Page images
PDF
EPUB

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

F

Deque

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

Certa

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,

dance

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.

PARA

PARADISUS AMISSUS.

A

LIBER SECUNDUS.

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

PARADISE LOST.

Book II.

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

« PreviousContinue »