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Certabant curfuque Equites hastisque corufcis)
Aula folo pariter perque aera conglomeratis
Fervebat numeris: multus quaffantibus alis
Sibilus increpitat refonans. Ut vere recenti

Stridulæ Apes, cum jam Taurum Sol aureus implet,
Agminibus denfis numerofam alvearia propter
Effundunt pubem; florefque & rofcida prata
Læta cohors volitat circum, aut capit hospita lævi
Planitie tabula errantes (pomaria turris
Straminea) redolens herbis fragrantibus: illæ
Difcurrunt caftris & regni munera curant.
Haud fecus aeriæ fimul accurrere Cohortes
Anguftis arctæ fpatiis: Sed claffica fignum
Ut canerent, Qui terrigenas modò vincere vastâ
Mole viderentur, minimas (mirabile visu !)
Collecti fubitò in formas brevioraque membra
Fluxere innumeri: quales in faltibus Indis
Ludentes Nani, Lemurum-ve leviffima turba,

Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's Chair
Defi'd the best of Panim Chivalry

To mortal combat, or carriere with lance)
Thick swarm'd, both on the ground, and in the air,
Brufh'd with the hifs of rufling Wings. As Bees
In fpring time, when the Sun in Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clufiers; they among fresh dews and flow'rs,
Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
(The Suburb of their ftraw-built Cittadel.)

New rub'd with Baum, expatiate, and confer
Their State affairs: fo thick the aery croud
Swarm'd, and were ftreighten'd, till the Signal giv'n,
Behold a wonder! they but now who feem'd
In bigness to furpafs Earth's Giant Sons,
Now lefs than fmalleft Dwarfs in narrow room
Throng numberlefs, like that Pygmean Race
Beyond the Indian Mount; or Fairy Elves,
Whose midnight revels, by a foreft fide,
Or fountain, fome belated Peasant sees,

Quos Paftor filvas propter, vel fontis ad oram,
Aut videt aut vidiffe putat faltare per umbras
Nocte fuper mediâ, dum confpicit arbitra Luna
Pallentem inflectens terris vicinior axem;
Aft olli argutas turbâ exercente choreas
Cor micat, exultat dulci formidine pectus.
Haud aliter formas tenui fub imagine claufæ
Contraxere Animæ immenfas; & libera tandem
Per fpatia innumeræ circum atria vasta vagantur.
At procul interiore domo tacitoque receffu
Semidei fe mole fuâ explicuere, Cherubum
Millia, celforumque Seraphum, in fedibus aureis,
Concilium fublime, frequens: filuere parumper ;
Tum Caufæ patuere altique Exorfa Senatûs.

Or dreams he fees; while over-head the Moon

Sits Arbitrefs, and nearer to the Earth

Though without number ftill, amidst the Hall
Of that infernal Court. But far within,

Wheels her pale courfe; they on their mirth and And in their own dimenfions like themselves,

dance

Intent with jocund mufic charm his car:

At once with joy, and fear, his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms

The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim
In close recefs and fecret conclave fat,

A thousand Demi-Gods on golden feats,
Frequent and full; After fhort filence then,

Reduc'd their Shapes immenfe; and were at large, And fummons read, the great Confult began.

PARA

A

LIBER SECUNDUS.

T celfi de fede throni, quæ fplendida luxu
Regifico Indorum gazas fuperaret & Ormi,
Vel quicquid gemmarum auri-ve remotior Eos
Barbarici effundit, magnis decora alta tyrannis,

Eminuit Satanas, defpexitque arduus omnes,
Infandum virtute immani nactus honorem.
Cui modò Spes periit, se nunc fpe celfius ipsâ
Evectum cernit, votisque ingentibus ardens
Tendit adhuc ultra & cœlo nova bella minatur
Demens! quem nondum pugnæ fortuna prioris
Erudiit: tumidique aperit fic pectoris Orfa:
Sceptra Poteftatesque, excelfi Numina cœli;
Nam quoniam æthereum, cecidit fi forte, vigorem

PARADISE LOST.

Book II.

HIGH on a of Royrmita, and of Ind; Beyond thus high, infatiate to purfue

IGH on a Throne of Royal State, which far Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires

Or where the gorgeous Eaft with richest hand
Show'rs on her Kings Barbaric pearl, and gold,
Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence: and from despair

Vain War with Heaven; and by success untaught
His proud imaginations thus display'd:

Pow'rs and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n!
For fince no Deep within her gulph can hold

Nulli fas barathro clauftris compefcere, cœli

Haud reor amiffas fedes.

Pulcherrima Virtus

Cœlicolûm fpectata magis majorque videri
Surgit ab excidio, fato adverfante renitens,
Ipfa fuis opibus cladis fecura fecundæ.

Me quanquam jus æquum æternaque fœdera coli,
Deinde etiam veftrum fuffragia, quicquid & altis
Confiliis meruive manu, cœleftibus armis
Ductorem pofuere: At diræ damna ruinæ

Hac reparata tenus jam certius integra firmant
Sceptra fine invidiâ, facili stabilita meorum
Confenfu. Hoc fceptrum & felicior addita fceptro
Sors olim poterat ftimulis vexare minores,
Dum fortuna fuit: fed enim quis lumine iniquo
Spectet eum, folus capiens qui tela Tonantis
Omnia defendit vobis, qui mole laborum

Infigni fine fine gemit? Quà præmia belli

Cuncta abfunt, aberunt lites; nam merfus Averno

Immortal vigour, though opprefs'd and fall'n,

I give not Heav'n for loft: from this descent
Celestial virtues rifing will appear

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
And truft themselves to fear no fecond fate.)
Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heav'n
Did first create your Leader; next, free choice;
With what befides, in council or in fight,
Hath been atchiev'd of merit: yet this lofs,
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more

Establish'd in a fafe unenvied Throne,
Yielded with full confent. The happier state
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior: but who here
Will envy whom the highest place expofes
Foremost to ftand against the Thund'rer's aim,
Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good
For which to strive, no ftrife can grow up there
From Faction: for none fure will claim in Hell

Quis cupiat primas? cui pars tantilla doloris,
Majorem ut fitiat demens & poftulet ultrò?
His igitur cum tanta ligat concordia nodis,

Tanta fides, quantam haud fuperis fas jungere in oris,
Jus patrium reduces & noftra repofcimus astra.
Quin cautos adverfa facit, quos læta fefellit
Securos fortuna. At quæ via præstat, aperta
Bellane moliri, an tacitas clam nectere fraudes,
Confulite in medium & rebus fuccurrite lapfis.

Finierat Satanas. Confurgit deinde Molochus
Sceptripotens Princeps: cœlo non fortior alter
Non armis congreffus atrocior: acer ademptâ
Spe demùm ingeminans furor imo in pectore gliscit.
Majorem agnofcat? fit ab Omnipotente fecundus?
Maluit in nihilum folvi: Cura omnis & omnes

Inde metus abiere; DEUмque & Tartara temnens,
Et fiquod gravius, fic verbis ora refolvit :

Bella mihi manifefta placent;

Precedence; none, whose portion is so small
Of prefent pain, that with ambitious mind
Will covet more! With this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heav'n, we now return
To claim our juft inheritance of old,
Surer to profper than prosperity

Could have affur'd us: and by what best way,
Whether of open War, or covert guile,
We now debate: who can advise may speak.

nec fraudibus ullis

47

He ceas'd; and next him Molor, fceptred King,
Stood up, the ftrongest and the fierceft Spirit
That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by despair:
His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in ftrength; and rather than be less,
Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft
Went all his fear: of GoD, or Hell, or worse,
He reck'd not; and these words hereafter spake:
My fentence is for open War: of Wiles,
More inexpert, I boaft not: them let those

Me

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