When Charlemain with all his peerage fell By Fontarabia. Thus far these beyond Compare of mortal prowess, yet observ'd Their dread commander: he, above the rest In shape and gesture proudly eminent Stood like a tower; his form had yet not loft All her original brightness, nor appear'd Less than arch-angel ruin'd, and the excess Of glory obscur'd: as when the fun new ris'n, Looks through the horizontal misty air Shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon, In dim eclips disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change Perplexes monarchs. Darken'd so, yet shone Above them all th'archangel: but his face Deep scars of thunder had intrench't, and care Sat on his faded cheek, but under browes Of dauntless courage, and confiderate pride Waiting revenge: cruel his eye, but cast Signs of remorse and passion to behold The fellows of his crime, the followers rather (Far other once beheld in bliss) condemn'd For ever now to have their lot in pain, Millions of spirits for his fault amerc't Of heav'n, and from eternal splendors flung For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood, Their glory wither'd. As when heaven's fire Hath scath'd the forrest oaks, or mountain pines, With finged top their stately growth though bare Stands on the blafted heath. He now prepar'd To speak; whereat their doubl'd ranks they bend
From wing to wing, and half inclose him round With all his peers: attention held them mute. Thrice he essay'd, and thrice in spight of scorn, Tears such as angels weep, burst forth; at last Words interwove with fighs found out their way. O myriads of immortal spirits, O powers Matchless, but with th'Almighty, and that strife Was not inglorious, though th'event was dire, As this place teftifies, and this dire change Hateful to utter: but what power of mind, Foreseeing or presaging, from the depth Of knowledge past or present, could have fear'd, How fuch united force of gods, how fuch As stood like these, could ever know repulse ? For who can yet believe, though after lofs, That all these puissant legions, whose exile Hath emptied heav'n, shall fail to re-afcend Self-rais'd, and repossess their native feat ? For me be witness all the hoft of heav'n, If counsels different, or danger shun'd By me, have lost our hopes. But he who reigns Monarch in heav'n, till then as one fecure Sat on his throne, upheld by old repute, Consent or custom; and his regal state Put forth at full, but ftill his strength 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't; our better part remains To work in close design, 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. Space may produce new worlds; whereof so rife 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 heav'n : Thither, if but to pry, shall be perhaps Our first eruption, thither or elsewhere : For this infernal pit shall never hold Celestial spirits in bondage, nor th'abyss Long under darkness cover. But these thoughts Full counsel must mature: peace is despair'd, For who can think submission? war then, war Open or understood must be resolv'd.
He spake: and to confirm his words out-flew Millions of flaming swords, drawn from the thighs Of mighty cherubim; the sudden blaze Far round illumin'd hell: highly they rag'd Against the highest, and fierce with grasped arms Clasp'd on their sounding shields the din of war, Hurling defiance toward the vault of heav'n.
There stood a hill not far, whose grifly top Belch'd fire and rowling smoak; the rest entire Shone with a glossy scurf, undoubted sign That in his womb was hid metallic ore, The work of fulphur. Thither wing'd with speed A numerous brigad hasten'd. As when bands Of pioneers with spade and pickax arm'd Forerun the royal camp, to trench a field, Or cast a rampart. Mammon led them on,
Mammon, the least erected spirit that fell From heav'n, for ev'n in heav'n his looks and thoughts Were always downward bent, admiring more The riches of heav'ns pavement, trod'n gold, Than aught divine or holy else enjoy'd In vifion beatific: by him first Men also, and by his suggestion taught, Ransack'd the center, and with impious hands Rif'd the bowels of their mother earth For treasures better hid. Soon had his crew Open'd into the hill a spacious wound, And dig'd out ribs of gold. Let none admire That riches grow in hell; that soyle may best Deserve the precious bane. And here let those Who boaft in mortal things, and wondring tell Of Babel, and the works of Memphian kings, Learn how their greatest monuments of fame, And strength and art are easily out-done By spirits reprobate, and in an hour What in an age they with incessant toil And hands innumerable scarce perform. Nigh on the plain in many cells prepar'd, That underneath had veins of liquid fire Sluc'd from the lake, a second multitude With wondrous art † founded the massie ore, Severing each kind, and scumm'd the bullion dross: A third as foon had form'd within the ground A various mould, and from the boiling cells By strange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook, As in an organ from one blast of wind
† 2d Ed. Found out the massie ore.
To many a row of pipes the found-board breaths. Anon out of the earth a fabrick huge Rose like an exhalation, with the found Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet, Built like a temple, where Pylasters round Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid With golden architrave; nor did there want Cornice or freeze, with bossy sculptures grav'n, The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon, Nor great Alcairo such magnificence Equal'd in all their glories, to inshrine Belus or Serapis their gods, or feat Their kings, when Ægypt with Affyria strove In wealth and luxury. Th'ascending pile Stood fixt her stately highth, and strait the dores Op'ning their brazen folds discover wide Within her ample spaces, o're the smooth And level pavement: from the arched roof, Pendant by subtle magic many a row Of starry lamps and blazing creffets, fed With Naptha and Asphaltus, yielded light As from a sky. The hasty multitude Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise And fome the architect: his hand was known In heav'n by many a towred structure high, Where scepter'd angels held their residence, And fat as princes, whom the supreme king Exalted to fuch power, and gave to rule, Each in his hierarchie, the orders bright. Nor was his name unheard or unador'd In ancient Greece; and in Ausonian land
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