And now

563

      

Advanced in view they stand—a horrid 1746 front 1747

564

      

Of dreadful length1748 and dazzling arms,1749 in guise 1750

565

      

Of warriors old, with ordered 1751 spear and shield

566

      

Awaiting what command their mighty chief

567

      

Had to impose. 1752 He through the armèd files1753

568

      

Darts his experienced eye, and soon traverse1754

569

      

The whole battalion views—their order due, 1755

570

      

Their visages and stature as of gods

571

      

Their number last he sums.1756 And now his heart

572

      

Distends1757 with pride and hard’ning in his strength

573

      

Glories, for never since created man

574

      

Met such embodied 1758 force as, named 1759 with these

575

      

Could merit 1760 more than1761 that small infantry

576

      

Warred on by cranes1762 —though all the giant brood

577

      

Of Phlegra1763 with th’ heroic race were joined

578

      

That fought at Thebes1764 and Ilium,1765 on each side

579

      

Mixed with auxiliar1766 gods, and what resounds1767

580

      

In fable or romance of Uther’s son,1768

581

      

Begirt with1769 British and Armoric1770 knights

582

      

And all who since, baptized or infidel

583

      

Jousted 1771 in Aspramont,1772 or Montalban,1773

584

      

Damasco, 1774 or Marocco, 1775 or Trebisond,1776

585

      

Or whom Biserta1777 sent from Afric shore

586

      

When Charlemain with all his peerage fell

587

      

By Fontarabbia.1778 Thus far these, beyond

588

      

Compare of 1779 mortal prowess, yet observed

589

      

Their dread 1780 commander. He, above the rest

590

      

In shape and gesture proudly eminent

591

      

Stood like a tow’r. His form had yet not lost

592

      

All her original brightness, nor appeared

593

      

Less than Archangel ruined, and th’ excess

594

      

Of glory obscured, as when the sun new-ris’n

595

      

Looks through the horizontal misty air

596

      

Shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon

597

      

In dim eclipse, disastrous1781 twilight sheds1782

598

      

On half the nations, and with fear of change

599

      

Perplexes1783 monarchs. Darkened so, yet shone

600

      

Above them all th’Archangel, but his face

601

      

Deep scars of thunder had intrenched,1784 and care

602

      

Sat on his faded cheek, but under brows

603

      

Of dauntless courage, and considerate1785 pride

604

      

Waiting revenge. Cruel his eye, but cast1786

605

      

Signs of remorse and passion, to behold

606

      

The fellows1787 of his crime, the followers rather

607

      

(Far other once beheld in bliss), condemned

608

      

For ever now to have their lot 1788 in pain

609

      

Millions of Spirits for his fault amerced1789

610

      

Of heav’n, and from eternal splendors flung

611

      

For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood

612

      

Their glory withered—as when Heaven’s fire

613

      

Hath scathed 1790 the forest oaks or mountain pines

614

      

With singèd top their stately 1791 growth, though bare

615

      

Stands on the blasted1792 heath. He now prepared

616

      

To speak, whereat their doubled ranks they bend

617

      

From wing to wing, and half enclose him round

618

      

With all his peers. Attention held them mute

619

      

Thrice he assayed,1793 and thrice, in spite of 1794 scorn

620

      

Tears, such as Angels weep, burst forth. At last

621

      

Words interwove with sighs found out their way

622

      

   “O myriads of immortal Spirits! O Powers

623

      

Matchless, but 1795 with th’Almighty! And that strife

624

      

Was not inglorious, though th’ event1796 was dire, 1797

625

      

As this place testifies, and this dire change

626

      

Hateful to utter. But what power of mind

627

      

Foreseeing or presaging, 1798 from the depth

628

      

Of knowledge past or present, could have feared

629

      

How such united force of gods, how such

630

      

As stood like these, could ever know repulse?1799

631

      

For who can yet believe, though after loss

632

      

That all these puissant 1800 legions,1801 whose exile

633

      

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

634

      

Self-raised, and repossess their native seat

635

      

For me, be witness all the host of Heav’n,

636

      

If counsels1802 different, or danger shunned

637

      

By me, have lost our hopes. But He who reigns

638

      

Monarch in Heav’n till then as one secure

639

      

Sat on His throne, upheld by old repute

640

      

Consent or custom, and His regal state

641

      

Put forth at full,1803 but still His strength concealed

642

      

Which tempted our attempt, and wrought1804 our fall

643

      

Henceforth His might 1805 we know, and know our own

644

      

So as not either to provoke, or dread

645

      

New war provoked. Our better part 1806 remains

646

      

To work in close1807 design,1808 by fraud or guile

647

      

What force effected1809 not, that He no less

648

      

At length from us may find:1810 who overcomes

649

      

By force hath overcome but half his foe

650

      

Space may produce new worlds—whereof so rife1811

651

      

There went a fame 1812 in Heav’n that He ere long

652

      

Intended to create, and therein plant

653

      

A generation whom His choice1813 regard 1814

654

      

Should favor equal to the sons of Heav’n.

655

      

Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps

656

      

Our first eruption1815 —thither, or elsewhere

657

      

For this infernal pit shall never hold

658

      

Celestial Spirits in bondage, nor th’ abyss

659

      

Long under darkness cover. 1816

“But these thoughts

660

      

Full counsel must mature. Peace is despaired

661

      

For who can think submission? War, then, war

662

      

Open or understood, must be resolved

663

      

   He spoke and, to confirm his words, outflew

664

      

Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs1817

665

      

Of mighty Cherubim: the sudden blaze

666

      

Far round illumined Hell. Highly 1818 they raged

667

      

Against the Highest, and fierce with graspèd 1819 arms

668

      

Clashed on their sounding1820 shields the din of war

669

      

Hurling defiance toward the vault of Heav’n.

670

      

There stood a hill not far, whose grisly 1821 top

671

      

Belched fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire1822

672

      

Shone with a glossy scurf 1823 —undoubted sign

673

      

That in his womb was hid metallic ore

674

      

The work of sulphur. 1824 Thither, winged with speed

675

      

A numerous brigade hastened: as when bands

676

      

Of pioneers,1825 with spade and pickaxe armed

677

      

Forerun1826 the royal camp, to trench1827 a field

678

      

Or cast1828 a rampart.1829 Mammon led them on—

679

      

Mammon, the least erected 1830 Spirit that fell

680

      

From Heav’n, for even in Heav’n his looks and thoughts

681

      

Were always downward bent, admiring more

682

      

The riches of Heav’n’s pavement, trodden gold

683

      

Than aught divine or holy else1831 enjoyed

684

      

In vision beatific.1832 By him first

685

      

Men also, and by his suggestion taught

686

      

Ransacked the center, 1833 and with impious hands

687

      

Rifled1834 the bowels of their mother earth

688

      

For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew

689

      

Opened into the hill a spacious wound

690

      

And digged out ribs1835 of gold. Let none admire1836

691

      

That riches grow in Hell: that soil may best

692

      

Deserve the precious bane. 1837 And here let those

693

      

Who boast in1838 mortal things, and wond’ring tell

694

      

Of Babel, and the works of Memphian1839 kings

695

      

Learn how their greatest monuments of fame

696

      

And strength, and art, are easily outdone

697

      

By Spirits reprobate, 1840 and in an hour

698

      

What in an age they, 1841 with incessant toil

699

      

And hands innumerable, scarce perform

700

      

Nigh1842 on the plain, in many cells1843 prepared

701

      

That underneath had veins of liquid fire

702

      

Sluiced1844 from the lake, a second multitude

703

      

With wondrous art 1845 founded1846 the massy1847 ore

704

      

Severing1848 each kind, and scummed1849 the bullion dross.1850

705

      

A third as soon1851 had formed within the ground

706

      

A various1852 mould, and from the boiling cells

707

      

By strange1853 conveyance filled each hollow nook

708

      

As in an organ, from one blast of wind

709

      

To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes

710

      

Anon1854 out of the earth a fabric1855 huge

711

      

Rose like an exhalation with the sound

712

      

Of dulcet 1856 symphonies1857 and voices sweet

713

      

Built like a temple, where pilasters1858 round

714

      

Were set, and Doric1859 pillars overlaid

715

      

With golden architrave, 1860 nor did there want1861

716

      

Cornice1862 or frieze, 1863 with bossy sculptures1864 grav’n.

717

      

The roof was fretted 1865 gold. Not Babylon

718

      

Nor great Alcairo1866 such magnificence

719

      

Equaled in all their glories, to enshrine

720

      

Belus or Serapis 1867 their gods, or seat 1868

721

      

Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove

722

      

In wealth and luxury. Th’ ascending pile1869

723

      

Stood fixed 1870 her stately height, and straight the doors

724

      

Opening their brazen1871 folds, discover, 1872 wide

725

      

Within, her ample spaces o’er the smooth

726

      

And level pavement. From the archèd roof

727

      

Pendant 1873 by subtle1874 magic, many a row

728

      

Of starry lamps and blazing cressets,1875 fed

729

      

With naphtha and asphaltus, yielded light

730

      

As from a sky. The hasty 1876 multitude

731

      

Admiring entered, and the work some praise

732

      

And some the architect. His hand was known

733

      

In Heav’n by many a tow’red structure high

734

      

Where sceptered Angels held their residence

735

      

And sat as Princes, whom the supreme King

736

      

Exalted to such power, and gave to rule

737

      

Each in his hierarchy, the Orders bright

738

      

Nor was his name unheard or unadored

739

      

In ancient Greece. And in Ausonian1877 land

740

      

Men called him Mulciber, 1878 and how he fell

741

      

From Heav’n they fabled,1879 thrown by angry Jove

742

      

Sheer1880 o’er the crystal battlements.1881 From morn

743

      

To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve

744

      

A summer’s day, and with the setting sun

745

      

Dropt from the zenith1882 like a falling star

746

      

On Lemnos, th’Aegean isle. Thus they relate, 1883

747

      

Erring, for he with this rebellious rout 1884

748

      

Fell long before, nor aught availed him now

749

      

To have built in Heav’n high tow’rs, nor did he scape

750

      

By all his engines,1885 but was headlong sent

751

      

With his industrious1886 crew, to build in Hell

752

      

Meanwhile the wingèd heralds, by command

753

      

Of sov’reign power, with awful 1887 ceremony

754

      

And trumpet’s sound throughout the host 1888 proclaim

755

      

A solemn council forthwith to be held

756

      

At Pandemonium, the high capital

757

      

Of Satan and his peers.1889 Their summons called

758

      

From every band and squarèd 1890 regiment

759

      

By place1891 or choice the worthiest. They anon1892

760

      

With hundreds and with thousands trooping came

761

      

Attended.1893 All access1894 was thronged, the gates

762

      

And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall

763

      

(Though like a covered field, where champions bold

764

      

Wont1895 ride in armed, and at the Soldan’s1896 chair

765

      

Defied the best of Paynim1897 chivalry

766

      

To mortal combat, or career1898 with lance

767

      

Thick swarmed, both on the ground and in the air

768

      

Brushed with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees

769

      

In spring-time, when the sun with Taurus rides

770

      

Pour forth their populous youth about the hive

771

      

In clusters, they among fresh dews and flowers

772

      

Fly to and fro, or on the smoothèd plank

773

      

The suburb1899 of their straw-built citadel

774

      

New rubbed with balm, expatiate1900 and confer

775

      

Their state-affairs. So thick the airy crowd

776

      

Swarmed and were straitened,1901 till, the signal given

777

      

Behold a wonder! They but now who seemed

778

      

In bigness to surpass earth’s giant sons

779

      

Now less than smallest dwarfs in narrow room

780

      

Throng numberless—like that pygmean race

781

      

Beyond the Indian mount,1902 or faery elves

782

      

Whose midnight revels 1903 by a forest-side

783

      

Or fountain some belated 1904 peasant sees

784

      

Or dreams he sees, while overhead the moon

785

      

Sits arbitress,1905 and nearer to the earth

786

      

Wheels1906 her pale course. 1907 They, on their mirth and dance

787

      

Intent, with jocund1908 music charm his1909 ear

788

      

At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds

789

      

Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms

790

      

Reduced their shapes immense, and were at large, 1910

791

      

Though without number still, amidst the hall

792

      

Of that infernal court.1911 But far within

793

      

And in their own dimensions like themselves

794

      

The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim

795

      

In close recess and secret conclave1912 sat

796

      

A thousand demi-gods on golden seats

797

      

Frequent 1913 and full.