undertakes alone the Voyage, is honour'd and applauded. The Council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral ways, and to feveral imployments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time 'till Satan return. He paffes on bis Journey to Hell Gates, finds them fbut, and who fate there to guard them, by whom at length they are open'd, and difcover to him the Gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he paffes through, directed by Chaos, the "Power of that place, to the fight of this new World which he fought.

TIGH on a Throne of Royal State, which far.
Our one the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,

Or where the gorgeous Eaft with richeft hand

Showrs on her Kings Barbaric Pearl and Gold,
Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires
Beyond thus high, infatiate to purfue
Vain War with Heav'n, and by success untaught
His proud imaginations thus difplay'd.

Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n,
For fince no deep within her gulph can hold
Immortal vigour, though opprefs'd and fall'n,
I give not Heav'n for loft. From this defcent
Celeftial virtues rifing, will appear

20

More glorious and more dread than from no fail,
And truft themfelves to fear no fecond fate:
Me though juft right, and the fix'd Laws of Heav'n
Did first create your Leader, next free choice,
With what befides, in Council or in Fight,
Hath been atchiev'd of merit, yet this lofs
Thus far at leaft recover'd, hath much more
Eftablish'd in a fafe unenvied Throne,
Yielded with full confent. The happier ftate
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw 25
Envy from each inferiour; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place expofes
Foremost to fland against the Thunderer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemns to greateft fhare

Of endless pain? Where there is then no good 32
For which to strive, no ftrife can grow up there
From Faction; for none fure will claim in Hell
Frecedence; none, whofe portion is so small
Of prefent 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 Heav'n, we now return
To claim our juft inheritance of old,

Surer to profper than prosperity

35

Could have affur'd us; and by what beft way, 46 Whether of open War or covert guile,

We now debate; who can advife may speak.

He ceas'd, and next him Moloc, fceptred King Stood up, the strongest and the fierceft Spirit That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by defpair: 45 His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in ftrength, and rather than be less Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft Went all his fear: of God, or Hell, or worse, He reck'd not; and these words hereafter spake: sa My fentence is for open War: of Wiles, More unexpert, I boaft not them let those Contrive who need, or when they need, not now : For while they fit contriving, fhall the reft, Millions that ftand in Arms, and longing wait 55. The Signal to afcend, fit ling'ring here, Heav'ns fugitives, and for their dwelling place Accept this dark opprobrious Den of shame, The Prifon of his Tyranny who reigns

By our delay? no, let us rather chufe,

Arm❜d with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'ns high Towrs to force refiftless way,
Turning our Tortures into horrid, Arms
Against the Torturer; when to meet the noise
Of his Almighty Engine he shall hear

Infernal Thunder, and for Lightning fee
Black fire and horrour fhot with equal rage
Among his Angels; and his Throne it felf
Mixt with Tartarean Sulphur, and ftrange fire,
His own invented Torments. But perhaps
The way feems difficult and fteep, to scale
With upright wing against a higher foe.
Let fuch bethink them, if the fleepy drench
Of that forgetful Lake benumb not still,
That in our proper motion we afcend
Up to our native feat: defcent and fall
To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late

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65

70

75

When the fierce Foe hung on our broken Rere
Insulting and pursu’d us through the Deep,
With what compulfion and laborious flight
We funk thus low? Th' afcent is eafie then;
Th' event is fear'd; fhould we again provoke
Our ftronger, fome worfe way his wrath may find
To our deftruction: if there be in Hell

Fear to be worse destroy'd: what can be worse 85
Than to dwell here, driv'n out from Blifs, condemn'd
In this abhorred Deep to utter woe;
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Muft exercife us without hope of end