Paradise Lost - Milton John - Страница 27

They eat, they drink, and with refection sweet

Are fill'd, before th' all bounteous King, who showrd

With copious hand, rejoycing in thir joy.

Now when ambrosial Night with Clouds exhal'd

From that high mount of God, whence light & shade

Spring both, the face of brightest Heav'n had changd

To grateful Twilight (for Night comes not there

In darker veile) and roseat Dews dispos'd

All but the unsleeping eyes of God to rest,

Wide over all the Plain, and wider farr

Then all this globous Earth in Plain outspred,

(Such are the Courts of God) Th' Angelic throng

Disperst in Bands and Files thir Camp extend

By living Streams among the Trees of Life,

Pavilions numberless, and sudden reard,

Celestial Tabernacles, where they slept

Fannd with coole Winds, save those who in thir course

Melodious Hymns about the sovran Throne

Alternate all night long: but not so wak'd

SATAN, so call him now, his former name

Is heard no more Heav'n; he of the first,

If not the first Arch-Angel, great in Power,

In favour and praeeminence, yet fraught

With envie against the Son of God, that day

Honourd by his great Father, and proclaimd

MESSIAH King anointed, could not beare

Through pride that sight, and thought himself impaird.

Deep malice thence conceiving & disdain,

Soon as midnight brought on the duskie houre

Friendliest to sleep and silence, he resolv'd

With all his Legions to dislodge, and leave

Unworshipt, unobey'd the Throne supream

Contemptuous, and his next subordinate

Awak'ning, thus to him in secret spake.

Sleepst thou Companion dear, what sleep can close

Thy eye-lids? and remembrest what Decree

Of yesterday, so late hath past the lips

Of Heav'ns Almightie. Thou to me thy thoughts

Wast wont, I mine to thee was wont to impart;

Both waking we were one; how then can now

Thy sleep dissent? new Laws thou seest impos'd;

New Laws from him who reigns, new minds may raise

In us who serve, new Counsels, to debate

What doubtful may ensue, more in this place

To utter is not safe. Assemble thou

Of all those Myriads which we lead the chief;

Tell them that by command, ere yet dim Night

Her shadowie Cloud withdraws, I am to haste,

And all who under me thir Banners wave,

Homeward with flying march where we possess

The Quarters of the North, there to prepare

Fit entertainment to receive our King

The great MESSIAH, and his new commands,

Who speedily through all the Hierarchies

Intends to pass triumphant, and give Laws.

So spake the false Arch-Angel, and infus'd

Bad influence into th' unwarie brest

Of his Associate; hee together calls,

Or several one by one, the Regent Powers,

Under him Regent, tells, as he was taught,

That the most High commanding, now ere Night,

Now ere dim Night had disincumberd Heav'n,

The great Hierarchal Standard was to move;

Tells the suggested cause, and casts between

Ambiguous words and jealousies, to sound

Or taint integritie; but all obey'd

The wonted signal, and superior voice

Of thir great Potentate; for great indeed

His name, and high was his degree in Heav'n;

His count'nance, as the Morning Starr that guides

The starrie flock, allur'd them, and with lyes

Drew after him the third part of Heav'ns Host:

Mean while th' Eternal eye, whose sight discernes

Abstrusest thoughts, from forth his holy Mount

And from within the golden Lamps that burne

Nightly before him, saw without thir light

Rebellion rising, saw in whom, how spred

Among the sons of Morn, what multitudes

Were banded to oppose his high Decree;

And smiling to his onely Son thus said.

Son, thou in whom my glory I behold

In full resplendence, Heir of all my might,

Neerly it now concernes us to be sure

Of our Omnipotence, and with what Arms

We mean to hold what anciently we claim

Of Deitie or Empire, such a foe

Is rising, who intends to erect his Throne

Equal to ours, throughout the spacious North;

Nor so content, hath in his thought to trie

In battel, what our Power is, or our right.

Let us advise, and to this hazard draw

With speed what force is left, and all imploy

In our defence, lest unawares we lose

This our high place, our Sanctuarie, our Hill.

To whom the Son with calm aspect and cleer

Light'ning Divine, ineffable, serene,

Made answer. Mightie Father, thou thy foes

Justly hast in derision, and secure

Laugh'st at thir vain designes and tumults vain,

Matter to mee of Glory, whom thir hate

Illustrates, when they see all Regal Power

Giv'n me to quell thir pride, and in event

Know whether I be dextrous to subdue

Thy Rebels, or be found the worst in Heav'n.

So spake the Son, but SATAN with his Powers

Farr was advanc't on winged speed, an Host

Innumerable as the Starrs of Night,

Or Starrs of Morning, Dew-drops, which the Sun

Impearls on every leaf and every flouer.

Regions they pass'd, the mightie Regencies

Of Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones

In thir triple Degrees, Regions to which

All thy Dominion, ADAM, is no more

Then what this Garden is to all the Earth,

And all the Sea, from one entire globose

Stretcht into Longitude; which having pass'd

At length into the limits of the North

They came, and SATAN to his Royal seat

High on a Hill, far blazing, as a Mount

Rais'd on a Mount, with Pyramids and Towrs

From Diamond Quarries hew'n, & Rocks of Gold,

The Palace of great LUCIFER, (so call

That Structure in the Dialect of men

Interpreted) which not long after, hee

Affecting all equality with God,

In imitation of that Mount whereon

MESSIAH was declar'd in sight of Heav'n,

The Mountain of the Congregation call'd;

For thither he assembl'd all his Train,

Pretending so commanded to consult

About the great reception of thir King,

Thither to come, and with calumnious Art

Of counterfeted truth thus held thir ears.

Thrones, Dominations, Princedomes, Vertues, Powers,

If these magnific Titles yet remain

Not meerly titular, since by Decree

Another now hath to himself ingross't

All Power, and us eclipst under the name

Of King anointed, for whom all this haste

Of midnight march, and hurried meeting here,

This onely to consult how we may best

With what may be devis'd of honours new

Receive him coming to receive from us

Knee-tribute yet unpaid, prostration vile,

Too much to one, but double how endur'd,

To one and to his image now proclaim'd?

But what if better counsels might erect

Our minds and teach us to cast off this Yoke?

Will ye submit your necks, and chuse to bend

The supple knee? ye will not, if I trust

To know ye right, or if ye know your selves

Natives and Sons of Heav'n possest before

By none, and if not equal all, yet free,

Equally free; for Orders and Degrees

Jarr not with liberty, but well consist.

Who can in reason then or right assume

Monarchie over such as live by right

His equals, if in power and splendor less,

In freedome equal? or can introduce

Law and Edict on us, who without law

Erre not, much less for this to be our Lord,

And look for adoration to th' abuse

Of those Imperial Titles which assert

Our being ordain'd to govern, not to serve?

Thus farr his bold discourse without controule

Had audience, when among the Seraphim