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Culmina ructabant flammas, fumofque coactos
Undique crusta nitens obduxit cetera, fignis
Haud dubiis prodens utero latitare metallum
Sulphure concretum: hàc fefe rapuere Catervæ
Præcipites, Fofforum inftar qui regia caftra
Antevolant, fiquando altis circumdare campum
Aggeribus vallis-ve parant. Hæc Agmina Mammon
Duxit agens, Mammon demiffior omnibus unus,
Qui cœlo exciderant; cœli namque ipfius oris
Dejectæque acies misero sensusque jacebant
Depreffi: fic ufque foli ftellantis honori
Calcatifque auri radiis attentus inhæfit ;

Olli nec minimâ potuit dulcedine pectus
Tangere, quæ Divos permulcet fumma Voluptas,
Ipfius ora DEI fanctofque accedere vultus.

Ille Hominum generi matris quoque viscera terræ
Rimari primus fuafit, manibusque nefandis
Eruere occultas gazas, meliúfque latentes.

Shone with a gloffy fcurf; (undoubted fign
That in his womb was hid metallic Ore,
The work of Sulphur) Thither wing'd with speed
A numerous brigad hasten'd: as when Bands
Of Pioneers, with Spade and Pickax arm'd,
Forerun the Royal Camp, to trench a Field,
Or caft a Rampart. Mammon led them on,
Mammon, the leaft erected Spirit that fell

Were always downward bent; admiring more
The riches of Heav'n's pavement, trodden Gold,
Than ought divine or holy elic, enjoy'd
In Vifion Beatific: by him firft
Men alfo, and by his fuggeftion taught,
Ranfack'd the Centre, and with impious hands
Rifled the Bowels of their mother Earth,
For Treasures better hid. Soon had his crew

From Heav'n; for ev'n in Heav'n his looks and Open'd into the Hill a fpacious wound,

thoughts

And digg'd out ribs of Gold (Let none admire
Nec

Jamque cavum ingenti difciffum vulnere montem
Turba frequens rupere & fulvi pondera multa

Effodere auri. Nequis miretur opaca
Tartara divitias producere: convenit isti

Pernicies pretiofa Solo. Mortalia jactent

Gens Hominum; Regum Phariorum atque alta Babeli
Mœnia commemorent: norint tamen, unius horæ
Momento facile infernas fuperare Catervas
Summorum Monumenta Virûm, vi maximâ & arte,
Perpetuo fudore inftans quæ mille Fabrorum
Vix tandem immenfo longus labor erigit ævo.
Nec procul, in cellis variis hinc inde paratis
Per campum, liquidæ rivo quibus ubere flammæ
Succeffere lacu undantes, Pars altera maffam
Nativam fundit, divififque ordine venis
Secernit nitidum fpumâ fervente metallum.
Matricem intereà vaftam fub vifcera terræ
Aptarânt Alii Artificum, tumidifque metallo

That Riches grow in Hell; that foil may best
Deferve the precious bane.) And here let those
Who boat in mortal things, and wond'ring tell
Of Babel, and the works of Memphian Kings,
Learn how their greatest Monuments of Fame,
And Strength, and Art, are eafily out-done
By Spirits reprobate; and in an hour,
What in an age they with inceffant toil,
And hands innumerable, fcarce perform.

Nigh on the Plain in many cells prepar'd,
That underneath had veins of liquid fire
Sluc'd from the Lake: a Second multitude
With wond'rous Art founded the maffy Ore;
Severing each kind, and fcum'd the Bullion drofs:
A Third as foon had form'd within the ground
A various Mold; and from the boiling cells
By ftrange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook:
As in an Organ, from one blaft of Wind,

Effufo

Effufo è cellis, intùs fpatium omne receffufque
Innumeros ductu fimul implevere stupendo.
Sic ubi compofitos diverfis Organa membris
Dant numeros, folle ex uno diffufa per omnem
Aura ruit molem, & magno fe corpore miscet.
Tum terrâ exfurgens immenfæ Fabrica molis
Ardua, ceu vapor, emerfit; dulciffimus unà
Et citharæ fonus & variarum carmina vocum.
Inftar erat templi, quà ftant genus omne Columnæ
Auro suppôstæ: variis infculpta figuris

Fascia lata micat; Summum decora alta coronant,
Cœlatumque ardet celfis laquearibus Aurum.
Talia non Babylon quondam, non talia Memphis
Jactabat, totos quanquam oftentaret honores
Utraque, feu folio reges inferre pararent,
Sive Deos templis, cum luxu opibufque fuperbis
Certaret Pharos Affyria. Celfiffima Turris
Ingenti attollens fe vertice mole fuâ ftat.

To many a row of Pipes the found board breaths.
Anon out of the Earth a Fabric huge
Rofe like an Exhalation, with the found
Of dulcet Symphonies, and voices sweet;
Built like a Temple, where pilafters round
Were fet, and Doric Pillars overlaid
With golden Architrave: nor did there want
Cornice, or Freeze, with boffy Sculptures grav'n;
The Roof was fretted Gold. Not Babylon,

Nor great Alcairo, such magnificence
Equal'd in all their glories, to infhrine
Belus, or Serapis, their Gods; or feat
Their Kings, when Egypt with Affyria Atrove

In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile
Stood fix'd her ftately height: and ftrait the doors
Op'ning their brazen folds difcover wide
Within her ample spaces, o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof,

Pan

Panduntur valvæ æratæ; fpatia ampla patefcunt;
Splendet læve folum; curvoque à fornicis arcu
Pendentes lychni & ftellantûm plurimus ordo

Flammarum, quas Naphtha aluit, quas pingue Bitumen,
Ætheris in morem radiabant. Ociùs intrat

Turba frequens, luftratque ftupenti lumine: laudant
Pars opus, artificemque alii. Magnam Illius artem
Multa olim turrita ædes claraverat oris

Æthereis, Divis celebrata potentibus, altâ

Torquebant qui fceptra manu, quibus omnipotens Rex
Ante alios fulgere fuo quemque ordine fanctis
Imperiis dedit, & rutilis dare jura catervis.

Illum etiam vetus haud nescivit Gracia, honores
Nec renuit facros. Quin dictus Mulciber idem
Aufoniis: lapfum perhibebant æthere fummo
Projectumque fuper chryftallina mœnia mundi
Irati Jovis ab dextrâ, de mane recenti

Ad medium ufque diem rapido cecidiffe rotatu,

Pendent by fubtle Magic, many a row
Of ftarry lamps, and blazing creffets, fed
With Naphtha and Asphaltus, yielded light
As from a Sky. The hafty multitude
Admiring enter'd, and the work fome praise,
And fome the Architect: his hand was known
In Heav'n by many a towred structure high,
Where Sceptred Angels held their refidence,
And fat as Princes; whom the fupreme King

Exalted to fuch pow'r, and gave to rule,
Each in his Hierarchy, 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 fabled, thrown by angry Jove
Sheer o'er the crystal Battlements; from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve,
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun

F

Deque

Deque die medio rorantes noctis ad umbras
Eftivi folis fpatium; dum vefpere primo
Stella velut præceps fummo de culmine cœli
Labitur, & Lemni Ægeum defcendit in agrum.
Hæc memorant vani: aft Ipfum dejecerat olim,
Ipfum cum fociis Faftus: nec profuit ædes
Fundâffe in cœlo; nec machina fulciit ulla
Labentem; fimul artifici cedente catervâ
Exul abit, turres Erebi pofiturus in umbris.
Aligeri interea Præcones, juffa fecuti
Principis, in mediis promulgavere catervis
Concilium Pandemonio, quæ regia magni

Et Satane & Procerum. Huc meritis vel forte priores
Omnibus ex turmis, comitati millibus, omnes
Proceffere Duces; latè loca, limina, portas
Complêrant. Aula imprimis fpatiofa (frequentes
Eoûm referens campos, quà fortibus armis
Sefe oftentantes ante ipfius ora tyranni

Drop'd from the Zenith like a falling Star,
On Lemmos th' Egean ifle: thus they relate,
Erring; for he with his rebellious rout
Fell long before; nor ought avail'd him now
T'have built in Heav'n high Tow'rs; nor did he
By all his Engins, but was headlong sent [scape
With his induftrious crew to build in Hell.

Mean while the winged Heralds, by command
Of Sov'reign pow'r, with awful Ceremony
And Trumpet's found, throughout the Hoft proclaim

A folemn Council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high Capital

Of Satan and his Peers: their summons call'd
From every Band and fquared Regiment,
By place or choice the worthiest: they anon
With hundreds, and with thousands, trooping came
Attended: all access was throng'd, the gates
And porches wide; but chief the spacious Hall
(Though like a cover'd Field, where Champions
bold

Certa

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