Quod fupereft, magni componit mænia Mundi.
En Sphæram, Cujus nobis pars proxima fulget
Luce repercuffà: Sedem hæc Homini loca, dat lux
Ifta diem: Hæc denfâ, velut altera, nocte lateret
Abdita pars Sphæræ, radiis ni Luna propinquis
(Quod micat oppofitum, fignes hoc nomine Sidus)
Ferret opem, claudenfque agili renovansque rotatu
Menftruum iter: triplici medium fuper æthera vultu
Illa vices varians alieno lumine terras
Luftrat, & imperio tenebras pallente coercet.
Hæc tibi quam monftro fedem, Paradifus, Adami
Hofpitium; iftæ illi texunt umbracula Silvæ:
Carpe age, prona via eft; alia hinc me Semita pofcit.
Dixerat, avertitque gradum: Quem poplite adorans
Curvato Satanas (hunc cœlo femper honorem
Ordinibus Superûm primis mos ferre Minores)
Disceffit, terrarum ardens contingere fines.
The reft in circuit wall this Universe.
Look downward on that Globe, whofe hither fide
With light from hence, tho' but reflected, shines :
That place is Earth, the feat of Man; that Light
His Day; which elfe, as th' other hemisphere,
Night would invade: but there the neighb'ring
Moon
(So call that oppofite fair Star) her aid
Timely interpofes; and her monthly round
Still ending, ftill renewing through mid Heav'n,
With borrow'd light her countenance triform
Hence fills and empties to enlighten th' Earth,
And in her pale dominion checks the night.
That Spot to which I point is Paradise,
Adam's abode; those lofty fhades his bow'r;
Thy way thou can't not mifs, me mine re-
quires.
Thus faid, he turn'd; and Satan bowing low
(As to fuperior Spirits is wont in Heav'n,
Where honour due, and reverence, none neglects)
Ocius & curvo delapfus tramite Solis,
Spe celerante fugam, multo fe volvit in Orbe
Præcipitans, fummique tenet juga celsa Niphatis.
Took leave, and tow'rd the coast of Earth beneath
Down from th' Ecliptic, fped with hop'd fuccefs,
Throws his fteep flight in many an Aery wheel;
Nor ftaid, till on Niphates' top he lights.
Ubi nunc Vox illa tonans, Prænuntia cladis,
Væ Væ Terrigenis! quam cœli audîbat in oris
Antiftes, Arcana DEUS cui fancta retexit,
Quando aliâ jam clade Draco turbatus in orbem
Irrueret, genti Humanæ minitatus atroces
Vindictæ furias. O fi nunc tempore dextro
Primævi audiffent Monitum cœlefte Parentes,
Lethalem fi forte Hoftem fraudefque malignas
Vitâffent! Satanas iris namque actus iniquis
Nunc primùm ingreditur terras, Hominemque dolofis
Sollicitans malus illecebris nil tale merentem
Morte parat mulctare gravi, jamque improbus optat
Ipfe fuum ulcifci exilium turpemque repulfam.
At neque fe jactans, nec curfu concitus, Aufa
Effera molitur; quæ mox ventura fub auras
Corde laboranti fervent, feriuntque retorta
Artificem, dira ut rapido Tormenta refultant
Impete. Difcruciant Animum diverfa volutantem
Incerti Horrores, commotaque pectoris imo
Tartara follicitant fundo; nam Tartara fecum
Circumfert, quodcunque agitat, quocunque movetur.
Intereà ftimulos renovans fub pectore verfat
Confcia Mens, exfpes, monituque remordet acerbo:
Quantus erat, Qui fit, recolit, Qualifque futurus,
Quando Malum afperius graviora fequatur ob Aufa.
Nunc mifer Edenum versùs, qui fuave nitentes
Terrarum oftendit tractus, morentia volvit
Lumina; nunc cœlum, cœlique in turribus altis
Sufpexit Solem ardentem: tum pectore mæsto
Multa putans, ac multa gemens, fic farier orfus :
O folus qui celfa poli, decus ætheris ingens,
Yet not rejoycing in his speed, though bold
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt; which nigh the birth.
Now rolling, boils in his tumultuous breast,
And like a devilish Engine back recoils
Upon himself. Horror and doubt distract
His troubled thoughts; and from the bottom stir
The Hell within him: for within him Hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell
One ftep, no more than from himself, can fly
By change of place. Now confcience wakes defpair,
That flumber'd; wakes the bitter memory
Of what he was, what is, and what must be,
Worfe! of worfe deeds worse fufferings must ensue.
Sometimes tow'rd Eden, which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes fad:
Sometimes tow'rd Heav'n, and the full blazing Sun,
Which now fat high in his Meridian Tow'r:
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began:
O thou, that with furpaffing Glory crown'd
Regna tenes, fulgesque novo Deus alter in Orbe,
Sidera quo vifo pallenti luce recedunt;
Compello te voce palam, fed voce inimicâ
Compello; invifum & nomen memorare juvabit,
O Sol, teftantem uberius quàm pectore toto
Teque tuamque odi lucem; quâ dira monente
Ille animo mihi priscus Honos, Arx illa recursat,
Quæque tuas longe defpexit Gloria turres.
Sed Me depulit inde Superbia, depulit amens
Ambitio, aggreffum pugnâ me opponere Regi
Ætheris indomito, medioque laceffere cœlo.
Ah quianam? longe abfimiles præftare decebat
Me fructus; Me, quem finxit, quemque extulit altè
Fulgentem ante alios, cui tot donaverat ultro
Munera, nec turpi opprobrio comitata, nec acri
Servitio: Quis enim labor eft perfolvere laudis
Vectigal meritum, dignafque rependere grates?
Cuncta Mihi tamen in virus converfa Parentis
Look'ft from thy fole Dominion like the God
Of this new World; at whose fight all the Stars
Hide their diminish'd heads; to Thee I call,
But with no friendly voice; and add thy name,
O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams,
That bring to my remembrance from what state
I fell how glorious once above thy Sphere;
'Till Pride, and worse Ambition, threw me down,
Warring in Heav'n against Heav'n's matchlefs King.
Ah wherefore! He deferv'd no fuch return
From Me, whom He created what I was,
In that bright eminence, and with his good.
Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard.
What could be less than to afford him praise,
(The eafieft recompence,) and pay him thanks?
How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me,
And wrought but malice: lifted up so high
I 'fdein'd fubjection, and thought one step higher
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