Nine times the space that measures day and night To mortal men, he,with his horrid crew, Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf, Confounded though immortal: But his doom Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought Both of loft happiness, and lafting pain, Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes, That witness'd huge affliction and dismay, Mix'd with obdurate pride,and stedfast hate: At once, as far as Angels ken, he views The difmal fituation, wafte,and wild; A dungeon horrible on all fides round
As one great furnace flam'd; yet from those flames No light, but rather darkness visible
Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,
Regions of forrow, doleful fhades, where peace 65
And rest can never dwell, hope never com
That comes to all; but torture without end Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed With ever-burning fulphur unconfum'd: Such place eternal Justice had prepar'd
For those rebellious; here their pris on ordain'd In utter darkness, and their portion fet As far remov'd from God and light of Heaven, As from the center thrice to th'utmost pole. O how unlike the place from whence they fell! There the companions of his fall, o'erwhelm'd With floods and whirlwinds of tempestuous fire,
He foon difcerns, and welt'ring by his fide
One next himself in pow'r, and next in crime, Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd
Beelzebub. To whom th'Arch-Enemy,
And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words Breaking the horrid filence, thus began.
If thou beeft he; but O how fall'n! how chang'd From him, who, in the happy realms of light, 85 Cloth'd with transcendent brightness, didft outshine Myriads though bright! If he whom mutual league, United thoughts and counfels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious enterprise,
Join'd with me once, now mifery hath join'd In equal ru in: into what pit thou seest, From what highth fall'n; fo much the fronger prov'd He with his thunder: and till then who knew The force of those dire arms? yet not for those, Nor what the potent victor in his rage
Can elfe inflict, do I repent, or change,
Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind, And high difdain,from sense of injur d merit, That with the Mightieft rais'd me to contend, And to the fierce contention brought along Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd,
That durst dislike his reign, and me preferring, His utmost pow'r with adverse pow'r oppos'd, In dubious battel on the plains of Heaven, And shook his throne. What,though the field be loft?
All is not loft; th'unconquerable will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield, And, what is elfe,not to be overcome; That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me. To bow, and fue for grace With fuppliant knee, and deify his power, Who from the terror of this arm fo late Doubted his empire; that were low indeed, That were an ignominy and shame beneath This downfal; fince,by fate,the ftrength of Gods And this empyreal substance cannot fail; Since through experience of this great event, In arms not worse, in forefight much advanc'd, We may,with more successful hope,resolve To wage,by force or guile, eternal war; Irreconcileable to our grand foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th'excefs of joy, Sole reigning, holds the tyranny of Heaven.
So fpake th'apoftate Angel; though in pain, Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair And him thus anfwer'd foon his bold compeer. O Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers, That led th' imbattel'd Seraphim to war Under thy conduct, and,in dreadful deeds Fearless, indanger'd Heav'n's perpetual king, And put to proof his high fupremacy; Whether upheld by ftrength, or chance, or fate,
Too well I fee and rue the dire event,
That, with fad overthrow and foul defeat, Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty host
In horrible deftruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and heav'nly effences
Can perish: for the mind and spi rit remains Invincible, and vigor foon returns,
Though all our glory extinct, and happy state Here swallow'd up in endless mifery.
But what if he,our conqu'ror,(whom I now Of force believe almighty; fince no less
Than such could have o'er-pow'r'd fuch force as ours) Have left us this our spi rit and strength entire 146 Strongly to fuffer and support our pains, That we may fo fuffice his vengeful ire, Or do him mightier service,as his thralls By right of war; whate'er his business be, Here in the heart of Hell to work in fire, Or do his errands in the gloomy deep; What can it then avail, though yet we feel Strength undiminish'd, or eternal being,
To undergo eternal punishment?
Whereto, with speedy words, th' Arch-Fiend reply'd, Fall'n Cherub, to be weak is miserable,
Doing or fuffering: but of this be fure,
To do ought good never will be our task, But ever to do ill our fole delight;
As being the contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his providence Out of our evil seek to bring forth good, Our labor must be to pervert that end, And out of good still to find means of evil; Which ofttimes may fucceed, fo as perhaps Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb His inmost counfels from their deftin'd aim.
But fee, the angry victor hath recall'd
His minifters of vengeance and pursuit
Back to the gates of Heav'n: the fulphurous hail Shot after us in ftorm, o'erblown,hath laid The fiery furge, that from the precipice
Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling; and the thunder, Wing'd with red lightning and impetuous rage, Perhaps hath spent his fhafts; and ceases now To bellow through the vast and boundless deep. Let us not flip th' occafion, whether scorn, Or fatiate fury yield it from our foe. Seeft thou yon,dreary plain, forlorn and wild, The feat of defolation, void of light, Save what the glimmering of these livid flames Cafts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tend From off the toffing of these fiery waves; There reft, if any rest can harbour there; And, re-affembling our afflicted Powers, Confult how we may henceforth most offend Our enemy, our own lofs how repair, How overcome this dire calamity;
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