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Thrice he effay'd, and thrice, in fpite of fcorn,
Tears, fuch as angels weep, burst forth; at last
Words interwove with fighs found out their way.
O myriads of immortal fp'rits, O powers
Matchlefs. but with th' Almighty; and that firife
Was not inglorious, though th' event was dire,
As this place teftifies, and this dire change,
Hateful to utter: but what pow'r of mind,
Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth

Of knowledge paft or prefent, could have fear'd,
How fuch united force of gods, how fuch

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As flood like these, could ever know repulfe? 630
For who can yet believe, though after loss,
That all thefe puiffant legions, whofe exile
Hath emptied heav'n, fhall fail to reascend,
Self rais'd, and repoffefs their native feat?
For me be witness all the host of heav'n
If counfels different, or danger fhunn'd
By me, have loft our hopes But he who reigns
Monarch in heav'n, till then as one fecure
Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute,
Confent or cuftom, and his regal state
Put forth at full, but ftill his ftrength conceal'd,
Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall.
Henceforth his might we know, and know our own;
So as not either to provoke, or dread

New war, provok'd; our better part remains,
To work in clo defign, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not: that he no less
At length from us may find, who overcomes
By force, hath overcome but half his foe.

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Space may produce new worlds; whereof fo rife 650
There went a fame in heav'n, that he ere long
Intended to create, and therein plant

A generation, whom his choice regard
Should favour equal to the fons of heaven:
Thither, if but to pry, fhall be perhaps
Our firft eruption, thither or elsewhere:
For this infernal pit fhall never hold
Celestial fp'rits in bondage, nor th' aby's
Long under darkness cover. But there thoughts

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Sheer o'er the crystal battlements; from morn 1 To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve, A fummer's day; and with the fetting fun Dropt from the Zenith like a falling ftar, On Lemnos th' Ægean ifle: thus they relate, Erring; for he with this rebellious rout Fell long before: nor ought avail'd him now I have built in heav'n high tow'rs; dor did he 'fcape By all his engines, but was headl ong fent With all his induftr ous crew to build in hell.

Mean-while the winged heralds by command

Of foy'reign pow'r, with awful ceremony

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And trumpets found, throughout the hot proclaim
A folemn council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high capital

*Of Satan and his peers: their fummons call'd
From ev'ry band and fquared regiment

By place or choice the worthieft; they anon

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With hundreds, and with thoufands, trooping came
Attended: all accefs was throng'd. the gates
And porches wide, but chief the fpacious hall
(Though like a cover'd field, where champions bold
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's chair
Defi'd the best of Panim chivalry

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To mortal combat, or career with lance)
Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air
Brufh'd with the hifs of ruffling wings. As bees
In fpring time, when the fun with Taurus rides,
Pour forth their populous youth about the hive
In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers
Fly to and fro, or on the fmoothed plank,

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The fuburb of their fraw built citadel,

New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer
New flate affairs. So thick the airy crowd
Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till the fignal giv'n,
Behold a wonder! they but now who feem'd
In bignefs to furpafs earth's giant fons,

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Now lefs than fmalleft dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless, like that Pygmean race
Beyond the Indian mount; or fairy elves,
Whole midnight-revels by a foreft fide,

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Or fountain, fome belated peafant fees,

Or dreams he fees; while overhead the moon

Sits arbitrefs, and nearer to the earth

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Wheels her pale courfe; they on their mirth and dance
Intent, with jocund music charm his ear;

At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal fp'rits to fmalleft forms

Reduc'd their fhapes immenfe, and were at large, 790
Though without number ftill, amidft the hall
Of that infernal court. But far within.

And in their own dimenfions like themselves,
The
great Seraphic lords and Cherubim

In clofs recefs and secret conclave fat,
A thoufand demi gods on golden seats,
Frequent and full. After fhort filence then,
And fummons read, the great confult began.

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END OF THE FIRST BOOK.

BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The confultation begun, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven; fome advife it, others diffuade A third propofal 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 inferior to themfelves, about this time to be created: Their doubt who fhall be fent on this difficult 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 fhut, and who fat there to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and difcovered to him the great gulph between hell and heaven; with what difficulty he paffes through, directed by Chaos, the power of that place, to the fight of this new world which he fought.

HGut on a of of Orates wid of Ind,

IGH on a throne of royal state, which far

Or where the gorgeous Eaft with richest hand
Show'rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satán exalted fat, by merit rais'd

To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high; infatiate to purfre

Vain war with heav'n; and, by fuccess untaught,
His proud imaginations thus difplay'd.

Pow'rs and dominions, deities of heav'n;
For fince no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigour, though opprefs'd and fall'n,
I give not heav'n for loft. From this defcent
Celestial virtues rifing, will appear

More glorious and more dread than from no fall,
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