Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/165

 BOOK SECOND

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��With heaven's artillery fraught, come rat- tling on Over the Caspian, then stand front to

front Hovering a space, till winds the signal

blow

To join their dark encounter in mid-air. So frowned the mighty combatants that

Hell Grew darker at their frown; so matched

they stood; 720

For never but once more was either like To meet so great a foe. And now great

deeds Had been achieved, whereof all Hell had

rung,

Had not the snaky Sorceress, that sat Fast by Hell-gate and kept the fatal key, Risen, and with hideous outcry rushed be- tween. " O father, what intends thy hand," she

cried, " Against thy only son ? What fury, O

son,

Possesses thee to bend that mortal dart Against thy father's head ? And know'st

for whom ? 730

For Him who sits above, and laughs the

while

At thee, ordained his drudge to execute Whate'er his wrauth, which He calls justice,

bids His wrauth, which one day will destroy ye

both ! " She spake, and at her words the hellish

Pest

Forbore: then these to her Satan re- turned: " So strange thy outcry, and thy words

so strange

Thou interposest, that my sudden hand, Prevented, spares to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends, till first I know of thee What thing thou art, thus double-formed,

and why, 741

In this infernal vale first met, thou call'st Me father, and that fantasm call'st my son. 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 Now in thine eye so foul ? once deemed

so fair

��In Heaven, when at the assembly, and in

sight 749

Of all the Seraphim with thee combined In bold conspiracy against Heaven's King, All on a sudden miserable pain Surprised thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy

swum In darkness, while thy head flames thick

and fast Threw forth, till on the left side opening

wide, Likest to thee in shape and countenance

bright, Then shining heavenly fair, a goddess

armed, Out of thy head I sprung. Amazement

seized All the host of Heaven; back they recoiled

afraid 759

At first, and called me Sin, and for a sign Portentous held me; but, familiar grown, I pleased, and with attractive graces won The most averse thee chiefly, who, full

oft

Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing, Becam'st enamoured; and such joy thou

took'st

With me in secret that my womb conceived A growing burden. Meanwhile war arose, And fields were fought in Heaven: wherein

remained (For what could else ?) to our Almighty

Foe

Clear victory ; to our part loss and rout 770 Through all the Empyrean. Down they

fell, Driven headlong from the pitch of Heaven,

down

Into this Deep; and in the general fall I also: at which time this powerful Key Into my hands was given, with charge to

keep 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, Pregnant by thee, and now excessive grown, Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes. At last this odious offspring whom thou

seest, 781

Thine own begotten, breaking violent way, Tore through my entrails, that, with fear

and pain

Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew Transformed : but he my inbred enemy

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