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Man

They Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn should What creatures there inhabit, of what mould attack Or substance, how endued, and what their power And where their weakness: how attempted best By force or subtlety. Though Heaven be shut, And Heaven's high Arbitrator sit secure

In his own strength, this place may lie exposed,

360

The utmost border of his kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here, perhaps,
Some advantageous act may be achieved
By sudden onset-either with Hell-fire
To waste his whole creation, or possess
All as our own, and drive, as we are driven,
The puny habitants; or, if not drive,
Seduce them to our party, that their God
May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would surpass 370
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our confusion, and our joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling sons,
Hurled headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Their frail original, and faded bliss-
Faded so soon! Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires.' Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel-first devised
By Satan, and in part proposed: for whence, 380
But from the author of all ill, could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? But their spite still serves
His glory to augment. The bold design

Who should attempt

the

task?

Pleased highly those Infernal States, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes: with full assent
They vote: whereat his speech he thus renews :-
•Well have ye judged, well ended long debate, 390 perilous
Synod of Gods, and, like to what ye are,
Great things resolved, which from the lowest deep
Will once more lift us up, in spite of fate,
Nearer our ancient seat-perhaps in view
Of those bright confines, whence, with neigh-
bouring arms,

And opportune excursion, we may chance
Re-enter Heaven; or else in some mild zone
Dwell, not unvisited of Heaven's fair light,
Secure, and at the brightening orient beam
Purge off this gloom: the soft delicious air, 400
To heal the scar of these corrosive fires,

Shall breathe her balm. But, first, whom shall
we send

In search of this new World? whom shall we find
Sufficient? who shall tempt with wandering feet
The dark, unbottomed, infinite Abyss,
And through the palpable obscure find out
His uncouth way, or spread his aery flight,
Upborne with indefatigable wings

Over the vast Abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy Isle ? What strength, what art,

can then

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Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe,
Through the strict senteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumspection: and we now no less
Choice in our suffrage; for on whom we send
The weight of all, and our last hope, relies.'
This said, he sat; and expectation held

They all His look suspense, awaiting who appeared sit mute To second, or oppose, or undertake

420

The perilous attempt. But all sat mute,
Pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and
each

In other's countenance read his own dismay,
Astonished. None among the choice and prime
Of those Heaven-warring champions could be
found

So hardy as to proffer or accept,

Alone, the dreadful voyage; till, at last,
Satan, whom now transcendent glory raised
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride
Conscious of highest worth, unmoved thus
spake :-

431

'O Progeny of Heaven! Empyreal Thrones!
With reason hath deep silence and demur
Seized us, though undismayed. Long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light.
Our prison strong, this huge convex of fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Ninefold; and gates of burning adamant,
Barred over us, prohibit all egress.
These passed, if any pass, the void profound
Of unessential Night receives him next,
Wide-gaping, and with utter loss of being 440
Threatens him, plunged 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 should ill become this throne, O Peers,
And this imperial sovranty, adorned

With splendour, armed with power, if aught
proposed

And judged of public moment in the shape
Of difficulty or danger, could deter

Me from attempting. Wherefore do I assume 450
These royalties, and not refuse to reign,
Refusing to accept as great a share
Of hazard as of honour, due alike

To him who reigns, and so much to him due
Of hazard more as he above the rest

High honoured sits? Go, therefore, mighty
Powers,

Terror of Heaven, though fallen; intend at home,
While here shall be our home, what best may ease
The present misery, and render Hell

More tolerable; if there be cure or charm 460
To respite, or deceive, or slack the pain
Of this ill mansion: intermit no watch
Against a wakeful foe, while I abroad
Through all the coasts of dark destruction seek
Deliverance for us all. This enterprise
None shall partake with me.'

Thus saying, rose

The Monarch, and prevented all reply;
Prudent lest, from his resolution raised,
Others among
the chief might offer now,
Certain to be refused, what erst they feared, 470
And, so refused, might in opinion stand

His rivals, winning cheap the high repute
Which he through hazard huge must earn. But

they

Dreaded not more the adventure than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rose.
Their rising all at once was as the sound
Of thunder heard remote. Towards him they
bend

With awful reverence prone, and as a God

Satan offers to

attempt

The Extol him equal to the Highest in Heaven. Stygian Nor failed they to express how much they council praised

dissolves That for the general safety he despised

480

His own for neither do the Spirits damned
Lose all their virtue; lest bad men should boast
Their specious deeds on earth, which glory ex-
cites,

Or close ambition varnished o'er with zeal.

Thus they their doubtful consultations dark
Ended, rejoicing in their matchless Chief:
As, when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds
Ascending, while the North-wind sleeps, o'er-
spread

Heaven's cheerful face, the louring element 490
Scowls o'er the darkened landskip snow or
shower,

If chance the radiant sun, with farewell sweet,
Extend his evening beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.
O shame to men! Devil with devil damned
Firm concord holds; men only disagree
Of creatures rational, though under hope
Of heavenly grace, and, God proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity, and strife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars
Wasting the earth, each other to destroy:
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellish foes enow besides,
That day and night for his destruction wait!
The Stygian council thus dissolved; and forth
In order came the grand Infernal Peers:
Midst came their mighty Paramount, and seemed

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