For this infernal pit fhall never hold
Celestial fpi'rits in bondage, nor th' abyfs Long under darknefs cover. But these thoughts Full counfel muft mature: peace is despair'd, For who can think fubmiffion? War then, war Open or understood, must be refolv'd.
He fpake and to confirm his words, outflew Millions of flaming fwords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty Cherubim; the fudden blaze Far round illumin'd hell: highly they rag'd Against the High'eft, and fierce with grafped arms Clash'd on their founding fhields the din of war, Hurling defiance tow'ard the vault of heaven.
There ftood a hill not far, whofe grifly top Belch'd fire and rolling fmoke; the rest entire Shone with a gloffy fcurf, undoubted fign That in his womb was hid metallic ore,
The work of fulphur. Thither wing'd with speed A numerous brigade haften'd: as when bands. Of pioneers with spade and pickax arm'd Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field, Or caft a rampart. Mammon led them on Mammon, the leaft erected spi'rit that fell
From heav'n; for e'en in heav'n his looks and thoughts Were always downward bent, admiring more
The riches of heav'n's pavement, trodden gold,
Than ought divine or holy elfe enjoy'd
In vifion beatific by him firft
Men alfo, and by his fuggeftion taught,
Ranfack'd the centre, and with impious hands Rifled the bowels of their mother earth
For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew Open'd into the hill a fpacious wound, And digg'd out ribs of gold. Let none admire That riches grow in hell; that foil may best Deferve the precious bane. And here let thofe
Who boaft in mortal things, and wond'ring tell Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings, Learn how their greatest monuments of fame, And strength and art are eafily outdone By fpirits reprobate, and in an hour What in an age they with inceffant toil And hands innumerable fcarce perform. Nigh on the plain in many cells prepar'd,. That underneath had veins of liquid fire: Sluic'd from the lake, a fecond multitude
With wondrous art found out the mally ore, Severing each kind, and fcumar'd the bullion drofs: A third as foon had form'd within the ground, A various mould, and from the boiling cells. By frange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook, As in an organ, from one blast of wind,
To many a row of pipes the found-board breathes. Anon out of the earth a fabric huge
Rofe like an exhalation, with the found. Of dulcet fymphonies and voices sweet,
Built like a temple, where pilafters round
Were fet, and Doric pillars overlaid
With golden architrave; nor did there want Cornice or freeze, with boffy fculptures graven;
The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon, Nor great Alcairo fuch magnificence. Equall'd in all their glories, to infhrine Belus or Serapis their gods, or feat
Their kings, when Egypt with Affyria ftrove
In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile. Stood fix'd her stately height; and strait the doors Opening their brazen folds discover wide Within, her ample spaces, o'er the fmooth And level pavement: from the arched roof, Pendent by fubtile magic, many a row Of ftarry lamps and blazing creffets, fed
With Naphtha and Afphaltus, yielded light As from a fky. The hafty multitude
Admiring enter'd; and the work some praise, And fome the architect: his hand was known In heaven by many a tow'red structure high, Where scepter'd angels held their refidence,.. And fat as princes; whom the Supreme King Exalted to fuch power, and gave to rule, Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.. Nor was his name unheard, or unador'd,- In ancient Greece; and in Aufonian land Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell From heav'n, they fabled, thrown by angry Jove Sheer o'er the chrystal battlements; from morn.... To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A fummer's day; and, with the fetting fun; Drept from the zenith like a falling ftar, On Lemnos th' Egean ifle: Thus they relate, Erring; for he with this rebellious rout Fell long before; nor ought avail'd him now Thave built in Heaven high towers; nor did he 'scape : By all his engines, but was headlong fent
With his induftrious crew to build in Hell.
Mean while the winged heralds by command
Of fov'reign pow'r, with awful ceremony
And trumpets found, throughout the hoft proclaim¬ A folemn council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high capital.
Of Satan and his peers: their fummons call'd From every band and fquared regiment
By place or choice the worthieft; they anon With hundreds, and with thoufands, trooping came Attended: all accefs was throng'd, the gates 761 And porches wide, but chief the fpacious hall (Though like a cover'd field, where champions bold Wont to ride arm'd, and at the Soldan's chair
Defy'd the best of Panim chivalry
To mortal combat, or career with lance) Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air, Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As bees In Spring-time, when the Sun with Taurus rides, Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clufters; they among fresh dews and flowers Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank, The fuburb of their straw-built citadel, New rubb'd with balm, expatiate, and confer Their ftate-affairs. So thick the airy croud
Swarm'd, and were ftraiten'd; till the fignal given, Behold a wonder! they but now who feem'd In bignefs to furpafs earth's giant fons,
Now lefs than fmalleft dwarfs, in narrow.room Throng numberlefs, like that pygmean race Beyond the Indian mount; or fairy elves, Whofe midnight revels by a foreft-fide,
Or fountain, fome belated peafant fees,
Or dreams he fees; while over-head the moon
Sits arbitrefs, and nearer to the earth
Wheels her pale courfe; they on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund mufic charm his ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds. Thus incorporeal fpi'rits to fmalleft forms'
Reduc'd their fhapes immenfe, and were at large, 790 Though without number fill, amidst the hall
Of that infernal court. But far within, And in their own dimensions like themselves, The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim In clofe recefs and fecret conclave fat, A thousand demigods on golden feats, Frequent and full. After fhort filence then, And fummons read, the great confult began.
The confultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven: Some advife it, others diffuade. A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to fearch the truth of that prophecy or tradition in heaven, concerning another world, and another kind of creature, equal, or not much inferiour to themfelves, about this time to be created: Their doubt who fhall be fent on this diffi cult fearch: Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral ways, and to feveral employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan return. He paffes on his · journey to Hell-gates, finds them shut, and who fat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty be paffes through, directed by Chaos, the power of that place, to the fight of this new world which he fought.
« PreviousContinue » |