Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 31

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Enter'd, and foul disorder; all the ground

With shiverd armour strow'n, and on a heap

Chariot and Charioter lay overturnd

And fierie foaming Steeds; what stood, recoyld

Orewearied, through the faint Satanic Host

Defensive scarse, or with pale fear surpris'd,

Then first with fear surpris'd and sense of paine

Fled ignominious, to such evil brought

By sinne of disobedience, till that hour

Not liable to fear or flight or paine.

Far otherwise th' inviolable Saints

In Cubic Phalanx firm advanc't entire,

Invulnerable, impenitrably arm'd:

Such high advantages thir innocence

Gave them above thir foes, not to have sinnd,

Not to have disobei'd; in fight they stood

Unwearied, unobnoxious to be pain'd

By wound, though from thir place by violence mov'd.

Now Night her course began, and over Heav'n

Inducing darkness, grateful truce impos'd,

And silence on the odious dinn of Warr:

Under her Cloudie covert both retir'd,

Victor and Vanquisht: on the foughten field

MICHAEL and his Angels prevalent

Encamping, plac'd in Guard thir Watches round,

Cherubic waving fires: on th' other part

SATAN with his rebellious disappeerd,

Far in the dark dislodg'd, and void of rest,

His Potentates to Councel call'd by night;

And in the midst thus undismai'd began.

O now in danger tri'd, now known in Armes

Not to be overpowerd, Companions deare,

Found worthy not of Libertie alone,

Too mean pretense, but what we more affect,

Honour, Dominion, Glorie, and renowne,

Who have sustaind one day in doubtful fight,

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

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

Omniscient thought. True is, less firmly arm'd,

Some disadvantage we endur'd and paine,

Till now not known, but known as soon contemnd,

Since now we find this our Empyreal forme

Incapable of mortal injurie

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,

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 mindes, and understanding sound,

Due search and consultation will disclose.

He sat; and in th' assembly next upstood

NISROC, of Principalities the prime;

As one he stood escap't from cruel fight,

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

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 paine,

Against unpaind, impassive; from which evil

Ruin must needs ensue; for what availes

Valour or strength, though matchless, quelld with pain

Which all subdues, and makes remiss the hands

Of Mightiest. Sense of pleasure we may well

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, overturnes

All patience. He who therefore can invent

With what more forcible we may offend

Our yet unwounded Enemies, or arme

Our selves with like defence, to mee deserves

No less then for deliverance what we owe.

Whereto with look compos'd SATAN repli'd.

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

With Plant, Fruit, Flour Ambrosial, Gemms & Gold,

Whose Eye so superficially surveyes

These things, as not to mind from whence they grow

Deep under ground, materials dark and crude,

Of spiritous and fierie spume, till toucht

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 hallow Engins long and round

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

Adverse, that they shall fear we have disarmd

The Thunderer of his only dreaded bolt.

Nor long shall be our labour, yet ere dawne,

Effect shall end our wish. Mean while revive;

Abandon fear; to strength and counsel joind

Think nothing hard, much less to be despaird.

He ended, and his words thir drooping chere

Enlightn'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

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

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

Wide the Celestial soile, and saw beneath

Th' originals of Nature in thir crude

Conception; Sulphurous and Nitrous Foame

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

Concocted and adusted they reduc'd

To blackest grain, and into store conveyd:

Part hidd'n veins diggd up (nor hath this Earth

Entrails unlike) of Mineral and Stone,

Whereof to found thir Engins and thir Balls

Of missive ruin; part incentive reed

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

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

Lookd round, and Scouts each Coast light-armed scoure,

Each quarter, to descrie the distant foe,

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

In motion or in alt: him soon they met

Under spred Ensignes moving nigh, in slow

But firm Battalion; back with speediest Sail

ZEPHIEL, of Cherubim the swiftest wing,

Came flying, and in mid Aire aloud thus cri'd.

Arme, Warriours, Arme 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

He comes, and settl'd in his face I see

Sad resolution and secure: let each

His Adamantine coat gird well, and each

Fit well his Helme, gripe fast his orbed Shield,

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

If I conjecture aught, no drizling showr,

But ratling storm of Arrows barbd with fire.

So warnd he them aware themselves, and soon

In order, quit of all impediment;

Instant without disturb they took Allarm,

And onward move Embattelld; when behold

Not distant far with heavie pace the Foe

Approaching gross and huge; in hollow Cube

Training his devilish Enginrie, impal'd

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