So hardy, as to proffer, or accept
Alone, the dreadful voyage; till at last
SATAN, whom now tranfcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride,
Conscious of highest worth, unmov'd thus fpake. }
O PROGENY of heav'n, empyreal Thrones! 430 With reafon hath deep filence, and demur, Seiz'd us, tho' undifmay'd: long is the way And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light, Our prifon ftrong; this huge convex of fire, Outragious to devour, immures us round Ninefold and gates of burning adamant Barr'd over us, prohibit all egrefs.
Thefe pafs'd (if any pafs) the void profound
Of uneffential night receives him next
Wide gaping? and with utter lofs of Being
Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulf,
If thence he 'scape into whatever world,
Or unknown region, what remains him less
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I fhould ill become this throne, O Peers! 445 And this imperial fov'reignty, adorn'd
With fplendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd, And judg'd of public moment, in the shape
Of difficulty, or danger, could deter
Me from attempting. Wherefore do I affume
Thefe Royalties, and not refufe to reign,
Refufing to accept as great a fhare
Of hazard as of honour, due alike
To him who reigns, and fo much to him due
Of hazard, more, as he above the rest
High-honour'd fits? Go therefore, mighty Pow'rs ! Terror of heav'n, though fall'n! intend at home, (While here shall be our home) what best may eafe
The prefent mifery, and render hell
More tolerable; if there be cure, or charm,
To refpite, or deceive, or flack the pain.
Of this ill manfion. Intermit no watch
Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad,
Through all the coafts of dark destruction, seek
Deliverance for us all this enterprize
None shall partake with me. Thus faying rofe
The Monarch, and prevented all reply:
Prudent, left, from his refolution rais'd,'
Others among the chief might offer now
(Certain to be refus'd) what erft they fear'd;
And fo refus'd, might in opinion stand
His rivals; winning cheap the high repute,
Which he through hazard huge must earn.
Dreaded not more th' adventure, than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rofe.
Their rifing all at once was as the found
Of thunder heard remote. Tow'rds him they bend
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extol him equal to the highest in heav'n :
Nor fail'd they to exprefs how much they prais'd,
That for the general fafety he defpis'd
His own (for neither do the fpirits damn'd
Lofe all their virtue; left bad men fhould boast
Their fpecious deeds on earth, which glory excites;
Or close ambition varnish'd o'er with zeal.)
Thus they their doubtful confultations dark
Ended, rejoicing in their matchlefs Chief:
As when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds
Afcending, while the north-wind fleeps, o'er-spread
Heav'n's chearful face, the low'ring element
Scowls o'er the darken'd landschape fnow, or fhowr:
If chance the radiant fun with farewel sweet
Extend his ev'ning beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Atteft their joy, that hill and valley rings.
O fhame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds, men only disagree
Of creatures rational, though under hope
Of heav'nly grace: and, GOD proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity and ftrife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,
Wasting the earth, each other to deftroy:
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellifh foes enow befides,
That, day and night, for his deftruction wait.
THE STYGIAN council thus diffolv'd; and forth
In order came the grand infernal Peers':
'Midft came their mighty Paramount, and feem'd Alone th' antagonist of heav'n, nor less
Than hell's dread Emperor, with pomp fupreme,"
And God-like imitated ftate. Him round
A globe of fiery Seraphim inclos'd,
With bright imblazonry, and horrent arms,
Then, of their feffion ended they bid cry
With trumpets regal found the great refult:
Tow'rds the four winds four fpeedy Cherubim
Put to their mouths the founding alchymy,
By herald's voice explain'd: the hollow Abyfs
Heard far and wide, and all the hoft of hell
With deaf'ning fhout return'd them loud acclaim. 520
THENCE more at eafe their minds, and fomewhat rais'd
By falfe prefumptuous hope, the ranged Pow'rs
Disband, and wand'ring, each his feveral way
Purfues, as inclination or fad choice
Leads him perplex'd, where he may likelieft find
Truce to his reft lefs thoughts, and entertain
The irksome hours, till his great Chief return.
Part on the plain, or in the air fublime
Upon the wing, or in fwift race contend,
As at th' OLYMPIAN games, or PYTHIAN fields : Part curb their fiery-fteeds, or fhun the goal
With rapid wheels, or fronted brigades forms.
As when, to warn proud cities, war appears
Wag'd in the troubled fky, and armies rufh
To battle in the clouds; before each van
Prick forth the aery knights, and couch their fpears
Till thickest legions clofe; with feats of arms
From either end of heav'n the welkin burns.
Others, with vaft TYPHOEAN rage, more fell!
Rend up
both rocks and hills, and ride the air
In whirlwind: hell fcarce holds the wild uproar.
As when ALCIDES from OECHALIA Crown'd
With conqueft, felt th' invenom'd robe, and tore
Through pain up by the roots THESSALIAN pines;
And LICHAS from the top of O ETA threw
Into th' EU BOIC Sea. Others more mild,
Retreated in a filent valley, fing
With notes angelical to many a harp
Their own heroic deeds, and hapless fall
By doom of battle and complain that fate
Free virtue fhould inthrall to force, or chance.
Their fong was partial; but the harmony
(What could it lefs when fpirits immortal fing?)
Sufpended hell, and took with ravishment
The thronging audience. In difcourfe more fweet,
(For eloquence the foul, fong charms the fenfe) 556
Others apart fat on a hill retir'd,
In thoughts more elevate, and reafon'd high,
Of providence, foreknowledge, will, and fate;
Fix'd fate, free will, foreknowledge abfolute;
And found no end, in wandring mazes loft.
Of good and evil, much they argu'd then,
of happiness, and final mifery,
Paffion, and apathy, and glory, and shame:
Vain wisdom all, and falfe philofophy!
Yet, with a pleafing forcery, could charm
Pain for a while, or anguifh; and excite
Fallacious hope, or arm th' obdurate breaft
With ftubborn patience, as with triple fteel.
Another part, in fquadrons and gross bands,
On bold adventure to difcover wide
That difmal world, if any clime perhaps
Might yield them easier habitation, bend
Four ways their flying march, along the banks
of four infernal rivers, that difgorge
Into the burning lake their baleful ftreams:
Abhorred STYX, the flood of deadly hate;
Sad ACHERON, of forrow; black and deep!
COCYTUS, nam'd of lamentation loud
Heard on the rueful ftream: fierce PHLEGETON,
Whofe waves of torrent fire inflame with rage.
Far off from these, a flow and filent ftream,
LETHE, the river of oblivion, rolls
Her wat'ry labyrinth; whereof who drinks,
Forthwith his former ftate and being forgets,
Forgets both joy and grief, pleasure and pain.
Beyond this flood a frozen continent
Lies dark, and wild; beat with perpetual ftorms
Of whirlwind, and dire hail; which on firm land
Thaws not, but gathers heap, and ruin feems
Of ancient pile: all elfe, deep fnow and ice :
A gulf profound! as that SERBONIAN bog
'Twixt DAMIATA, and mount CASIUS old,
Where armies whole have funk: the parching air
Burns frore, and cold performs th' effect of fire.
Thither by harpy-footed Furies hal'd,
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