Dixit; & immanem media inter dicta furorem Concipit Os torvum & decies deformius horret. Parte aliâ ingenti Satanas ftetit efferus irâ Imperterritus; ac furialis more Cometæ Arctoo ardentis cœlo per maxima longè Sideris anguiferi fpatia, & ferale rubenti Cæfarie peftem fpargentis & horrida bella, Exarfit. Capiti alterius grave vulnus Uterque Intentat; neque enim plus fimplice destinat ictu. Jamque truces dat Uterque minas, velut æthere binæ Hinc atque hinc nimbis & multo fulmine fœtæ Fronte petunt frontem Nubes fuper æquora latè Cafpia pendentes; dum, rauca canentibus Euris Claffica, turbato trepident concurrere cœlo.
Sic utrinque graves fe opponunt cominus Hoftes Frontibus adverfis, tenebrafque horrentis Averni Ingeminant; fic compofiti ftant viribus æquis: Scilicet hofte pari neutrum certamina posthac
So fpeaking, and fo threat'ning, grew tenfold More dreadful and deform. On th' other fide Incens'd with indignation Satan food Unterrify'd and like a Comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiucus huge In th' Arctic Sky, and from his horrid hair Shakes Peftilence and War. Each at the head Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands No fecond stroke intend: and fuch a frown
Each caft at th' other, as when two black Clouds With Heav'n's Artill'ry fraught, come rattling on Over the Cafpian; then ftand front to front, Hov'ring a space, till Winds the fignal blow To join their dark encounter in mid air. So frown'd the mighty Combatants, that Hell Grew darker at their frown; fo match'd they stood: For never but once more was either like To meet fo great a foe. And now great deeds
Plus femel ulla manent. Jamque aspera bella frementem Mifcuerant Erebum; ni Saga informis, Averni
Cui data portarum & duræ cuftodia clavis, Vipereâ fefe caudâ immififfet, acerbum
Exululans: Quid dextra parat, Pater improbe, Natum Unigenam contra? Quæ te dementia, Nate,
Arripit, in patrium caput ut tela horrida vibres? Quemque juvas, noftin'? Illum, qui te æthere ab alto Præftantem penfa irridet, tibi quæ fua cunque
Ira dedit, (fas Ipfe vocat) vos Ira tremendo
His dictis pacata reduxit
Satanas dein talia contra:
Mira adeò tibi vox, adeò nova perculit aures Attonitas, paulùm ut retrahat cunctata furorem Dextera, dum doceas, quid fis atque unde, Biformis : Quid me jam primò confpectam in valle falutas Tartareâ, jactafque Tuî Spectrique parentem Illius: Haud equidem memini, nec triftius olim
Had been atchiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung; Had not the Snaky Sorceress that fat Faft by Hell Gates, and kept the fatal Key, Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rufh'd between. O Father, what intends thy Hand, fhe cry'd, Against thy only Son? What Fury, O Son, Poffeffes thee, to bend that mortal dart Against thy Father's Head? and know'ft for whom? For Him who fits above, and laughs the while At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
Whate'er his wrath, which He calls Juftice, bids; His Wrath, which one day will deftroy ye both. She fpake, and at her words the hellish Pest Forbore: then these to her Satan return'd:
So ftrange thy outcry, and thy Words fo ftrange Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand. Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds What it intends; till firft I know of thee, What Thing thou art, thus double-form'd; and why, In this infernal vale first met, thou call'st
Te quidquam afpexi, nec monftrum informius Illo. Olli deinde Erebi portarum talia Custos:
Siccine Tu noftrî oblitus? tamque horrida formæ Jam tibi vifa meæ fpecies, pulcherrima vestro Quondam vifa choro? quum magno adftante Seraphum Concilio, in fuperum forti fimul agmine regem Conjuratorum, extemplò tentaret amarus
Te dolor, offufique incertâ nube natarent Languentes oculi. Capite erupere feroces Undatim flammarum æftus: pars deinde finistra Vulnere diffiliens vafto patet; unde repente Ipfa tibi vultu placidâque fimillima formâ Et fulgore pari, Dea cincta ardentibus armis Emicui; attonitos Superos ftupor occupat ingens; Horrescunt, revocantque pedem trepidantiùs, Aten Clamantes, veriti portentum immane: fed usu Nota magis tandem placui; captufque lepore Illecebrifque meis, quicunque refugerat olim,
Me Father, and that Phantafm call'ft my Son: I know thee not; nor ever faw till now Sight more deteftable than Him and Thee. T'whom thus the Portress of Hell-Gate reply'd: Haft thou forgot me then? and do I feem Now in thine eye fo foul, once deem'd so fair In Heav'n? when at th' Affembly, and in fight Of all the Seraphim, with thee combin'd In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's King, All on a sudden miserable pain
Surpriz'd thee: dim thine eyes, and dizzy fwum In darkness; while thy Head flames thick and fast Threw forth; till on the left fide op'ning wide, Likeft to thee in shape, and count'nance bright, Then fhining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd, Out of thy head I fprung. Amazement feiz'd All th' Hoft of Heav'n: back they recoil'd, afraid At first, and call'd me Sin; and for a fign Portentous held me: but familiar grown
I pleas'd, and with attractive Graces won
Jam coluit: Tu præcipuè, qui ardore feroci In me temet amans lætis complexibus ultro Gaudebas: hinc mî intumuit gravis alvus onufque Concepit tacitum. Jam tum bella, horrida bella Æthereis fremuere plagis: hinc Omnipotenti (Quid fperandum aliud ?) Victoria contigit Hosti: Sed Noftris fuga, fed clades fuper ignea cœli Littora; præcipiti ceciderunt æthere in imum Hoc barathrum, mecum acti unà: mihi tempore ab illo Hæc clavis commiffa ingens portæque potentes Servandæ ; quas me invitâ vis nulla recludet. Ergo his in tenebris mœsta incomitata fedebam : Nec longum; infelix alvus jam immane gravescens Horrendum patitur motum infandofque dolores.
Hæc tandem enormis, quam confpicis, hæc tua Proles Perrupit pavitanti uterum divulfaque fubtus
Vifcera, terrificis imos cruciatibus artus
The most averse; Thee chiefly, who full oft Thy felf in me thy perfect image viewing, Becam'ft inamour'd; and fuch joy thou took'st With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd A growing burthen. Mean while War arofe, And fields were fought in Heav'n: wherein remain'd (For what could elfe?) to our Almighty Foe Clear Victory; to Our part lofs, and rout, Through all the Empyrean: down they fell, Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven down Into this Deep; and in the general fall
I also at which time this pow'rful Key Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep Thefe Gates for ever fhut; which none can pass Without my op'ning. Penfive here I fat Alone; but long I fat not, till my womb Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown, Prodigious motion felt, and rueful throes. At laft this odious Offspring whom thou feeft, Thine own begotten, breaking violent way Tore through my entrails; that with fear, and pain Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew
Deformans; deinde ingenitus celer exilit Hoftis Tela vibrans matrem contra: tremebunda receffi Exululans Haden: Gemit omnibus ampla cavernis Inferni domus, horrendumque remurmurat Haden. Ut fugi, infequitur Spectrum; (non ira, libido Accendit) victamque fugâ trepidamque Parentem Vi miseram violans fœdâ, hæc ululantia monftra Progenuit; crebris quæ me clamoribus actam (Ut tibi cernere erat) vexant, conceptaque in horas Editaque immenfos pariunt fine fine dolores: Ut libet, infanis repetunt latratibus alvum Maternam, indomito rimantes vifcera morfu: Deinde iterum erumpunt, trepidifque horroribus angor Confcia; nec requies fævo fpatiumve labori. Ante oculos coram fiftit fefe horridus Hades
Torva tuens, idemque Hoftis mihi, Natus & idem, Accenditque canum rabiem; quin me quoque Matrem Mandere avet; fed enim novit fe lege teneri
Transform'd: But He my inbred Enemy Forth-iffu'd, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to destroy. I fled, and cry'd out Death: Hell trembl'd at the hideous Name, and figh'd From all her caves, and back refounded, Death. I fled, but He purfu'd; (though more, it seems, Inflam'd with luft than rage) and swifter far Me overtook his Mother, all difmay'd: And in embraces forcible, and foul, Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
Thefe yelling Monsters, that with ceaseless cry Surround me, as thou faw'ft; hourly conceiv'd, And hourly born, with forrow infinite To me: for, when they lift, into the womb That bred them they return; and howl, and gnaw My bowels, their repaft: then bursting forth, Afresh with conscious terrors vex me round, That reft or intermiffion none I find. Before mine eyes in oppofition fits
Grim Death, my Son and Foe, who fets them on, Haud
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