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Sed grato magis ore habituque venuftius apto
Surrexit Belus, qui formofiffimus unus

Exciderat cœlo. Facies præclara minantis,

Et vultus virtutis erat: tamen heu! folidum nil,

Nil fincerum inerat. Nam quanquam nectare Lingua
Stillaret, turbare potens Confulta Senatûs,

Et fpecies alias veris & nomina rebus

Sciret falfa dare; at Mens illi fordida, in omne
Curva malum, at femper magnos ignavus ad aufus
Spiritus; utcunque arrectas fermonibus aures
Blandus demulcere, loquelis fuavibus infit:

Bella mihi pariter, Proceres, manifesta placerent,
(Quippe eadem me vosque tenent odia & furor idem)
Ni mihi caufa, alios cingi quæ jufferit armis,
Suadeat his diverfa, & terreat omine lævo.

Ille etenim, belli primos qui pofcit honores,
Confilio incertus proprio armorumque faluti
Diffidit; folâ hac fretus virtute, quòd omnem

Belial, in act more graceful and humane:
A fairer perfon loft not heaven; he seem'd
For dignity compos'd, and high exploit:

But all was falfe and hollow: though his Tongue
Drop'd Manna, and cou'd make the worse appear
The better Reason, to perplex and dash
Matureft Counfels: for his Thoughts were low;
To Vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
Timorous and flothful: yet he pleas'd the Ear,

And with perfuafive accent thus began:

I fhould be much for open War, O Peers,
As not behind in hate, if what was urg'd
Main reason to perfuade immediate War,
Did not diffuade me moft, and feem to caft
Ominous conjecture on the whole fuccefs;
When he who most excells in fact of Arms,
In what he counsels and in what excells,
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on defpair

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Spem dudum exuerit, fatoque extinguier optet,
Expletus vindictâ animos ultusque dolores.

Quæ vindicta, vel unde? Poli ftant turribus altis
Armatæ Vigilum excubiæ & circum undique celfos
Defendunt aditus. Sed & oris fæpe Profundi
Caftra locant turmæ, cautave nigrantibus alis
Explorant noctis feralia regna, dolofque
Contemnunt. Sin vi irrueremus, & omnia latè
Tartara conjicerent piceas jurata tenebras
Ætheream in lucem; celsâ tamen arce federet
Omnipotens decore illæfo; puriffima cœli
Temperies fecura nitens incendia fœda
Sperneret infernafque faces: hâc clade repulfis
Una falus miferis nullam fperare falutem.
Continuò Omnipotens Victor dans tota furori
Fræna ferox domitos immani extinxerit irâ :
Non Effe ulteriùs, fuerint folatia tandem

Unica; dura nimis folatia!

And utter diffolution, as the fcope

Nam quis iniquis

Of all his aim, after fome dire revenge. [fill'd
Firft, what revenge? The Tow'rs of Heav'n are
With armed Watch, that render all access
Impregnable: oft on the bordering Deep
Encamp their Legions; or with obfcure wing
Scout far and wide into the realm of night,
Scorning furprize. Or could we break our way
By force, and at our heels all Hell should rife
With blackest Infurrection, to confound

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Utcunque afflictam pœnis projecerit ultro

Hanc animam, hos fenfus, per quos in fæcula longè
Tendimus? Aut ita cuiquam aurai fimplicis ignis
Sordet, ut immoto lethi torpere veterno

Malit iners, noctisque perire abforptus in alvo?
Sin foret optandum, nobif-ne indulferit Hoftis?
Incertum poffit-ne; at certum eft nolle. Furorem
Scilicet effundet totum Prudentia magni
Numinis? Aut amens delirat fortè, vel iras

Non capit impatiens? An præcipitante, quod optent,
Extinguat dextrâ, quos destinat ipse perenni
Supplicio? Et quianam tandem ceffamus inertes,
Exclamant, queis bella placent? Nos ferrea dudum
Lex manet, æterno damnat fervatque dolori :
Atque adeò, quæcunque olim tentabimus ausa,
Quid majus, quæve afperior fortuna supersit?
Hæc ergo, hæc nobis afperrima pœna, fovere
Has fedes, his confiliis armifque potiri?

Though full of pain, this intellectual Being;
Thofe thoughts, that wander through Eternity;
To perifh rather, fwallow'd up and loft
In the wide womb of uncreated night,
Devoid of fenfe and motion? And who knows,
(Let this be good) whether our angry Foe
Can give it, or will ever: how He can,
Is doubtful; that He never will, is fure.
Will He, fo wife, let loofe at once His ire,
Belike thro' Impotence, or unaware,

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To give his Enemies their wifh, and end
Them in His anger, whom His anger faves
To punish endless? Wherefore cease we then,
Say they who counfel War? We are decreed,
Referv'd, and deftin'd to eternal woe:
Whatever doing, what can we fuffer more;
What can we fuffer worfe? Is this then worst,

--

Thus fitting, thus confulting, thus in Arms?
What! when we fled amain, purfa'd, and ftrook
With Heav'n's afflicting Thunder, and befought

Quid, fuga cum rapuit præceps, turmasque fequaces
Horruimus fulmenque ferox; cum cæca Profundi
Hospitia orantes confugimus? Inftar Afyli

Tartara erant jam tum trepidis. Quid, atrocia paffos
Vincula flammivomus latè cum volveret æftus?
Senfimus id certè afperius. Quid, fi ipfe furorem
Sufcitet, hos diros qui accendit Spiritus ignes,

Et fluctus rabie exagitans feptemplice det nos
Præcipites? aut fi dextram intermissa rubentem
Rurfum armet Vindicta; Erebique immane reclufi
Ipfa ruant Convexa, altam minitata ruinam
Defuper, ac multo descendant vortice flammæ ?
Nos fortè intereà meditantes grandia bella
Sulphureo feret igne fremens fcopulifque rotatos
Quemque fuis transfiget hiems, ludibria fævis
Turbinibus; rapidifve immersos iftius undis
Oceani vincla impedient, fufpiria longâ
Tracturos ferie! nec enim miferabitur Ultor

The Deep to fhelter us? This Hell then feem'd
A refuge from thofe wounds. Or, when we lay
Chain'd on the burning Lake? That fure was worse.
What if the breath that kindled thofe grim fires,
Awak'd, fhould blow them into fevenfold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? Or, from above,
Should intermitted Vengeance arm again.
His red right hand to plague us? What if all
Her ftores were open'd, and this Firmament
Of Hell fhould fpout her Cataracts of Fire?

Impendent horrors! threatning hideous fail
One day upon our heads: while we perhaps
Defigning or exhorting glorious war,
Caught in a fiery Tempeft fhall be hurl'd
Each on his Rock transfix'd, the sport and prey
Of racking whirlwinds: or for ever funk
Under yon boiling Ocean, wrapt in Chains;
There to converse with everlasting groans,
Unrefpited, unpitied, unrepriev'd,
Ages of hopeless end? This would be worse.
Nec

Nec minuet pœnas; dabitur mora nulla quiesve,
Nec finem indomito ftatuet Spes ipsa labori.
Annon hoc longe afperius? Clade ergo magiftrâ
Nos tandem, ô Proceres, fugiamus tristia bella,
Bella palam, vel clam: Quid vis, quid fraudis opertæ
Contra Illum infidiæ ? quâ fallitur arte, capaci
Lumine cuncta fimul qui colligit? Ille fupremo
Defpicit & noftros jam ridet ab æthere motus
Omnipotens, luditque dolos obstatque furori.
Ergone nos, genus æthereum, fic mosta trahemus
Tempora? nos cœli mutabimus otia vinclis
Talibus, extorrefque omni calcabimur ævo?
Sunt gravia hæc, fateor: fed quæ graviora fuperfunt
Vitemus, quum lex fati immutabilis ac Vox
Omnipotens premat, & Victoris fumma Voluntas.
Quantaque ineft nobis audere in pectore Virtus,
Tanta pati eft: Lex æqua fatis; quæ clara videri
Quondam etiam patuit, fi mens non læva fuisset,

War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike

My voice diffuades: for what can force or guile
With Him, or who deceive His mind, whofe eye
Views all things at one view? He from Heav'n's
height

All these our motions vain fees, and derides;
Not more Almighty to refift our might,
Than wife to fruftrate all our plots and wiles.
Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heav'n,

Thus trampled, thus expell'd, to fuffer here
Chains and thefe Torments? Better these than worse,
By my advice; fince fate inevitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent Decree,
The Victor's Will. To fuffer, as to do,
Our strength is equal, nor the Law unjust
That fo ordains: this was at firft refolv'd
If we were wife, against fo great a foe
Contending, and fo doubtful what might fall.

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