De regno certant Pugiles: in prælia ducit
Quifque fuas Atomorum acies, quæ figna fecutæ
Diverfa, & varias variâ fub imagine partes,
Hæ levibus cinctæ telis, gravioribus illæ,
Condenfæ agglomerant: Barca quot littus arenas
Solibus exuftum jactat torrenfve Cyrene,
Tot numeris fervent, Ventisque hinc inde citatæ
Belligeris, librant pennas. Quem maxima cingit
Pars Atomûm, fceptrum Ille gerit mutabile puncto
Temporis: hic lites dirimens Chaos arbiter, ipfas
Auget & ingeminat, cæci fundamina regni.
Proximus Huic rerum Cafus moderatur habenas.
In vastum hoc barathrum (quo fe Natura capaci
Prima utero effudit, quod forfitan ipfa fepulcrum
Inveniet; quà nec terræ nec certa videntur
Æquora, non ignes certi, non aeris auræ,
Confufa at moles pugnas habitura perennes,
Ni fors Omnipotens venturæ femina vitæ
Strive here for Maft'ry, and to Battle bring
Their embryon Atoms. They around the flag
Of each his Faction, in their fev'ral Clans,
Light-arm'd, or heavy, sharp, smooth, fwift, or flow,
Swarm populous: un-number'd as the Sands
Of Barca or Cyrene's torrid foil,
Levy'd to fide with warring Winds, and poife
Their lighter wings. To whom These most adhere,
He rules a moment, Chaos Umpire fits,
And by decifion more embroils the fray,
By which he reigns: next him high Arbiter
Chance governs all. Into this wild Abyss,
(The womb of Nature, and perhaps her Grave)
Of neither Sea, nor Shore, nor Air, nor Fire,
But all these in their pregnant causes mix'd
Confus'dly; and which thus must ever fight,
(Unless th' Almighty Maker them ordain
His dark materials to create more Worlds)
His tenebris premat, atque alios hinc destinet orbes)
Hoc adeò in barathrum, ftans margine triftis Averni
Cautior emifit Satanas mirantia longè
Lumina, continuitque gradum & difcrimina volvit
Magna viæ; nec enim inde freti spatia arcta tuetur.
Nec diris minus horrefcunt clangoribus aures
Attonitæ (fi fas parvis componere magna)
Quam fonitu cum fæva fremens Bellona minaci
Tormentis turres quatit & nutantia latè
Monia; vel cœli penitus compage folutâ
Si rumpant Elementa fidem, altisonansque procella
Axe fuo avolfam rapido ruat impete terram.
Jamque fugam parat, atque alarum carbafa tendit,
Fumoque ut curru nebularum invectus opaco
Spernit humum, & nisu confurgit in ardua longè
Impavido; fedes cum tandem infida relabens
Corruit. Ille repente tremens plaufisque laborans
Nequicquam pennis cecidit per multa Profundi
Into this wild Abyss the wary Fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell, and look'd a while,
Pond'ring his Voyage; for no narrow Frith
He had no crofs. Nor was his ear lefs peal'd
With noifes loud and ruinous, (to compare
Great things with fmall) than when Bellona ftorms
With all her batt'ring Engines, bent to rase
Some Capital City; or lefs than if this frame
Of Heav'n were falling, and thefe Elements
In mutiny had from her Axle torn
The ftedfaft Earth. At laft his Sail-broad Vans
He fpreads for flight; and in the furging smoke
Uplifted fpurns the ground: thence many a League,
As in a cloudy Chair, afcending rides
Audacious; but that feat foon failing, meets
A vaft Vacuity. All unawares
Flutt'ring his pennons vain, plumb down he drops
Ten thousand fathom deep: and to this hour
Jugera; & adhuc caderet, ni adverfo turbine Nubes
Occurfans flammifque & fulphure fœta retortum
Vi rapidâ totidem spatia in fublime tuliffet.
Hæc ubi tempeftas pofuit, cæno obfitus alto
Limofam cadit in Syrtem; (nec dicere terram
Nec pelagus poffis) malè cocta coagula iniquis
Jam calcat pedibus Satanas, jam commovet alas,
Velaque anhelanti nifu remosque fatigat.
Qualis congefto Gryphem fpoliaverit auro
Si furtim Scytha, prædonem pedibusque secuta
Et pennis montes ultra vallesque paluftres
Urget Avis. Satanas fic densa & rara locorum,
Afp'ra, angufta avidus vincit; per flumina fertur,
Per vada, per clivos; membris fimul omnibus alisque,
Innatat, & cadit, ingreditur, ferpitque, volatque.
At vocum interea variarum diffonus horror
Fulmineo per Inane cavum clangore refultans
Ingeminat, fremituque obfeffas verberat aures.
Down had been falling, had not by ill chance
The ftrong rebuff of fome tumultuous Cloud,
Instinct with Fire and Nitre, hurried him
As many miles aloft. That fury ftay'd,
Quench'd in a Boggy Syrtis, neither Sea,
Nor good dry Land, nigh founder'd on he fares,
Treading the crude confiftence, half on foot,
Half flying: behoves him now both Oar and Sail.
As when a Gryfon, through the Wilderness
With winged courfe o'er Hill, or moory Dale,
Pursues the Arimaspian, who by stealth
Had from his wakeful cuftody purloin'd
The guarded Gold: fo eagerly the Fiend.
O'er bog, o'er steep, through ftrait, rough, dense,
With head, hands, wings, or feet, purfues his way;
And fwims, or finks, or wades, or creeps, or flies.
At length an univerfal Hubbub wild
Of stunning founds, and voices all confus'd,
Born through the hollow Dark affaults his ear
Huc Satanas rectà greffum imperterritus urget,
Hâc fiquem in turbâ civem nigrantis Abyssi
Viderit; ut norit, quæ proxima ducat euntem
Semita vicinas luci caliginis oras.
Ecce autem fubitò ante oculos fe regia pandit
Ampla Chaús, vaftumque fuper diffufa Profundum
Pendent terrifici tentoria nigra Tyranni.
Juxtà majeftate pari pullata refedit
Trifti Nox folio, rerum antiquiffima, magni
Alta Chaús confors: laterique hinc adftitit Orcus,
Inde Erebus, nomenque horrendum Demogorgon:
Queis fubeunt Cafus Rumorque, Tumultus, & exlex
Seditio, innumerifque fonans Difcordia linguis.
His ergo audacter Satanas: O qui ima Profundi
Imperio longè premitis latéque filentum
Cuftodes tenebrarum, ô Nox antiqua Chaofque,
Nullæ hic infidiæ; non hìc Speculator oberro,
Nec regni pacem meditor violare ferenam.
With loudeft vehemence. Thither he plies
Undaunted, to meet there whatever Pow'r
Or Spirit of the nethermost Abyss,
Might in that noife refide; of whom to ask
Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies,
Bordering on light. When ftrait behold the Throne
Of Chaos, and his dark Pavilion spread
Wide on the wasteful Deep. With him inthron'd
Sat Sable-vested Night, eldest of things,
The Confort of his Reign: and by them ftood
Orcus, and Hades, and the dreaded, name
Of Demogorgon: Rumor next, and Chance,
And Tumult, and Confufion all imbroil'd,
And Discord with a thousand various mouths.
T'whom Satan turning boldly, thus: Ye Pow'rs,
And Spirits of this nethermoft Abyss,
Chaos and Antient Night! I come no Spy
With purpose to explore, or to difturb,
Haud ultro loca per deferta plagafque patentes,
(Hinc quippe ad lucem nobis via) molior atrum
Incomitatus iter: regionum ambage malignâ
Deceptus, nulloque vagans ductore requiro
Semita quæ ducat, quà fe cœleftibus oris
Umbrarum adjungunt fines. Aut fiqua Tyrannus
Ætheris à veftrâ nuper ditione revulsa
Vi loca poffideat, Sedes mihi quæritur ista
Per ferale Profundum: erranti oftendite curfum
Certiùs; hinc vobis veniet non fordida merces.
Sedem iftam manibus veftris tenebrisque vetuftis
Si reddam (quæ caufa viæ eft) NoƐtisque reponam
Vexilla antiquæ; Vos inde abducite fructus,
Sit Vindicta Meum. Cui fic grandævus Anarcha
Vultu turbato & linguâ titubante remifit:
Advena, te memor agnofco: Tu fcilicet Ifte es
Dux Superûm impavidus, qui cœli bella Tyranno
Haudpridem intentans immanibus excidit aufis.
The fecrets of your Realm; but by constraint
Wand'ring this darkfome Defart, as my way
Lies through your spacious Empire up to Light,
Alone, and without guide, half loft, I feek
What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds
Confine with Heav'n: or if fome other place
From your Dominion won th' Ethereal King
Poffeffes lately, thither to arrive
I travel this Profound. Direct my course;
Directed, no mean recompense it brings
To your behoof: if I that Region loft,
All ufurpation thence expell'd, reduce
To her original darkness, and your sway,
(Which is my present journey) and once more
Erect the Standard there of Antient Night;
Yours be th' Advantage all, mine the Revenge.
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old, With faultring speech, and visage incompos'd, Answer'd: I know thee, Stranger, who thou art s That mighty leading Angel, who of late
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