The Collected Poetical Works of John Milton (Extended Annotated Edition) by John Milton

Author:John Milton [Milton, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Klassiker
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2013-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

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, 460

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 470

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 480

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 490

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 500

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 510

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. 520

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, 530

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.

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