Equal'd in all thir glories, to infhrine
Belus or Serapis thir Gods, or feat
Thir Kings, when Ægypt with Affyria strove
In wealth and luxurie. Th' afcending pile
Stood fixt her stately highth, and strait the dores
Op'ning thir brazen foulds discover wide
Within, her ample spaces, o're the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof
Pendant by futtle Magic many a rów
Of Starry Lamps and blazing Creffets fed
With Naphtha and Asphaltus yeilded light
As from a sky. The hafty multitude
Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise
And fome the Architect: his hand was known
In Heav'n by many a Towred structure high,
Where Scepter'd Angels held thir refidence,
And fat as Princes, whom the fupreme King
Exalted to fuch
power, and gave to rule,
Each in his Herarchie, the Orders bright.
Nor was his name unheard or unador'd
In ancient Greece; and in Aufonian land
Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell
From Heav'n, they fabl'd, thrown by angry Jove
Sheer o're the Chrystal Battlements: from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summers day; and with the setting Sun
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star,
On Lemnos th' Egaan Ile: thus they relate,
Erring; for he with this rebellious rout
Fell long before; nor aught avail'd him now
To have built in Heav'n high Towrs; nor did he
By all his Engins, but was headlong fent [scape
With his induftrious crew to build in hell.
Mean while the winged Haralds by command
Of Sovran power, with awful Ceremony
And Trumpets found throughout the Hoft proclaim
A folemn Councel forthwith to be held
At Pandamonium, the high Capital
Of Satan and his Peers: thir fummons call'd
From every Band and squared Regiment
By place or choice the worthiest; they anon
With hunderds and with thousands trooping came
Attended: all accefs was throng'd, the Gates 761
And Porches wide, but chief the spacious Hall
(Though like a cover'd field, where Champions bold
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldans chair
Defi'd the best of Panim chivalry
To mortal combat or carreer with Lance)
Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air,
Brusht with the hiss of rusfling wings. As Bees
In fpring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides,
Poure forth thir populous youth about the Hive
In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers
Flie to and fro, or on the smoothed Plank,
The fuburb of thir Straw-built Cittadel,
New rub'd with Baume, expatiate and confer
Thir State affairs. So thick the aerie crowd
Swarm'd and were straitn'd; till the Signal giv'n,
Behold a wonder! they but now who seemd
In bigness to surpass Earths Giant Sons
Now less then smallest Dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless, like that Pigmean Race
Beyond the Indian Mount, or Faerie Elves,
Whose midnight Revels, by a Forrest fide
Or Fountain fome belated Peasant fees,
Or dreams he fees, while over head the Moon
Sits Arbitress, and neerer to the Earth
Wheels her pale course, they on thir mirth & dance
Intent, with jocond Mufic charm his ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms
Reduc'd thir shapes immense, and were at large,
Though without number still amidst the Hall 791
Of that infernal Court. But far within
And in thir own dimenfions like themselves
The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim
In close recess and secret conclave fat
A thousand Demy-Gods on golden seats,
Frequent and full. After fhort filence then
And fummons read, the great confult began.
The End of the First Book.
IGH on a Throne of Royal State, which far
Outfhon the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East with richest 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 pursue
Vain Warr with Heav'n, and by fuccefs untaught
His proud imaginations thus difplaid.
Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n,
For fince no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigor, though oppreft and fall'n,
I give not Heav'n for loft.
Celestial vertues rifing, will
More glorious and more dread then from no fall,
And truft themselves to fear no second fate:
Mee though just right, and the fixt Laws of Heav'n
Did first create your Leader, next, free choice,
With what befides, in Counsel or in Fight,
Hath bin achievd of merit, yet this lofs
Thus farr at least recover'd, hath much more
Establisht in a safe unenvied Throne
Yeilded with full confent.
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Formoft to stand against the Thunderers aime
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 fure 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 then can be in Heav'n, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to profper then profperity
Could have affur'd us; and by what beft way, 40
Whether of open Warr or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise, may speak.
He ceas'd, and next him Moloc, Scepter'd King
Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest Spirit
That fought in Heav'n; now fiercer by defpair :
His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in strength, and rather then be less
Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft
Went all his fear of God, or Hell, or worse
He reckd not, and these words thereafter spake. 50
My fentence is for open Warr: Of Wiles,
More unexpert, I boast not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.
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