Vi dubiâ tanto temerè certantibus hofti. Quis rifum teneat, cum fe certamine fortes Qui jactant, malè fi certamen cefferit, horrent Continuò, & belli quam deftinat alea fortem, Dedecus, exilium, cruciatus, vincla, dolores Formidant? Nunc hæc nos fata, hæc certa premit Lex. Hæc fi nunc faciles patiamur mentibus æquis, Fors erit ut Victor ferventi fræna furori Mitior injiciat tandem, tantoque remotos Nos fpatio nec jam ftimulantes ampliùs iram Negliget, expletus pœnis; flammæque feroces Mollescent, magni nifi foverit ira tyranni. Noftra etiam ingratos vincet mox aura vapores Purior, aut longo tandem obdurabitur ufu; Aut mutata habitum fedique affuetæ malignæ Excipiet diros lætis amplexibus ignes: Horror & hic mitefcet, & hæc caliginis umbra Lucebit: meliora jubet fperare citato
I laugh, when those who at the Spear are bold And vent'rous, if that fail them, fhrink and fear What yet they know muft follow, to endure Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain, The sentence of their Conqueror: This is now Our doom, which if we can fuftain and bear, Our fupreme Foe, in time, may much remit His anger and perhaps thus far remov'd Not mind us not offending, fatisfy'd
With what is punifh'd: whence these raging fires Will flacken, if his breath ftir not their Flames. Our purer effence then will overcome Their noxious vapor; or enur'd, not feel; Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd In temper, and in nature, will receive Familiar the fierce heat, and void of Pain. This horror will grow mild, this darkness, light: Befides what hope the never-ending flight
Axe volans fine fine dies: jam fortè fecundas Fert fortuna vices; quin dat folatia rerum Hæc facies; ingrata quidem, fed peffima nondum Evafit, ni plura datis mala poscimus ultrò.
Sermonem obvolvens pulchro Rationis amictu Sic lentum Belus torporem inhoneftaque fuafit Otia fub pacis fpecie. Dein talia Mammon :
Ut Regem æthereum cœlo exturbemus, atroxve Quod patimur damnum campo reparemus aperto, Bellamus, fi bella placent. Illum arce supremâ Eruere imperii jam tum fperare licebit, Quum Fortuna levis Fatum immutabile vincet, Litem ipfo dirimente Chao. Sin vana fit inde, Hinc fuerit Spes vana fimul: quis enim æthere toto Nos iterum locus accipiat, nifi Rege fubacto
Jam demùm exuere, atque ultrò clamare daturum Communem cunctis veniam, fi prifca fateri
Of future days may bring, what chance, what change Worth waiting, fince our prefent lot appears For happy, though but ill; for ill, not worst; If we procure not to our felves more woe.
May hope, when everlasting Fate fhall yield To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the ftrife. The former vain to hope, argues as vain The latter for what place can be for us
Thus Belial with words cloath'd in Reafon's garb Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord fuCounsel'd ignoble ease, and peaceful floth, Not peace and after him thus Mammon spake :
Either to difinthrone the King of Heav'n We war, if war be beft, or to regain Our own right loft: Him to unthrone we then
We over-pow'r? Suppofe He should relent, And publish grace to all, on promise made Of new fubjection: with what eyes could we Stand in His prefence humble, and receive
Sceptra velint; quo nos coram apparere verentes Poffemus vultu, impofitafque agnofcere leges? Invitos-ne olli cantus laudefque coactas
Nos dabimus? Nobis dominabitur Ille corufcâ Arce fedens? Nobis facientibus Illius ara Floribus ambrofiis cumulabitur, ambrofiofque Submifsè his fparfos manibus jactabit odores? Scilicet is fuerit cœlo labor, illa voluptas! Heu quàm longa æterna Dies hos inter honores Invifo oblatos Domino? Quid quærimus ultrà, Quas reparare armis non fas, quas pace pigeret Accipere oratâ, medio vel in æthere vanas Servitii fplendentis opes? Bona cuncta petamus Ex nobis, penitúfque amplexi noftra penes nos Vivamus læti, jurati in verba tyranni Nullius: his etiam vaftis ridebit in umbris Candida Libertas, Libertas carior arctis
In rebus, quàm turpis honos aureæque catena. Quin major nobis virtus erit, utile tristi
Strict Laws impos'd, to celebrate his Throne With warbled Hymns, and to His Godhead fing Forc'd Hallelujahs; while He lordly fits Our envy'd Sov'reign, and His Altar breathes Ambrofial odours, and ambrofial flow'rs, Our fervile offerings? This must be our task In Heav'n, this our delight! How wearifome Eternity fo spent, in worship paid
To whom we hate? Let us not then pursue, By force impoffible, by leave obtain'd
Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state
Of fplendid vaffalage: but rather feek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own Live to ourselves; though in this vast recess, Free, and to none accountable; preferring Hard liberty before the easy yoke Of fervile Pomp. Our greatnefs will appear Then moft confpicuous, when great things of small, Ufeful of hurtful, profperous of adverse We can create; and in what place foe'er
Elicere; injucunda bonis, adverfa fecundis
Vertere, & affiduo nifu, quæ nos loca cunque Excipiant, fævum fati fuperare furorem.
Et quianam has tenebras atque antra timemus opaca ? Ipfe Pater nebulas quondam noctemque profundam Incolit; ipfe fibi folium caligine diâ
Velat, & auguftis latet intemerata tenebris
Gloria; nec ceffant densas glomerata per umbras Fulmina rauca boare, imitanti Tartara Cœlo. Nos quoque, fi libeat, lucem Illius, Ille tenebras Ut noftras, haud ægrè imitabimur: Hæc neque gazis Terra caret deferta, auro gemmifque; nec abfunt Ingenium artificefque manus, unde ardua furgant Moœnia digna Deis ingentisque æmula cœli. Forfitan & quondam poterunt nativa videri Hæc loca; mollescent flammæ, vel noftra furori Temperies affuefcet & igni illæfa vigebit.
Cuncta monent pacem amplecti, fluctufque dolorum
Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain, Through labour, and indurance. This deep world Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst
Wants not her hidden luftre, gems, and gold: Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can Heav'n fhew more?
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire Our torments also may in length of time
Chufe to refide, His glory unobscur'd? And with the majefty of darkness round Covers His Throne; from whence deep thunders Muft'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell? As He our darkness, cannot we His light Imitate when we please? This defert foil
Become our elements; thefe piercing Fires [roar As foft as now fevere, our temper chang'd Into their temper; which must needs remove The fenfible of pain. All things invite To peaceful counfels, and the fettled ftate Of order, how in fafety beft we may
Sternere, fi liceat; memores quâ fede locamur,
Et quales fumus & fuimus; nec (fi mihi quidquam Creditis) ulteriùs jactemus inania bella.
Vix ea finierat, fremuit cum murmure tali Concilium, quale auditur, quum concava Saxa Ventorum cohibent fonitum, qui nocte frementes Vexârant fluctus, raucâ jam voce soporem
Inducunt lentum nautis; dum turbine laffum Prærupto fundata finu tenet anchora lintrem. Haud alius, finem ut Mammon dedit ore loquendi, Exortus fremor, & placuit Sententia pacem Suadentis. Pugnæ alterius certamen Averno Horrebant gravius: tantis terroribus ictos
Urget adhuc tonitru, & tua turbida tela, Michaal! Nec minus infernis cupiunt fub fedibus altam Imperii fundare arcem quæ nixa fecundis Aufpiciis tollat caput, & labentibus annis
Regna fua ætheriis contraria cernere regnis.
Compose our prefent evils, with regard
Of what we are, and were; difmiffing quite
All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise. He scarce had finish'd, when fuch murmur fill'd Th' affembly, as when hollow Rocks retain The found of bluft'ring winds, which all night long Had ròus'd the Sea, now with hoarse cadence lull Sea-faring men o'erwatch'd, whofe Bark by chance, Or Pinnace, anchors in a craggy Bay
After the tempeft: such applause was heard As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleas'd, Advifing peace. For fuch another Field They dreaded worse than Hell: fo much the fear Of thunder, and the Sword of Michael, Wrought ftill within them; and no less defire To found this nether Empire, which might rife, By policy, and long procefs of time, In emulation oppofite to Heav'n.
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