Nos tanta haud temerè invasere filentia, tantæque
Impavidos utcunque mora. Via longa gravifque
Ex Erebo ad lucem; Carcerque hic firmus, edentûm
Flammarum hæc novies cohibent Convexa, fugamque
Ardentes portæ atque adamantina clauftra coercent.
Hæc quoque cum fuperet, fiquis fuperare valebit,
Illi vastum aperit Nox indigesta Profundum
Exitium ferale minans, & vortice crudo
Excipit attonitum atque horrendo involvit hiatu.
Hinc fortè elapfum quæcunque acceperit ora
Ignarum, discrimina adhuc ignota vagantem
Expectant, atque inde fuga haud minus ardua reftat.
Sed malè me, Proceres, Solium hoc fublime deceret,
Imperii hi fafces, fplendorque infignis opefque,
Siqua ufquam fortuna, falus cum publica fuadet,
Aut mole ingenti, aut magnis me terreat ausis.
Cur fceptra hæc capiam, cur non regnare recufem,
Regnanti data fi renuam difcrimina? forti
With reafon hath deep filence and demur
Seiz'd us, tho' undifmay'd: long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.
Our prifon ftrong; this huge convex of Fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Ninefold and gates of burning Adamant
Barr'd over us, prohibit all egrefs.
These pafs'd (if any pass) the void profound
Of uneffential Night receives him next
Wide gaping, and with utter lofs of Being
Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulph.
If thence he scape into whatever world,
Or unknown Region, what remains him lefs
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I fhould ill become this Throne, O Peers!
And this Imperial Sov'reignty, adorn'd
With fplendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd,
And judg'd of public moment, in the shape
Of difficulty, or danger, could deter
Me from attempting. Wherefore do I affume
Pectore res dubias adeat, cui gloria cordi;
Suftineat tantò majora pericula, quantò
Ipfe alios fuperat fublimior omnibus unus.
Ergo agite, ô fceptris pollentes, clade sub ipsâ
Vel cœlo metuenda Cohors! hic mentibus imis,
Hìc verfate domi, domus hæc dum noftra manebit,
Quæ ratio infanos æftus flammantis Averni
Siftat, & afflictis folatia quærite rebus;
Quærite, fiqua ufquam medicamina, fiqua voluptas,
Quêis mala paulifper funestæ tædia fedis
Fallere, quêis fævos liceat lenire dolores.
Vos hoftem adversùs vigilem ne parcite cautis
Excubiis: Egomet per littora cladis opaca
Ipfe petam nobis longè latéque falutem
Omnibus: Haud quifquam ingenti comitabitur auso.
Sic fatus folio exfurgit refponfa Tyrannus
Prævertens; ne quos Procerum constantia magni
Visa ducis tandem exacuat, certofque repulfæ
Thefe Royalties, and not refuse to reign,
Refufing to accept as great a share
Of hazard as of honour, due alike
To him who reigns, and so much to him due
Of hazard more, as he above the rest
High-honour'd fits? Go therefore, mighty Pow'rs!
Terror of Heav'n, though fall'n! intend at home,
(While here shall be our home) what beft may ease
The prefent mifery, and render Hell
More tolerable; if there be cure, or charm,
To refpite, or deceive, or flack the pain
Of this ill Manfion. Intermit no watch
Against a wakeful Foe, while I abroad,
Through all the coafts of dark destruction, feck
Deliverance for us all: this enterprize
None shall partake with me. Thus faying rofe
The Monarch, and prevented all reply:
Prudent, left, from his resolution rais'd,
Others among the chief might offer now
(Certain to be refus'd) what erft they fear'd;
Horte-
Hortetur vitata priùs fibi pofcere cœpta.
Hinc malè rivales habiti præconia vili
Obtineant, fibi quæ tantis ipfe emerat aufis.
Illi autem magnum veriti fubiiffe laborem,
Haud minus & vocem metuunt prohibentis; & unà
Surrexere repente omnes, fonitumque dedere
Surgentes, qualem rauco dat murmure fulmen
Longe exauditum. Regem Procerum omnis adorat
Circumfufa corona, nec Omnipotente minorem
Agnofcunt: Illum læti venerantur & altis
Laudibus unanimes cumulant, cui publica regni
Sic propriæ prælata Salus: Neque enim excidit omnis
Tartareo virtus populo, ne facta fuperbi
Splendida mortales jactent, fiqua improba fuadet
Gloria, & Ambitio recti mentita colores.
Sic tandem dubiis finem pofuere petitum
Confiliis, plauduntque duci exultantque frequentes.
Haud fecus aerios inter furgentia montes
And fo refus'd might in opinion stand
His Rivals; winning cheap the high repute,
Which he through hazard huge must earn. But they
Dreaded not more th' adventure, than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rofe:
Their rifing all at once was as the found
Of Thunder heard remote. Tow'rds him they bend
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extoll him equal to the highest in Heav'n:
Nor fail'd they to express how much they prais'd,
That for the general fafety he defpis'd
His own: (for neither do the Spirits damn'd
Lofe all their virtue; left bad men fhould boast
Their fpecious deeds on earth, which glory excites;
Or close ambition varnish'd o'er with zeal.)
Thus they their doubtful confultations dark
Ended, rejoicing in their matchlefs Chief:
As when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds
Nubila, fopito Borea, quum triftibus umbris
Obtexunt cœli faciem; perque horrida rura
Aut deformis hiems furit, aut glomerata ruit nix:
Sol radios fi forte refert clauditque ferenâ
Luce diem, renovantur agri, cantuque volucrum
Balatuque ovium colles vallefque refultant.
En Hominum opprobrium! Nectit pax mutua turbam
Tartaream; & gente ex omni, quêis purior auræ
Particula eft, Homines agitat Discordia folos,
Ipfos divini fperantes munera amoris ;
Soli implacatas acuunt crudelius iras
Indicente DEO pacem; fævo undique terras
Devastant avidi ferro, alteriufque cruorem
Quifque fitit; tanquam defit de civibus Orci
Dira manus (quod nos conjungi fœdere amico
Suaferit) humanam affiduè molita ruinam.
Jam dirimi cœtus, ferieque per atria longâ
Ire foras Stygii Proceres: fupereminet omnes
Ascending, while the North-wind sleeps, o'er-fpread
Heav'n's chearful face, the low'ring Element
Scowls o'er the darken'd landschape Snow, or fhowr:
If chance the radiant Sun with farewel fweet
Extend his ev'ning beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Atteft their joy, and hill and valley rings.
O fhame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds, men only disagree
Of Creatures rational, though under hope
Of heav'nly Grace: and, GoD proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity and ftrife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,
Wafting the Earth, each other to destroy:
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellifh foes enow befides,
That, day and night, for his deftruction wait.
The Stygian Council thus diffolv'd; and forth
Dux medius, vultûfque & majeftatis honores
Divinæ affimilans; Rex formidandus Averni
Inceffu cœlique idem patet unicus Hoftis:
Ardentes claufere globo radiante Seraphes
Signis flammivomis clari atque horrentibus armis.
Exin Concilii finem eventumque tremendum
Regales cecinere tubæ; fubitóque quaterni
Quatuor ad ventos refono clangore Cherubes
Inflârunt lituos, altâ quos voce fecuti
Præcones: longe audierunt lateque cavernæ
Inferni immanes; Erebique exercitus omnis
Dant plaufum fonitu horrendo ingeminantque fragorem.
Hinc fibi fidentes melius reducifque Salutis
Spe falsâ paulum erecti, fe tota refolvunt
Heroum divifa Acies; variamque fecutus
Quifque viam tendit vagus, ut fua quemque trahit mens
Diverfum ; ancipites imo fub pectore versant
Quò fedent animorum æftus ingrataque fallant
In order came the grand infernal Peers:
'Midft came their mighty Paramount, and seem'd
Alone th' Antagonist of Heav'n, nor less
Than Hell's dread Emperor, with pomp fupreme,
And God-like imitated State. Him round
A globe of fiery Seraphim inclos'd,
With bright imblazonry, and horrent Arms.
Then, of their Seffion ended they bid cry
With Trumpets regal found the great refult:
Tow'rds the four winds four speedy Cherubim
Put to their mouths the founding Alchymy,
By Herald's Voice explain'd; the hollow Abyss
Heard far and wide, and all the Hoft of Hell
With deaf'ning shout return'd them loud acclaim.
Thence more at ease their minds, and fomewhat
rais'd
By false presumptuous hope, the ranged Pow'rs
Disband, and wand'ring, each his several way
Purfues, as inclination or fad choice
Leads him perplex'd, where he may likelieft find
Tem-
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