The Complete Poetry of John Milton (92 page)

   420     
Found worthy not of Libertie alone,

               
Too mean pretense, but what we more affect,

               
Honour, Dominion, Glorie, and renown,

               
Who have sustaind one day in doubtful fight

               
(And if one day, why not Eternal dayes?)

   425     
What Heavens Lord had powerfullest to send

               
Against us from about his Throne, and judg’d

               
Sufficient to subdue us to his will,

               
But proves not so: then fallible, it seems,

               
Of future we may deem him, though till now

   430     
Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly arm’d,

               
Some disadvantage we endur’d and pain,

               
Till now not known, but known as soon contemn’d,

               
Since now we find this our Empyreal form

               
Incapable of mortal injurie

   435     
Imperishable, and though peirc’d with wound,

               
Soon closing, and by native vigour heal’d.

               
Of evil then so small as easie think

               
The remedie; perhaps more valid Armes,

               
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,

   440     
May serve to better us, and worse our foes,

               
Or equal what between us made the odds,

               
In Nature none: if other hidden cause

               
Left them Superiour, while we can preserve

               
Unhurt our minds, and understanding sound,

   445     
Due search and consultation will disclose.

           
      
       He sat; and in th’ assembly next upstood

               
Nisroc
,
²³
of Principalities the prime;

               
As one he stood escap’t from cruel fight,

               
Sore toild, his riv’n Armes to havoc hewn,

   450     
And cloudie in aspect thus answering spake.

               
Deliverer from new Lords, leader to free

               
Enjoyment of our right as Gods; yet hard

               
For Gods, and too unequal work we find

               
Against unequal armes to fight in pain,

   455     
Against unpaind, impassive;
²⁴
from which evil

               
Ruin must needs ensue; for what avails

               
Valour or strength, though matchless, quell’d with pain

               
Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands

               
Of Mightiest. Sense of pleasure we may well

   460     
Spare out of life perhaps, and not repine,

               
But live content, which is the calmest life:

               
But pain is perfet miserie, the worst

               
Of evils, and excessive, overturns

               
All patience. He who therefore can invent

   465     
With what more forcible we may offend

               
Our yet unwounded Enemies, or arm

               
Our selves with like defence, to me deserves

               
No less then for deliverance what we owe.

           
      
       Whereto with look compos’d
Satan
repli’d.

   470     
Not uninvented that, which thou aright

               
Beleivst so main to our success, I bring;

               
Which of us who beholds the bright surface

               
Of this Ethereous mould whereon we stand,

               
This continent of spacious Heav’n, adornd

   475     
With Plant, Fruit, Flowr Ambrosial, Gemms and Gold,

               
Whose Eye so superficially surveys

               
These things, as not to mind from whence they grow

               
Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,

               
Of spiritous and fierie spume,
²⁵
till toucht

   480     
With Heav’ns ray, and temperd they shoot forth

               
So beauteous, op’ning to the ambient light.

               
These in thir dark Nativitie the Deep

               
Shall yeild us, pregnant with infernal flame,

               
Which into hollow Engins long and round

   485     
Thick-rammd, at th’ other bore with touch of fire

               
Dilated and infuriate shall send forth

               
From far with thundring noise among our foes

               
Such implements of mischief as shall dash

               
To pieces, and orewhelm whatever stands

   490     
Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmd

               
The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt.

               
Nor long shall be our labour, yet ere dawn,

               
Effect shall end our wish. Mean while revive;

               
Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joind

   495     
Think nothing hard, much less to be despaird.

               
He ended, and his words thir drooping chere
²⁶

               
Enlight’n’d, and thir languisht hope reviv’d.

               
Th’ invention all admir’d, and each, how hee

               
To be th’ inventer miss’d, so easie it seemd

   500     
Once found, which yet unfound most would have thought

               
Impossible: yet haply of thy Race

               
In future dayes, if Malice should abound,

               
Some one intent on mischief, or inspir’d

               
With dev’lish machination might devise

   505     
Like instrument to plague the Sons of men

               
For sin, on warr and mutual slaughter bent.

               
Forthwith from Councel to the work they flew,

               
None arguing stood, innumerable hands

               
Were ready, in a moment up they turnd

   510     
Wide the Celestial soil, and saw beneath

               
Th’ originals of Nature in thir crude

               
Conception; Sulphurous and Nitrous Foam

               
They found, they mingl’d, and with suttle Art,

               
Concocted and adusted
²⁷
they reduc’d

   515     
To blackest grain, and into store convey’d:

               
Part hidd’n veins digg’d up (nor hath this Earth

               
Entrails unlike) of Mineral and Stone,

               
Whereof to found thir Engins and thir Balls

               
Of missive ruin;
²⁸
part incentive reed

   520     
Provide, pernicious with one touch to fire.

               
So all ere day-spring, under conscious Night

               
Secret they finish’d, and in order set,

               
With silent circumspection unespi’d.

               
Now when fair Morn Orient in Heav’n appeerd

   525     
Up rose the Victor Angels, and to Arms

               
The matin Trumpet Sung: in Arms they stood

               
Of Golden Panoplie, refulgent Host,

               
Soon banded; others from the dawning Hills

               
Look’d round, and Scouts each Coast light-armed scour,

   530     
Each quarter, to descrie the distant foe,

               
Where lodg’d, or whither fled, or if for fight,

               
In motion or in alt:
²⁹
him soon they met

               
Under spred Ensignes moving nigh, in slow

               
But firm Battalion; back with speediest Sail

   535     
Zophiel
,
³⁰
of Cherubim the swiftest wing,

               
Came flying, and in mid Air aloud thus cri’d.

           
      
       Arm, Warriours, Arm for fight, the foe at hand,

               
Whom fled we thought, will save us long pursuit

               
This day, fear not his flight; so thick a Cloud

   540     
He comes, and settl’d in his face I see

               
Sad
³¹
resolution and secure:
³²
let each

               
His Adamantine coat gird well, and each

               
Fit well his Helm, gripe fast his orbed Shield,

               
Born eevn or high, for this day will pour down,

   545     
If I conjecture aught, no drizling showr,

               
But ratling storm of Arrows barb’d with fire.

               
So warnd he them aware themselves, and soon

               
In order, quit of all impediment;

               
Instant without disturb they took Allarm,

   550     
And onward move Embattell’d; when behold

               
Not distant far with heavie pace the Foe

               
Approaching gross and huge; in hollow Cube

               
Training his devilish Enginrie, impal’d
³³

               
On every side with shaddowing Squadrons Deep,

   555     
To hide the fraud. At interview both stood

               
A while, but suddenly at head appeerd

               
Satan:
And thus was heard Commanding loud.

           
      
       Vanguard, to Right and Left the Front unfould;

               
That all may see who hate us, how we seek

   560     
Peace and composure,
³⁴
and with open brest

               
Stand readie to receive them, if they like

               
Our overture, and turn not back perverse;

               
But that I doubt, however witness Heav’n,

               
Heav’n witness thou anon, while we discharge

   565     
Freely our part; yee who appointed stand

               
Do as you have in charge, and briefly touch

               
What we propound, and loud that all may hear.

           
      
       So scoffing in ambiguous words he scarce

               
Had ended; when to Right and Left the Front

   570     
Divided, and to either Flank retir’d.

               
Which to our eyes discoverd new and strange,

               
A triple-mounted row of Pillars laid

               
On Wheels (for like to Pillars most they seem’d

               
Or hollow’d bodies made of Oak or Firr

   575     
With branches lopt, in Wood or Mountain fell’d)

               
Brass, Iron, Stonie mould,
³⁵
had not thir mouths

               
With hideous orifice gap’t on us wide,

               
Portending hollow truce; at each behind

               
A Seraph stood, and in his hand a Reed