Heaven, when at the assembly, and in sight Of all the Seraphim with thee combined In bold conspiracy against Heaven’s King, All on a sudden miserable pain Surprised thee; dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast Threw forth, till on the left side opening wide, Likest to thee in shape and countenance bright, Then shining Heavenly-fair, a goddess armed, Out of thy head I sprung. Amazement seized All the host of Heaven; back they recoiled afraid At first, and called me Sin , and for a sign Portentous held me; but, familiar grown, I pleased, and with attractive graces won The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing Becam’st enamoured; and such joy thou took’st With me in secret, that my womb conceived A growing burden. Meanwhile war arose, And fields were fought in Heaven; wherein remained (For what could else?) to our almighty foe Clear victory, to our part loss and rout Through all the Empyrean. Down they fell, Driven headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down Into this deep, and in the general fall I also; at which time this powerful key Into my hands was given, with charge to keep These gates for ever shut, which none can pass Without my opening. Pensive here I sat Alone; but long I sat not, till my womb, Pregnant by thee, and now excessive 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 Transformed; but he, my inbred enemy, Forth issued, brandishing his fatal dart, Made to destroy. I fled, and cried out Death ! Hell trembled at the hideous name, and sighed From all her caves, and back resounded Death ! I fled; but he pursued (though more, it seems, Inflamed with lust than rage) and, swifter far, Me overtook, his mother, all dismayed, And, in embraces forcible and foul Engendering with me, of that rape begot These yelling monsters, that with ceaseless cry Surround me, as thou saw’st, hourly conceived And hourly born, with sorrow infinite To me; for, when they list, into the womb That bred them they return, and howl, and gnaw My bowels, their repast; then,
Table of Contents
Poem 2
41