Belus or Serapis their Gods, or feat

Their Kings, when A ypt with Affyria ftrove
In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile

720

725

730

Stood fixt her ftately heighth, and freight the doors Op'ning their brazen folds difcover wide Within her ample spaces, o'er the smooth And level pavement: from the arched roof, Pendent by fubtle Magic, many a row Of Starry Lamps and blazing Creffets, fed With Naphtha and Afphaltus, yielded light As from a Sky. The hafty multitude Admiring enter'd, and the work fome praise And fome the Architect: his hand was known In Heav'n by many a Towred ftructure high, Where Sceptred Angels held their residence, And fate as Princes, whom the fupreme King 735 Exalted to fuch power, and gave to rule, Each in his Hierarchy, the Orders bright. Nor was his name unheard or unador'd In ancient Greece; and in Aufonian Land Men call'd him Muleiber; and how he fell From Heav'n, they fabl'd thrown by angry Jove Sheer o'er the Chryftal Battlements; from Morn To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve, A Summer's day; and with the fetting Sun Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star, On Lemnos th' Ægean Ifle: thus they relate, Erring; for he with this rebellious rout

740

745

Fell long before; nor aught avail'd him now
T' have built in Heav'n high Towrs; nor did he scape

By all his Engins, but was headlong fent

With his induftrious crew to build in Hell.

Mean while the winged Heralds by command
Of Sov'reign Pow'r, with awful Ceremony

750

And Trumpets found, throughout the Hoft proclaim A folemn Council forthwith to be held

At Pandamonium, the high Capital

755

Of Satan and his Peers: their fummons call'd
From every Band and squared Regiment
By place or choice the worthieft; they anon
With hundreds and with thoufands trooping came
Attended: all access was throng'd, the gates

761

And Porches wide, but chief the fpacious Hall
(Though like a cover'd Field, where Champions bold
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's Chair
Defi'd the best of Panim Chivalry

765

To mortal Combat, or carriere with Lance)
Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air,
Brush'd with the hifs of rufling Winds. As Bees
In fpring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the Hive 770
In clusters; they among fresh Dews and Flowrs
Fly to and fro, or on the fmoothed Plank,
The Suburb of their Straw-built Cittadel,
New rubb'd with Baum, expatiate and confer
Their State affairs. So thick the aery crowd
Swarm'd and were ftraitn'd; till the Signal giv'n.
Behold a wonder! they but now who feem'd
In Biguefs to furpafs Earth's Giant Sons
Now less than fmalleft Dwarfs, in narrow room

775

Throng numberlefs, like that Pigmean Race
Beyond the Indian Mount, or Faery Elves,
Whofe midnight Revels, by a Foreft fide
OrFountain fome belated Peafant fees,

Or dreams he fees, while over-head the Mocn
Sits Arbitrefs, and nearer to the Earth

780

785

Wheels her pale courfe, they on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund Mufic charm his Ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to fmallet forms
Reduc'd their Shapes immenfe, and were at large, 790
Though without number ftill amidft the Hall
Of that infernal Court. But far within,
And in their own dimenfions like themselves,
The great Seraphick Lords and Cherubim,
In clofe recefs and fecret conclave fate
A thousand Demy Gods on golden feats,
Frequent and full. After fhort filence then
And fummons read, the great Confult began.

795

The End of the First Book.

Paradife Loft.

BOOK II.

The ARGUMENT.

The Confultation begun, Satan debates whether another Buttel he to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: fome advife it, others diffuade: A third propofal is preferr'd, mention'd before by Satan, to fearch the truth of that Prophecy or Tradition in Heaven concerning another World, and another kind of Creature, equal, or not much inferiour to themselves, about this time to be created: Their doubt who shall be fent on this difficult fearch: Satan their Chief

Lib. II.