Page:The Complete Poetical Works of John Milton.djvu/168

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��PARADISE LOST

��Audacious ; but, that seat soon failing, meets A vast vacuity. All unawares, Fluttering his pennons vain, plumb-down

he drops

Ten thousand fadom deep, and to this hour Down had been falling, had not, by ill

chance, The strong rebuff of some tumultuous

cloud,

Instinct with fire and nitre, hurried him As many miles aloft. That fury stayed Quenched in a boggy Syrtis, neither sea, Nor good dry land nigh foundered, on

he fares, 940

Treading the crude consistence, half on

foot, Half flying; behoves him now both oar and

sail.

As when a gryfon through the wilderness With winged course, o'er hill or moory dale, Pursues the Arimaspian, who by stealth Had from his wakeful custody purloined The guarded gold; so eagerly the Fiend O'er bog or steep, through strait, rough,

dense, or rare, With head, hands, wings, or feet, pursues

his way, And swims, or sinks, or wades, or creeps,

or flies. 950

At length a universal hubbub wild Of stunning sounds, and voices all confused, Borne through the hollow dark, assaults his

ear

With loudest vehemence. Thither he plies Undaunted, to meet there whatever Power Or Spirit of the nethermost Abyss Might in that noise reside, of whom to ask Which way the nearest coast of darkness

lies Bordering on light; when straight behold

the throne

Of Chaos, and his dark pavilion spread 96 Wide on the wasteful Deep ! With him

enthroned

Sat sable-vested Night, eldest of things, The consort of his reign ; and by them stood Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name Of Demogorgon ; Rumour next, and

Chance,

And Tumult, and Confusion, all imbroiled, And Discord with a thousand various

mouths. To whom Satan, turning boldly, thus:

"Ye Powers And Spirits of this nethermost Abyss,

��Chaos and ancient Night, I come no spy 97 With purpose to explore or to disturb The secrets of your realm; but, by con- straint Wandering this darksome desart, as my

way Lies through your spacious empire up to

light, '

Alone and without guide, half lost, I seek, What readiest path leads where your

gloomy bounds Confine with Heaven; or, if some other

place, From your dominion won, the Ethereal

King

Possesses lately, thither to arrive I travel this profound. Direct my course : 980

Directed, no mean recompense it brings To your behoof, if I that region lost, All usurpation thence expelled, reduce To her original darkness and your sway (Which is my present journey), and once

more

Erect the standard there of ancient Night. Yours be the advantage all, mine the re- venge ! "

Thus Satan ; and him thus the Anarch old, With faltering speech and visage incom-

posed,

Answered: "I know thee, stranger, who thou art 99

That mighty leading Angel, who of late Made head against Heaven's King, though

overthrown.

I saw and heard; for such a numerous host Fled not in silence through the frighted

Deep,

With ruin upon ruin, rout on rout, Confusion worse confounded; and Heaven- gates

Poured out by millions her victorious bands, Pursuing. I upon my frontiers here Keep residence; if all I can will serve That little which is left so to defend, 1000 Encroached on still through our intestine

broils Weakening the sceptre of old Night: first,

Hell,

Your dungeon, stretching far and wide be- neath; Now lately Heaven and Earth, another

world

Hung o'er my realm, linked in a golden chain

�� �