The Poetical Works of John Milton


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Of Fish that with thir Finns & shining Scales  
Glide under the green Wave, in Sculles that oft  
Bank the mid Sea: part single or with mate  
Graze the Sea weed thir pasture, & through Groves  
Of Coral stray, or sporting with quick glance  
Show to the Sun thir wav'd coats dropt with Gold,  
Or in thir Pearlie shells at ease, attend  
Moist nutriment, or under Rocks thir food  
In jointed Armour watch: on smooth the Seale,  
And bended Dolphins play: part huge of bulk  
Wallowing unweildie, enormous in thir Gate  
Tempest the Ocean: there Leviathan  
410  
Hugest of living Creatures, on the Deep  
Stretcht like a Promontorie sleeps or swimmes,  
And seems a moving Land, and at his Gilles  
Draws in, and at his Trunck spouts out a Sea.  
Mean while the tepid Caves, and Fens and shoares  
Thir Brood as numerous hatch, from the Egg that soon  
Bursting with kindly rupture forth disclos'd  
Thir callow young, but featherd soon and fledge  
They summ'd thir Penns, and soaring th' air sublime  
With clang despis'd the ground, under a cloud  
In prospect; there the Eagle and the Stork  
On Cliffs and Cedar tops thir Eyries build:  
Part loosly wing the Region, part more wise  
In common, rang'd in figure wedge thir way,  
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438  


Page
436 437 438 439 440

Quick Jump
1 198 395 593 790