Classic Poem

About their prince each took his wonted seat
On thrones red-hot, ybuilt of burning brass:
Pluto in middest heaved his trident great,
Of rusty iron huge that forged was;
The rocks on which the salt sea billows beat,
And Atlas' tops, the clouds in height that pass,
Compared to his huge person mole-hills be,
So his rough front, his horns so lifted he.

The tyrant proud frowned from his lofty cell,
And with his looks made all his monsters tremble;
His eyes, that full of rage and venom swell,
Two beacons seem, that men to arms assemble;
His feltered locks, that on his bosom fell,
On rugged mountains briars and thorns resemble;
His yawning mouth, that foamed clotted blood,
Gaped like a whirlpool wide in Stygian flood.

And as Mount Etna vomits sulphur out,
With clifts of burning crags, and fire and smoke,
So from his mouth flew kindled coals about,
Hot sparks and smells, that man and beast would choke.
The gnarring porter durst not whine for dout;
Still were the Furies, while their sovereign spoke;
And swift Cocytus stayed his murmur shrill,
While thus the murderer thundered out his will.

" Ye powers infernal, worthier far to sit
Above the sun, whence you your offspring take,
With me that whilom, through the welkin flit,
Down tumbled headlong to this empty lake,
Our former glory still remember it,
Our bold attempts and war we once did make
'Gainst him, that rules above the starry sphere,
For which like traitors we lie damned here.

" And now instead of clear and gladsome sky,
Of Titan's brightness that so glorious is,
In this deep darkness lo! we helpless lie,
Hopeless again to joy our former bliss;
And more, which makes my griefs to multiply,
That sinful creature, man, elected is;
And in our place the heavens possess he must,
Vile man, begot of clay, and born of dust.

" Nor this sufficed, but that he also gave
His only son, his darling, to be slain,
To conquer so hell, death, sin and the grave,
And man condemned to restore again.
He brake our prisons and would algates save
The souls that here should dwell in woe and pain,
And now in heaven with him they live always,
With endless glory crowned and lasting praise.

" But why recount I thus our passed harms?
Remembrance fresh makes weakened sorrows strong:
Expulsed were we with injurious arms
From those due honours, us of right belong.
But let us leave to speak of these alarms,
And bend our forces 'gainst our present wrong:
Ah! see you not how he attempted hath
To bring all lands, all nations to his faith?

" Then, let us careless spend the day and night,
Without regard what haps, what comes or goes;
Let Asia subject be to Christians' might,
A prey be Sion to her conquering foes;
Let her adore again her Christ aright,
Who her before all nations whilom chose;
In brazen tables be his lore ywrit,
And let all tongues and lands acknowledge it.

" So shall our sacred altars all be his,
Our holy idols tumbled in the mould;
To him the wretched man that sinful is
Shall pray, and offer incense, myrrh and gold;
Our temples shall their costly deckings miss,
With naked walls and pillars freezing cold;
Tribute of souls shall end and our estate,
Or Pluto reign in kingdoms desolate.

" O! be not then the courage perished clean,
That whilom dwelt within your haughty thought,
When, armed with shining fire and weapons keen,
Against the angels of proud heaven we fought.
I grant we fell on the Phlegrean green,
Yet good our cause was, though our fortune nought,
For chance assisteth oft th' ignobler part;
We lost the field, yet lost we not our heart.

" Go then, my strength, my hope, my spirits, go;
These western rebels with your power withstand;
Pluck up these weeds, before they overgrow
The gentle garden of the Hebrews' land;
Quench out this spark, before it kindle so,
That Asia burn, consumed with the brand.
Use open force, or secret guile unspied;
For craft is virtue 'gainst a foe defied.

" Among the knights and worthies of their train,
Let some like outlaws wander uncouth ways;
Let some be slain in field; let some again
Make oracles of women's yeas and nays,
And pine in foolish love; let some complain
On Godfrey's rule, and mutines 'gainst him raise:
Turn each one's sword against his fellow's heart;
Thus kill them all or spoil the greatest part."

Before his words the tyrant ended had,
The lesser devils arose with ghastly roar,
And thronged forth about the world to gad;
Each land they filled, river, stream and shore,
The Goblins, Fairies, Fiends and Furies mad,
Ranged in flowery dales and mountains hoar;
And under every trembling leaf they sit,
Between the solid earth and welkin flit.