Utcunque afflictam pœnis projecerit ultro
Hanc animam, hos fenfus, per quos in fæcula longè Tendimus? Aut ita cuiquam aurai fimplicis ignis Sordet, ut immoto lethi torpere veterno
Malit iners, noctifque perire absorptus in alvo? Sin foret optandum, nobif-ne indulferit Hoftis? Incertum poffit-ne; at certum eft nolle. Scilicet effundet totum Prudentia magni
Numinis? Aut amens delirat fortè, vel iras
Non capit impatiens? An præcipitante, quod optent, Extinguat dextrâ, quos deftinat ipfe perenni
Et quianam tandem ceffamus inertes, Exclamant, queis bella placent? Nos ferrea dudum Lex manet, æterno damnat fervatque dolori : Atque adeò, quæcunque olim tentabimus ausa, Quid majus, quæve afperior fortuna fuperfit ? Hæc ergo, hæc nobis asperrima pœna, fovere Has fedes, his confiliis armifque potiri?
Though full of pain, this intellectual Being; Thofe thoughts, that wander through Eternity; To perish rather, fwallow'd up and loft In the wide womb of uncreated night, Devoid of fenfe and motion? And who knows, (Let this be good) whether our angry Fee Can give it, or will ever: how He can, Is doubtful; that He never will, is fure. Will He, fo wife, let loofe at once His ire, Belike thro' Impotence, or unaware,
To give his Enemies their wish, and end Them in His anger, whom His anger faves To punish endless? Wherefore cease we then, Say they who counsel War? We are decreed, Referv'd, and deftin'd to eternal woe: Whatever doing, what can we fuffer more; What can we suffer worse? Is this then worst, Thus fitting, thus confulting, thus in Arms? What! when we fled amain, purfu'd, and ftrook With Heav'n's afflicting Thunder, and befought
Quid, fuga cum rapuit præceps, turmafque fequaces Horruimus fulmenque ferox; cum cæca Profundi Hofpitia orantes confugimus? Inftar Afyli
Tartara erant jam tum trepidis. Quid, atrocia passos Vincula flammivomus latè cum volveret æftus? Senfimus id certè afperius. Quid, fi ipfe furorem Sufcitet, hos diros qui accendit Spiritus ignes,
Et fluctus rabie exagitans feptemplice det nos Præcipites? aut fi dextram intermissa rubentem Rurfum armet Vindicta; Erebique immane reclufi Ipfa ruant Convexa, altam minitata ruinam Defuper, ac multo defcendant vortice flammæ ? Nos fortè intereà meditantes grandia bella Sulphureo feret igne fremens fcopulifque rotatos Quemque fuis transfiget hiems, ludibria fævis Turbinibus; rapidifve immerfos iftius undis Oceani vincla impedient, fufpiria longâ Tracturos ferie! nec enim miferabitur Ultor
The Deep to fhelter us? This Hell then feem'd A refuge from thofe wounds. Or, when we lay Chain'd on the burning Lake? That fure was worse. What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires, Awak'd, fhould blow them into sevenfold rage, And plunge us in the flames? Or, from above, Should intermitted Vengeance arm again His red right hand to plague us? What if all Her ftores were open'd, and this Firmament Of Hell fhould spout her Cataracts of Fire?
Impendent horrors! threatning hideous fall One day upon our heads: while we perhaps Defigning or exhorting glorious war, Caught in a fiery Tempeft fhall be hurl'd Each on his Rock transfix'd, the sport and prey Of racking whirlwinds: or for ever funk Under yon boiling Ocean, wrapt in Chains; There to converfe with everlafting groans, Unrefpited, unpitied, unrepriev'd, Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse. Nec
Nec minuet pœnas; dabitur mora nulla quiesve, Nec finem indomito ftatuet Spes ipsa labori. Annon hoc longe afperius? - Clade ergo magistrâ Nos tandem, ô Proceres, fugiamus tristia bella,
Bella palam, vel clam: Quid vis, quid fraudis opertæ Contra Illum infidiæ? quâ fallitur arte, capaci Lumine cuncta fimul qui colligit? Ille fupremo Defpicit & noftros jam ridet ab æthere motus Omnipotens, luditque dolos obftatque furori. Ergone nos, genus æthereum, fic mosta trahemus Tempora? nos cœli mutabimus otia vinclis Talibus, extorrefque omni calcabimur ævo?
Sunt gravia hæc, fateor: fed quæ graviora fuperfunt Vitemus, quum lex fati immutabilis ac Vox Omnipotens premat, & Victoris fumma Voluntas. Quantaque ineft nobis audere in pectore Virtus, Tanta pati eft: Lex æqua fatis; quæ clara videri Quondam etiam patuit, fi mens non læva fuiffet,
War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike
My voice diffuades: for what can force or guile With Him, or who deceive His mind, whofe eye Views all things at one view? He from Heav'n's height
All these our motions vain fees, and derides; Not more Almighty to refift our might, Than wife to fruftrate all our plots and wiles. Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heav'n,
Thus trampled, thus expell'd, to fuffer here Chains and thefe Torments? Better these than worse, By my advice; fince fate inevitable Subdues us, and omnipotent Decree, The Victor's Will. To fuffer, as to do, Our strength is equal, nor the Law unjust That fo ordains: this was at firft refolv'd If we were wife, against so great a foe Contending, and fo doubtful what might fall.
Vi dubiâ tanto temerè certantibus hofti. Quis rifum teneat, cum fe certamine fortes Qui jactant, malè fi certamen cefferit, horrent Continuò, & belli quam deftinat alea fortem, Dedecus, exilium, cruciatus, vincla, dolores Formidant? Nunc hæc nos fata, hæc certa premit Lex. Hæc fi nunc faciles patiamur mentibus æquis, Fors erit ut Victor ferventi fræna furori Mitior injiciat tandem, tantoque remotos Nos fpatio nec jam ftimulantes ampliùs iram Negliget, expletus pœnis; flammæque feroces Mollefcent, magni nifi foverit ira tyranni. Noftra etiam ingratos vincet mox aura vapores Purior, aut longo tandem obdurabitur ufu; Aut mutata habitum fedique affuetæ malignæ Excipiet diros lætis amplexibus ignes: Horror & hic mitefcet, & hæc caliginis umbra Lucebit: meliora jubet fperare citato
I laugh, when those who at the Spear are bold And vent'rous, if that fail them, fhrink and fear What yet they know muft follow, to endure Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain, The fentence of their Conqueror: This is now Our doom, which if we can sustain and bear, Our fupreme Foe, in time, may much remit His anger and perhaps thus far remov'd Not mind us not offending, fatisfy'd
With what is punish'd: whence these raging fires Will flacken, if his breath ftir not their Flames. Our purer effence then will overcome Their noxious vapor; or enur'd, not feel; Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd In temper, and in nature, will receive Familiar the fierce heat, and void of Pain. This horror will grow mild, this darknefs, light: Ecfides what hope the never-ending flight
Axe volans fine fine dies: jam fortè fecundas Fert fortuna vices; quin dat folatia rerum Hæc facies; ingrata quidem, fed pessima nondum Evasit, ni plura datis mala poscimus ultrò.
Sermonem obvolvens pulchro Rationis amictu Sic lentum Belus torporem inhoneftaque fuafit Otia fub pacis fpecie. Dein talia Mammon :
Ut Regem æthereum cœlo exturbemus, atroxve Quod patimur damnum campo reparemus aperto, Bellamus, fi bella placent. Illum árce supremâ Eruere imperii jam tum fperare licebit, Quum Fortuna levis Fatum immutabile vincet, Litem ipfo dirimente Chao. Sin vana fit inde, Hinc fuerit Spes vana fimul: quis enim æthere toto Nos iterum locus accipiat, nifi Rege fubacto
Jam demùm exuere, atque ultrò clamare daturum Communem cunctis veniam, fi prifca fateri
Of future days may bring, what chance, what change Worth waiting, fince our prefent lot appears For happy, though but ill; for ill, not worft; If we procure not to our felves more woe.
May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the ftrife. The former vain to hope, argues as vain The latter for what place can be for us
Thus Belial with words cloath'd in Reafon's garb Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord fuCounsel'd ignoble eafe, and peaceful floth, Not
peace: and after him thus Mammon fpake: Either to difinthrone the King of Heav'n We war, if war be beft, or to regain
Our own right loft: Him to unthrone we then
We over-pow'r? Suppofe He fhould relent, And publish grace to all, on promise made Of new fubjection: with what eyes could we Stand in His prefence humble, and receive
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