Those thoughts that wander through eternity, To perish rather, swallow'd up and lost In the wide womb of uncreated night,
Devoid of sense and motion? and who knows, Let this be good, whether our angry foe Can give it, or will ever? how he can, Is doubtful; that he never will, is sure. Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire, Belike through impotence or unaware, To give his enemies their wish, and end Them in his anger, whom his anger saves To punish endless? Wherefore cease we then, Say they who counsel war?-We are decreed, Reserv'd, and destin'd to eternal woe; Whatever doing, what can we suffer more, What can we suffer worse?-Is this then worst, Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms? What, when we fled amain, pursu'd and struck With heaven's afflicting thunder, and besought The deep to shelter us? this hell then seem'd A refuge from those wounds. Or when we lay Chain'd on the burning lake? that sure was worse. What if the breath that kindled those grim fires 170 Awak'd should blow them into sevenfold rage, And plunge us in the flames? or from above Should intermitted vengeance arm again His red right hand to plague us? what, if all
174 His] Consult Bentley, and Newton's Notes on the application of the Relative. 'Red right hand' is the 'rubente dextera' of Hor. Od. I. ii. 2.
Her stores were open'd, and this firmament Of hell should spout her cataracts of fire, Impendent horrors, threatening hideous fall One day upon our heads; while we, perhaps Designing or exhorting glorious war, Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurl'd Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and prey Of racking whirlwinds; or for ever sunk Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains; There to converse with everlasting groans, Unrespited, unpitied, unrepriev'd,
Ages of hopeless end? this would be worse. War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike My voice dissuades; for what can force or guile With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye Views all things at one view? He from heaven's highth All these our motions vain, sees and derides;
Not more almighty to resist our might,
Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles. Shall we then live thus vile, the race of heaven, Thus trampled, thus expell'd, to suffer here
Chains and these torments? better these than worse By my advice; since fate inevitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,
The victor's will. To suffer, as to do,
Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust That so ordains: this was at first resolv'd,
181 Each on his rock] 'Illum exspirantem,' &c. Bentl. MS. 185 Unrespited] Consult the notes of Mr. Thyer, and Mr. Todd on
If we were wise, against so great a foe Contending, and so doubtful what might fall.
I laugh, when those, who at the spear are bold And vent'rous, if that fail them, shrink and fear 205 What yet they know must follow, to endure Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain, The sentence of their conqueror: this is now Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear, Our supreme foe in time may much remit
His anger, and perhaps thus far remov'd Not mind us not offending, satisfy'd
With what is punish'd: whence these raging fires Will slacken, if his breath stir not their flames. Our purer essence then will overcome
Their noxious vapor, or enur'd not feel;
Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd In temper and in nature, will receive
Familiar the fierce heat, and void of pain;
This horror will grow mild, this darkness light: 220 Besides what hope the never-ending flight
Of future days may bring, what chance, what change Worth waiting, since our present lot appears For happy though but ill, for ill not worst, If we procure not to ourselves more woe.
Thus Belial with words cloath'd in reason's garb
220 The commentators have not observed that this and the following line rhyme together:
'This horror will grow mild, this darkness light:
Besides what hope the never-ending flight,' &c. .
224 For happy] Compare Theognis, ver. 509. *Ηνδέ τις εἰρωτᾷ τὸν ἐμὸν βιὸν, ὧδε οἱ εἰπεῖν Ως εὖ μὲν, χαλεπῶς· ὡς χαλεπῶς δὲ, μάλ' εὖ.
Counsel'd ignoble ease, and peaceful sloth, Not peace and after him thus Mammon spake. Either to disinthrone the King of heav'n We war, if war be best, or to regain
Our own right lost him to unthrone we then May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife: The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
The latter for what place can be for us
Within heaven's bound, unless heav'n's Lord supreme We overpower? suppose he should relent And publish grace to all, on promise made Of new subjection; with what eyes could we Stand in his presence humble, and receive Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throne With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing Forc'd halleluiahs; while he lordly sits Our envy'd Sov'reign, and his altar breathes Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers, Our servile offerings? This must be our task In heav'n, this our delight; how wearisome Eternity so spent in worship paid To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue By force impossible, by leave obtain❜d Unacceptable, though in heaven, our state Of splendid vassalage, but rather seek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
254 Live] See Hor. Ep. i. xviii. 107.
"Ut mihi vivam
Quod superest ævi.' Newton.
Free, and to none accountable, preferring Hard liberty before the easy yoke
Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear Then most conspicuous, when great things of small, Useful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse,
We can create; and in what place so e'er Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain Through labour and endurance. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? how oft amidst Thick clouds and dark doth heaven's all-ruling Sire Choose to reside, his glory unobscur'd,
And with the majesty of darkness round Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar Must'ring their rage, and heaven resembles hell? As he our darkness, cannot we his light Imitate when we please? this desart soil Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold; Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can heaven show more? Our torments also may in length of time Become our elements, these piercing fires As soft as now severe, our temper chang'd Into their temper; which must needs remove The sensible of pain. All things invite To peaceful counsels, and the settled state Of order, how in safety best we may Compose our present evils, with regard Of what we are and were, dismissing quite All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.
256 Hard liberty] See Eschyli Prom. Vinct. ver. 974. Todd.
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