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Sceptra velint; quo nos coram apparere verentes
Poffemus vultu, impofitafque agnofcere leges?
Invitos-ne olli cantus laudefque coactas

Nos dabimus? Nobis dominabitur Ille corufcâ
Arce fedens? Nobis facientibus Illius ara
Floribus ambrofiis cumulabitur, ambrofiofque
Submifsè his fparfos manibus jactabit odores?
Scilicet is fuerit cœlo labor, illa voluptas!
Heu quàm longa æterna Dies hos inter honores
Invifo oblatos Domino? Quid quærimus ultrà,
Quas reparare armis non fas, quas pace pigeret
Accipere oratâ, medio vel in æthere vanas
Servitii fplendentis opes? Bona cuncta petamus
Ex nobis, penitúfque amplexi noftra penes nos
Vivamus læti, jurati in verba tyranni
Nullius: his etiam vaftis ridebit in umbris
Candida Libertas, Libertas carior arctis

In rebus, quàm turpis honos aureæque catenæ.
Quin major nobis virtus erit, utile trifti

Strict Laws impos'd, to celebrate his Throne
With warbled Hymns, and to His Godhead fing
Forc'd Hallelujahs; while He lordly fits
Our envy'd Sov'reign, and His Altar breathes
Ambrofial odours, and ambrofial flow'rs,
Our fervile offerings? This must be our task
In Heav'n, this our delight! How wearifome
Eternity so spent, in worship paid

To whom we hate? Let us not then pursue,
By force impoffible, by leave obtain'd

Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state

Of fplendid vaffalage: but rather feek

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
Live to ourselves; though in this vast recefs,
Free, and to none accountable; preferring
Hard liberty before the eafy yoke

Of fervile Pomp. Our greatness will appear
Then moft confpicuous, when great things of fmall,
Useful of hurtful, profperous of adverse
We can create; and in what place foe'er

Eli

Elicere; injucunda bonis, adverfa fecundis

Vertere, & affiduo nifu, quæ nos loca cunque
Excipiant, fævum fati fuperare furorem.

Et quianam has tenebras atque antra timemus opaca ?
Ipfe Pater nebulas quondam noctemque profundam
Incolit; ipfe fibi folium caligine diâ

Velat, & auguftis latet intemerata tenebris

Gloria; nec ceffant densas glomerata per umbras
Fulmina rauca boare, imitanti Tartara Cœlo.
Nos quoque, fi libeat, lucem Illius, Ille tenebras
Ut noftras, haud ægrè imitabimur: Hæc neque gazis
Terra caret deserta, auro gemmisque; nec abfunt
Ingenium artificefque manus, unde ardua furgant
Monia digna Deis ingentisque æmula cœli.
Forfitan & quondam poterunt nativa videri
Hæc loca; mollefcent flammæ, vel noftra furori
Temperies affuefcet & igni illæsa vigebit.

Cuncta monent pacem amplecti, fluctusque dolorum

Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain,
Through labour, and indurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

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Wants not her hidden luftre, gems, and gold;
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can Heav'n fhew more?

Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire Our torments alfo may in length of time
Chufe to refide, His glory unobfcur'd?
And with the majefty of darkness round
Covers His Throne; from whence deep thunders
Muft'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell?
As He our darkness, cannot we His light
Imitate when we please? This defert foil

Become our elements; these piercing Fires
As foft as now fevere, our temper chang'd
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The fenfible of pain. All things invite
To peaceful counfels, and the fettled ftate
Of order, how in fafety best we may

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Sternere, fi liceat; memores quâ fede locamur,
Et quales fumus & fuimus; nec (fi mihi quidquam
Creditis) ulteriùs jactemus inania bella.

Vix ea finierat, fremuit cum murmure tali
Concilium, quale auditur, quum concava Saxa
Ventorum cohibent fonitum, qui nocte frementes
Vexârant fluctus, raucâ jam voce soporem

Inducunt lentum nautis; dum turbine laffum
Prærupto fundata finu tenet anchora lintrem.
Haud alius, finem ut Mammon dedit ore loquendi,
Exortus fremor, & placuit Sententia pacem
Suadentis. Pugnæ alterius certamen Averno
Horrebant gravius: tantis terroribus ictos

Urget adhuc tonitru, & tua turbida tela, Michaal!
Nec minus infernis cupiunt fub fedibus altam
Imperii fundare arcem quæ nixa fecundis
Aufpiciis tollat caput, & labentibus annis
Regna fua ætheriis contraria cernere regnis.

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Quod fenfit fimul Ille fedens celfiffimus unum
Post Satanam, ore gravi Balzebus furgere lentè
Visus erat folio, furgenfque referre columnam
Imperii: frontem rugis fulcârat honestam
Rerum cura fagax & provida confilii vis:
Regiaque infignes Sapientia clade fub ipsâ
Veftit adhuc vultus: ftetit arduus Atlanteos
Expandens humeros, regnifque ingentibus aptos:
Tum comitum trahit attentas venerabilis aures,
Dumque filent quantum nox intempefta, dieique
Æftivæ medius fervor, fic deinde profatur :

Imperia atque Arces, Virtutes ætheris! Aut his
Cedemus titulis, mutato nomine Reges
Tartarei? huc fefe nimis inclinare videtur
Publica Vox; fedem manfuraque regna fub orco
Optamus deliri, & fomnia vana fovemus;
Nec patet, æthereum Regem pro carcere nobis
Hos mandâffe locos, non hìc ftatuiffe recessûs

Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd (than whom,
Satan except, none higher fat) with grave
Afpect he rofe, and in his rifing feem'd
A pillar of State: deep on his front engraven,
Deliberation fat, and publick Care;
And Princely counsel in his face yet fhone,
Majestic though in ruin: fage he stood,
With Atlantean fhoulders fit to bear

The weight of mightieft Monarchies; his look

Drew audience, and attention ftill as night,
Or fummer's noon-tide air; while thus he spake:
Thrones, and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of
Ethereal Virtues! or thefe Titles now [heav'n,
Muft we renounce, and changing style, be call'd
Princes of Hell? For fo the popular vote
Inclines, here to continue, and build up here
A growing empire: doubtlefs; while we dream,
And know not that the King of Heav'n hath doom'd

Otia, quà dextram fugere imperiumque fupremum
Detur, & in cœlum reparatas cogere vires.
Sed pulfos huc ufque acri premet efferus irâ,
Servitiique jugo & frænis compefcet amaris,
Captivum vulgus: nam primus & ultimus Ipfe
Per gentes fuperas fimul infernafque timendus
Regnabit. Fugimus? fub Averno fceptra vibrabit
Ferrea, ut in mediis cœli vibrat aurea regnis.
Quid verò hìc pacem lenti meditamur & arma?
Senfimus arma fatis, damnum irreparabile dudum
Senfimus: at neque adhuc nobis data fœdera pacis.
Ulla, nec implorata: Etenim hæc juga turpia paffis
Quæ jam Pax dabitur, nifi dira ergastula, vincla,
Verberaque & pœnæ, fævus quafcunque tyrannus
Imperet? Et quam nos pacem reddemus? atroces
Luctantum nifus impacatumque furorem,
Indomitumque odium, certantes ufque fupremo
Impete, victorem ut fallant fua gaudia, nostrisque

This place our dungeon; not our fafe retreat
Beyond His potent arm, to live exempt
From Heav'n's high Jurifdiction, in new league
Banded against His Throne: but to remain
In ftricteft bondage, though thus far remov'd,
Under th' inevitable curb, referv'd
His captive multitude: for He, be fure,
In heigth, or depth, still first and last will reign
Sole King, and of His Kingdom lose no part

By our revolt; but over Hell extend
His empire, and with Iron Sceptre rule
Us here, as with His Golden those in Heav'n.
What fit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with lofs
Irreparable; terms of Peace yet none
Vouchfaf'd or fought: for what peace will be giv'n
To us enflav'd, but cuftody fevere,
And stripes, and arbitrary Punishment

Ut

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