Or ambush from the deep. What if we find Some easier enterprise? There is a place, (If ancient and prophetic fame in Heav'n Err not) another world, the happy seat Of some new race call'd Man, about this time To be created like to us, though less
In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more Of Him who rules above; so was his will Pronounced among the Gods, and by an oath, That shook Heav'n's whole circumference, confirm'd. Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn What creatures there inhabit, of what mould Or substance, how endued, and what their pow'r, And where their weakness; how attempted best, By force or subtlety. Though Heav'n be shut, And Heav'n's high Arbitrator sit secure
In his own strength, this place may lie exposed 360 The utmost border of his kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it. Here perhaps Some advantageous act may be achieved
By sudden onset, either with Hell fire To waste his whole creation, or possess
All as our own, and drive, as we were driv'n, The puny habitants; or if not drive,
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub Pleaded his dev'lish counsel, first devised By Satan, and in part proposed: for whence, But from the author of all ill, could spring So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
367. It has been supposed that Milton used the word pany in its original sense, as derived from the French puis ne, born since.
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? But their spite still serves 385 His glory to augment. The bold design
Pleased highly those infernal States, and joy Sparkled in all their eyes. With full assent They vote; whereat his speech he thus renews: Well have ye judged, well ended long debate, 390 Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are,
Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate, Nearer our ancient seat; perhaps in view Of those bright confines, whence with neighb'ring
And opportune excursion, we may chance Re-enter Heav'n; or else in some mild zone Dwell not unvisited of Heav'n's fair light Secure, and at the bright'ning orient beam Purge off this gloom: the soft delicious air, To heal the scar of these corrosive fires, Shall breathe her balm. But first, whom shall we In search of this new world? whom shall we find Sufficient? who shall 'tempt with wand'ring feet The dark unbottom'd infinite abyss,
And through the palpable obscure find out His uncouth way, or spread his aery flight,
The happy isle? What strength, what art, can then
Upborne with indefatigable wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive
Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe
Through the strict senteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round? Here he had need All circumspection, and we now no less
Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send,
The weight of all and our last hope relies. This said, he sat; and expectation held His look suspense, awaiting who appear'd To second or oppose, or undertake The perilous attempt: but all sate mute, Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts; and each
406. Palpable obscure; this is another instance of Milton's using Adjectives in the sense of substantives.
409 The earth is here called an island in allusion to its hanging in the air, which surrounds it like a sea. The word arrive was formerly frequently used without a preposition following.
In other's count'nance read his own dismay Astonish'd. None among the choice and prime
Of those Heav'n-warring champions could be found So hardy as to proffer or accept
Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last
Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised Above his fellows, with monarchal pride, Conscious of highest worth, unmoved, thus spake : O Progeny of Heav'n, empyreal Thrones, With reason hath deep silence and demur Seized us, though undismay'd: long is the way And hard that out of Hell leads up to light; Our prison strong; this huge convex of fire, Outrageous to devour, immures us round Ninefold, and gates of burning adamant Barr'd over us prohibit all egress. These pass'd, if any pass, the void profound Of unessential Night receives him next Wide gaping, and with utter loss of being Threatens him, plunged in that abortive gulf. If thence he 'scape into whatever world, Or unknown region, what remains him less Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape? But I should ill become this throne, O Peers, And this imperial sov'reignty, adorn'd
With splendour, arm'd with pow'r, if aught propos'd
To him who reigns, and so much to him due
Of hazard more, as he above the rest
High honour'd sits? Go, therefore, mighty Powers, Terror of Heav'n, though fall'n; intend at home While here shall be our home, what best may ease The present misery, and render Hell More tolerable; if there be cure or charm
To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain
439. Unessential; that is, void of substance.
Of this ill mansion; intermit no watch
Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad
Through all the coasts of dark destruction, seek Deliv'rance for us all. This enterprise
None shall partake with me. Thus saying rose The Monarch, and prevented all reply, Prudent, lest from his resolution raised, Others among the chief might offer now (Certain to be refused) what erst they fear'd: And so refused might in opinion stand His rivals, winning cheap the high repute
Which he through hazard huge must earn. But they Dreaded not more th' adventure than his voice Forbidding; and at once with him they rose; Their rising all at once was as the sound
Of thunder heard remote. Tow'rds him they bend With awful rev'rence prone; and as a God
Extol him equal to the High'st in Heav'n:
Nor fail'd they to express how much they praised, 480 That for the gen'ral safety he despised
His own for neither do the Spirits damn'd
Lose all their virtue: lest bad men should boast
Their specious deeds on earth, which glory excites, Or close ambition, varnish'd o'er with zeal. Thus they their doubtful consultations dark Ended, rejoicing in their matchless chief: As when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds Ascending, while the north wind sleeps, o'erspread Heav'n's cheerful face, the low'ring element Scowls o'er the darken'd landskip snow, or show'r; If chance the radiant Sun with farewell sweet Extend his ev'ning beam, the fields revive, The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.
485. Milton intimates above, that the fallen and degraded state of man or his individual vice is not at all disproved by some of his external actions not appearing totally base. The commentators should have observed, in explaining this passage, that the whole grand mystery on which the poem depends is the first fearful spiritual alienation of Satan from God, the only fountain of truth and all real positive good; and that when thus separated, whether the spirit be that of man or devil, it may perform actions fair in appearance but not essentially good, because springing from no fixed principle of good.
O shame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd Firm concord holds, men only disagree Of creatures rational, though under hope
Of heav'nly grace: and God proclaiming peace, Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife Among themselves, and levy cruel wars, Wasting the earth, each other to destroy; As if (which might induce us to accord) Man had not hellish foes enough besides, That day and night for his destruction wait.
The Stygian council thus dissolved; and forth
In order came the grand infernal peers:
'Midst came their mighty Paramount, and seem'd Alone th' antagonist of Heav'n, nor less
Than Hell's dread emperor with pomp supreme, 510 And God-like imitated state; him round
A globe of fiery Seraphim inclosed
With bright emblazonry, and horrent arms. Then of their session ended they bid cry With trumpets regal sound the great result: Tow'rds the four winds four speedy Cherubim Put to their mouths the sounding alchemy By heralds' voice explain'd; the hollow abyss Heard far and wide, and all the host of Hell With deaf'ning shout return'd them loud acclaim. 520 Thence more at ease their minds, and some what raised By false presumptuous hope, the ranged Pow'rs Disband, and wand'ring, each his sev'ral way Pursues, as inclination or sad choice
Leads him perplex'd, where he may likeliest find 525 Truce to his restless thoughts, and entertain The irksome hours till his great chief return. Part on the plain, or in the air sublime,
496. It has been well observed, that an allusion is probably made here to the troubled character of the times in which the author lived.
512. A globe, or a battalion surrounding him in a circle.-See Virgil, En. x. 373.
513. Horrent, rough and sharp. This epithet I imagine to have considerable force, because it implies the dense and com pact closeness of the globe of spirits surrounding Satan. The arms were horrent, because standing out like a boar's bristles from this fiery body.
517. Alchemy, a very fine metonymy for the trumpets.
528. The occupations of the fallen spirits are conceived in the aighest strain both of poetry and philosophy.
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