving
⁵⁴⁸¹
seem

625

      

To gratify
⁵⁴⁸²
my scornful enemies,

626

      

That laugh, as if transported
⁵⁴⁸³
with some fit

627

      

Of passion, I to them had quitted
⁵⁴⁸⁴
all,

628

      

At random
⁵⁴⁸⁵
yielded up to their misrule,

629

      

And know not that I called, and drew them thither,

630

      

My Hell-hounds, to lick up the draff
⁵⁴⁸⁶
and filth

631

      

Which man’s polluting sin with taint hath shed

632

      

On what was pure, till
⁵⁴⁸⁷
crammed
⁵⁴⁸⁸
and gorged,
⁵⁴⁸⁹
night
⁵⁴⁹⁰
burst

633

      

With sucked
⁵⁴⁹¹
and glutted
⁵⁴⁹²
offal,
⁵⁴⁹³
at one sling
⁵⁴⁹⁴

634

      

Of thy victorious arm, well-pleasing Son,

635

      

Both Sin and Death, and yawning
⁵⁴⁹⁵
grave at last

636

      

Through Chaos hurled, obstruct
⁵⁴⁹⁶
the mouth of Hell

637

      

Forever, and seal up his ravenous jaws.

638

      

Then Heav’n and earth renewed shall be made pure

639

      

To sanctity
⁵⁴⁹⁷
that shall receive no stain:

640

      

Till then, the curse pronounced on both precedes.”
⁵⁴⁹⁸

641

      

   
He ended, and the Heav’nly audience loud

642

      

Sung Hallelujah, as
⁵⁴⁹⁹
the sound of seas,

643

      

Through multitude that sung:

 

      

“Just are Thy way

644

      

Righteous are Thy decrees on all Thy works.

645

      

Who can extenuate
⁵⁵⁰⁰
Thee?” Next,
⁵⁵⁰¹
to the Son,

646

      

Destined Restorer of mankind, by whom

647

      

New Heav’n and earth shall to the ages rise,

648

      

Or down from Heav’n descend.

Such was their song,

649

      

While the Creator, calling forth by name

650

      

His mighty Angels, gave them several charge
⁵⁵⁰²

651

      

As sorted
⁵⁵⁰³
best with present things. The sun

652

      

Had first his precept
⁵⁵⁰⁴
so to move, so shine,

653

      

As might affect the earth with cold and heat

654

      

Scarce tolerable, and from the north to call

655

      

Decrepit
⁵⁵⁰⁵
winter, from the south to bring

656

      

Solstitial
⁵⁵⁰⁶
summer’s heat. To the blanc
⁵⁵⁰⁷
moon

657

      

Her office they prescribed; to th’ other five
⁵⁵⁰⁸

658

      

Their planetary motions, and aspects,
⁵⁵⁰⁹

659

      

In sextile,
⁵⁵¹⁰
square,
⁵⁵¹¹
and trine,
⁵⁵¹²
and opposite,
⁵⁵¹³

660

      

Of noxious
⁵⁵¹⁴
efficacy, and when to join

661

      

In synod
⁵⁵¹⁵
unbenign, and taught the fixed
⁵⁵¹⁶

662

      

Their influence malignant when to shower,

663

      

Which of them rising with the sun, or falling,

664

      

Should prove tempestuous.
⁵⁵¹⁷
To the winds they set

665

      

Their corners,
⁵⁵¹⁸
when with bluster
⁵⁵¹⁹
to confound
⁵⁵²⁰

666

      

Sea, air, and shore; the thunder when to roll

667

      

With terror through the dark aereal hall.

668

      

Some say He bid his Angels turn askance
⁵⁵²¹

669

      

The poles of earth, twice ten degrees and more

670

      

From the sun’s axle. They with labor pushed

671

      

Oblique
⁵⁵²²
the centric globe.
⁵⁵²³
Some say the sun
⁵⁵²⁴

672

      

Was bid turn reins from th’ equinoctial
⁵⁵²⁵
road

673

      

Like
⁵⁵²⁶
distant breadth to Taurus
⁵⁵²⁷
with the Sev’n

674

      

Atlantic Sisters,
⁵⁵²⁸
and the Spartan Twins,
⁵⁵²⁹

675

      

Up to the Tropic Crab,
⁵⁵³⁰
thence down amain
⁵⁵³¹

676

      

By Leo,
⁵⁵³²
and the Virgin,
⁵⁵³³
and the Scales,
⁵⁵³⁴

677

      

As deep as Capricorn, to bring in change

678

      

Of seasons to each clime. Else
⁵⁵³⁵
had the Spring

679

      

Perpetual smiled on earth with vernant
⁵⁵³⁶
flowers,

680

      

Equal in days and nights, except to those

681

      

Beyond the polar circles: to them day

682

      

Had unbenighted
⁵⁵³⁷
shone, while the low sun,

683

      

To recompense
⁵⁵³⁸
his distance, in their sight

684

      

Had rounded still the horizon, and not known

685

      

Or east or west, which had forbid the snow

686

      

From cold Estotiland,
⁵⁵³⁹
and south as far

687

      

Beneath Magellan.
⁵⁵⁴⁰
At that tasted fruit
⁵⁵⁴¹

688

      

The sun, as from Thyestean banquet,
⁵⁵⁴²
turned

689

      

His course intended: else how had the world

690

      

Inhabited,
⁵⁵⁴³
though sinless more than now,

691

      

Avoided pinching
⁵⁵⁴⁴
cold and scorching heat?

692

      

These changes in the heav’ns, though slow, produced

693

      

Like
⁵⁵⁴⁵
change on sea and land, sideral
⁵⁵⁴⁶
blast,

694

      

Vapor, and mist, and exhalation hot,

695

      

Corrupt and pestilent. Now from the north

696

      

Of Norumbega,
⁵⁵⁴⁷
and the Samoed shore,
⁵⁵⁴⁸

697

      

Bursting their brazen dungeon,
⁵⁵⁴⁹
armed with ice,

698

      

And snow, and hail, and stormy gust and flaw,
⁵⁵⁵⁰

699

      

Boreas,
⁵⁵⁵¹
and Caecias,
⁵⁵⁵²
and Argestes
⁵⁵⁵³
loud,

700

      

And Thrascias,
⁵⁵⁵⁴
rend the woods, and seas upturn.

701

      

With adverse
⁵⁵⁵⁵
blast upturns them from the south