The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems by John Milton, Burton Raffel Read Free Book Online Page B

shades
304
      
High over-arched, embow’r 1548 —or scattered sedge 1549
305
      
Afloat, when with fierce winds Orion armed 1550
306
      
Hath vexed 1551 the Red-Sea coast, whose waves o’erthrew
307
      
Busiris 1552 and his Memphian 1553 chivalry, 1554
308
      
While with perfidious 1555 hatred they pursued
309
      
The sojourners 1556 of Goshen, 1557 who beheld
310
      
From the safe shore their floating carcases
311
      
And broken chariot-wheels. So thick bestrewn
312
      
Abject 1558 and lost, lay these, covering the flood
313
      
Under amazement 1559 of their hideous 1560 change
314
      
    He called so loud that all the hollow deep
315
      
Of Hell resounded: “Princes, Potentates, 1561
316
      
Warriors, the Flow’r of Heav’n—once yours, now lost
317
      
If such astonishment 1562 as this can seize
318
      
Eternal Spirits! Or have ye chosen this place
319
      
After the toil of battle to repose
320
      
Your wearied virtue, 1563 for the ease you find
321
      
To slumber here, as in the vales of Heav’n?
322
      
Or in this abject posture have ye sworn
323
      
To adore the conqueror, who now beholds
324
      
Cherub and Seraph rolling in the flood
325
      
With scattered arms and ensigns, 1564 till anon 1565
326
      
His swift pursuers from Heav’n-gates discern
327
      
Th’ advantage, and descending, tread us down
328
      
Thus drooping, or with linkèd thunderbolts
329
      
Transfix 1566 us to the bottom of this gulf? 1567
330
      
Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n!”
331
      
    They heard, and were abashed, and up they sprung
332
      
Upon the wing, 1568 as when men wont 1569 to watch
333
      
On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread
334
      
Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake
335
      
Nor did they not perceive the evil plight
336
      
In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel
337
      
Yet to their general’s voice they soon obeyed
338
      
Innumerable. As when the potent rod
339
      
Of Amram’s son, 1570 in Egypt’s evil day
340
      
Waved round the coast, up-called a pitchy 1571 cloud
341
      
Of locusts, warping 1572 on the eastern wind
342
      
That o’er the realm of impious Pharaoh hung
343
      
Like night, and darkened all the land of Nile
344
      
So numberless were those bad Angels seen
345
      
Hovering on wing under the cope 1573 of Hell
346
      
’Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding fires
347
      
Till, as a signal giv’n, th’ uplifted spear
348
      
Of their great sultan waving to direct
349
      
Their course, in even balance down they light 1574
350
      
On the firm 1575 brimstone, 1576 and fill all the plain
351
      
A multitude like which the populous North 1577
352
      
Poured never from her frozen loins to pass
353
      
Rhine or the Danau, 1578 when her barbarous sons
354
      
Came like a deluge on the South and spread
355
      
Beneath 1579 Gibraltar to the Libyan sands
356
      
    Forthwith, 1580 from every squadron and each band
357
      
The heads and leaders thither haste, where stood
358
      
Their great commander—godlike shapes, and forms
359
      
Excelling 1581 human; princely Dignities
360
      
And Powers that erst 1582 in Heav’n sat on thrones
361
      
Though of their names in Heav’nly records now
362
      
Be no memorial, blotted out and razed
363
      
By their rebellion, from the Books of Life. 1583
364
      
Nor had they yet among the sons of Eve
365
      
Got them new names, till wand’ring o’er the earth
366
      
(Through