A gulf profound, as that Serbonian bog Betwixt Damiata and mount Casius old, Where armies whole have sunk: The parching air Burns frore, and cold performs the effect of fire. At certain revolutions, all the damn'd 595 ele Are brought; and feel by turns the bitter change Of fierce extremes, extremes by change more fierce, From beds of raging fire, to starve in ice 600 Their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine Immovable, infix'd, and frozen round, Periods of time, thence hurried back to fire. 'Both to and fro, their sorrow to augment, 605 And wish and struggle, as they pass, to reach The tempting stream, with one small drop to lose In sweet forgetfulness all pain and woe, All in one moment, and so near the brink, But fate withstands, and to oppose the attempt 610 Medusa with Gorgonian terror guards The ford, and of itself the water flies All taste of living wight, as once it fled The lip of Tantalus.) Thus roving on In confused march forlorn, the adventurous bands, 615 With shuddering horror pale, and eyes aghast, View'd first their lamentable lot, and found No rest through many a dark and dreary vale 620 Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death, A universe of death: which God by curse Created evil, for evil only good; Where all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, Abominable, inutterable, and worse han fables yet have feign'd, or fear conceived, Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire. Meanwhile the adversary of God and Man 625 Satan, with thoughts inflamed of highest design, 630 Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of Hell Explores his solitary flight: sometimes He scours the right hand coast, sometimes the left; Now shaves with level wing the deep, then soars Their spicy drugs; they, on the trading flood, 640 Through the wide Ethiopian to the Cape, Ply stemming nightly toward the pole: so seem'd Hell bounds, high reaching to the horrid roof, And thrice threefold the gates; three folds were brass, 'Three iron, three of adamantine rock 646 Impenetrable, impaled with circling fire, Yet unconsumed. Before the gates there sat, On either side a formidable shape : The one seem'd woman to the waist, and fair; 650 But ended foul in many a scaly fold Voluminous and vast; a serpent arm'd With mortal sting: About her middle round A cry of Hellhounds never ceasing bark'd With wide Cerberian mouths full loud, and rung 655 A hideous peal; yet, when they list, would creep, 660 If aught disturb'd their noise, into her womb, If shape it might be call'd that shape had none Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb; Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd, And shook a dreadful dart ;) what seem'd his head Satan was now at hand, and from his seat The monster moving onward came as fast 675 680 685 691 Whence and what art thou, execrable shape! Thy lingering; or with one stroke of this dart 695 700 So speaking and so threatening, grew tenfold 705 710 More dreadful and deform. On the other side, To join their dark encounter in mid air : So frown'd the mighty combatants that Hell For never but once more was either like Grew darker at their frown: so match'd they stood; To meet so great a foe: And now great deeds 721 725 731 She spake, and at her words the hellish Pest 735 Forbore; then these to her Satan return'd: So strange thy outcry, and thy words so strange Prevented, spares to tell thee yet by deeds 740 What thing thou art, thus double-form'd; and why, I know thee not, nor ever saw till now Sight more detestable than him and thee. To whom thus the Portress of Hell-gate replied Hast thou forgot me then, and do I seem 745 Now in thine eye so foul? once deem'd so fair In Heaven, when at the assembly, and in sight 750 Of all the Seraphim with thee combined Surprised thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swam A growing burden. Meanwhile war arose, 760 And fields were fought in Heaven; Wherein remain'd (For what could else?) to our Almighty Foe Clear victory; to our part loss and rout, 770 Through all the empyréan; down they fell Driven headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down I also; at which time, this powerful key Into my hand was given, with charge to keep 773 These gates for ever shut, which none can pass Without my opening. Pensive here I sat Alone; but long I sat not, till my womb 780 At last this odious offspring whom thou seest, |