Nulli fas barathro clauftris compefcere, cœli
Cœlicolûm fpectata magis majorque videri Surgit ab excidio, fato adverfante renitens, Ipfa fuis opibus cladis fecura fecundæ.
Me quanquam jus æquum æternaque fœdera cœli, Deinde etiam veftrûm fuffragia, quicquid & altis Confiliis meruive manu, cœleftibus armis Ductorem pofuere: At diræ damna ruinæ Hac reparata tenus jam certius integra firmant Sceptra fine invidiâ, facili ftabilita meorum Confenfu. Hoc fceptrum & felicior addita fceptro Sors olim poterat ftimulis vexare minores, Dum fortuna fuit: fed enim quis lumine iniquo Spectet eum, folus capiens qui tela Tonantis Omnia defendit vobis, qui mole laborum Infigni fine fine gemit? Quà præmia belli
Cuncta abfunt, aberunt lites; nam merfus Averno
Immortal vigour, though opprefs'd and fall'n,
I give not Heav'n for loft: from this defcent Celestial virtues rifing will appear
More glorious and more dread than from no fall, And truft themselves to fear no fecond fate.) Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of Heav'n Did firft create your Leader; next, free choice; With what befides, in council or in fight, Hath been atchiev'd of merit: yet this lofs, Thus far at leaft recover'd, hath much more
Establish'd in a fafe unenvied Throne, Yielded with full confent. The happier state In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw Envy from each inferior: but who here Will envy whom the highest place expofes Foremost to ftand against the Thund'rer's aim, Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share Of endless pain? Where there is then no good For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there From Faction: for none fure will claim in Hell
Quis cupiat primas? cui pars tantilla doloris, Majorem ut fitiat demens & poftulet ultrò?
His igitur cum tanta ligat concordia nodis,
Tanta fides, quantam haud fuperis fas jungere in oris, Jus patrium reduces & noftra repofcimus aftra. Quin cautos adverfa facit, quos læta fefellit Securos fortuna. At quæ via præstat, aperta Bellane moliri, an tacitas clam nectere fraudes, Confulite in medium & rebus fuccurrite lapfis.
Finierat Satanas. Confurgit deinde Molochus Sceptripotens Princeps: cœlo non fortior alter Non armis congreffus atrocior: acer ademptâ Spe demùm ingeminans furor imo in pectore gliscit. Majorem agnofcat? fit ab Omnipotente fecundus? Maluit in nihilum folvi: Cura omnis & omnes
Inde metus abiere; DEUмque & Tartara temnens, Et fiquod gravius, fic verbis ora refolvit :
Bella mihi manifefta placent;
Precedence; none, whofe portion is fo fmall Of prefent pain, that with ambitious mind Will covet more! With this advantage then To union, and firm faith, and firm accord, More than can be in Heav'n, we now return To claim our juft inheritance of old, Surer to profper than profperity
Could have affur'd us: and by what best way, Whether of open War, or covert guile, We now debate: who can advise may speak.
He ceas'd; and next him Maloc, fceptred King, Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest Spirit That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by defpair: His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd Equal in ftrength; and rather than be lefs, Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft Went all his fear: of Go D, or Hell, or worse, He reck'd not; and thefe words hereafter spake: My fentence is for open War: of Wiles, More inexpert, I boast not: them let those
Me jacto; mando has aliis, qui talis egentes Auxilii fuerint & quando popofcerit hora,
Tentandas. Studia hæc timidi dum vana fovebunt, Totne alii quos arma juvant, qui figna repofcunt Arrecti, cœlo profugi fic turpibus antris Claudentur, diras Domino mandante catenas,
Cui noftra immeritum permittit Inertia fceptrum? Non ita: fed flammis Erebi furialibus aucti Turritas cœli fimul irrumpamus in arces,
Siqua viam vis inveniat; pro fortibus armis Vindictam pœnafque ipfas vertamus in Hostem: Continuò armorum clangoribus omnipotentum Rauco refpondere inferna tonitrua cantu Audiet; horrificas contra fua fulgura flammas Telaque cæligenæ cernet metuenda juventæ, Tela fuis æquanda, nec impare jacta lacerto. Quin & Tartarei commistum fulphuris igni Sentiet attonitus folium fublime, fuifque
Contrive who need; or when they need, not now: For while they fit contriving, fhall the reft, Millions that ftand in arms, and longing wait The fignal to ascend, fit ling'ring here Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling-place Accept this dark opprobrious Den of shame, The Prison of His Tyranny, who reigns By our delay? No! let us rather chufe, Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high Tow'rs to force refifticfs way, Turning our Tortures into horrid arms Against the Torturer: when to meet the noife Of His Almighty Engin He fhall hear Infernal Thunder; and for Lightning fee Black fire and horror fhot with equal rage Among His Angels: and His Throne itfelf Mix'd with Tartarean Sulphur, and ftrange fire, His own invented Torments. But perhaps
Turbatum inventis. Quod fi quibus ista videtur Difficilis via, nec pennis nitentibus apta Confcendi, turrim dum poffidet altior Hoftis; Hi recolant, lentæ nifi pigra oblivia Lethes Pectora adhuc hebetent, alacri nos impete fedes
Ad patrias ultrò efferri:
Et cadere adverfum eft.
Defcendere nobis
Quis non modò fenfit, ut Hoftis
A tergo infultans rueret fracta agmina fævâ
Calce terens, quâ vi impulfi, molimine quanto
Ceffimus huc? Ergo facile est ascendere; at anceps Exitus: ille novis victor fi ferveat iris, Vindictâ nos fortè aliâ & majore fequetur Excidio, fiquod fuperet fub Tartara majus. Quid verò gravius, fævis quàm vincla tenebris Dura pati, & pulfos cœli felicibus arvis
Ducere perpetuos horrendo in gurgite luctus : Quà strident flammæ æternum, indomitisque rotantur Vorticibus rapidæ; fuga nec datur ulla, tyranni
The way feems difficult and steep, to scale With upright wing against a higher foe. - Let fuch bethink them, (if the fleepy drench Of that forgetful Lake benumb not still) That in our proper motion we ascend Up to our native feat: descent and fall To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late, When the fierce Foe hung on our broken Rere Insulting, and purfu'd us thro' the Deep,
With what compulfion and laborious flight We funk thus low? Th' afcent is eafie then; Th' event is fear'd: fhould we again provoke Our stronger, fome worfe way His wrath may find To our destruction: if there be in Hell Fear to be worse destroy'd. What can be worse Than to dwell here, driv'n out from Blifs, condemn'd In this abhorred Deep to utter woe;
Where pain of inextinguishable fire
Cum triftis jubet hora, & inexorabile flagrum Evocat ad pœnas? Ultra fi perdere vellet, Eripiat vitam penitùs perimatque necesse est. Ergo timemus adhuc Hoftem irritare? Furoris Utcunque ardefcant flammæ, vel funditùs acri Interiment æftu, noftrumque hoc omne resolvent In nihilum (quod maluerim quam triftia fæcla Protrahere æterno in luctu, vitæque recufem Todia) vel nobis fi fit cœleftis origo Nefciaque extingui, fi leti attingere fines
Non datur, extrema attigimus. Quin otia cœli Conturbare ferena (hæc noftrum cognita Virtus) Ipfius & folium æternum quaffare frequenti Fas erit affultu. Quid fi non vincimus? at nec Pœniteat vinci, fi victi ulcifcimur Hoftem. Defierat frontem rugis contractus, & ipfo Vindictam vultu fpirans metuendaque bella,
Si metus in Divos caderet.
Muft exercise us, without hope of end, The Vaflals of His anger, when the fcourge Inexorable, and the torturing hour,
Calls us to Penance? More deftroy'd than thus, We should be quite abolish'd, and expire. What fear we then? what doubt we to incenfe His utmoft Ire? which to the height enrag'd, Will either quite confume us, and reduce To nothing this Effential; happier far, Than miferable to have eternal Being:
Or if our substance be indeed divine, And cannot ceafe to be, we are at worst On this fide nothing: and by proof we feel Our pow'r fufficient to difturb His Heav'n, And with perpetual inrodes to alarm, Though inacceffible, His fatal Throne: Which, if not Victory, is yet Revenge.
He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd Desperate revenge, and Battle dangerous To less than Gods. On th' other fide up rofe Sed
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