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 wonderd, but not long

Had leasure, 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, punisht in the shape he sind,

According to his doom: he would have spoke,

But hiss for hiss returnd with forked tongue

To forked tongue, for now were all transformd

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 Amphisbæna 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

Ingenderd in the Pythian Vale on slime, [ 530 ]

Huge Python, and his Power no less he seemd

Above the rest still to retain; they all

Him followd 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 themselvs now changing; down thir arms,

Down fell both Spear and Shield, down they as fast,

And the dire hiss renewd, and the dire form

Catcht by Contagion, like in punishment,

As in thir crime. Thus was th applause they meant, [ 545 ]

Turnd to exploding hiss, triumph to shame

Cast on themselves from thir own mouths. There stood

A Grove hard by, sprung 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 furder woe or shame; [ 555 ]

Yet parcht with scalding thurst and hunger fierce,

Though to delude them sent, could not abstain,

But on they rould in heaps, and up the Trees

Climbing, sat thicker then the snakie locks

That curld Megæra: greedily they pluckd [ 560 ]

The Frutage fair to sight, like that which grew

Neer that bituminous Lake where Sodom flamd;

This 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 assayd,

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 triumphd once lapst. Thus were they plagud

And worn with Famin, long and ceasless hiss,

Till thir lost shape, permitted, they resumd,

Yearly enjoynd, some say, to undergo [ 575 ]

This annual humbling certain numberd days,

To dash thir pride, and joy for Man seduct.