Haud aliâ, exitiumque epulas ferale daturas. Sic vifum Fato. Sed Tu, Pater, effuge telum Horrificum; nec crede nimis radiantibus armis, Æthereo quanquam ardescant conflata metallo. Nulli fas aciem vitare aut fiftere contra Letiferam, & folo Superûm Rectore domandam. Finierat. Satanas monitus meliora furorem Continuò pofuit, blandoque hæc reddidit ore:
Cara, Patrem quæ me jactas, natumque venustum Oftendis, noftri fuper æthera pignus amoris,
(Quondam ah dulcis amor! tædet meminiffe pigetque Præteriti; fic nos inopinâ forte laceffunt
Damna infperata, & facies patet altera rerum.) Adfum non Hoftis; fed mæfti ut carceris antro Te cum prole tuâ eripiam, & quot nostra tueri Jura aufi, magnæ focios comitesque ruinæ : Hos propter munus fequor illætabile folus, Unum pro Multis caput objectare periclis
And me his Parent would full foon devour For want of other prey; but that he knows His end with mine involv'd, and knows that I Should prove a bitter morfel and his bane, Whenever that shall be: fo Fate pronounc'd. But thou O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun His deadly Arrow; neither vainly hope To be invuln'rable in those bright Arms, Though temper'd heav'nly: for that mortal dint, Save He who reigns above, none can refist.
She finish'd; and the fubtle Fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder; and thus answer'd smooth: Dear Daughter, fince thou claim'ft me for thy Sire, And my fair Son here show'ft me, (the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then fweet, now fad to mention, thro' dire change Befall'n us, unforeseen, unthought of) know I come no Enemy: but to fet free
From out this dark and dismal house of pain, Both Him and thee, and all the heav'nly Hoft
Haud veritus, quæcunque viam per inane Profundum Tentanti occurrant; fpatii dum templa peragrans Incertam quæro fedem, quam fama futuram
Prædixit quondam Divis, nunc plurima figna Surrexiffe canunt, ingenti mole rotundam, Felices terras, confinia lucida cœli.
Has adeò nova fortitur de ftirpe recenti
Condita Gens; ibi quos vicibus fuccedere noftris Forte DEUS ftatuit, fuperâ paulum arce remotos, Ne nimiis aucta agminibus cœleftia Regna Hinc alias agitent lites. Nunc hoccine agatur, An lateat quidquam fecretius, impiger infto Quærendi cupidus: quæfito deinde revertar, Vofque locos referam lætos, quà pace serenâ Tecum Hades tuus in longum dominabitur ævum ; Quà fpatiari auris in mollibus inter odores Continget; prædæque fames faturabitur omni Luxurie, explebitque avidiffima yota Libido.
Of Spirits, that in our juft pretenses arm'd, Fell with us from on high. From them I go This uncouth Errand fole; and One for All My felf expose, with lonely fteps to tread Th' unfounded Deep, and through the void Immenfe To fearch with wandring queft a place foretold Should be, and by concurring figns ere-now, Created vast and round; a place of bliss In the purlieus of Heav'n: and therein plac'd A race of upftart Creatures, to fupply
Perhaps our vacant room; though more remov'd, Left Heav'n furcharg'd with potent multitude Might hap to move new broils. Be this, or ought Than this more fecret, now defign'd; I haste To know: and this once known, shall foon return, And bring ye to the place, where Thou, and Death, Shall dwell at ease; and up and down unseen Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd With odours: there ye fhall be fed, and fill'd Immeasurably; all things fhall be your prey.
His dictis vultus incendit utrique Voluptas ; Informique Hades diftorquens ora cachinno Horrendum rifit: fibi tam fpolia ampla parari Gaudet, & immani ingluvies falit improba plaufu. Quin dedit haud alios Genitrix turpissima risus Exultans, fimul ipfa fuo fic fata parenti :
Gurgitis inferni magna hæc mihi tradita Clavis Arbitrio torquenda meo: dedit omnipotens Rex Servandam, prohibetque adamantina folvere clauftra. Ante fores telo ferali fummovet Hades
Vim cunctam, & latè victor genus omne animantum Defpicit. At quid Ego imperium morer Omnipotentis ? Me fævo premit Ille odio, hæc in Tartara mifit Funefta, has tenebras; hoc munere vexat iniquo, Indigenam cœli & quondam fupera aftra colentem: En quêis tormentis terrorumque agmine quanto Circumdat, fœtûfque ingrati ululatibus urget Vifcera luctifico morfu materna vorantis.
He ceas'd: for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Grinn'd horrible a ghaftly fmile, to hear [Death His famine fhould be fill'd; and bleft his maw Deftin'd to that good hour: no less rejoic'd His Mother bad, and thus befpake her Sire: The Key of this infernal Pit by due,
And by command of Heav'n's all-pow'rful King, I keep; by him forbidden to unlock Thefe Adamantine Gates. Against all force
Death ready ftands to interpose his dart, Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by living wight. But what owe I to His commands above Who hates me, and hath hither thrust me down Into this gloom of Tartarus profound, To fit in hateful Office here confin'd, Inhabitant of Heav'n, and heav'nly-born, Here in perpetual agony, and pain;
With terrors, and with clamors compafs'd round,
Tu verò vitæ mihi fons, Tu fanguinis auctor Atque animæ: cui me potiùs præftare fidelem, Quemve fequi malim? Quin Te duce regna beata Luce novâ accedam, fuperûmque admissa quietis Læta Choris, carpam dulces ignara laborum Delicias; folioque fruar Te propter amono, Quale decet caram, Genitor, tua gaudia, Natam. Dixerat: & Clavem demiffam à pectore, Clavem Horrendam, unde omnes noftri fluxere dolores, Corripit; undantisque ad portas agmina caudæ Turpia convolvens, ingentia pondera ferri Serrati fublime levat; quæ tota labore Vis Stygia immani junctoque attollere nifu Plurima tentâffet nequicquam, Hæc fuftulit una. Jamque feræ flexus properè fcrutata recurvos, Duratos ferro folidove adamante refigit
Vectes, clauftra, obices: Ingenti protinùs actu Infernæ refilire fores, & cardine fulmen
Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed? Thou art my Father, Thou my Author, Thou My Being gav'ft me; whom fhould I obey But thee? whom follow? Thou wilt bring me foon To that new world of light and bliss, among The Gods who live at cafe, where I shall reign At thy right hand voluptuous, as beseems Thy daughter and thy darling, without end.
Thus faying, from her fide the fatal Key,
Sad inftrument of all our woe, she took; And tow'rds the Gate rolling her beftial train, Forthwith the huge Portcullis high up-drew, Which but herself, not all the Stygian Pow'rs Could once have mov'd: then in the key-hole turns Th' intricate Wards, and every Bolt and Bar Of maffy Iron, or folid Rock, with ease Unfaftens. On a fudden open fly With impetuous recoil and jarring found
Stridenti fonere horrificum, quo Tartara motu
Quaffa tremunt latè, atque Erebi domus ima remugit.
Pandere Quæ potuit portas, compagibus arctis
Claudere nefcivit. Stabant latè bipatentes,
Quanto fe fpatio fuitantia figna fecutus Explicet extendens vaftas Exercitus alas Ordinibus laxis, cum belligero comitatu, Quadrigis & equis: tantum patuere vomentes Hinc atque hinc veluti magno fornacis ab ore Candentem flammam undantisque volumina fumi. Continuò ante oculos cani Secreta Profundi
Apparent; fine formâ horrens, fine limite, opacus Panditur Oceanus: vafto Menfura barathro Omnis ibi periit, Tempus periere Locufque. Nec non Naturæ Proavi Nox cæca Chaofque Bella iterant fremitu æterno, rixifque fruuntur. Pugnat & Humori Ariditas, Frigufque Calorque Inter fe adverfum luctantur, & acriter omnes
Th' infernal doors; and on their hinges grate Harfh Thunder, that the loweft bottom shook Of Erebus. She open'd; but to fhut Excell'd her pow'r: the Gates wide open ftood, That with extended wings a banner'd Hoft Under spread Enfigns marching might pass through, With Horfe and Chariots rank'd in loose array: So wide they stood, and like a Furnace mouth Caft forth redounding fmoke, and ruddy flame.
Before their Eyes in fudden view appear The fecrets of the hoary Deep; a dark Illimitable Ocean without bound,
[height, Without dimenfion; where length, breadth, and And time, and place are loft; where eldest Night And Chaos, Ancestors of Nature, hold Eternal Anarchy, amidst the noise
Of endless Wars, and by confufion ftand. [fierce For Hot, Cold, Moift, and Dry, four Champions
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