Read The Complete Poetry of John Milton Online
Authors: John Milton
Tags: #English; Irish; Scottish; Welsh, #Poetry, #European
The Complete Poetry of John Milton (89 page)
5
metrical.
6
Venus (Lucifer as the morning star, Hesperus as the evening star).
7
the sphere of fixed stars which circle the earth once every twenty-four hours. The “wandering Fires” are the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
8
the four elements variously combined.
9
of one color.
10
placed in embracement about, wedded to.
11
literally, “medicine of God.”
12
See Tobit viii.
13
angels.
14
telescope.
15
Aegean islands.
16
downward.
17
wing.
18
compliant.
19
The unique and undying Phoenix rose from its own ashes in Heliopolis (“city of the sun”) rather than in the neighboring Egyptian city of Thebes, according to Ovid,
Meta.
, XV, 391-407.
20
colored blue.
21
Hermes, whose sandals bore wings.
22
fresh water, but implying the milk and honey of the Promised Land; see also
SA
, 550.
23
most natural.
24
India and the Indies (East) and America (West).
25
the Black Sea or the Carthaginian coast. Alcinous’ gardens of perpetual spring and harvest were visited by Ulysses (
Od.
, VII, 125 ff.).
26
unfermented liquor and meads.
27
unbumed; it is natural odor rather than that from incense.
28
Roman goddess of fruits.
29
Juno, Minerva, and Venus whose beauty was judged by Paris on Mt. Ida.
30
begin to digest.
31
Moon spots had been thought to be exhalations from earth.
32
manna.
33
overflows.
34
referring to the chain of being which tends upward toward its creator. Man’s natural bodily spirits (ll. 483 ff.) are raised to the vital emotional spirits and then to the intellectual (animal) spirits. Thus man is able to reason, but his conclusions are those which angels know intuitively.
35
the vegetative, sensitive, and rational souls of plants, animals, and men respectively.
36
typologically, that is, as a foreshadowing of Heaven, according to William G. Madsen (
PMLA
, LXXV, 1960, 519-26), rather than Platonically as a simulation of Heaven.
37
the time it would take a star to complete the equinoctial precession, around 26,000 years.
38
flags suspended from crosspieces.
39
not the creation of the Son, but his anointing as king; see Milton’s translation of
Ps.
2 (verses 6-7).
40
undividable.
41
Beelzebub.
42
Rev. xii. 4: And the dragon’s “tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth.”
43
See note to II, 191.
44
alluding also to his position at the Father’s right hand (see l. 606).
45
referring to the three divisions of the nine orders of angels, but the order and division seem not to be those of Dionysius, which are: seraphim, cherubim, thrones; dominions, virtues, powers (potentates); principalities, archangels, angels.
46
sphere.
47
not only because they cannot have luck, but also because opposition to God does not allow a chance outcome. Thus such opposition as is proposed is a “fraud.”
48
doomed.
49
turned back.
THE ARGUMENT
Raphael
continues to relate how
Michael
and
Gabriel
were sent forth to battel against
Satan
and his Angels. The first Fight describ’d:
Satan
and his Powers retire under Night: He calls a Councel, invents devilish Engines, which in the second dayes Fight put
Michael
and his Angels to some disorder; but they at length pulling up Mountains overwhelm’d
both the force and Machins of
Satan:
Yet the Tumult not so ending, God on the third day sends
Messiah
his Son, for whom he had reserv’d the glory of that Victory: Hee in the Power of his Father coming to the place, and causing all his Legions to stand still on either side, with his Chariot and Thunder driving into the midst of his Enemies, pursues them unable to resist towards the wall of Heaven; which opening, they leap down with horrour and confusion into the place of punishment prepar’d for them in the Deep:
Messiah
returns with triumph to his Father.
All night the dreadless Angel unpursu’d
Through Heav’ns wide Champain held his way, till Morn,
Wak’t by the circling Hours, with rosie hand
Unbarr’d the gates of Light. There is a Cave
5
Within the Mount of God, fast by his Throne,
Where light and darkness in perpetual round
Lodge and dislodge by turns, which makes through Heav’n
Grateful vicissitude,
1
like Day and Night;
Light issues forth, and at the other dore
10
Obsequious
2
darkness enters, till her hour
To veil the Heav’n, though darkness there might well
Seem twilight here; and now went forth the Morn
Such as in highest Heav’n, arrayd in Gold
Empyreal, from before her vanisht Night,
15
Shot through with orient Beams: when all the Plain
Coverd with thick embatteld Squadrons bright,
Chariots and flaming Armes, and fierie Steeds
Reflecting blaze on blaze, first met his view:
Warr he perceav’d, warr in procinct,
3
and found
20
Already known what he for news had thought
To have reported: gladly then he mixt
Among those friendly Powers who him receav’d
With joy and acclamations loud, that one
That of so many Myriads fall’n, yet one
25
Returnd not lost: On to the sacred hill
They led him high applauded, and present
Before the seat supream; from whence a voice
From midst a Golden Cloud thus mild was heard.
Servant of God,
4
well done, well hast thou fought
30
The better fight, who single hast maintaind
Against revolted multitudes the Cause
Of Truth, in word mightier then they in Armes;
And for the testimonie of Truth hast born
Universal reproach, far worse to bear
35
Then violence: for this was all thy care
To stand approv’d in sight of God, though Worlds
Judg’d thee perverse: the easier conquest now
Remains thee, aided by this host of friends,
Back on thy foes more glorious to return
40
Then scornd thou didst depart, and to subdue
By force, who reason for thir Law refuse,
Right reason for thir Law, and for thir King
Messiah
, who by right of merit Reigns.
Go
Michael
of Celestial Armies Prince,
45
And thou in Military prowess next
Gabriel
, lead forth to Battel these my Sons
Invincible, lead forth my armed Saints
By Thousands and by Millions rang’d for fight;
Equal in number to that Godless crew
50
Rebellious, them with Fire and hostile Armes
Fearless assault, and to the brow of Heav’n
Pursuing drive them out from God and bliss,
Into thir place of punishment, the Gulf
Of
Tartarus
, which ready opens wide
55
His fiery
Chaos
to receave thir fall.
So spake the Sovran voice, and Clouds began
To darken all the Hill, and smoak to rowl
In duskie wreaths, reluctant flames, the signe
Of wrauth awak’t: nor with less dread the loud
60
Ethereal Trumpet from on high gan blow:
At which command the Powers Militant,
That stood for Heav’n, in mighty Quadrate
5
joyn’d
Of Union irresistible, mov’d on
In silence thir bright Legions, to the sound
65
Of instrumental Harmonie that breath’d
Heroic Ardor to advent’rous deeds
Under thir God-like Leaders, in the Cause
Of God and his
Messiah.
On they move
Indissolubly firm; nor obvious
6
Hill,
70
Nor streit’ning
7
Vale, nor Wood, nor Stream divides
Thir perfet ranks; for high above the ground
Thir march was, and the passive Air upbore
Thir nimble tread, as when the total kind
Of Birds in orderly array on wing
75
Came summond over
Eden
to receive
Thir names of thee; so over many a tract
Of Heav’n they march’d, and many a Province wide
Tenfold the length of this terrene: at last
Farr in th’ Horizon to the North appeer’d
80
From skirt to skirt a fierie Region, stretcht
In battailous aspect, and neerer view
Bristl’d with upright beams innumerable
Of rigid Spears, and Helmets throng’d, and Shields
Various, with boastful Argument
8
portraid,
85
The banded Powers of
Satan
hasting on
With furious expedition; for they weend
That self-same day by fight, or by surprize
To win the Mount of God, and on his Throne
To set the envier of his State, the proud
90
Aspirer, but thir thoughts prov’d fond and vain
In the mid way: though strange to us it seemd
At first, that Angel should with Angel warr,
And in fierce hosting
9
meet, who wont to meet
So oft in Festivals of joy and love
95
Unanimous, as sons of one great Sire
Hymning th’ Eternal Father: but the shout
Of Battel now began, and rushing sound
Of onset ended soon each milder thought.
High in the midst exalted as a God