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Quod fenfit fimul Ille fedens celfiffimus unum
Poft Satanam, ore gravi Balzebus furgere lentè
Vifus erat folio, furgenfque referre columnam
Imperii: frontem rugis fulcârat honestam
Rerum cura fagax & provida confilii vis:
Regiaque infignes Sapientia clade fub ipsâ
Veftit adhuc vultus: ftetit arduus Atlanteos
Expandens humeros, regnifque ingentibus aptos:
Tum comitum trahit attentas venerabilis aures,
Dumque filent quantum nox intempefta, dieique
Æftivæ medius fervor, fic deinde profatur :

Imperia atque Arces, Virtutes ætheris! Aut his
Cedemus titulis, mutato nomine Reges
Tartarei? huc fefe nimis inclinare videtur
Publica Vox; fedem manfuraque regna fub orco
Optamus deliri, & fomnia vana fovemus;
Nec patet, æthereum Regem pro carcere nobis
Hos mandâffe locos, non hic ftatuiffe recefsûs

Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd (than whom,
Satan except, none higher fat) with grave
Afpect he rofe, and in his rifing feem'd
A pillar of State: deep on his front engraven,
Deliberation fat, and publick Care;

And Princely counfel in his face yet shone,
Majestic though in ruin: fage he stood,
With Atlantean fhoulders fit to bear

The weight of mightiest Monarchies; his look

Drew audience, and attention still as night,
Or fummer's noon-tide air; while thus he spake:

Thrones, and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of
Ethereal Virtues! or thefe Titles now [heav'n,
Muft we renounce, and changing style, be call'd
Princes of Hell? For fo the popular vote
Inclines, here to continue, and build up here
A growing empire: doubtlefs; while we dream,
And know not that the King of Heav'n hath doom'd

Otia, quà dextram fugere imperiumque fupremum
Detur, & in cœlum reparatas cogere vires.
Sed pulfos huc ufque acri premet efferus irâ,
Servitiique jugo & frænis compefcet amaris,
Captivum vulgus: nam primus & ultimus Ipfe
Per gentes fuperas fimul infernasque timendus
Regnabit. Fugimus? fub Averno fceptra vibrabit
Ferrea, ut in mediis cœli vibrat aurea regnis.
Quid verò hic pacem lenti meditamur & arma?
Senfimus arma fatis, damnum irreparabile dudum
Senfimus: at neque adhuc nobis data fœdera pacis
Ulla, nec implorata: Etenim hæc juga turpia paffis
Quæ jam Pax dabitur, nifi dira ergastula, vincla,
Verberaque & pœnæ, fævus quafcunque tyrannus
Imperet? Et quam nos pacem reddemus? atroces
Luctantum nifus impacatumque furorem,
Indomitumque odium, certantes ufque fupremo
Impete, victorem ut fallant sua gaudia, nostrisque

This place our dungeon; not our safe retreat
Beyond His potent arm, to live exempt
From Heav'n's high Jurifdiction, in new league
Banded against His Throne: but to remain
In ftrictest bondage, though thus far remov'd,
Under th' inevitable curb, reserv’d
His captive multitude: for He, be fure,
In heigth, or depth, ftill firft and laft will reign
Sole King, and of His Kingdom lofe no part

By our revolt; but over Hell extend
His empire, and with Iron Sceptre rule
Us here, as with His Golden thofe in Heav'n.
What fit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with lofs
Irreparable; terms of Peace yet none
Vouchfaf'd or fought: for what peace will be giv'n
To us enflav'd, but cuftody fevere,
And ftripes, and arbitrary Punishment

Ut

Ut minus exultet pœnis.

Nec tempora pofcunt

Præcipites bellorum aufus: tanto ardua cœli
Moenia fufpectu affurgunt, fecura Profundum
Quas paret infidias, vel quid meditemur in armis.
Quid fi mole minor nec tantum habitura pericli
Se Ratio obtulerit? Jamque alter (fi modò verax
Fama vetus cecinit, fi tempora rite revolvo)
Alter fe attollit mundus, lætiffima gentis

Terra novæ (cui nomen Homo eft) hoc circiter ævum
Formandæ, nostrûm fimilis; sceptrisque superbis
Si minor, ætherei formâ fi cefferit oris,

At fummo dilecta Patri magis. Hoc Pater olim
Edixit Superos inter, fanxitque verendo
Ipfe facramento, cœli quo maxima templa
Concuffit. Nos huc animos, huc omnia agamus
Confilia, ut pateat quod ibi genus, indole quali,
Quove luto fictum; quas vires donaque jactet;
Atque ubi fint faciles aditus; vi præftet inermes

Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But, to our pow'r, hoftility, and hate,
Untam'd reluctance, and revenge; though flow,
Yet ever plotting how the Conqueror least
May reap His conqueft; and may leaft rejoice
In doing, what we moft in fuffering feel?
Nor will occafion want, nor fhall we need
With dangerous expedition to invade
Heav'n, whofe high walls fear no affault or fiege,
Or ambush from the Deep. What if we find

Some eafter enterprize? There is a place,
(If antient and prophetic fame in Heav'n
Err not) another World, the happy feat
of fome new race call'd Man, about this time
To be created like to us, though less
In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more
Of Him who rules above: fo was His will
Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an Oath,
That fhook Heav'n's whole circumference, confirm'd.
Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn

An

An tentare dolis. Quanquam ingens ætheris Aula
Clauditur, & cœli celsâ fuper arce Tyrannus

Securus virtute fuâ fedet: At loca forfan

Ifta patent; finitur regnorum illa ultima meta
Indigenis tutanda fuis: ibi fortè ruentes

Magnum aliquod lætis olim tentabimus aufum
Aufpiciis; fibi quæ laudum monumenta creavit
Omnipotens, horrendo Erebi vastabimus igne;
Aut nostræ ditionis erunt, pulfique pufillos
Pellemus cives patriifque fugabimus oris ;
Aut hæc caftra fequi fuadebimus, ut Deus iris
Acribus ardefcens doleat finxiffe, dolenfque
Ipfe fuum confundat opus. Quæ quantaque talis
Vindicta, in mediis Hoftem ruitura triumphis!
Quæ nobis fpolia inde, Dei ut cariffima proles
Noftrorum in partem præceps demiffa dolorum
Invalidam stirpem incufans & gaudia rapta,

Tam citò rapta gemet! Potior fententia quæ fit,

What creatures there inhabit, of what mould,
Or fubstance, how endu'd, and what their pow'r,
And where their weakness, how attempted best,
By force, or fubtilty. Though Heav'n be shut,
And Heav'n's high Arbitrator fit fecure

In His own ftrength, this place may lie expos'd,
The utmost border of His Kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantagious act may be atchiev'd

By fudden onfet, either with hell fire

To wafte His whole Creation; or poffefs
All as our own, and drive (as we are driv'n)
The puny habitants; or if not drive,
Seduce them to our Party, that their God
May prove their foe, and with repenting hand.
Abolish His own works. This would surpass
Common Revenge, and interrupt His joy
In our confufion, and our joy upraise

In His difturbance; when His darling Sons,
Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curfe

Con

Confulite, an facinus moliri hoc præftet, an hisce
Cunctari in tenebris & inania fingere regna.

Hæc adeo immani Balzebus pectore fudit
Ipsî olim Satana concepta atque edita partim
Confilia: Unde, mali nifi fonte & origine primâ,
Tam dira invidiæ poterat manare libido,

Terram Erebo miscere unâque exfcindere gentem
Humanam in radice petens? Tantum-ne Malorum
Mens inimica Deo fuafit, cui talibus auctus
Crefcit Honos inimicitiis? Sed fratribus audax
Confilium arrifit Stygiis & pectora plausu
Extulit; emicuitque oculis flammantibus ardens
Lætitia: Affenfu unanimes fremuere; frementes
Ille novis acuit dictis, ac talia fatur:

Decretum egregiè, Proceres! Pulcherrima tandem,
Sancta Deûm domus, ac veftrâ dignissima famâ
Cernitis: hinc imo emerfis exire Profundo

Vel fato nolente datum eft: accedere prifcas

Their frail Original, and faded blifs:
Faded fo foon! Advife if this be worth
Attempting, or to fit in darkness here
Hatching vain Empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish Counsel, first advis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence,
But from the Author of all ill, could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to fpite

The great Creator? But their spite still ferves
His glory to augment. The bold defign
Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy
Sparkled in all their eyes; with full affent
They vote: whereat his fpeech he thus renews.
Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate,
Synod of Gods, and, like to what ye are,
Great things refolv'd: which from the lowest deep
Will once more lift us up, in spite of Fate,
Nearer our ancient Seat; perhaps in view

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