Dextrum igitur tempus (feu nos jam fpreverit Hoftis Securus, feu tandem acres fatiaverit iras)
Captemus. Viden' abruptum diffundier æquor,
Incultos latè campos, omnique carentes Luce plagas, nifi quæ liventibus edita flammis Exilit, incertoque tremifcit pallida motu ? Illic igniti fugientes gurgitis æftum Quæramus tandem fpatium requiemque dolori, Siqua ibi fit requies; cogentefque agmina fracta Tentemus quæ fit potior Sententia; quid nos Reftituat; dirum irritet quid atrociùs Hoftem; Quo mala vincamus ftudio; quas vivida vires Spes dederit: fin Spes abfit, quin mittimus ultrò Sperare? Hoc animos, ipfum Hoc fera pectora firmet. His comitem affatus, fublimi vertice fluctus Exfuperans, oculifque procul flammantibus ardens Exftabat Satanas; vafto dum flumine proni Immanes membrorum artus per jugera multa
Perhaps hath spent his fhafts, and ceases now To bellow through the vast and boundless Deep. Let us not flip th' occafion, whether scorn, Or fatiate fury yield it from our Foc. Seeft thou yon dreary Plain, forlorn and wild, The Seat of defolation, void of light, Save what the glimmering of these livid flames Cafts pale and dreadful? Thither let us tend From off the toffing of these fiery Waves; There reft, if any Reft can harbour there,
And re-affembling our affiicted Powers, Confult how we may henceforth most offend Our Enemy, our own Loss how repair, How overcome this dire Calamity, What reinforcement we may gain from Hope, If not, what resolution from despair.
Thus Satan talking to his nearest Mate With Head up-lift above the wave, and Eyes That sparkling blaz'd; his other Parts befides Prone on the Flood, extended long and large, Undi-
Undabant. Non illum ingenti mole minaces Vincebant (quos fama canit) telluris Alumni Aufi inferre Jovi bellum, Briareusque tremendus Et Typhon, magnus magno exporrectus in antro Antiquam ad Tarfon: non Illum ipfa horrida ponti Bellua, quæ fluctus inter mirabile Monftrum Navigat, æquoreæque exultat maxima gentis. Olim Hæc noctivage rectori vifa biremis, Norvegii falis in fpumâ dum fortè quiescit, (Sic perhibent nautæ), vasta Infula creditur, amplo Immenfum porrecta finu; latus anchora prensat Squamofum, & tutâ fruitur ftatione Magister,
Dum pontum obvelant tenebræ, luxque alma moratur. Talem cernere erat flammantes vincta per undas Membra exporrectum Satanam: nec membra levâsset Ex alto rurfum emergens, ni fponte fupremo Omnipotens nutu paffus malefana patrare Aufa animi effrænis, diros explere furores,
Lay floating many a rood; in bulk as huge As whom the Fables name of monftrous fize, Titanian, or Earth-born, that warr'd on Jove, Briareos or Typhon, whom the Den By ancient Tarfus held: or that Sea-beaft Leviathan, which God of all his works Created hugeft that fwim th' Ocean stream: Him haply flumb'ring on the Norway foam, The Pilot of fome small night-founder'd Skiff,
Deeming fome Island, oft (as Sea-men tell,) With fixed Anchor in his skaly rind, Moors by his Side under the Lee, while Night Invests the Sea, and wished Morn delays: So ftretch'd out huge in length the Arch-fiend lay, Chain'd on the burning Lake; nor ever thence Had ris'n or heav'd his head, but that the will And high permiffion of all-ruling Heav'n Left him at large to his own dark designs,
Et fceleri fcelus, & pœnas fuperaddere pœnis. Hinc aliis quæ tela amens molitur, in ipfum Autorem detorta cadunt; fefe ipfe fuæque Invidiæ ftimulos furiafque incufat atroces: Aft Homini, fævâ incautum quem luferat arte, Dona videt frendens cœlo demiffa, favorem Numinis effufum atque æterni pignus amoris. Continuò immenfam attollit de gurgite molem Arduus: hinc atque hinc divifo flumine abactæ Diffiliunt flammarum undæ, fluctufque recedunt Præcipites: medio vallis patet horrida ponto. Inde volans latè explicitis per inania pennis Panditur, & denfum infolitâ premit aera mole; Dum tandem ficcæ confidit littore terræ,
Si modò terra foret, liquido non mitior æftu Quæ folido ftetit igne rigens, talifque videri, Qualis, ubi rupem ingentem de fronte Pelori Aurarum vis fubtus agens, Ætnæ-ve tonantis
That with reiterated crimes he might Heap on himself damnation, while he fought. Evil to others; and enrag'd might fee How all his malice ferv'd but to bring forth Infinite goodness, grace and mercy fhewn On Man by him feduc'd; but on himself Treble confufion, wrath and vengeance pour'd. Forthwith upright he rears from off the Pool His mighty Stature; on each hand the Flames Driv'n backward flope their pointing Spires, and
In Eillows leave i'th'midft a horrid Vale. Then with expanded Wings he fteers his flight Aloft, incumbent on the dusky Air That felt unusual Weight, 'till on dry Land He lights, if it were Land that ever burn'd With folid, as the Lake with liquid fire; And fuch appear'd in hue, as when the force Of fubterranean Wind transports a Hill Torn from Pelorus, or the fhatter'd fide Of thund'ring Etna whose combustible
Præruptum latus avellit, cui vifcera flammam Concipiunt facilem, & nativo fomite fulphur Dans ventis animos fornacibus æftuat imis; Horrendo fœtore gravis fumoque perusta Squalet agri facies. Tali fe littore fiftit
Sociorum proximus Ipfum
Subfequitur: fe more Deûm virtute receptâ
Jactabant Stygias proprio viciffe paludes
Impete, nec domini nutum expectâffse superni.
Hæc Regio, hæc Tellus, ergo hæ mihi Littoris oræ, (Clamat Cœlicolûm Dux obrutus) Hæccine Sedes
Ætheriis mutanda Plagis, hæ Luce beatâ
Bene habet, quum scilicet Isti
Sic vifum, qui fceptra ferox indebita jactat :
Esto; juvat: quantùm potis eft, procul, ô procul Illo Sejunctus vivam, quem fati æquaverat Ordo,
Vis fuper Æquales nunc extulit. Arva valete Dulcia, felices Campi, æternifque fluentes
And fuel'd entrails thence conceiving Fire, Sublim'd with Mineral fury, aid the Winds, And leave a finged bottom all involv'd With stench and smoak: Such Refting found the Sole Of unblefs'd feet! Him follow'd his next Mate, Both glorying to have 'fcap'd the Stygian flood, As Gods, and by their own recover'd strength; Not by the fuffrance of fupernal pow'r.
Is this the Region, this the Soil, the Clime,
(Said then the loft Arch-Angel) this the Seat, That we must change for Heav'n? this mournful gloom
For that celestial light? Be it fo! fince He Who now is Sov'reign can difpofe, and bid What fhall be right: fartheft from him is beft, Whom reafon hath equal'd, force hath made fu- Above his Equals. Farewel happy Fields, [preme Where Joy for ever dwells! hail horrors! hail
Deliciis! Salvete Horrores! Tu mihi falve
Infernum! Vosque interiùs nova pandite regna
Magno Habitatori, atque imis capite alta cavernis
Tartara, cui Mentem non Tempora, non Loca mutant. Mens locus ipfa fibi eft; Erebum Cœlumque facit Mens. Quid refert ubi fim, fi perstem immotus & idem, Et qualem decet, haud ipfo, fi fulmina tantùm Abjiciat, Victore minor? Quin otia faltem Ducere in his dabitur tenebris, nifi & ifta Tyrannus Invideat loca, & hinc aliis nos exigat armis. Saltem hic fecuri dominabimur: Hoc bene regnum Tanto emitur bello: Sic, fic regnare fub umbris Præftat, quàm fuperi fervire per atria cœli. At quorsùm fidos comites fociofque ruinæ Lethæo attonitos patimur fub gurgite volvi? Quidni has in fedes fortemque vocamus iniquam Regni infelicis ; vel ut experiamur in armis Quid cœli regione datur reparare, vel imo
Infernal World! and thou profoundest Hell Receive thy new Poffeffor! One, who brings A mind not to be chang'd by place or time. The mind is its own place, and in it self Can make a heav'n of hell, a hell of heav'n. What matter where, if I be ftill the fame, And what I should be, all but less than He Whom thunder hath made greater? Here at least We fhall be free; th' Almighty hath not built
Here for His envy; will not drive us hence: Here we may reign fecure; and in my choice To reign is worth ambition, tho' in hell: Better to reign in hell, than ferve in heav'n. But wherefore let we then our faithful friends, Th' affociates and copartners of our loss, Lye thus aftonish'd on th' oblivious pool, And call them not to share with us their part In this unhappy manfion: or once more
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