Me jacto; mando has aliis, qui talis egentes Auxilii fuerint & quando popofcerit hora, Tentandas. Studia hæc timidi dum vana fovebunt, Totne alii quos arma juvant, qui figna repofcunt Arrecti, cœlo profugi fic turpibus antris Claudentur, diras Domino mandante catenas, Cui noftra immeritum permittit Inertia fceptrum? Non ita: fed flammis Erebi furialibus aucti Turritas cœli fimul irrumpamus in arces,
Siqua viam vis inveniat; pro fortibus armis Vindictam pœnafque ipfas vertamus in Hostem : Continuò armorum clangoribus omnipotentum Rauco refpondere inferna tonitrua cantu Audiet; horrificas contra fua fulgura flammas Telaque cæligenæ cernet metuenda juventæ, Tela fuis æquanda, nec impare jacta lacerto. Quin & Tartarei commiftum fulphuris igni Sentiet attonitus folium fublime, fuifque
Contrive who need; or when they need, not now: For while they fit contriving, fhall the rest, Millions that ftand in arms, and longing wait The fignal to afcend, fit ling'ring here Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious Den of fhame, The Prison of His Tyranny, who reigns By our delay? No! let us rather chufe, Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high Tow'rs to force refiftlefs way, Turning our Tortures into horrid arms Against the Torturer: when to meet the noife Of His Almighty Engin He fhall hear Infernal Thunder; and for Lightning fee Black fire and horror fhot with equal rage Among His Angels: and His Throne itself Mix'd with Tartarean Sulphur, and ftrange fire, His own invented Torments. But perhaps
Turbatum inventis. Quod fi quibus ifta videtur Difficilis via, nec pennis nitentibus apta Confcendi, turrim dum poffidet altior Hoftis; Hi recolant, lentæ nifi pigra oblivia Lethes
Pectora adhuc hebetent, alacri nos impete fedes
Ad patrias ultrò efferri:
Et cadere adverfum eft.
Defcendere nobis
Quis non modò fenfit, ut Hoftis
A tergo infultans rueret fracta agmina sævâ
Calce terens, quâ vi impulfi, molimine quanto Ceffimus huc? Ergo facile eft afcendere; at anceps Exitus: ille novis victor fi ferveat iris, Vindictâ nos fortè aliâ & majore fequetur Excidio, fiquod fuperet fub Tartara majus. Quid verò gravius, fævis quàm vincla tenebris Dura pati, & pulfos cœli felicibus arvis
Ducere perpetuos horrendo in gurgite luctus : Quà ftrident flammæ æternum, indomitifque rotantur Vorticibus rapide; fuga nec datur ulla, tyranni
The way feems difficult and fteep, to scale With upright wing against a higher foe.- Let fuch bethink them, (if the fleepy drench Of that forgetful Lake benumb not still) That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native feat: defcent and fall To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late, When the fierce Foe hung on our broken Rere Infulting, and purfu'd us thro' the Deep,
With what compulfion and laborious flight We funk thus low? Th' afcent is eafie then; Th' event is fear'd: fhould we again provoke Our stronger, fome worse way His wrath may find To our deftruction: if there be in Hell Fear to be worse destroy'd. What can be worse Than to dwell here, driv'n out from Blifs, condemn'd In this abhorred Deep to utter woe;
Where pain of inextinguishable fire
Cum triftis jubet hora, & inexorabile flagrum Evocat ad pœnas? Ultra fi perdere vellet, Eripiat vitam penitùs perimatque neceffe eft. Ergo timemus adhuc Hoftem irritare? Furoris Utcunque ardefcant flammæ, vel funditùs acri Interiment æstu, nostrumque hoc omne resolvent In nihilum (quod maluerim quam tristia sæcla Protrahere æterno in luctu, vitæque recufem Tœdia) vel nobis fi fit cœleftis origo Nefciaque extingui, fi leti attingere fines
Non datur, extrema attigimus. Quin otia cœli Conturbare ferena (hæc noftrûm cognita Virtus) Ipfius & folium æternum quaffare frequenti Fas erit affultu. Quid fi non vincimus? at nec Pœniteat vinci, fi victi ulcifcimur Hoftem. Defierat frontem rugis contractus, & ipfo Vindictam vultu fpirans metuendaque bella,
Si metus in Divos caderet.
Muft exercise us, without hope of end, The Vaffals of His anger, when the scourge Inexorable, and the torturing hour,
Calls us to Penance? More deftroy'd than thus, We should be quite abolish'd, and expire. What fear we then? what doubt we to incenfe His utmost Ire? which to the height enrag'd, Will either quite confume us, and reduce To nothing this Effential; happier far, Than miferable to have eternal Being:
Or if our substance be indeed divine, And cannot cease to be, we are at worst On this fide nothing: and by proof we feel Our pow'r fufficient to difturb His Heav'n, And with perpetual inrodes to alarm, Though inacceffible, His fatal Throne: Which, if not Victory, is yet Revenge.
He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd Defperate revenge, and Battle dangerous To less than Gods. On th' other fide up rofe Sed
Sed grato magis ore habituque venuftius apto Surrexit Belus, qui formofiffimus unus
Exciderat cœlo. Facies præclara minantis,
Et vultus virtutis erat: tamen heu! folidum nil,
Nil fincerum inerat. Nam quanquam nectare Lingua Stillaret, turbare potens Confulta Senatûs,
Et fpecies alias veris & nomina rebus
Sciret falfa dare; at Mens illi fordida, in omne Curva malum, at femper magnos ignavus ad aufus Spiritus; utcunque arrectas fermonibus aures Blandus demulcere, loquelis fuavibus infit:
Bella mihi pariter, Proceres, manifesta placerent, (Quippe eadem me vofque tenent odia & furor idem) Ni mihi caufa, alios cingi quæ jufferit armis, Suadeat his diverfa, & terreat omine lævo. Ille etenim, belli primos qui pofcit honores, Confilio incertus proprio armorumque saluti Diffidit; folâ hac fretus virtute, quòd omnem
Belial, in act more graceful and humane : A fairer person loft not heaven; he seem'd For dignity compos'd, and high exploit:
But all was falfe and hollow: though his Tongue Drop'd Manna, and cou'd make the worse appear The better Reason, to perplex and dash Matureft Counfels: for his Thoughts were low; To Vice induftrious, but to nobler deeds Timorous and flothful: yet he pleas'd the Ear,
And with perfuafive accent thus began:
I should be much for open War, O Peers, As not behind in hate, if what was urg'd Main reason to persuade immediate War, Did not diffuade me moft, and seem to caft Ominous conjecture on the whole fuccefs; When he who most excells in fact of Arms, In what he counsels and in what excells, Miftruftful, grounds his courage on despair
Spem dudum exuerit, fatoque extinguier optet, Expletus vindictâ animos ultusque dolores.
Quæ vindicta, vel unde? Poli ftant turribus altis Armatæ Vigilum excubiæ & circum undique celfos Defendunt aditus. Sed & oris fæpe Profundi Caftra locant turma, cautave nigrantibus alis Explorant noctis feralia regna, dolofque
Contemnunt. Sin vi irrueremus, & omnia latè Tartara conjicerent piceas jurata tenebras Ætheream in lucem; celsâ tamen arce sederet Omnipotens decore illæfo; puriffima cœli Temperies fecura nitens incendia fœda Sperneret infernafque faces: hâc clade repulfis Una falus miferis nullam fperare falutem. Continuò Omnipotens Victor dans tota furori Fræna ferox domitos immani extinxerit irâ: Non Effe ulteriùs, fuerint folatia tandem Unica; dura nimis folatia! Nam quis iniquis
And utter diffolution, as the scope
Of all his aim, after fome dire revenge. [fill'd Firft, what revenge? The Tow'rs of Heav'n are With armed Watch, that render all access Impregnable: oft on the bordering Deep Encamp their Legions; or with obfcure wing Scout far and wide into the realm of night, Scorning furprize. Or could we break our way By force, and at our heels all Hell should rife With blackest Infurrection, to confound
Heav'n's pureft Light; yet our great Enemy, All incorruptible would on His Throne Sit unpolluted; and th' Ethereal mould Incapable of ftain, would foon expel Her mifchief, and purge off the bafer fire, Victorious. Thus repuls'd, our final hope Is flat despair; we must exasperate Th' Almighty Victor to spend all His rage, And that must end us; that must be our cure, To be no more. --- Sad cure! for who would lose,
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