Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/146

 PARADISE LOST

��And shook his throne. What though the

field be lost ?

All is not lost the unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield: And what is else not to be overcome. 109 That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee, and deify his power Who, from the terror of this arm, so late Doubted his empire that were low in- deed;

That were an ignominy and shame beneath This downfall ; since, by fate, the strength

of Gods,

And this empyreal substance, cannot fail; Since, through experience of this great

event,

In arms not worse, in foresight much ad- vanced,

We may with more successful hope re- solve 120 To wage by force or guile eternal war, Irreconcilable to our grand Foe, Who now triumphs', and in the excess of

jy

Sole reigning holds the tyranny of

Heaven." So spake the apostate Angel, though in

pain,

Vaunting aloud, but racked with deep de- spair;

And him thus answered soon his bold Com- peer: "O Prince, O Chief of many throned

Powers

That led the imbattled Seraphim to war Under thy conduct, and, in dreadful deeds 130

Fearless, endangered Heaven's perpetual

King,

And put to proof his high supremacy, Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or

fate !

Too well I see and rue the dire event That, with sad overthrow and foul defeat, Hath lost us Heaven, and all this mighty

host

In horrible destruction laid thus low, As far as Gods and Heavenly Essences Can perish: for the mind and spirit re- mains

Invincible, and vigour soon returns, 14 Though all our glory extinct, and happy state

��Here swallowed up in endless misery. But what if He our Conqueror (whom I

now

Of force believe almighty, since no less Than such could have o'erpowered such

force as ours) Have left us this our spirit and strength

entire,

Strongly to suffer and support our pains, That we may so suffice his vengeful ire, Or do him mightier service as his thralls By right of war, whate'er his business be, i SO Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire, Or do his errands in the gloomy Deep ? What can it then avail though yet we feel Strength uudiminished, or eternal being To undergo eternal punishment ? "

Whereto with speedy words the Arch-

Fiend replied :

" Fallen Cherub, to be weak is miserable, Doing or suffering: but of this be sure To do aught good never will be our task, But ever to do ill our sole delight, 160

As being the contrary to His high will Whom we resist. If then his providence Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, Our labour must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of evil; Which ofttimes may succeed so as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb His inmost counsels from their destined

aim.

But see ! the angry Victor hath recalled His ministers of vengeance and pursuit 170 Back to the gates of Heaven: the sulphu- rous hail,

Shot after us in storm, o'erblown hath laid The fiery surge that from the precipice Of Heaven received us falling; and the

thunder, Winged with red lightning and impetuous

rage, Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases

now To bellow through the vast and boundless

Deep.

Let us not slip the occasion, whether scorn Or satiate fury yield it from our Foe. Seest thou yon dreary plain, forlorn and

wild, 180

The seat of desolation, void of light, Save what the glimmering of these livid

flames Casts pale and dreadful ? Thither let us

tend

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