Counsell'd ignoble eafe, and peaceful floth,
Not peace; and after him thus Mammon fpake.
Either to difenthrone the King of heav'n
We war, if war be beft, or to regain
Our own right loft; him to unthrone we then
May hope, when everlasting Fate fhall yield
To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the ftrife:
The former vain to hope, argues as vain
The latter for what place can be for us
Within heav'n's bounds, unless heav'n's LORD fupreme
We overpow'r? Suppose he should relent,
And publish grace to all, on promife made
Of new fubjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his prefence humble, and receive
Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throne
With warbled hymns, and to his godhead fing
Forc'd Halleluiahs; while he lordly fits
Our envied fov'reign, and his altar breathes
Ambrofial odours and ambrofial flowers,
Our fervile offerings? This must be our task
In heav'n, this our delight; how wearifome
Eternity fo fpent in worship paid
Of whom we hate! Let us not then purfue,
By force impoffible, by leave obtain❜d,
Unacceptable, though in heav'n, our state
Of fplendid vaffalage; but rather feek
Our own good from ourfelves, and from our own
Live to ourselves, though in this vaft recefs,
Free, and to none accountable, preferring
Hard liberty before the eafy yoke
Of fervile pomp. Our greatnefs will appear
Then moft confpicuous, when great things of small, Ufeful of hurtful, profp'rous of adverfe,
We can create; and in what place foe'er
Thrive under ev'il, and work ease out of pain,
Through labour and endurance. This deep world Of darknefs do we dread? How oft amidit
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all ruling Sire Choose to refide. his glory unobfcur'd,
And with the majefty of darkness round
Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar, Mult'ring their rage, and heav'n resembles hell?
As he our darknefs, cannot we this light
Imitate when we pleafe? This defert foil
Wants not her hidden luftre, gems and gold :.
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can heav'n fhow more?
Our torments alfo may in length of time
Become our elements; thefe piercing fires
As foft as now fevere, our temper chang'd
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The fenfibilty of pain. All things invite
To peaceful counfels, and the fettled ftate
Of order, how in fafety beft we may
Compose our prefent evils, with regard
Of what we are, and where; difmifling quite
All thoughts of war.
He fearce had finifh'd, when fuch murmur fill'd
Th' affembly, as when hollow rocks retain
285
The found of bluft'ring winds, which all night long
Had rous'd the fea, now with hoarfe cadence lull
Seafaring men o'erwatch'd, whofe bark by chance,
Or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay
After the tempeft: fuch applause was heard
As Mammon ended, and his fentence pleas'd,
Advising peace; for fuch another field
They dreaded worse than hell: fo much the fear
Of thunder and the fword of Michael
Wrought fill within them; and no lefs defire
To found this nether empire, which might rife,
By policy, and long procefs of time,
In emulation opposite to Heav'n.
Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd, than whom,
Satan except, none higher fat, with grave
Afpect he rofe, and in his rifing feem'd
A pillar of state; deep on his front ingraven
Deliberation fat, and public care;
And princely counfel in his face yet fhone,
Majeftic though in ruin: fage he stood
With Atlantean fhoulders fit to bear
The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention ftill as night,
Or fummer's noon-tide air, while thus he fpake.
Thrones and imperial pow'rs, offspring of heav'n,
Ethereal virtues; or thefe titles now
Mult we renounce, and changing ftyle, be call'd
Princes of hell; for fo the popular vote
Inclines, here to continue, and build up here
A growing empire; doubtlefs while we dream, 315
And know not that the King of heav'n hath doom'd
This place our digeon; not our safe retreat
Beyond his potent arm to live exempt
From heav'n's high jurifdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne; but to remain.
In tricteit bondage, though thus far remov'd,
Under th' inevitable curb, referv'd
His captive multitude; for he, be fure,
In height or depth, ftill firft and laft will reign
Sole king, and of his kingdom lofe no part
By our revolt: but over hell extend
His empire and with iron fceptre rule
Us here, as with his golden those in heav'n.
What fit we then projecting, peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with lofs
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none
Vouchfaf'd or fought; for what peace will be giv'n
To us inflv'd, but cuftody fevere,
And ftripes, and arbitrary punifhment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
Bit to our pow'r, hoftility, and hate,
Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though flow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqu❜ror least
May reap his conqueft, and may leaft rejoice
In doing what we moft in fuffering feel?
Nor will occafion want, nor fhall we need
With dang'rous expedition to invade
Heav'n, whofe high walls fear no affault or fiege,
Or ambush from the deep.. What if we find
Some eafier enterprife? There is a place,
(If ancient and prophetic fame in heav'n
Err not), another world, the happy feat
Of fome new race call'd Man, about this time
To be created like to us, though lefs
In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more
Of him who rules above; fo was his will
Pronounc'd among the gods, and by an oath,
G
That fhook heav'n's whole circumference, confirm❜d.
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of what mould
Or fubftance, how endu'd, and what their power,
And where their weakness, how attempted beft,
By force or fubtlety. Though heav'n be fhut,
And heav'n's high Arbitrator fit fecue.
In his own ftrength, this place may lie expos'd. 360
The utmolt border of his kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be atchiev'd'
By fudden onfet, either with hell fire
To wafte his whole creation; or poffefs
All as our own, and drive, as we were driven,
The puny inhabitants ; or if not drive,
Seduce them to our party, that their GoD
May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would furpass
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our confufion, and our joy upraife
In his difturbance; when his darling fons,
Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, fhall curfe
Their frail original, and faded blifs,
Faded fo foon. Advife if this be worth
Attempting, or to fit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence,
But from the author of all ill, could fpring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and earth with hell
To mingle and involve, done all to fpite
The great Creator? But their fpite till ferves
His glory to augment. The bold defign.
Pleas'd highly thofe infernal ftates, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent
They vote whereat his fpeech he thus renews.
Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate, 390
Synod of gods, and, like to what ye are,
Great things refolv'd, which from the loweft deep
Will once more lift us up, in fpite of fate,
Nearer our ancient feat; perhaps in view
Of those bright confines whence, with neighb'ring arms
And opportune excurfions, we may chance
Re-enter heav'n; or else in fome mild zone
Dwell not unvifited of heav'n's fair light,
Secure and at the bright'ning orient beam
Purge off this gloom: the foft delicious air,
To heal the fear of those corrofive fires,
Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we fend
In fearch of this new world; whom shall we find
Sufficient? who fhall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark unbottom'd, infinite abyfs,
And through the palpable obfcure find out
His uncouth way, or fpread his airy flight
Upborne with undefatigable wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive
The happy ifle? What ftrength, what art can then Suffice, or what evasion bear him safe
Through the ltrict fenteries and stations thick
Of Angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumfpection, and we now no lefs
Choice in our fuffrage; for on whom we fend,
The weight of all and our last hope relies.
This faid, he fat; and expectation held
His look fufpenfe, awaiting who appear'd
To fecond, or oppose, or undertake
The perilous attempt: but all fat mute,
Pond'ring the danger with deep thoughts, and each
In other's count'nance read his own difmay,
Aftonish'd. None among the choice and prime
Of thofe heav'n-warring champions could be found
So hardy, as to proffer, or accept
Alone the dreadful voyage; till at last
Satan, whom now tranfcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with monarchal pride,
Confcious of higheft worth, unmov'd, thus fpake.
O progeny of heav'n, empyrial thrones,
With reafon hath deep filence and demur
Seiz'd us, though undifmai'd; long is the way
And hard, that out of hell leads up to light:
Our prifon ftrong; this huge convex of fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Minefold; and gates of burning adamant
|