A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog Betwixt Damiata and mount Casius old, Where armies whole have sunk: the parching air 595 Burns frore, and cold performs the effects of fire. Thither, by harpy-footed Furies hal'd, At certain revolutions, all the damn'd Are brought; and feel by turns the bitter change Of fierce extremes-extremes by change more fierce : 600 From beds of raging fire, to starve in ice Their soft ethereal warmth, and there to pine Periods of time; thence hurried back to fire. 605 Both to and fro, their sorrow to augment, The ford; and of itself the water flies 615 In cónfus'd march forlorn, the adventurous bands, 620 O'er many a frozen, many a fiery AlpRocks-caves-lakes-fens-bogs-dens-and shades of death; A universe of death! which God by curse Where all life dies-death lives, and nature breeds 625 Perverse, all monstrous, all prodigious thingsAbominable-inutterable; and worse Than fables yet have feign'd, or fear conceiv'd, Meanwhile, the adversary of God and man, 630 Satan, with thoughts inflam'd of highest design, Puts on swift wings, and towards the gates of hell Explores his solitary flight: sometimes He scours the right hand coast, sometimes the left: Now shaves with level wing the deep; then soars 635 Up to the fiery concave, towering high: As when far off at sea a fleet descried Hangs in the clouds, by equinoctial winds Close sailing from Bengala, or the isles Of Ternate, and Tidore, whence merchants bring 640 Their spicy drugs; they on the trading flood, Through the wide Ethiopian to the Cape, Ply stemming nightly toward the pole: so seem'd Hell-bounds, high reaching to the horrid roof; Yet unconsum'd. Before the gates there sat 650 The one seem'd woman to the waist, and fair; With mortal sting: about her middle round 655 With wide Cerberean mouths, full loud, and rung If shape it might be call'd that shape had none Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd, 670 For each seem'd either; black it stood as night, Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as hell, And shook a dreadful dart: what seem'd his head, Satan was now at hand: and from his seat 675 The monster moving onward came as fast With horrid strides; hell trembled as he strode: 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 shunn'd; 680 And, with disdainful look, thus first began: "Whence, and what art thou, execrable shape! "That dar'st, though grim and terrible, advance Thy miscreated front athwart my way 66 "To yonder gates? through them I mean to pass; 685"That be assur'd, without leave ask'd of thee: Retire, or taste thy folly, and learn by proof, "Hell-born! not to contend with spirits of heaven." To whom the goblin full of wrath replied: "Art thou that traitor-angel, art thou he, 690"Who first broke peace in heaven, and faith, till then "Unbroken; and in proud, rebellious arms, "Drew after him the third part of heaven's sons 66 Conjur'd against the Highest; for which both thou "And they, outcast from God, are here condemn'd 695 "To waste eternal days in woe and pain? "And reckon'st thou thyself with spirits of heaven, "Hell-doom'd! and breath'st defiance here and scorn, "Where I reign king? and, to enrage thee more,— Thy king and lord. Back to thy punishment, 700 "False fugitive! and to thy speed add wings, "Lest with a whip of scorpions I pursue 66 Thy lingering; or with one stroke of this dart "Strange horror seize thee, and pangs unfelt before." So spake the grisly terror, and in shape, 705 So speaking and so threat'ning, grew tenfold On the other side, More dreadful and deform. So frown'd the mighty combatants, that hell 720 Grew darker at their frown; so match'd they stood; For never but once more was either like To meet so great a foe. And now great deeds 725 Fast by hell-gate, and kept the fatal key, Risen, and with hideous outcry rush'd between. 730 "Against thy father's head? and know'st for whom ; 735 740 She spake, and at her words the hellish pest "So strange thy outcry, and thy words so strange "Thou interposest, that my sudden hand "Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds. "What thing thou art, thus double-form'd; and why, "In this infernal vale first met, thou call'st 745 66 66 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 deem'd so fair In heaven, when at the assembly, and in sight 750 "Of all the Seraphim, with thee combin'd "In bold conspiracy against heaven's King, "All on a sudden miserable pain 66 Surpris'd thee; dim thine eyes and dizzy swum "In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast 755 "Threw forth; till, on the left side opening wide, "Likest to thee in shape and count'nance bright, "Then shining heavenly fair, a goddess arm'd, "Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seiz'd "All the host of heaven; back they recoil'd, afraid 760 "At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a sign "Portentous held me; but, familiar grown, "I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won "The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft 66 Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing, 765"Becam'st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st "With me in secret, that my womb conceiv'd "A growing burden. Meanwhile, war arose, "And fields were fought in heaven; wherein remain'd (For what could else?) to our almighty foe 66 770" Clear victory; to our part loss and rout, 775 "Through all the empyréan: down they fell, "Into my hand was given, with charge to keep |