Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluic'd from the lake, a second multitude
With wondrous art founded the massy ore

Severing each kind, and scumm'd the bullion dross:
A third as soon had form'd within the ground
A various mould; and from the boiling cells

703

By strange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook:
As in an organ, from one blast of wind,.

To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. Anon out of the earth a fabric huge

710

Rose like an exhalation, with the sound

Of dulcet symphonies, and voices sweet,

Built like a temple, where pilasters round

Were set, and Doric pillars, overlaid

With golden architrave: nor did there want

713

Cornice, or frieze, with bossy sculptures graven;
The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon,
Nor great Alcairo, such magnificence

Equall'd in all their glories, to inshrine

Belus, or Serapis, their gods; or seat

Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove
In wealth and luxury. Th' ascending pile

[ocr errors]

720

725

730

Stood fix'd her stately height: and straight the doors
Op'ning their brazen folds, discover wide
Within her ample spaces o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof,
Pendent by subtle magic, many a row
Of starry lamps, and blazing cressets, fed
With Naphtha and Asphaltus, yielded light,
As from a sky. The hasty multitude
Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise,
And some the architect: his hand was known
In heaven by many a tow'red structure high,
Where sceptred angels held their residence,
And sat as princes; whom the supreme King
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule,
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright:
Nor was his name unheard, or unador'd,
In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land
Men call'd him Mulciber: and how he fell
From heaven they fabled, thrown by angry Jove
Sheer o'er the crystal battlements; from morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer's day; and with the setting sun
Dropp'd from the zenith like a falling star,

735

740

745

[ocr errors]

On Lemnos th' Egean isle: thus they relate,
Erring; for he with this rebellious rout
Feil long before; nor ought avail'd him now
T'have built in heaven high towers; nor did he scape
By all his engines, but was headlong sent
With his industrious crew to build in hell.

Meanwhile the winged herald's by command
Of sov'reign power, with awful ceremony

750

And trumpet's sound, throughout the host proclaim A solemn council forthwith to be held

At Pandemonium, the high capital

Of Satan and his peers: their summons call'd,
From every band and squared regiment,

By place or choice the worthiest, they anon

755

761

With hundreds, and with thousands, trooping came
Attended: all access was throng'd, the gates
And porches wide, but chief the spacious hall
(Though like a cover'd field, where champions bald
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's chair
Defied the best of Panim chivalry

765

770

To mortal combat, or career with lance)
Thick swarm'd, both on the ground, and in the air,
Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees
In spring time, when the sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
(The suburb of their straw-built citadel,)
New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer
Their state affairs: so thick the airy crowd
Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till the signal given:
Behold a wonder! they but now who seem'd
In bigness to surpass earth's giant sons,

775

Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless, like that pygmean race
Beyond the Indian mount; or fairy elves;
Whose midnight revels, by a forest side,
Or fountain, some belated peasant sees,

780

Or dreams he sees; while over head the moon

Sits arbitress, and nearer to the earth

785

Wheels her pale course; they on their mirth and dance

Intent, with jocund music charm his ear:
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms

791

Reduc'd their shapes immense; and were at large,

Though without number still, amidst the hall
Of that infernal court. But far within,
And in their own dimensions like themselves,
The great Saraphic lords, and cherubim,
In close recess and secret conclave sat;
A thousand demi-gods on golden seats,
Frequent and full! After short silence then,
And summons read, the great consult began.

795

END OF BOOK FIRST.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The consultation begun, Satan debates whether anotLer battle is to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven: some advise it, others dissuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy or tradition in heaven concerning another world, and another kind of creature, equal, or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: their doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search: Satan, their chief, undertakes alone the voyage; is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He passes on his journey to hell gates, finds them shut, and who sat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between hell and heaven: with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.

HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind;
Or where the gorgeous east with richest hand
Showers on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence: and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high; insatiate to pursue

Vain war with heaven; and by success untaught,
His proud imaginations thus display'd:

10

"Powers, and dominions, deities of heaven (For since no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigour, though oppress'd and fallen, 1 give not heaven for lost: from this descent Celestial virtues rising, will appear

15

20

25

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate.)
Me, though just right and the fix'd laws of heaven
Did first create your leader; next free choice;
With what besides, in council or in fight
Hath been achiev'd of merit: yet this loss.
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more
Establish'd in a safe unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In heaven, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior: but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim,
Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share
Of endiess pain? Where there is then no good 30
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction: for none sure will claim in hell
Precedence; none, whose portion is so small
Of present pain, that with ambitious mind
Will covet more! with this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in heaven, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,

er to prosper than prosperity

35

ld have assur'd us; and by what best way,
ether of open war, or covert guile,

40

e now debate: who can advise may speak."

He ceas'd; and next him Moloch, sceptred king, Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest spirit That fought in heaven, now fiercer by despair: His trust was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in strength, and rather than be less, Cared not to be at all; with that care lost Went all his fear of God, or hell, or worse, He reck'd not; and these words thereafter spake :

45

49

"6 'My sentence is for open war; of wiles, More unexpert, I boast not: them let those Contrive who need; or when they need, not now

« PredošláPokračovať »