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Et fceleri fcelus, & pœnas fuperaddere pœnis.
Hinc aliis quæ tela amens molitur, in ipsum
Autorem detorta cadunt; fefe ipfe fuæque
Invidiæ ftimulos furiafque incufat atroces:
Aft Homini, fævâ incautum quem luserat arte,
Dona videt frendens cœlo demiffa, favorem
Numinis effufum atque æterni pignus amoris.
Continuò immenfam attollit de gurgite molem
Arduus: hinc atque hinc divifo flumine abactæ
Diffiliunt flammarum undæ, fluctusque recedunt
Præcipites: medio vallis patet horrida ponto.
Inde volans latè explicitis per inania pennis
Panditur, & denfum infolitâ premit aera mole;
Dum tandem ficcæ confidit littore terræ,
Si modò terra foret, liquido non mitior æstu
Quæ folido ftetit igne rigens, talifsque videri,
Qualis, ubi rupem ingentem de fronte Pelori
Aurarum vis fubtus agens, Ætnæ-ve tonantis

That with reiterated crimes he might
Heap on himself damnation, while he fought
Evil to others; and enrag'd might fee
How all his malice ferv'd but to bring forth
Infinite goodness, grace and mercy fhewn
On Man by him feduc'd; but on himself
Treble confufion, wrath and vengeance pour'd.
Forthwith upright he rears from off the Pool
His mighty Stature; on each hand the Flames
Driv'n backward flope their pointing Spires, and

roll'd

In Billows leave i'th'midft a horrid Vale.
Then with expanded Wings he steers his flight
Aloft, incumbent on the dusky Air
That felt unufual Weight, 'till on dry Land
He lights, if it were Land that ever burn'd
With folid, as the Lake with liquid fire;
And fuch appear'd in hue, as when the force
Of fubterranean Wind transports a Hill
Torn from Pelorus, or the fhatter'd fide
Of thund'ring Etna whose combustible

Præ

Præruptum latus avellit, cui vifcera flammam
Concipiunt facilem, & nativo fomite fulphur
Dans ventis animos fornacibus æftuat imis;
Horrendo fœtore gravis fumoque perusta
Squalet agri facies. Tali fe littore fiftit

Diri planta pedis !

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Sociorum proximus Ipfum

Subsequitur: se more Deûm virtute receptâ

Jactabant Stygias proprio viciffe paludes
Impete, nec domini nutum expectâffe fuperni.

Hæc Regio, hæc Tellus, ergo hæ mihi Littoris oræ, (Clamat Cœlicolûm Dux obrutus) Hæccine Sedes

Ætheriis mutanda Plagis, hæ Luce beatâ

Squalentes Tenebræ ?

Bene habet, quum fcilicet Ifti

Sic vifum, qui fceptra ferox indebita jactat :

Esto; juvat: quantùm potis est, procul, ô procul Illo
Sejunctus vivam, quem fati æquaverat Ordo,

Vis fuper Æquales nunc extulit. Arva valete
Dulcia, felices Campi, æternisque fluentes

And fuel'd entrails thence conceiving Fire,
Sublim'd with Mineral fury, aid the Winds,
And leave a finged bottom all involv’d
With stench and smoak: Such Refting found the Sole
Of unblefs'd feet! Him follow'd his next Mate,
Both glorying to have 'fcap'd the Stygian flood,
As Gods, and by their own recover'd strength;
Not by the fuffrance of fupernal pow'r.

Is this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime,

(Said then the loft Arch-Angel) this the Seat,
That we must change for Heav'n? this mournful
gloom

For that celeftial light? Be it fo! fince He
Who now is Sov'reign can difpofe, and bid
What fhall be right: fartheft from him is beft,
Whom reafon hath equal'd, force hath made fu-
Above his Equals. Farewel happy Fields, [preme
Where Joy for ever dwells! hail horrors! hail

Deliciis!

Deliciis! Salvete Horrores! Tu mihi falve

Infernum! Vosque interiùs nova pandite regna

Magno Habitatori, atque imis capite alta cavernis

Tartara, cui Mentem non Tempora, non Loca mutant.
Mens locus ipfa fibi eft; Erebum Cœlumque facit Mens.
Quid refert ubi fim, fi perstem immotus & idem,
Et qualem decet, haud ipfo, fi fulmina tantùm
Abjiciat, Victore minor? Quin otia faltem

Ducere in his dabitur tenebris, nifi & ifta Tyrannus
Invideat loca, & hinc aliis nos exigat armis.
Saltem hic fecuri dominabimur: Hoc bene regnum
Tanto emitur bello: Sic, fic regnare sub umbris
Præftat, quàm fuperi fervire per atria cœli.
At quorsùm fidos comites sociosque ruinæ
Lethæo attonitos patimur fub gurgite volvi?
Quidni has in fedes fortemque vocamus iniquam
Regni infelicis ; vel ut experiamur in armis
Quid cœli regione datur reparare, vel imo

Infernal World! and thou profoundest Hell
Receive thy new Poffeffor! One, who brings
A mind not to be chang'd by place or time.
The mind is its own place, and in it felf
Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n.
What matter where, if I be ftill the same,
And what I fhould be, all but less than He
Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least
We fhall be free; th' Almighty hath not built

Here for His envy; will not drive us hence:
Here we may reign fecure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, tho' in hell:
Better to reign in hell, than ferve in heav'n.
But wherefore let we then our faithful friends,
Th' affociates and copartners of our lofs,
Lye thus aftonifh'd on th' oblivious pool,
And call them not to share with us their part
In this unhappy manfion: or once more

Perdere

Perdere (fiquid adhuc perdendum reftat) Averno?

Hæc Satanas. Cui fic Balzebus: Magne Cohortum
Latè effulgentum Ductor, quas noverat unus

Viciffe Omnipotens ! Illam fimul Agmina Vocem
Audierint, pignus femper prædulce falutis,
Bellorum extremâ rabie ancipitique tumultu
Auditam toties; figno quo protinus omnes
Tot quondam in cædes, discrimina tanta ruebant;
Illa repente alacresque animos agilemque vigorem
Reftituet; quanquam ignito jam gurgite pronos
Urget iners, qualem & dudum nos fenfimus, Horror:
Tantâ deciderunt vaftum per Inane ruinâ !

Finierat: magnâque ad littora mole fuperbus
Lenta tulit Satanas veftigia: grande retortum
A tergo, massâ ætheriâ, vastum atque rotundum,
Pendebat Scutum, immanes radiantibus oris
Amplectens humeros, qualis cum vefpere Luna
Fæfuled fuper arce, aut lætis vallibus Arni

With rallied arms to try, what may be yet
Regain'd in heav'n, or what more loft in hell?
So Satan fpake, and him Beelzebub
Thus answer'd: Leader of thofe armies bright,
Which but th' Omnipotent none could have foil'd!
If once they hear that voice, their livelieft pledge
Of hope in fears and dangers, heard fo oft
In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge
Of battel when it rag'd, in all affaults

Their fureft fignal, they will foon refume
New courage, and revive, tho' now they lye
Grov'ling and proftrate on yon lake of fire,
(As we erewhile,) aftounded and amaz'd;
No wonder, fall'n fuch a pernicious height!

He fcarce had ceas'd, when the fuperior fiend
Was moving tow'rd the fhore: his pond'rous fhield,
Ethereal temper, maffie, large and round,
Behind him caft; the broad circumference

Cernitur

Cernitur Artifici Thufco, dum lumine vitri
Dædaleo adjutus maculofo explorat in orbe
Montefque fluviofque vagos terrafque recentes.
Innixus fublimi Hastæ, (cui maxima Pinus
Norvegiis fi ftrata jugis componitur, illo
Utatur malo quanquam Prætoria Puppis,
Virgula erit,) fuper arva gradus fuftentat iniquos
Ignea, quantùm illis placidi per cærula cœli
Diffimiles! Omni intereà regione furentes
Incubuere acres ardenti à fornice flammæ.

Ille autem tulit intrepidus, dum littora ponti
Tangeret ignivomi: clamat focia Agmina, formæ
Agmina cœleftis, jam prona jacentia fluctu
Atque oblita fui; numero tot, lapsa senili
Quot folia Autumno fternuntur littoris oris
Valle sub Umbrosâ, fcenam quà Thusca virentem
Ædificant nemora, atque altos curvantur in arcus:
Aut Rubro quàm multa Mari natat Ulva, procellis

Hung on his shoulders like the Moon, whofe Orb
Thro' Optick Glafs the Tufcan Artist views
At Ev'ning from the top of Fefole,
Or in Valdarno, to defcry new Lands,
Rivers, or Mountains, in her spotty Globe.
His Spear, (to equal which the tallest Pine
Hewn on Norwegian Hills, to be the Mast
Of fome great Ammiral, were but a wand)
He walk'd with, to fupport uneafie steps

Over the burning Marle (not like those steps
On Heaven's azure!) and the torrid Clime
Smote on him fore befides, vaulted with Fire.
Nathlefs he fo endur'd, 'till on the Beach
Of that inflamed Sea he ftood, and call'd
His Legions, Angel - forms, who lay intranc'd,
Thick as autumnal Leaves that ftrow the Brooks
In Vallombrofa, where th' Etrurian shades
High over-arch'd imbow'r; or scatter'd fedge

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