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,
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 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,
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
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
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