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Si fis Ille Idem! verùm ô quàm everfus, ab Illo
Quantùm ô mutatus, lætis qui lucis in oris
Tot rutilorum unus fuperabas millia longè
Cœlicolûm, eximio radiorum indutus amictu!
Si fis Ille, mihi focium quem fœdus idemque
Confilium, quem fpes eadem & commune periclum
Aufi participem ingentis junxere; ruinâ

Nunc Sors una pari junxit: de culmine quanto
Corruimus, fentis, quantâque voragine merfi.
Scilicet Hunc tantùm evexere Tonitrua, nulli
Nota priùs fera tela. At me, fi tota ruat vis
Telorum, & quodcunque aliud violentior Ira
Victoris quondam inveniet, non franget, atroxve
Mutabit mihi cor, fpecies licèt extera formæ
Mutetur; neque enim, quæ fpretæ injuria movit
Virtutis, generofa animo faftidia cedent.

Ergo ipfi haud veritus bellum intentare Tonanti
Cœlicolûm immenfas ducebam in prœlia turmas,

Breaking the horrid filence thus began:

If thou beeft He! but O how fall'n; how chang'd
From Him, who in the happy realms of light
Cloath'd with transcendent brightness didft out-fhine
Myriads tho' bright! If He, whom mutual league,
United thoughts and counfels, equal hope
And hazard in the glorious Enterprize,
Join'd with me once, now misery hath join'd
In equal ruin: Into what Pt thou seest

From what Height fall'n: fo much the ftronger
prov'd

He with his Thunder: and 'till then who knew
The force of thofe dire Arms? Yet not for those,
Nor what the potent Victor in his rage
Can elfe inflict, do I repent or change,
Though chang'd in outward luftre, that fix'd mind
And high disdain, from sense of injur'd merit,
That with the Mightiest rais'd me to contend,

Quot

Quot juga detrectare aufi, dominumque volentes
Me potiùs, vires quas Ifte coegerat omnes
Per latos cœli dubio certamine campos
Viribus aggreffi adverfis, foliumque fupremum
Concuffere. Efto; palmam infelicibus Alter
Præripuit; fed Mens fupereft immota, nec ullis
Debellanda malis, fed flecti nefcia Virtus,
Immortale Odium, Vindicta arrecta cupido,

Et Quodcunque ufquam vinci frangive recufat.

Hos mihi nunquam adimet, nunquam extorquebit honores,
Non rabie indomitâ, non vi. Victumne fuperbos

Me volvi ante pedes, & inertia flectere genua ?
Orabo veniam fupplex, & habebitur ultrò
Iste mihi Deus, Ifte hujus terrore lacerti

Pallidus haudpridem, ac regno nutante tremiscens?
Tunc effem fanè abjectus, tunc clade vel ipsâ
Fœdius opprobrium paterer. Quoniam aufpice fato
Igneus ille Deûm vigor & cœleftis origo

And to the fierce Contention brought along
Innumerable force of Spirits arm'd
That durst dislike His Reign; and me preferring
His utmoft power with adverse power oppos'd
In dubious battel on the plains of Heav'n,

And what is elfe not to be overcome.
That Glory never fhall his wrath or might
Extort from me. To bow and fue for grace
With fuppliant knee, and deifie his Power,
Who from the terror of this Arm fo late

And shook his Throne. What tho' the field be loft? Doubted his Empire: That were low indeed;

All is not loft; th' unconquerable Will,

And study of Revenge, immortal Hate,

And Courage never to submit or yield,

That were an Ignominy and Shame beneath

This Downfal. Since by fate the strength of Gods
And this empyreal fubftance cannot fail,

Morte

Morte carent; quoniam & belli gravis Exitus armis
Haudquaquam fractos ufu meliora magistro

Edocuit: quin tandem alacres vi, fraude, tenaces
Propofiti, pacifque haud unquam in fœdus ituri,
Vexamus dirum æternis affultibus hoftem?
Qui jam fecurus lætos fine more triumphos
Toto agitat cœlo victor, fua nec capit amens
Gaudia, quòd fuperâ folus dominetur in arce.

Hæc Satanas altâ jactabat voce, fed acres
Cura gravis ftimulos imo fub pectore versat;
Olli Balzebus fcelerato rettulit ore:

O Rex armipotens, ô qui celfiffimus omnes
Imperio exfuperas, fceptris quicunque fuperbi
Aufpicio duxere tuo metuenda minatas
Bella Seraphinas acies; quas fortibus aufis
Impavidas fenfit fuperæ Rex arduus aulæ,
Quærentes num vi fceptrum cafuve teneret,

An fato: Heu nimiùm memori mihi pectora tangit

Since through experience of this great Event
In Arms not worse, in Forefight much advanc'd,
We may with more fuccessful Hope refolve
To wage by force or guile eternal was,
Irreconcileable to our grand Foe,
Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joy
Sole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n.

So fpake th' Apostate Angel, though in pain,
Vaunting aloud, but rack'd with deep despair:

And him thus answer'd foon his bold Compeer :

O Prince, O Chief of many throned Powers,
That led th' imbattell'd Seraphim to War
Under thy conduct, and in dreadful deeds
Fearless endanger'd Heav'n's perpetual King,
And put to proof his high Supremacy,
Whether upheld by strength, or chance, or fate: :
Too well I fee and rue the dire Event,
That with fad overthrow and foul defeat

Exitus immanis, nos qui cæleftibus oris
Detrufit, tantâque ingentes clade cohortes,
Quantùm celfa Deûm potuit Natura perire,
Turbavit: Mens fpirat adhuc invicta, vigorque
Sponte redit, vitæ quanquam periere prioris
Gaudia, & æterno merfatur gloria luctu.

Sin fors Omnipotens (hoc tandem nomine cogor
Dignari; neque enim tales minor ulla poteftas
Viciffet vires) noftrum hunc fupereffe vigorem
Paffus, ut æternos meliùs tolerare labores
Poffimus fine fine, & longum ultricibus iris
Sufficere; hic imo usque Erebo victoris iniqui
Ad nutum medios penfa exercere per ignes,
Aut denfis invifa fequi mandata fub umbris.
Quid juvat integras vires fervare, perenni
Quid fupereffe ævo, pœnas fi vita perennes
Horrorum fœcunda ferat? Quem deinde rebellis
Dux populi aggreditur præceps & talibus infit:

Hath loft us Heav'n; and all this mighty Hoft
In horrible Destruction laid thus low,
As far as Gods and Heav'nly Effences
Can perish: For the Mind and Spirit remains
Invincible, and Vigour foon returns,
Though all our Glory extinct, and happy State
Here swallow'd up in endless Mifery.
But what if He our Conqu'ror (whom I now
Of force believe Almighty, fince no lefs [ours)
'Than fuch could have o'er-power'd fuch Force as

Have left us this our Spirit and Strength entire
Strongly to fuffer and support our Pains,
That we may fo fuffice his vengeful Ire,
Or do him mightier Service as his thralls
By Right of War, whate'er his Bufinefs be,
Here in the Heart of Hell to work in Fire,
Or do his Errands in the gloomy Deep?
What can it then avail, though yet we feel
Strength undiminish'd, or Eternal Being,
To undergo Eternal Punishment?

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Degener atque oblite Tui! Patiamur, Agamus,
Quicquid erit, miferum est fracto cecidiffe vigore:
At Nos, quæ fors cunque ferat, perstabimus iidem,
Gens adversa Bono æternùm, pravique quod usquam est
Certa fequi; invifi quicquid fuprema tyranni
Vox prohibet, labor is nobis, ea fola voluptas.
Ille Mali de fonte Bonum deducere quærit;
Sit Noftrum fini quæfito obftare, Malumque
Extorquere Bono. Quoties cruciabitur Hoftis,
Confilia eludi dum fentiet intima, metâ
Propofitâ nostras penitùs deflexa per artes?
En verò irarum referentes tela Miniftros

Ad cælum revocat Victor: cum fulphure grando
Jam pofuit; flammarum omnis defæviit æftus,
Æthereo qui nos dudum de culmine miffos
Excepit: quin fulguris alâ invecta rubenti
Iras effudere Tonitrua, laffaque ceffant

Per vastum immenfumque altè reboare Profundum.

Whereto with speedy Words th' Arch-Fiend reply'd:

Fall'n Cherub! To be weak is miferable,
Doing or Suffering: But of this be fure,
To do ought good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our fole delight,
As being contrary to his high will
Whom we refift. If then his Providence
Out of our evil feek to bring forth good,
Our labour must be to pervert that end,
And out of good still to find Means of evil :

Which oft times may fucceed, fo as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmoft Counfels from their deftin'd aim.
But fee the angry Victor hath recall'd

His Minifters of vengeance and pursuit

Back to the Gates of Heav'n: The fulphurous Hail,

Shot after us in Storm, o'er-blown hath laid
The fiery Surge, that from the Precipice
Of Heav'n receiv'd us falling; and the Thunder,
Wing'd with red Lightning and impetuous rage,

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