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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-

B 2

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

......

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

roll'd

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

Præ

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

Diri planta pedis!

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

Squalentes Tenebræ ?

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!

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

Perdere

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