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
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
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
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,
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.
« PreviousContinue » |