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His proud imaginations thus displayed :

Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heaven! For, since no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigour, though oppressed and fallen, I give not Heaven for lost: from this descent Celestial Virtues rising will appear

Io He claims

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate!-
Me though just right, and the fixed laws of
Heaven,

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Did first create your leader-next, free choice,
With what besides in council or in fight
Hath been achieved of merit-yet this loss,
Thus far at least recovered, hath much more
Established in a safe, unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In Heaven, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is, then, no
good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up there
From faction: for none sure will claim in Hell
Precedence; none whose portion is so small
Of present pain that with ambitious mind
Will covet more! With this advantage, then,
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heaven, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to prosper than prosperity

30

Could have assured us; and by what best way, 40
Whether of open war or covert guile,

unenvied eminence

durance

'Let us May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield by en- To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife. The former, vain to hope, argues as vain work ease out of The latter; for what place can be for us pain' Within Heaven's bound, unless Heaven's Lord Supreme

240

We overpower? Suppose he should relent,
And publish grace to all, on promise made
Of new subjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws imposed, to celebrate his throne
With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing
Forced Halleluiahs, while he lordly sits
Our envied sovran, and his altar breathes
Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers,
Our servile offerings? This must be our task
In Heaven, this our delight. How wearisome
Eternity so spent in worship paid

250

To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue,
By force impossible, by leave obtained
Unacceptable, though in Heaven, our state
Of splendid vassalage; but rather seek

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
Free and to none accountable, preferring
Hard liberty before the easy yoke

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear
Then most conspicuous when great things of
small,

260

Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse,
We can create, and in what place soe'er
Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain
Through labour and endurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

Thick clouds and dark doth Heaven's all-ruling The

Sire

Choose to reside, his glory unobscured,

And with the majesty of darkness round
Covers his throne, from whence deep thunders

roar,

Mustering their rage, and Heaven resembles
Hell!

270

As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? This desert soil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold;
Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can Heaven show more?
Our torments also may, in length of time,
Become our elements, these piercing fires
As soft as now severe, our temper changed
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The sensible of pain. All things invite
To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
Of order, how in safety best we may
Compose our present evils, with regard
Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.'
He scarce had finished, when such murmur
filled

280

The assembly as when hollow rocks retain
The sound of blustering winds, which all night
long

Had roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull
Seafaring men o'erwatched, whose bark by
chance,

Or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay

After the tempest. Such applause was heard 290
As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleased,

throng applauds his sentence

Beel- Advising peace: for such another field zebub They dreaded worse than Hell; so much the

reminds

them

fear

Of thunder and the sword of Michaël

Wrought still within them; and no less desire
To found this nether empire, which might rise,
By policy and long process of time,

In emulation opposite to Heaven.

Which when Beelzebub perceived—than whom,
Satan except, none higher sat-with grave 300
Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed
A pillar of state. Deep on his front engraven
Deliberation sat, and public care;

And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
Majestic, though in ruin. Sage he stood,
With Atlantean shoulders, fit to bear

The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention still as night
Or summer's noontide air, while thus he spake :-
"Thrones and Imperial Powers, Offspring of
Heaven,

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Ethereal Virtues! or these titles now
Must we renounce, and, changing style, be called
Princes of Hell? for so the popular vote
Inclines-here to continue, and build here
up
A growing empire; doubtless! while we dream,
And know not that the King of Heaven hath
doomed

This place our dungeon-not our safe retreat
Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt
From Heaven's high jurisdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne, but to remain
In strictest bondage, though thus far removed,
Under the inevitable curb, reserved

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His captive multitude. For He, be sure,

that they

prison

In highth or depth, still first and last will reign are in
Sole king, and of his kingdom lose no part
By our revolt, but over Hell extend
His empire, and with iron sceptre rule
Us here, as with his golden those in Heaven.
What sit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determined us and foiled with loss 330
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none
Voutsafed or sought; for what peace will be
given

To us enslaved, but custody severe,

And stripes and arbitrary punishment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But, to our power, hostility and hate,
Untamed reluctance, and revenge, though slow,
Yet ever plotting how the Conqueror least
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice
In doing what we most in suffering feel?
Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need
With dangerous expedition to invade
Heaven, whose high walls fear no assault or
siege,

340

Or ambush from the Deep. What if we find
Some easier enterprise? There is a place
(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven
Err not)-another World, the happy seat
Of some new race, called Man, about this time
To be created like to us, though less

In power and excellence, but favoured more 350
Of him who rules above; so was his will
Pronounced among the gods, and by an oath
That shook Heaven's whole circumference con-
firmed.

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