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Perdere (fiquid adhuc perdendum reftat) Averno?

Hæc Satanas. Cui fic Balzebus: Magne Cohortum
Latè effulgentum Ductor, quas noverat unus

Viciffe Omnipotens ! Illam fimul Agmina Vocem
Audierint, pignus femper prædulce falutis,
Bellorum extremâ rabie ancipitique tumultu
Auditam toties; figno quo protinus omnes
Tot quondam in cædes, discrimina tanta ruebant;
Illa repente alacrefque animos agilemque vigorem
Reftituet; quanquam ignito jam gurgite pronos
Urget iners, qualem & dudum nos fenfimus, Horror:
Tantâ deciderunt vaftum per Inane ruinâ !

Finierat: magnâque ad littora mole fuperbus
Lenta tulit Satanas veftigia: grande retortum
A tergo, massâ ætheriâ, vastum atque rotundum,
Pendebat Scutum, immanes radiantibus oris
Amplectens humeros, qualis cum vefpere Luna
Fæfuled fuper arce, aut lætis vallibus Arni

With rallied arms to try, what may be yet
Regain'd in heav'n, or what more loft in hell?
So Satan fpake, and him Beelzebub
Thus anfwer'd: Leader of thofe armies bright,
Which but th' Omnipotent none could have foil'd!
If once they hear that voice, their livelieft pledge
Of hope in fears and dangers, heard so oft
In worst extremes, and on the perilous edge
Of battel when it rag'd, in all affaults

Their fureft fignal, they will foon resume
New courage, and revive, tho' now they lye
Grov'ling and proftrate on yon lake of fire,
(As we erewhile,) aftounded and amaz'd;
No wonder, fall'n fuch a pernicious height!

He fcarce had ceas'd, when the superior fiend
Was moving tow'rd the fhore: his pond'rous fhield,
Ethereal temper, maffie, large and round,
Behind him caft; the broad circumference

Cernitur

Cernitur Artifici Thufco, dum lumine vitri
Dædaleo adjutus maculofo explorat in orbe
Montefque fluviofque vagos terrafque recentes.
Innixus fublimi Hastæ, (cui maxima Pinus
Norvegiis fi ftrata jugis componitur, illo
Utatur malo quanquam Prætoria Puppis,
Virgula erit,) fuper arva gradus fuftentat iniquos
Ignea, quantùm illis placidi per cærula cœli
Diffimiles! Omni intereà regione furentes
Incubuere acres ardenti à fornice flammæ.

Ille autem tulit intrepidus, dum littora ponti
Tangeret ignivomi: clamat focia Agmina, formæ
Agmina cœleftis, jam prona jacentia Auctu
Atque oblita fui; numero tot, lapfa fenili
Quot folia Autumno fternuntur littoris oris
Valle sub Umbrosâ, fcenam quà Thufca virentem
Ædificant nemora, atque altos curvantur in arcus:
Aut Rubro quàm multa Mari natat Ulva, procellis

Hung on his shoulders like the Moon, whose Orb
Thro' Optick Glafs the Tufcan Artist views
At Ev'ning from the top of Fefole,
Or in Valdarno, to defcry new Lands,
Rivers, or Mountains, in her spotty Globe.
His Spear, (to equal which the tallest Pine
Hewn on Norwegian Hills, to be the Maft
Of fome great Ammiral, were but a wand)
He walk'd with, to fupport uneafie steps

Over the burning Marle (not like those steps
On Heaven's azure!) and the torrid Clime
Smote on him fore befides, vaulted with Fire.
Nathlefs he so endur'd, 'till on the Beach
Of that inflamed Sea he stood, and call'd
His Legions, Angel-forms, who lay intranc'd,
Thick as autumnal Leaves that ftrow the Brooks
In Vallombrofa, where th' Etrurian shades
High over-arch'd imbow'r; or scatter'd fedge

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Æquora cum verrit rapidis nimbofus Orion;
Quà Regem malefanum undæ ftravere fecutum
Ifacidas: Illi ex tutâ fpeculantur arenâ
Currusque excussasque rotas & pallida ponto
Corpora multa Virûm volvi. Tam densa jacebat
Mæfta Cohors fluvium occultans, horrore fepulta,
Mutatamque ftupens fedem & fqualentia regna.
Intendit vocem Satanas, fonitumque dedere
Antra profunda Erebi: O ingentibus inclyta sceptris
Regum excelfa Manus, bello imperiifque potentûm,
Flos cœli, quondam heu veftri! Nunc arcibus illis
Cedendum, tantus corda immortalia torpor
Si teneat. Sed fortè libet decumbere fluctu,
Scilicet hic Virtus bellis ut laffa quiefcat,
Utque levem hìc ineat, cœli ceu valle, foporem!
An certum eft adeò abjecto fuccumbere gestu
Victori, fuperâ infultans qui fpectat ab arce
Illuftres cœli Indigenas & celfa Seraphum

[threw

Afloat, when with fierce Winds Orion arm'd
Hath vex'd the Red-Sea Coast, whose waves o'er-
Bufiris, and his Memphian Chivalry,
While with perfidious hatred they purfu'd
The fojourners of Goshen, who beheld
From the fafe fhore their floating Carcafes,
And broken Chariot Wheels: fo thick beftrown,
Abject and loft lay thefe, covering the Flood,
Under amazement of their hideous Change.
He call'd fo loud, that all the hollow Deep

Of Hell refounded: Princes, Potentates,
Warriors, the flow'r of Heav'n! once yours, now
If fuch astonishment as this can feize
[loft,
Eternal Spirits or have ye chos'n this place
After the toil of battle to repofe
Your wearied virtue, for the eafe you find
To flumber here, as in the Vales of Heaven?
Or in this abject pofture have ye fworn
T'adore the Conqueror? who now beholds
Cherub and Seraph rolling in the Flood,

Agmina jactari rapido ludibria ponto,

Armaque fignaque flammantes denfata per undas?
Jamque ardens meliorque loco pennata fequentum
Turba Inimicorum ruet æthere, femianimesque
Calcabit, triplici-ve infixos fulminis ictu

Usque imum premet in barathrum. Quin rumpite fomnos,
Surgite, vel fœdâ æternùm torpete ruinâ.

Audierant, puduitque; alifque micantibus omnes
Ociùs exiliere: Ut quondam nocte filenti
Caftrorum Speculatores, fi fortè fopore
Oppreffos metuendi offenderit ira Tribuni,
Membra repente levant languentibus excita fomnis.
Nec verò immanis non perfensere ruinæ

Pondera, nec gravium stimulis caruere dolorum ;
At voci Ducis aufcultant, mora nulla, ruuntque
Innumeri. Veluti Amramidis cum Virga, Canopi
Littore vibrata infaufto, per rura juberet

Ire locuftarum nubem, quæ urgentibus Euris

With scatter'd Arms and Enfigns; 'till anon
His fwift purfuers from Heav'n-gates discern
Th' advantage, and defcending tread us down
Thus drooping or with linked Thunderbolts
Transfix us to the bottom of this Gulph.
Awake, arife, or be for ever fall'n!

They heard, and were abash'd, and up they fprung
Upon the wing; as when men wont to watch
On duty, fleeping found by whom they dread,

Rouze and beftir themselves ere well awake.
Nor did they not perceive the evil plight
In which they were, or the fierce pains not feel;
Yet to their General's Voice they foon obey'd,
Innumerable. As when the potent Rod
Of Amram's fon, in Egypt's evil day,
Wav'd round the coaft, up call'd a pitchy cloud
Of locufts, warping on the eaftern Wind,
That o'er the Realm of impious Pharaob hung

C 2

Denfæ

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Denfæ inftar Noctis fævi Pharaonis in oras

Venit, & horrendâ Nilum circumdedit umbrâ.
Talis Tartareorum Acies denfiffima Fratrum
Ignem inter flammantem infrà circumque fupràque
Sufpendit trifti fub fornice lentius alas:

Dum tandem magni Cuspis fublata Tyranni
Quò flectant iter oftendit: tum præpete pennâ
Æquato demiffi unà libramine terrâ

Sidunt fulphureâ, & latum funduntur in æquor,
Turba ingens; quantam haud olim glacialibus Arctos
Effùdit lumbis, populorum maxima Mater,

Aut Rhenum super aut Iftrum, cum barbara Pubes
Diluvii in morem tepidos undaret in Austros,
Ufque ipfam ad Calpem & Lybiæ fitientis arenas.
Jamque omni à turmâ celeres atque agmine ab omni
Ingentem ftipare Duces fimul undique Regem
Approperant: fua quemque & Sceptra, & major Imago
Humanâ, æthereæque ornant veftigia formæ.

Like Night, and darken'd all the land of Nile:
So numberless were those bad Angels feen
Hov'ring on wing under the cope of Hell,
'Twixt upper, nether, and furrounding Fires:
Till, as a fignal giv'n, th' up-lifted Spear
Of their great Sultan waving to direct
Their course, in even balance down they light
On the firm brimftone, and fill all the plain:
A multitude! like which the populous North

Pour'd never from her frozen loins, to pass
Rhene or the Danaw, when her barbarous fons
Came like a Deluge on the South, and spread
Beneath Gibralter to the Lybian fands.
Forthwith from ev'ry fquadron, and each band,
The Heads and Leaders thither hafte where flood
Their great Commander; God-like shapes and forms
Excelling human, Princely Dignities,

And Pow'rs! that erft in Heaven fat on Thrones;

Scilicet

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