These gates forever shut, which none can pass Before mine eyes in opposition sits Grim Death, my son and foe, who sets them on, invulnerable in those bright arms, h tempered heavenly; for that mortal dint, ne who reigns above, none can resist." 815 finished, and the subtle Fiend his lore learned, now milder, and thus answered smooth: Dear daughter, since thou claim'st me for thy sire, my fair son here show'st me (the dear pledge lliance had with thee in Heaven, and joys sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change len us, unforeseen, unthought of), know e no enemy, but to set free 1 out this dark and dismal house of pain 821 825 unfounded deep, and through the void immense search with wandering quest a place foretold 830 uld be, and, by concurring signs, ere now ated vast and round, a place of bliss he purlieus of Heaven, and therein placed ace of upstart creatures, to supply haps our vacant room, though more removed, 835 t Heaven, surcharged with potent multitude, ght hap to move new broils. Be this or aught an this more secret now designed, I haste To know; and, this once known, shall soon retu With odors: there ye shall be fed and filled He ceased, for both seemed highly pleased, Grinned horrible a ghastly smile, to hear "The key of this infernal pit, by due And by command of Heaven's all-powerful king, I keep, by him forbidden to unlock These adamantine gates; against all force To sit in hateful office here confined, With terrors and with clamors compassed round 842. buxom, yielding; obedient. - embalmed, made balmy, or fragrant. 847. famine, hunger; craving. 850. by due, by due right. 855. Fearless, not fearing 858. Tartarus, Hell. right hand voluptuous, as beseems aughter and thy darling, without end." s saying, from her side the fatal key, strument of all our woe, she took ; owards the gate rolling her bestial train, with the huge portcullis high up-drew; but herself not all the Stygian powers 870 875 once have moved; then in the key-hole turns tens on a sudden open fly led her power; the gates wide open stood, 880 885 r spread ensigns marching, might pass through horse and chariots ranked in loose array; ide they stood, and like a furnace mouth forth redounding smoke and ruddy flame. -fore their eyes in sudden view appear 890 out dimension; where length, breadth, and highth, time and place are lost; where eldest Night Chaos, ancestors of Nature, hold mal anarchy amidst the noise ndless wars, and by confusion stand: 895 Hot, Cold, Moist, and Dry, four champions fierce, wards, divisions or parts lock, here applied to a 885. that, so that. 883. Erebus, the place of darkness; Hell. 895. Nature, Creation; world of organized matter. the Strive here for mastery, and to battle bring Levied to side with warring winds, and poise By which he reigns; next him high arbiter Into this wild abyss The womb of Nature and perhaps her grave, Of neither sea, nor shore, nor air, nor fire, But all these in their pregnant causes mixed Confusedly, and which thus must ever fight, Unless the Almighty Maker them ordain His dark materials to create more worlds Into this wild abyss the wary Fiend Stood on the brink of Hell, and looked awhil Pondering his voyage; for no narrow frith He had to cross: nor was his ear less pealed With noises loud and ruinous (to compare Great things with small) than when Bellona s With all her battering engines bent to rase Some capital city; or less than if this frame Of heaven were falling, and these elements In mutiny had from her axle torn The steadfast earth. At last his sail-broad va 900. embryon, embryo. 901. Of each, each of; or each his is each's, each one's. 903. unnumbered, ble. innumera 904. Barca and Cyrene were in the north of Africa. 905. poise, give weight to. 906. To whom, he (that is, either hot, cold, moist, or dry) to whom.these most, these atoms. 920. pealed, assailed or as with a peal. 921. ruinous, like tha fall of buildings. 922. Bellona, the Ro dess of war. 923. rase, raze; overt) 927. vans, wings. |