Chapter 17 16
Some say he bid his Angels turn ascanse
The Poles of Earth twice ten degrees and more
From the Suns Axle; they with labor pushd [ 670 ]
Oblique the Centric Globe: Som say the Sun
Was bid turn Reines from th Equinoctial Rode
Like distant breadth to Taurus with the Seavn
Atlantic Sisters, and the Spartan Twins
Up to the Tropic Crab; thence down amaine [ 675 ]
By Leo and the Virgin and the Scales,
As deep as Capricorne, to bring in change
Of Seasons to each Clime; else had the Spring
Perpetual smild on Earth with vernant Flours,
Equal in Days and Nights, except to those [ 680 ]
Beyond the Polar Circles; to them Day
Had unbenighted shon, while the low Sun
To compence his distance, in thir sight
Had rounded still th Horizon, and not known
Or East or West, which had forbid the Snow [ 685 ]
From cold Estotiland, and South as farr
Beneath Magellan. At that tasted Fruit
The Sun, as from Thyestean Banquet, turn
His course intended; else how had the World
Inhabited, though sinless, more then now, [ 690 ]
Avoided pinching cold and scorching heat?
These changes in the Heavns, though slow, produce
Like change on Sea and Land, side blast,
Vapour, and Mist, and Exhalation hot,
Corrupt and Pestilent: Now from the North [695]
Of Norumbega, and the Samoed shoar
Bursting thir brazen Dungeon, armd with ice
And snow and haile and stormie gust and flaw,
Boreas and Cacias and Argestes loud
And Thrascias rend the Woods and Seas upturn; [ 700 ]
With adverse blast up-turns them from the South
Notus and Afer black with thunderous Clouds
From Serraliona; thwart of these as fierce
Forth rush the Levant and the Ponent Winds
Eurus and Zephir with thir lateral noise, [ 705 ]
Sirocco, and Libecchio. Thus began
Outrage from lifeless things; but Discord first
Daughter of Sin, among irrational,
Death introduced through fierce antipathie:
Beast now with Beast gan war, and Fowle with Fowle, [ 710 ]
And Fish with Fish; to graze the Herb all leaving,
Devourd each other; nor stood much in awe
Of Man, but fled him, or with countnance grim
Glad on him passing: these were from without
The growing miseries, which Adam saw [ 715 ]
Alreadie in part, though hid in gloomiest shade,
To regret abandon, but worse felt within,
And in a troubled Sea of passion tost,
Thus to disburdn sought with sad complaint.