FOR that warning voice, which he who faw Th' Apocalyps heard cry in heav'n aloud, Then when the Dragon, put to fecond rout, Came furious down to be reveng'd on men, Wo to th' inhabitants on earth! that now While time was, our first parents had been warn'd The coming of their fecret foe, and 'fcap'd, Haply fo 'fcap'd, his mortal fnare: for now SATAN, now firft inflam'd with rage, came down, (The tempter, ere th' accufer, of mankind) To wreak on innocent frail man his lofs Of that first battle, and his flight to hell, Yet not rejoicing in his fpeed, though bold, Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth
Now rowling, boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish engine back recoils
Upon himself: horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts; and from the bottom ftir
The hell within him, for within him hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from hell
One step, no more than from himself, can fly,
By change of place: now confcience wakes despair,
That flumber'd; wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be,
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Worfe! of worse deeds worse sufferings must enfue.
Sometimes tow'rds EDEN, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad:
Sometimes tow❜rds heav'n, and the full blazing fun,
Which now fat high in his meridian tow'r :
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Then much revolving, thus in fighs began."
O THOU! that, with furpaffing glory crown'd, Look'ft from thy fole dominion like the God Of this new world; at whofe fight all the stars Hide their diminish'd heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name, O Sun! to tell thee how I hate thy beams, That bring to my remembrance from what ftate I fell how glorious once above thy sphere ! 'Till pride, and worfe ambition, threw me down, 40 Warring in heav'n against heav'n's matchlefs King. Ah wherefore! He deferv'd no fuch return From me, whom he created what I was, In that bright eminence; and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard. What could be lefs! than to afford him praise, (The eafieft recompenfe,) and pay him thanks: How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice: lifted up fo high
I'fdein'd fubjection, and thought one step higher
Would fet me higheft; and in a moment quit
The debt immenfe of endless gratitude;
So burthenfome, ftill paying, ftill to owe;
Forgetful what from him I ftill receiv'd:
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted, and discharg'd: what burden then?
O had his pow'rful destiny ordain'd
Me fome inferior angel! I had stood
Then happy; no unbounded hope had rais'd
Ambition! Yet why not? fome other pow'r
As great might have afpir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part: but other pow'rs as great
Fell not, but ftand unshaken; from within,
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadft thou the fame free will, and pow'r to stand?
Thou hadft! Whom haft thou then, or what, t'accufe,
But heav'n's free love, dealt equally to all?
Be then his love accurft, fince love, or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe:
Nay, curst be thou! fince against his thy will
Chofe freely what it now fo juftly rues.
Me miferable! which way fhall I fly
Infinite wrath, and infinite despair!
Which way I fly is hell; my felf am hell;
And, in the lowest deep, a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide;
To which the hell I fuffer feems a heav'n.
O then at last relent! Is there no place
Left for repentance? none for pardon left?
None left, but by submission; and that word
Difdain forbids me, and my dread of shame
Among the fpirits beneath, whom I feduc'd
With other promises, and other vaunts
Than to fubmit, boasting I could fubdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ah me! they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vain រ
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the throne of hell,
With diadem, and fceptre, high advanc'd,
The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme
In mifery; fuch joy ambition finds!
But fay I could repent, and could obtain,
By act of grace, my former ftate : how foon
Would height recall high thoughts, how foon un-fay
What feign'd fubmiffion fwore! ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void;
For never can true reconcilement grow,
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep,
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse,
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase dear
Short intermiffion, bought with doubled fmart.
This knows my punisher; therefore as far
From granting he, as I from begging peace.
All hope excluded thus, behold! in stead
Of us out-caft, exil'd, his new delight
Mankind created, and for him this world.
So farewel hope! and with hope, farewel fear!
Farewel remorfe! all good to me is loft:
Evil, be thou my good! By thee at least
Divided empire with heav'n's king I hold;
By thee, and more than half perhaps, will reign:
As man ere-long, and this new world, fhall know.
THUS while he fpake, each paffion dimm'd his face, Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and defpair, 115 Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.
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