Chapter 14 13
So having said, a while he stood, expecting
Thir universal shout and high applause [ 505 ]
To fill his eare, when contrary he hears
On all sides, from innumerable tongues
A dismal universal hiss, the sound
Of public scorn; he wondered, but not long
Had lease, wondring at himself now more; [ 510 ]
His Visage drawn he felt to sharp and spare,
His Armes clung to his Ribs, his Leggs entwining
Each other, till supplanted down he fell
A monstrous Serpent on his Belly prone,
Reluctant, but in vaine: a greater power [ 515 ]
Now ruld him, punished in the shape he sind,
According to his doom: he would have spoken,
But hiss for hiss return with forked tongue
To forked tongue, for now were all transformed
Alike, to Serpents all as accessories [ 520 ]
To his bold Riot: dreadful was the din
Of hissing through the Hall, thick swarming now
With complicated monsters head and taile,
Scorpion and Asp, and Amphisbana dire,
Cerastes hornd, Hydrus, and Ellops drear, [ 525 ]
And Dipsas (not so thick swarmd once the Soil
Bedropt with blood of Gorgon, or the Isle
Ophiusa) but still greatest hee the midst,
Now Dragon grown, larger then whom the Sun
Ingendered in the Pythian Vale on slime, [530]
Huge Python, and his Power no less he seemsd
Above the rest still to retain; they all
Him followed issuing forth to th open Field,
Where all yet left of that revolted Rout
Heavn-falln, in station stood or just array, [ 535 ]
Sublime with expectation when to see
In Triumph issuing forth thir glorious Chief;
They saw, but other sight instead, a crowd
Of ugly Serpents; horror on them fell,
And horrid sympathie; for what they saw, [ 540 ]
They felt themselves vs now changing; down thir arms,
Down fell both Spear and Shield, down they as fast,
And the dire hiss renewed, and the dire form
Catcht by Contagion, like in punishment,
As in thir crime. Thus was th applause they meant, [ 545 ]
Turn to exploding hiss, triumph to shame
Cast on themselves from thir own mouths. There stood
A Grove hard by, spring up with this thir change,
His will who reigns above, to aggravate
Thir penance, laden with Fruit like that [ 550 ]
Which grew in Paradise, the bait of Eve
Usd by the Tempter: on that prospect strange
Thir earnest eyes they fixd, imagining
For one forbidden Tree a multitude
Now risn, to work them further woe or shame; [ 555 ]
Yet parcht with scalding thurst and hunger fierce,
Though to delude them sent, could not abstain,
But on they would in heaps, and up the Trees
Climbing, sat thicker then the snake locks
That curld Megara: greedily they plucked [ 560 ]
The Frutage fair to sight, like that which grew
Neer that bituminous Lake where Sodom flamd;
This is more delusive, not the touch, but taste
Deceavd; they fondly thinking to allay
Thir appetite with gust, instead of Fruit [ 565 ]
Chewd bitter Ashes, which th offended taste
With spattering noise rejected: oft they assayed,
Hunger and thirst constraining, drugd as oft,
With hatefullest disrelish writhd thir jaws
With soot and cinders filld; so oft they fell [ 570 ]
Into the same illusion, not as Man
Whom they triumphed once lapst. Thus were they plagud
And worn with Famin, long and ceaseless hiss,
Till thir lost shape, permitted, they resumed,
Yearly enjoy, some say, to undergo [ 575 ]
This annual humbling certain number days,
To dash thir pride, and joy for Man seduct.