A cry of Hell hounds never ceasing bark'd
With wide Cerberean mouths full loud, and rung
A hideous peal; yet, when they lift, would creep,
If ought difturb'd their noise, into her womb,
And kennel there, yet there ftill bark'd and howl'd,
Within unfeen. Far lefs abhorr'd than thefe
Vex'd Scylla bathing in the fea that parts
Calabria from the hoarfe Trinacrian fhore:
Nor uglier follow the night-hag, when, call'd
In fecret, riding through the air he comes,
Lur'd with the smell of infant blood, to dance
With Lapland witches, while the lab'ring moon 665
Eclipfes at their charms. The other shape,
If shape it might be call'd that shape had none
Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb,
Or fubftance might be call'd that shadow seem'd,
For each feem'd either; black it stood as Night,
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell,
And shook a dreadful dart; what feem'd his head
The likeness of a kingly crown had on:
Satan was now at hand, and from his feat
The monster moving onward came as fast
With horrid ftrides, Hell trembled as he ftrode.
Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd,
Admir'd, not fear'd; God and his Son except,
Created thing nought valued he nor fhunn'd;
And with disdainful look thus first began.
Whence and what art thou, execrable shape,
That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, advance
Thy mifcreated front athwart my way
To yonder gates? through them I mean to pass,
That be affur'd, without leave afk'd of thee:
Retire, or taste thy folly', and learn by proof,
Hell-born, not to contend with Spi'rits of Heaven.
To whom the goblin full of wrath reply'd.
Art thou that traitor Angel, art thou He,
Who first broke peace in Heav'n and faith, till then
Unbroken, and in proud rebellious arms
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's sons
Conjúr'd against the Hig'heft, for which both thou
And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd
To wafte eternal days in woe and pain?
And reckon'st thou thyfelf with Spi'rits of Heaven,
Hell-doom'd, and breath'ft defiance here and fcorn.
Where I reign king, and, to enrage thee more,
Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment,
Falfe fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Left with a whip of fcorpions I purfue
Thy lingring, or with one ftroke of this dart
Strange horror feife thee', and pangs unfelt before.
So fpake the grisly terror, and in shape,
So fpeaking and fo threatning, grew ten-fold
More dreadful and deform: on th' other fide
Incens'd with indignation Satan stood
Unterrify'd, and like a comet burn'd,.
That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge
In th' arctic sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head
Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No second stroke intend, and such a frown
Each cast at th' other, as when two black clouds,
With Heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Cafpian, then ftand front to front
Hovering a space, till winds the fignal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air:
So frown'd the mighty combatants, that Hell
Grew darker at their frown, fo match'd they stood;
For never but once more was either like
To meet so great a foe: and now great deeds
Had been achiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung,
Had not the fnaky forceress that fat
Faft by Hell gate, and kept the fatal key,
Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between.
O Father, what intends thy hand, the cry'd,
Against thy only Son? What fury', O Son,
Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal dart
Against thy Father's head? and know'ft for whom
For him who fits above and laughs the while
At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
Whate'er his wrath, which he calls juftice, bids;
His wrath, which one day will destroy ye both.
She fpake, and at her words the hellish pest 735
Forbore, then these to her Satan return'd.
So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words fo ftrange
Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand
Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds
What it intends; till first I know of thee,
What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why In this infernal vale firft met thou call'ft
Me Father, and that phantafin call'ft my Son;
I know thee not, nor ever faw till now
Sight more deteftable than him and thee.
T'whom thus the portrefs of Hell gate reply'd.
Haft thou forgot me then, and do I seem
Now in thine eye so foul? once deem'd so fair
In Heav'n, when at th' assembly, and in fight
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's king,
All on a fudden miferable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast
Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide,
Likeft to thee in shape and count'nance bright,
Then fhining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd'
Out of thy head I fprung: amazement feis'd
All th' hoft of Heav'n; back they recoil'd afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft
Thyfelf in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam'ft enamour'd, and fuch joy thou took'st
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden. Mean while war arose,
And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd
(For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe
Clear victory, to our part lofs and rout
Through all the empyréan: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down
Into this deep, and in the general fall
I alfo; at which time this pow'rful key
Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep
These gates for ever shut, which none can pass
Without my opening. Penfive here I fat
Alone, but long I fat not, till my womb
Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown,
Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
At last this odious offspring whom thou seest
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy
Forth iffued, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to destroy: I fled, and cry'd out Death;
Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'd
From all her caves, and back refounded Death.
Ifled, but he pursued, (though more, it seems,
Inflam'd with luft than rage) and swifter far,
Me overtook his mother all difmay'd,
And in embraces forcible and foul
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
Thefe yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry
Surround me, as thou faw'ft, hourly conceiv'd
And hourly born, with forrow infinite
To me; for when they lift, into the womb
That bred them they return, and howl and gnaw
My bowels, their repaft; then bursting forth.
Afresh with confcious terrors vex me round,
That reft or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits
|