Conjur'd against the highest, for which both Thou And they outcaft from God, are here condemn'd To waste Eternal daies in woe and pain?
And reck'n'ft thou thy felf with Spirits of Heav'n,
Hell-doomd, and breath'ft defiance here and scorn,
Where I reign King, and to enrage thee more,
Thy King and Lord? Back to thy punishment,
False fugitive, and to thy speed add wings,
Least with a whip of Scorpions I pursue
Thy lingring, or with one stroke of this Dart
Strange horror feise thee, and pangs unfelt before.
So fpake the grieslie terrour, and in shape,
So speaking and fo threatning, grew ten fold
More dreadful and deform: on th' other fide
Incenc't with indignation Satan stood
Unterrifi'd, and like a Comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiucus huge
In th' Artick Sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes Peftilence and Warr. Each at the Head
Level'd his deadly aime; thir fatall hands
No second stroke intend, and such a frown
Each cast at th' other, as when two black Clouds
With Heav'ns Artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Cafpian, then ftand front to front
Hov'ring a space, till Winds the signal blow
To joyn thir dark Encounter in mid air :
So frownd the mighty Combatants, that Hell
Grew darker at thir frown, so matcht they stood;
For never but once more was either like
To meet fo great a foe: and now great deeds
Had been achiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung,
Had not the Snakie Sorcerefs that fat
Fast by Hell Gate, and kept the fatal Key, Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between. O Father, what intends thy hand, she cry'd, Against thy only Son? What fury O Son, Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal Dart
Against thy Fathers head? and know'ft for whom; For him who fits above and laughs the while 731 At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
What e're his wrath, which he calls Juftice, bids, His wrath which one day will deftroy ye both.
She spake, and at her words the hellish Pest Forbore, then these to her Satan return'd: So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words so strange Thou interpofest, that my fudden hand Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends; till firft I know of thee,
What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why
In this infernal Vaile first met thou call'ft
Me Father, and that Fantafm call'ft my Son?
I know thee not, nor ever faw till now
Sight more detestable then him and thee.
T'whom thus the Portress of Hell Gate reply'd;
Haft thou forgot me then, and do I seem
Now in thine eye fo foul, once deemd so fair
In Heav'n, when at th' Affembly, and in fight
Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'ns King,
All on a fudden miserable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzie swumm In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast Threw forth, till on the left fide op'ning wide, Likeft to thee in shape and count'nance bright,
Then shining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd
Out of thy head I fprung; amazement feis'd
All th' Hoft of Heav'n; back they recoild affraid
At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a Sign
Portentous held me; but familiar grown,
I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won
The most averse, thee chiefly, who full oft
Thy felf in me thy perfect image viewing
Becam❜st enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st
With me in fecret, that
my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden. Mean while Warr arose,
And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remaind
(For what could elfe) to our Almighty Foe
Cleer Victory, to our part lofs and rout
Through all the Empyrean: down they fell
Driv'n headlong from the Pitch of Heaven, down
Into this Deep, and in the general fall
I also; at which time this powerful Key
Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep
These Gates for ever fhut, which none can pafs
Without my op'ning. Penfive here I fat
Alone, but long I fat not, till my womb
Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown
Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
At last this odious offspring whom thou feest
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain
Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Transform'd: but he my inbred enemie
Forth iffu'd, brandishing his fatal Dart
Made to destroy: I fled, and cry'd out Death;
Hell trembl'd at the hideous Name, and figh'd
From all her Caves, and back refounded Death.
I fled, but he purfu'd (though more, it seems, 790
Inflam'd with luft then rage) and fwifter far,
Me overtook his mother all dismaid,
And in embraces forcible and foule
Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
These yelling Monsters that with ceafless cry
Surround me, as thou fawft, hourly conceiv'd
And hourly born, with forrow infinite
To me, for when they lift into the womb
That bred them they return, and howle and gnaw
My Bowels, their repaft; then bursting forth 800
Afresh with conscious terrours vex me round,
That reft or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits
Grim Death my Son and foe, who sets them on,
And me his Parent would full foon devour
For want of other prey, but that he knows
His end with mine involvd; and knows that I
Should prove a bitter Morfel, and his bane,
When ever that shall be; fo Fate pronounc'd.
But thou O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun
His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope
To be invulnerable in those bright Arms,
Though temper'd heav'nly, for that mortal dint,
Save he who reigns above, none can refift.
She finish'd, and the futtle Fiend his lore Soon learnd, now milder, and thus anfwerd smooth. Dear Daughter, fince thou claim'ft me for thy Sire, And my fair Son here showst me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then sweet, now fad to mention, through dire change
Befalln us unforeseen, unthought of, know
I come no enemie, but to fet free
From out this dark and dismal house of pain,
Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly Hoft
Of Spirits that in our just pretenfes arm'd
Fell with us from on high: from them I go
This uncouth errand sole, and one for all
My felf expose, with lonely steps to tread
Th' unfounded deep, & through the void immense To search with wandring queft a place foretold 830 Should be, and, by concurring figns, ere now Created vaft and round, a place of blifs
In the Pourlieues of Heav'n, and therein plac't A race of upstart Creatures, to supply
Perhaps our vacant room, though more remov'd, Least Heav'n surcharg'd with potent multitude Might hap to move new broiles: Be this or aught Then this more fecret now defign'd, I haste
To know, and this once known, fhall foon return,
And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen
Wing filently the buxom Air, imbalm'd
With odours; there ye shall be fed and fill'd
Immeasurably, all things fhall be your prey.
He ceas'd, for both feemd highly pleasd, and Death
Grinnd horrible a gastly smile, to hear
His famine should be fill'd, and blest his mawe
Deftin'd to that good hour: no less rejoyc'd
His mother bad, and thus bespake her Sire.
The key of this infernal Pit by due,
And by command of Heav'ns all-powerful King
I keep, by him forbidden to unlock
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