Panduntur valvæ æratæ; fpatia ampla patefcunt; Splendet læve folum; curvoque à fornicis arcu Pendentes lychni & ftellantûm plurimus ordo
Flammarum, quas Naphtha aluit, quas pingue Bitumen, Ætheris in morem radiabant. Ociùs intrat
Turba frequens, lustratque stupenti lumine: laudant Pars opus, artificemque alii. Magnam Illius artem Multa olim turrita ædes claraverat oris
Æthereis, Divis celebrata potentibus, altâ
Torquebant qui fceptra manu, quibus omnipotens Rex Ante alios fulgere fuo quemque ordine fanctis Imperiis dedit, & rutilis dare jura catervis.
Illum etiam vetus haud nescivit Græcia, honores Nec renuit facros. Quin dictus Mulciber idem Aufoniis: lapfum perhibebant æthere fummo Projectumque fuper chryftallina mœnia mundi Irati Jovis ab dextrâ, de mane recenti
Ad medium ufque diem rapido cecidiffe rotatu,
Pendent by fubtle Magic, many a row Of starry lamps, and blazing creffets, fed With Naphtha and Asphaltus, yielded light As from a Sky. The hafty multitude Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise, And fome the Architect: his hand was known In Heav'n by many a towred structure high, Where Sceptred Angels held their refidence, And fat as Princes; whom the fupreme King
Exalted to fuch pow'r, and gave to rule, Each in his Hierarchy, the Orders bright: Nor was his name unheard or unador'd In ancient Greece; and in Aufonian Land Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell From Heav'n they fabled, thrown by angry Jove Sheer o'er the crystal Battlements; from Morn To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve, A Summer's day; and with the fetting Sun
Deque die medio rorantes noctis ad umbras Æftivi folis fpatium; dum vefpere primo Stella velut præceps fummo de culmine cœli Labitur, & Lemni Egeum defcendit in agrum. Hæc memorant vani: aft Ipfum dejecerat olim, Ipfum cum fociis Fastus: nec profuit ædes Fundâffe in cœlo; nec machina fulciit ulla Labentem; fimul artifici cedente catervâ Exul abit, turres Erebi pofiturus in umbris. Aligeri interea Præcones, juffa fecuti Principis, in mediis promulgavere catervis Concilium Pandemonio, quæ regia magni
Et Satane & Procerum. Huc meritis vel forte priores Omnibus ex turmis, comitati millibus, omnes Proceffere Duces; latè loca, limina, portas Complêrant. Aula imprimis fpatiofa (frequentes Eoûm referens campos, quà fortibus armis Sefe oftentantes ante ipfius ora tyranni
Drop'd from the Zenith like a falling Star, On Lemmos th' Egean ifle: thus they relate, Erring; for he with his rebellious rout Fell long before; nor ought avail'd him now T' have built in Heav'n high Tow'rs; nor did he By all his Engins, but was headlong fent [scape With his induftrious crew to build in Hell.
Mean while the winged Heralds, by command Of Sov'reign pow'r, with awful Ceremony And Trumpet's found, throughout the Hoft proclaim
A folemn Council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high Capital
Of Satan and his Peers: their fummons call'd From every Band and fquared Regiment, By place or choice the worthieft: they anon With hundreds, and with thoufands, trooping came Attended all accefs was throng'd, the gates And porches wide; but chief the fpacious Hall (Though like a cover'd Field, where Champions bold
Certabant curfuque Equites haftifque corufcis) Aula folo pariter perque aera conglomeratis Fervebat numeris: multus quaffantibus alis Sibilus increpitat refonans. Ut vere recenti
Stridulæ Apes, cum jam Taurum Sol aureus implet, Agminibus denfis numerofam alvearia propter Effundunt pubem; florefque & rofcida prata Læta cohors volitat circum, aut capit hospita lævi Planitie tabula errantes (pomaria turris Straminea) redolens herbis fragrantibus: illæ Difcurrunt caftris & regni munera curant. Haud fecus aeriæ fimul accurrere Cohortes Angustis arctæ spatiis: Sed claffica fignum Ut canerent, Qui terrigenas modò vincere vastâ Mole viderentur, minimas (mirabile vifu!) Collecti fubitò in formas brevioraque membra Fluxere innumeri: quales in faltibus Indis Ludentes Nani, Lemurum-ve leviffima turba,
Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's Chair Defi'd the best of Panim Chivalry To mortal combat, or carriere with lance) Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground, and in the air, Brush'd with the hifs of rufling Wings. As Bees In fpring time, when the Sun in Taurus rides, Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clufters; they among fresh dews and flow'rs, Fly to and fro, or on the fmoothed plank, (The Suburb of their straw-built Cittadel.)
New rub'd with Baum, expatiate, and confer Their State affairs: fo thick the aery croud Swarm'd, and were ftreighten'd, till the Signal giv'n, Behold a wonder! they but now who seem'd In bigness to furpafs Earth's Giant Sons, Now lefs than smallest Dwarfs in narrow room Throng numberlefs, like that Pygmean Race Beyond the Indian Mount; or Fairy Elves, Whofe midnight revels, by a forest fide, Or fountain, fome belated Peasant fees,
Quos Paftor filvas propter, vel fontis ad oram, Aut videt aut vidiffe putat faltare per umbras Nocte fuper mediâ, dum confpicit arbitra Luna Pallentem inflectens terris vicinior axem ; Aft olli argutas turbâ exercente choreas Cor micat, exultat dulci formidine pectus. Haud aliter formas tenui fub imagine claufæ Contraxere Animæ immenfas; & libera tandem Per fpatia innumeræ circum atria vasta vagantur. At procul interiore domo tacitoque receffu Semidei se mole fuâ explicuere, Cherubum Millia, celforumque Seraphum, in fedibus aureis, Concilium fublime, frequens: filuere parumper; Tum Caufæ patuere altique Exorfa Senatûs.
Or dreams he fees; while over-head the Moon Sits Arbitrefs, and nearer to the Earth
Though without number ftill, amidst the Hall Of that infernal Court. But far within,
Wheels her pale course; they on their mirth and And in their own dimenfions like themselves,
Intent with jocund mufic charm his ear:
At once with joy, and fear, his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms
The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim In close recefs and fecret conclave fat,
A thousand Demi-Gods on golden feats, Frequent and full; After fhort filence then,
Reduc'd their Shapes immenfe; and were at large, And fummons read, the great Confult began.
T celfi de fede throni, quæ fplendida luxu Regifico Indorum gazas fuperaret & Ormi, Vel quicquid gemmarum auri-ve remotior Eos Barbarici effundit, magnis decora alta tyrannis,
Eminuit Satanas, defpexitque arduus omnes, Infandum virtute immani nactus honorem. Cui modò Spes periit, se nunc fpe celfius ipsâ Evectum cernit, votifque ingentibus ardens Tendit adhuc ultra & cœlo nova bella minatur Demens! quem nondum pugnæ fortuna prioris Erudiit: tumidique aperit fic pectoris Orsa: Sceptra Poteftatefque, excelfi Numina cœli; Nam quoniam æthereum, cecidit fi forte, vigorem
IGH on a Throne of Royal State, which far
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires
Outfhone the wealth of Ormus, and of Ind; Beyond thus high, infatiate to pursue
Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand Show'rs on her Kings Barbaric pearl, and gold, Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd
To that bad eminence: and from despair
Vain War with Heaven; and by fuccefs untaught His proud imaginations thus difplay'd:
Pow'rs and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n! For fince no Deep within her gulph can hold
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