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When Charlemain with all his peerage fell
By Fontarabia. Thus far thefe beyond
Compare of mortal prowess, yet obferv'd
Their dread commander: he, above the reft
In shape and gesture proudly eminent
Stood like a tower; his form had yet not lost
All her original brightness, nor appear'd
Lefs than arch-angel ruin'd, and the excefs
Of glory obfcur'd: as when the fun new ris3n,
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 fo, yet fhone
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 caft
Signs of remorse and passion to behold
The fellows of his crime, the followers rather
(Far other once beheld in blifs) condemn'd
For ever now to have their lot in pain,
Millions of fpirits for his fault amerc't
Of heav'n, and from eternal fplendors flung
For his revolt, yet faithful how they stood,
Their glory wither'd. As when heaven's fire
Hath fcath'd the forreft oaks, or mountain pines,
With finged top their ftately 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 inclofe him round
With all his peers: attention held them mute.
Thrice he effay'd, and thrice in spight of scorn,
Tears fuch as angels weep, burft forth; at last
Words interwove with fighs found out their way.
O myriads of immortal spirits, O powers
Matchlefs, 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 prefent, 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 puiffant legions, whofe exile
Hath emptied heav'n, fhall fail to re-afcend
Self-rais'd, and repoffefs their native seat ?
For me be witness all the hoft of heav'n,
If counfels different, or danger fhun'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't; our better part remains
To work in close design, by fraud or guile,
What force effected not: that he no lefs

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
But these thoughts
Long under darkness cover.
Full counfel must mature: peace is despair'd,
For who can think submission? war then, war
Open or understood must be refolv'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
Clafp'd on their founding shields the din of war,
Hurling defiance toward the vault of heav'n.
There ftood a hill not far, whose grisly top
Belch'd fire and rowling smoak; the reft entire
Shone with a gloffy fcurf, undoubted fign
That in his womb was hid metallic ore,

The work of fulphur. Thither wing'd with speed
A numerous brigad haften'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 alfo, and by his fuggeftion taught,
Ranfack'd the center, and with impious hands
Riff'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 foyle may best
Deserve the precious bane. And here let those
Who boast 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 fpirits reprobate, and in an hour
What in an age they with inceffant 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 maffie ore,
Severing each kind, and scumm'd the bullion drofs:
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 maffie ore.

To many a row of pipes the found-board breaths.
Anon out of the earth a fabrick huge
Rofe like an exhalation, with the found
Of dulcet fymphonies and voices sweet,
Built like a temple, where Pylafters round
Were fet, and Doric pillars overlaid
With golden architrave; nor did there want
Cornice or freeze, with boffy fculptures 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'afcending pile
Stood fixt her ftately 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 fubtle magic many a row
Of starry lamps and blazing creffets, fed
With Naptha and Asphaltus, yielded light
As from a sky. The hafty 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 refidence,
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 Aufonian land

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