To bottomless perdition, there to dwell
In Adamantine Chains and penal Fire,
Who durft defie th' Omnipotent to Arms.

Nine times the Space that measures Day and Night 50
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew

Lay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery Gulfe
Confounded though immortal: But his doom
Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of loft happiness and lafting pain

Torments him; round he throws his baleful eyes
That witness'd huge affliction and dismay
Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate :
At once as far as Angels kenn he views
The dismal Situation waste and wilde,
A Dungeon horrible, on all fides round

As one great Furnace flam'd, yet from those flames
No light, but rather darkness visible
Serv'd only to discover fights of woe,

Regions of forrow, doleful shades, where peace
And rest can never dwell, hope never comes
That comes to all; but torture without end
Still urges, and a fiery Deluge, fed
With ever-burning Sulphur unconfum'd:
Such place Eternal Justice had prepar'd
For those rebellious, here their Prifon ordain'd
In utter darkness, and their portion fet
As far remov'd from God and light of Heav'n
As from the Center thrice to th' utmost Pole.
O how unlike the place from whence they fell!
There the companions of his fall, o'rewhelm'd
With Floods and Whirlwinds of tempeftuous fire,
He foon difcerns, and weltring by his fide

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One next himself in power, and next in crime, 80 Long after known in Palestine, and nam'd Beelzebub. To whom th' Arch-Enemy,

And thence in Heav'n call'd Satan, with bold words
Breaking the horrid filence thus began.

If thou beeft he; But O how fall'n! how chang'd
From him, who in the happy Realms of Light
Cloth'd with transcendent brightnes didst outshine
Myriads though bright: If he whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counfels, equal hope,
And hazard in the Glorious Enterprize,

90 Joynd with me once, now mifery hath joynd
In equal ruin into what Pit thou seest

From what highth fal'n, so much the stronger provd
He with his Thunder: and till then who knew
The force of those dire Arms? yet not for those
Nor what the Potent Victor in his rage
Can else inflict do I repent or change,

Though chang'd in outward luftre; that fixt mind
And high difdain, from fence of injur'd merit,
That with the mightiest rais'd me to contend,
100 And to the fierce contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd

That durft diflike his reign, and me preferring,
His utmost power with adverfe power oppos'd
In dubious Battel on the Plains of Heav'n,
And shook his throne. What though the field be loft?
All is not loft; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to fubmit or yield :
And what is elfe not to be overcome?

110 That Glory never shall his wrath or might

Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deifie his power
Who from the terrour of this Arm fo late
Doubted his Empire, that were low indeed,
That were an ignominy and shame beneath
This downfall; fince by Fate the ftrength of Gods
And this Empyreal substance cannot fail,
Since through experience of this great event
In Arms not worse, in forefight much advanc't,
We may with more fuccessful hope refolve
To wage by force or guile eternal Warr
Irreconcileable, to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excefs of joy
Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.

So fpake th' Apoftate Angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but rackt with deep defpare:
And him thus answer'd foon his bold Compeer.
O Prince, O Chief of many Throned Powers,
That led th' imbattelld Seraphim to Warr
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless, endanger'd Heav'ns perpetual King;
And put to proof his high Supremacy,

Whether upheld by ftrength, or Chance, or Fate,
Too well I fee and rue the dire event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat
Hath loft us Heav'n, and all this mighty Host
In horrible deftruction laid thus low,

As far as Gods and Heav'nly Effences

Can Perish for the mind and spirit remains
Invincible, and vigour foon returns,

Though all our Glory extinct, and happy state
Here fwallow'd up in endless mifery.

But

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But what if he our Conquerour, (whom I now
Of force believe Almighty, fince no less

Then fuch could hav orepow'rd fuch force as ours)
Have left us this our spirit and strength intire
Strongly to fuffer and fupport our pains,
That we may fo fuffice his vengeful ire,
Or do him mightier service as his thralls
150 By right of Warr, what e're his business be
Here in the heart of Hell to work in Fire,
Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep;
What can it then avail though yet we feel
Strength undiminsht, or eternal being
To undergo eternal punishment?

Whereto with speedy words th'Arch-fiend reply'd.
Fall'n Cherube, to be weak is miserable
Doing or Suffering: but of this be fure,
To do ought good never will be our task,
160 But ever to do ill our fole delight,

As being the contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his Providence
Out of our evil feek to bring forth good,
Our labour must be to pervert that end,
And out of good still to find means of evil;
Which oft times may fucceed, so as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmoft counfels from their deftind aim.
But fee the angry Victor hath recall'd

170 His Minifters of vengeance and pursuit

Back to the Gates of Heav'n: The Sulphurous Hail
Shot after us in storm, oreblown hath laid
The fiery Surge, that from the Precipice

Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling, and the Thunder,

Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage,
Perhaps hath spent his shafts, and ceases now
To bellow through the vast and boundless Deep.
Let us not flip th' occafion, whether scorn,
Or fatiate fury yield it from our Foe.
Seeft thou yon dreary Plain, forlorn and wilde,
The feat of defolation, voyd of light,

Save what the glimmering of these livid flames
Cafts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tend
From off the toffing of these fiery waves,
There reft, if any reft can harbour there,
And reaffembling our afflicted Powers,
Confult how we may henceforth most offend
Our Enemy, our own lofs how repair,
How overcome this dire Calamity,
What reinforcement we may gain from Hope,
If not what refolution from defpare.

Thus Satan talking to his neereft Mate
With Head up-lift above the wave, and Eyes
That sparkling blaz'd, his other Parts befides.
Prone on the Flood, extended long and large
Lay floating many a rood, in bulk as huge
As whom the Fables name of monstrous fize,
Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove,
Briarios or Typhon, whom the Den

By ancient Tarfus held, or that Sea-beast
Leviathan, which God of all his works.
Created hugeft that swim th' Ocean ftream:
Him haply lumbring on the Norway foam
The Pilot of fome small night-founder'd Skiff,
Deeming fome Island, oft, as Sea-men tell,
With fixed Anchor in his skaly rind

Moors

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