Objicerent, quas fe noftris adjungere rebus
Suadebam, jactans alia & majora minatus,
Ipfum pollicitus folio exturbare Tonantem.
Me miferum! neque enim norunt, quos mî ifta labores
Vox peperit; quibus heu ftimuler cruciatibus intus,
Fronte palam lætâ, folio fublimis in aureo.
Dum fceptrum dextra hæc gerit, his diadema refulget
Crinibus, afperior domitat mergitque Ruina
Oppreffum ante alios, folisque laboribus auctum.
Hanc fert mercedem Ambitio!
Si poffem, antiquam & pacato Numine fedem
Scandere, Mens eadem antiquâ cum fede rediret,
Rumpere certa fidem jurataque fallere vota,
Vota acri mihi vi ftimulifque expreffa dolorum.
Quà læfo crudescit adhuc fub pectore vulnus,
Gratia ibi male farta coit. Graviore ruinâ
Heu caderem, & magni conftaret tantula tanto
Empta dolore Quies. Hoc novit callidus Ultor,
Than to fubmit boafting I could fubdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vain;
Under what torments inwardly I groan,
While they adore me on the Throne of Hell.
With Diadem and Sceptre high advanc'd,
The lower ftill I fall, only fupreme
In mifery; fuch joy Ambition finds.
But fay, I could repent, and could obtain
By Act of Grace my former ftate: how foon
Would Height recall High thoughts, how foon un-fay
What feign'd Submiffion fwore? Eafe would recant
Vows made in Pain, as violent and void:
(For never can true reconcilement grow
Where wounds of deadly hate have pierc'd fo deep)
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse,
And heavier fall. So fhould I purchase dear
Short intermiffion, bought with doubled smart.
Tamque ferox renuit veniam, quantum Ipfe rogare
Dedignor. Quid fperemus? muletamur acerbo
Exilio; fuppletque vicem Gens altera nostram,
Nefcio quæ Soboles nova deliciæque recentes,
Felices fortita locos. Spes ergo valete,
Vosque, Metus, una, caffique valete Dolores.
Omne Bonum mihi jam periit: Te dulce Malum, Te
Amplectar, capiamque Boni vice: Tu mihi regni
Dimidium faltem magno hoc cum Principe cœli,
Dimidio plus fortè dabis: Quod fentiet olim
Iste recens Mundufque, recentis & Incola Mundi.
Hæc fanti vario Mens æftuat ægra tumultu :
Nubila ter pallet facies; ter confcius irâ
Fluctuat invidiâque color, Speque actus ademptâ.
Mentita hinc nofcat, fiquis confpexerit, ora;
Namque carent iftis cœleftia pectora morbis.
Hoc metuens fimulat ridenti gaudia vultu
Fraudum Opifex; primus falfas qui exercuit artes,
This knows my Punisher: therefore as far
From granting He, as I from begging peace.
All hope excluded thus, behold in stead
Of Us out-caft, exil'd, his new delight
Mankind created, and for him this World.
So farewel Hope, and with Hope farewel Fear;
Farewel Remorfe: all Good to me is loft:
Evil be thou my Good: by Thee at least
Divided Empire with Heav'n's King I hold,
By Thee, and more than half perhaps, will reign;
As Man e'er-long, and this new world, fhall know.
Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face,
Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envy, and despair;
Which marr'd his borrow'd vifage, and betray'd
Him counterfeit, if any eye beheld.
(For heav'nly minds from such distempers foul
Are ever clear.) Whereof he foon aware,
Each perturbation smooth'd with outward calm,
Artificer of Fraud, and was the first
That praclis'd falfhood under faintly fhew,
Primus imaginibus vanis virtutis & umbrâ
Occultare odium atque ultrices callidus iras.
Urial at fraudem monitus pervidit: euntem
Servârat tacitus celfoque in monte Niphatis
Mutatum, quantum Superûm contingere nulli'
Fas erat, indecori revolutum corpora motu,
Efferus occultos animi dum effunderet æftus,
Nec quenquam vidiffe ratus. Jamque impiger oras
Edeni tetigit Satanas, quà margine læto
Nunc propior Paradifus adeft, feptoque virenti
Circuit, agrefti ut muro complexus, amœnam
Planitiem, celfo dumofi in vertice montis
Latiùs expanfam; cui fronde comantia multâ
Luxuriant latera effufis fine lege capillis
Hirta, aditumque negant. Confurgit in aeris auras
Denforum afpirans nemorum infuperabilis ordo,
Cedrus & una Abies, Pinufque ac plurima ramis
Palma vagis; Seriem scenâ frondente coronat
Deep malice to conceal, couch'd with revenge.
Yet not enough had practis'd, to deceive
Uriel once warn'd; whofe eye pursu'd him down
The way he went, and on th' Affyrian mount
Saw him disfigur'd, more than could befall
Spirit of Happy fort: his geftures fierce
He mark'd, and mad demeanour, then alone,
As he fuppos'd, all unobferv'd, unfeen.
So on he fares; and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, crowns with her enclosure green,
As with a rural mound, the champain head
Of a steep wilderness; whofe hairy fides
With thicket overgrown, grotefque, and wild,
Access deny'd and over head up-grew
Infuperable height of loftieft fhade,
Cedar, and Pine, and Fir, and branching Palm,
A Sylvan Scene; and as the ranks ascend
Altera adhuc Series, umbræ imminet altior umbra,
Silvarumque viret variarum infigne Theatrum.
Has fuper hortorum latè viridantia cœlo
Monia fe attollunt, unde afpectanda patebant
Omnia primævo circumfita regna Parenti.
At murum exfuperans felicius exftitit Agmen
Arboreum, varios indutum fuave colores,
Et pomis fœcundum ardentibus; aurea ramis
Pomaque & admifti flores rutilantibus hærent;
Quêis Sol lætior arridet, quàm vefpere pulchram
Cum nubem intrârit, pluviumve ornaverit arcum:
Tantum verficolor jactabat Scena decorem!
Afpirat jam pura magis magis aura, recentes
Delicias latè spargens ac gaudia verna,
Gaudia, quæ cunctas poffint depellere curas,
Ni pectus Spes blanda reliquerit. Almus amico
Flamine concuffis Zephyrus fragrantibus alis
Balsamaque ambrofia effundit, narratque fufurris
Shade above Shade, a woody Theatre
Of statelieft view. Yet higher than their tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up fprung:
Which to our general Sire gave prospect large
Into this nether Empire, neighb'ring round.
And higher than that Wall a circling row
Of goodlieft Trees, loaden with fairest Fruit,
Bloffoms and Fruits at once of golden hue,
Appear'd, with gay enamel'd colours mix'd:
On which the Sun more glad imprefs'd his beams,
Than on fair Evening Cloud, or humid Bow,
When God hath fhow'rd the earth: fo lovely feem'd
That Landskip. And of pure now purer Air
Meets his approach; and to the heart inspires
Vernal delight and joy, able to drive
All fadness but Defpair. Now gentle gales,
Fanning their odoriferous wings, difpenfe
Native perfumes, and whisper whence they stole
Blandiloquis, unde arreptos libavit odores.
Haud aliter quam vela mari facientibus alto,
Ut notum liquere Apicem Cui candida nomen
Spes dedit, emiffos Arabum felicibus oris
Eurus odoriferos diffundit thuris honores ;
Cunctantur lento faciles in marmore nautæ,
Et dulci Pater Oceanus fpiramine gaudet.
Sic Satanam mulcebat odor, licet Ipfe pararet
Lædere jucundi fragrantia dona receffûs.
Hoc longe diverfum Afmodeus hausit odorem,
Tobia ut fugit fponfam lascivus amatam,
Miffus in Ægypti fines & tristia vincla.
Jamque rudis clivi Satanas confcenderat arcem
Multa putans, tardoque movens molimine greffus :
Nulla fed ulterius patuit via; limine in ipfo
Tam fpiffi inter fe coeuntes agmine denfo
Concrevere rubi & nexi per mutua vepres.
Unica Porta fuit, longe contraria, Eoum
Those balmy spoils. As when to them who fail
Beyond the Cape of Hope, and now are past
Mozambic, off at Sea North-East winds blow
Sabaan Odours from the spicy fhore
Of Arabie the bleft; with such delay [League
Well-pleas'd they flack their course, and many a
Chear'd with the grateful fmell old Ocean fmiles.
So entertain'd those odorous sweets the Fiend,
Who came their bane; though with them better
Than Afmodeus with the fifhy fume, [pleas'd
That drove him, though enamour'd, from the Spoufe
Of Tobit's Son, and with a vengeance sent
From Media poft to Egypt, there fast bound.
Now to th' ascent of that fteep favage Hill
Satan had journied on, penfive and flow;
But further way found none; fo thick entwin'd,
As one continu'd brake, the undergrowth
Of shrubs and tangling bushes had perplex'd
All path of Man, or Beast, that pass'd that way,
One Gate there only was, and that look'd Eaft
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