Page images
PDF
EPUB

Nulli fas barathro clauftris compefcere, cœli

Haud reor amiffas fedes.

Pulcherrima Virtus

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.

nec fraudibus ullis

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

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

Turba

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

[blocks in formation]

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:

Contrarius olli,

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

« PreviousContinue »