Exilio vasti jam nuda & inania cœli
Templa vacant, quis adhuc dubitat vi tendere ad astra Poffe fuâ patriafque iterum confcendere fedes? Vos cœli collecta Manus, Vos teftor, an ullis Confiliis privatim habitis, cunctansve timensve, Defuerim rebus veftris. Verùm Ille, tyrannum Sefe unum in cœlo jactans, huc ufque refedit Securus folio, famâ, vel temporis ufu, Vel Superûm affenfu innixus; clariffimus Aulæ Effulfit Splendor, Vires latuere repôstæ : Hinc aufi nos bellum ingens, aufoque perimus; Illius hinc demùm vires noftræque patefcunt: Jam neque molimur bellum, nec ad arma vocati Terga damus: quod vis nequiit, fraus gnara patrabit; Hoftis & ifte fciet, quos vicerit impete, victos
Dimidiâ vix parte. Alios fòrs efferet Orbes Circuitus Spatii immenfus, quos fama ferebat Ipsum animo statuiffe effingere; Sedibus illis
As flood like thefe, could ever know repulfe? For who can yet believe, tho' after lofs, That all these puiffant Legions, whofe exile Hath emptied Heav'n, fhall fail to re-ascend Self-rais'd, and repoffefs their native feat? 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 custom, and His Regal State Put forth at full; but ftill His strength conceal'd, Which tempted our attempt, and wrought our fall. Henceforth His Might we know, and know our So as not either to provoke, or dread (Own; New war, provok'd. Our better part remains To work in clofe defign, by fraud or guile, What force effected not: that He no less At length from us may find, Who overcomes By force, hath overcome but half his foe.
Gentem habitaturam, magni quam Cura Parentis Blanda fovens miro fuperis æquaret amore. Fòrs ibi tendemus fpeculatum, alióve locorum; Non hîc certa domus; nec longum carcere opaco Cœleftes cogent Animas immania Claustra
Gurgitis inferni. Verùm hæc decernere feris Præftat conciliis. Pacem haud fperare licebit; Nam quis pofcat iners veniam genubus minor? Ergo Bella palam, vel clam potiùs, fed bella gerenda.
Dixerat ; & vocem gladiorum multa micantûm Millia fancîbant, altis vibrata Cherubum Magnanimûm validè dextris: Cava Tartara circum Ardefcunt immane; DEUM contra Omnipotentem Omnibus una furit rabies; clypeifque feroces Constrictis, refonis quaffant clangoribus arma, Infandifque minis cœli convexa laceffunt.
Mons juxtà fublimis erat; fqualentia diras
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 Sons of Heav'n; Thither, if but to pry, fhall be perhaps Our firft Eruption; thither or elsewhere: For this Infernal Pit fhall never hold Celestial Spirits in Bondage, nor th' Abyss Long under darkness cover. But thefe thoughts Full Counsel muft mature; Peace is despair'd,
For who can think Submiffion? War then, War, Open or understood, muft be refolv'd.
He spake and to confirm his words out-flew Millions of flaming Swords, drawn from the Thighs Of mighty Cherubim: the fudden, blaze Far round illumin'd Hell; highly they rag'd Against the Higheft, and fierce with grafped Arms. Clafh'd on their founding Shields the din of war, Hurling defiance toward the Vault of Heav'n.
There ftood a Hill not far, whofe grifly Top Belch'd fire and rolling smoke; the rest entire
Culmina ructabant flammas, fumofque coactos; Undique crusta nitens obduxit cetera, fignis Haud dubiis prodens utero latitare metallum Sulphure concretum: hàc sese rapuere Catervæ Præcipites, Fofforum inftar qui regia caftra Antevolant, fiquando altis circumdare campum Aggeribus vallis-ve parant. Hæc Agmina Mammon Duxit agens, Mammon demiffior omnibus unus, Qui cœlo exciderant; cœli namque ipfius oris Dejectæque acies mifero fenfusque jacebant Depreffi: fic ufque foli ftellantis honori Calcatifque auri radiis attentus inhæfit;
Olli nec minimâ potuit dulcedine pectus Tangere, quæ Divos permulcet fumma Voluptas, Ipfius ora DEI fanctofque accedere vultus.
Ille Hominum generi matris quoque vifcera terræ Rimari primus fuafit, manibusque nefandis Eruere occultas gazas, meliúfque latentes.
Shone with a gloffy fcurf; (undoubted fign That in his womb was hid metallic Ore, The work of Sulphur) 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 caft a Rampart. Mammon led them on, Mammon, the least erected Spirit that fell
Were always downward bent; admiring more The riches of Heav'n's pavement, trodden Gold, Than ought divine or holy elfe, enjoy'd In Vision Beatific: by him firft Men alfo, and by his fuggeftion taught, Ranfack'd the Centre, and with impious hands Rifled the Bowels of their mother Earth, For Treasures better hid. Soon had his crew
From Heav'n; for ev'n in Heav'n his looks and Open'd into the Hill a fpacious wound,
And digg'd out ribs of Gold. (Let none admire
Jamque cavum ingenti difciffum vulnere montem Turba frequens rupere & fulvi pondera multa
Effodere auri. Nequis miretur opaca Tartara divitias producere: convenit isti
Pernicies pretiofa Solo. Mortalia jactent
Gens Hominum; Regum Phariorum atque alta Babeli Moenia commemorent: norint tamen, unius horæ Momento facile infernas fuperare Catervas Summorum Monumenta Virûm, vi maximâ & arte, Perpetuo fudore inftans quæ mille Fabrorum Vix tandem immenso longus labor erigit ævo. Nec procul, in cellis variis hinc inde paratis Per campum, liquidæ rivo quibus ubere flammæ Succeffere lacu undantes, Pars altera maffam Nativam fundit, divififque ordine venis Secernit nitidum fpumâ fervente metallum. Matricem intereà vaftam fub vifcera terræ Aptarânt Alii Artificum, tumidifque metallo
That Riches grow in Hell; that foil may beft Deserve the precious bane.) And here let thofe Who boaft in mortal things, and wond'ring 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 Spirits reprobate; and in an hour, What in an age they with inceffant toil, And hands innumerable, fcarce 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 wond'rous Art founded the massy Ore; Severing each kind, and fcum'd the Bullion drofs: A Third as foon had form'd within the ground A various Mold; and from the boiling cells By ftrange conveyance fill'd each hollow nook: As in an Organ, from one blaft of Wind,
Effufo è cellis, intùs fpatium omne receffufque Innumeros ductu fimul implevere ftupendo. Sic ubi compofitos diverfis Organa membris Dant numeros, folle ex uno diffufa per omnem Aura ruit molem, & magno fe corpore mifcet. Tum terrâ exfurgens immenfæ Fabrica molis Ardua, ceu vapor, emerfit; dulciffimus unà Et citharæ fonus & variarum carmina vocum. Instar erat templi, quà stant genus omne Columnæ Auro fuppôstæ: variis infculpta figuris
Fascia lata micat; Summum decora alta coronant, Cœlatumque ardet celfis laquearibus Aurum. Talia non Babylon quondam, non talia Memphis Jactabat, totos quanquam oftentaret honores Utraque, feu folio reges inferre pararent,
Sive Deos templis, cum luxu opibufque fuperbis Certaret Pharos Affyria. Celfiffima Turris Ingenti attollens fe vertice mole fuâ ftat.
To many a row of Pipes the found board breaths. Anon out of the Earth a Fabric huge Rofe like an Exhalation, with the found Of dulcet Symphonies, and voices sweet; Built like a Temple, where pilafters round Were fet, and Doric Pillars overlaid With golden Architrave: nor did there want Cornice, or Freeze, with boffy Sculptures grav'n; The Roof was fretted Gold. Not Babylon,
Nor great Alcairo, fuch magnificence Equal'd in all their glories, to infhrine
Belus, or Serapis, their Gods; or feat
Their Kings, when Egypt with Affyria trove In wealth and luxury. Th' afcending pile Stood fix'd her stately height: and ftrait the doors Op'ning their brazen folds difcover wide Within her ample spaces, o'er the smooth And level pavement: from the arched roof,
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