Paradise Lost. John Milton

Heav’n Gates discern

      Th’ advantage, and descending tread us down

      Thus drooping, or with linked Thunderbolts

      Transfix us to the bottom of this Gulfe.

      Awake, arise, or be for ever fall’n.

      They heard, and were abasht, and up they sprung

      Upon the wing, as when men wont to watch

      On duty, sleeping found by whom they dread,

      Rouse and bestir themselves ere well awake.

      Nor did they not perceave the evil plight

      In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel;

      Yet to their Generals Voyce they soon obeyd

      Innumerable. As when the potent Rod

      Of AMRAMS Son in EGYPTS evill day

      Wav’d round the Coast, up call’d a pitchy cloud

      Of LOCUSTS, warping on the Eastern Wind,

      That ore the Realm of impious PHAROAH hung

      Like Night, and darken’d all the Land of NILE:

      So numberless were those bad Angels seen

      Hovering on wing under the Cope of Hell

      ‘Twixt upper, nether, and surrounding Fires;

      Till, as a signal giv’n, th’ uplifted Spear

      Of their great Sultan waving to direct

      Thir course, in even ballance down they light

      On the firm brimstone, and fill all the Plain;

      A multitude, like which the populous North

      Pour’d never from her frozen loyns, to pass

      RHENE or the DANAW, when her barbarous Sons

      Came like a Deluge on the South, and spread

      Beneath GIBRALTAR to the LYBIAN sands.

      Forthwith from every Squadron and each Band

      The Heads and Leaders thither hast where stood

      Their great Commander; Godlike shapes and forms

      Excelling human, Princely Dignities,

      And Powers that earst in Heaven sat on Thrones;

      Though of their Names in heav’nly Records now

      Be no memorial, blotted out and ras’d

      By thir Rebellion, from the Books of Life.

      Nor had they yet among the Sons of EVE

      Got them new Names, till wandring ore the Earth,

      Through Gods high sufferance for the tryal of man,

      By falsities and lyes the greatest part

      Of Mankind they corrupted to forsake

      God their Creator, and th’ invisible

      Glory of him, that made them, to transform

      Oft to the Image of a Brute, adorn’d

      With gay Religions full of Pomp and Gold,

      And Devils to adore for Deities:

      Then were they known to men by various Names,

      And various Idols through the Heathen World.

      Say, Muse, their Names then known, who first, who last,

      Rous’d from the slumber, on that fiery Couch,

      At thir great Emperors call, as next in worth

      Came singly where he stood on the bare strand,

      While the promiscuous croud stood yet aloof?

      The chief were those who from the Pit of Hell

      Roaming to seek their prey on earth, durst fix

      Their Seats long after next the Seat of God,

      Their Altars by his Altar, Gods ador’d

      Among the Nations round, and durst abide

      JEHOVAH thundring out of SION, thron’d

      Between the Cherubim; yea, often plac’d

      Within his Sanctuary it self their Shrines,

      Abominations; and with cursed things

      His holy Rites, and solemn Feasts profan’d,

      And with their darkness durst affront his light.

      First MOLOCH, horrid King besmear’d with blood

      Of human sacrifice, and parents tears,

      Though for the noyse of Drums and Timbrels loud

      Their childrens cries unheard, that past through fire

      To his grim Idol. Him the AMMONITE

      Worshipt in RABBA and her watry Plain,

      In ARGOB and in BASAN, to the stream

      Of utmost ARNON. Nor content with such

      Audacious neighbourhood, the wisest heart

      Of SOLOMON he led by fraud to build

      His Temple right against the Temple of God

      On that opprobrious Hill, and made his Grove

      The pleasant Vally of HINNOM, TOPHET thence

      And black GEHENNA call’d, the Type of Hell.

      Next CHEMOS, th’ obscene dread of MOABS Sons,

      From AROER to NEBO, and the wild

      Of Southmost ABARIM; in HESEBON

      And HERONAIM, SEONS Realm, beyond

      The flowry Dale of SIBMA clad with Vines,

      And ELEALE to th’ ASPHALTICK Pool.

      PEOR his other Name, when he entic’d

      ISRAEL in SITTIM on their march from NILE

      To do him wanton rites, which cost them woe.

      Yet thence his lustful Orgies he enlarg’d

      Even to that Hill of scandal, by the Grove

      Of MOLOCH homicide, lust hard by hate;

      Till good JOSIAH drove them thence to Hell.

      With these came they, who from the bordring flood

      Of old EUPHRATES to the Brook that parts

      EGYPT from SYRIAN ground, had general Names

      Of BAALIM and ASHTAROTH, those male,

      These Feminine. For Spirits when they please

      Can either Sex assume, or both; so soft

      And uncompounded is their Essence pure,

      Not ti’d or manacl’d with joynt or limb,

      Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,

      Like cumbrous flesh; but in what shape they choose

      Dilated or condens’t, bright or obscure,

      Can execute their aerie purposes,

      And works of love or enmity fulfill.

      For those the Race of ISRAEL oft forsook

      Their living strength, and unfrequented left

      His righteous Altar, bowing lowly down

      To bestial Gods; for which their heads as low