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Continget juxta fedes, arcefque tueri
Sidereas; fòrs inde licet propioribus armis
Excurfuque levi cœleftia regna reverti.
Aut lætis faltem excipiet felicior ora
Hofpitiis, quà lux cœli dignabitur alma
Vifere, & ingratas vincet caliginis umbras
Dulce oriens jubar; atque auræ vis mollis inustas
Eximet igne notas fævifque falubria fundet
Balfama vulneribus. Sed cui mandabitur orbis
Ignoti luftrare plagas? Quem talibus aptum
Mittemus cœptis? Quifnam imperterritus alti
Gurgitis immensas tenebras fundoque carentes
Tentabit, latè per denfa Obfcura tremendum
Explorans iter: Abruptumve immane volatu
Indomito exfuperans fedes attinget amœnas?
At quâ vi tandem, quâ tantis arte periclis
Sufficiet? Quæ fraus vigilum per cauta Seraphum
Agmina, cuftodumque minas impune vagantem

Of those bright confines, whence with neighbouring In fearch of this new world? whom shall we find

arms,

And opportune excurfion, we may chance
Re-enter Heav'n: or else in fome mild Zone
Dwell not unvifited of Heav'n's fair Light
Secure, and at the bright'ning Orient beam
Purge off this gloom: the foft delicious Air,
To heal the fear of thefe corrofive Fires,

Sufficient? Who fhall tempt with wand'ring feet
The dark, unbottom'd, infinite Abyfs,
And through the palpable obfcure find out
His uncouth way; or fpread his aery flight
Up-born with indefatigable Wings
Over the vast abrupt, ere he arrive

The happy Ifle? What ftrength, what art can then

Shall breathe her balm. But first whom shall we Suffice, or what evafion bear hm safe

fend

--

Through the ftrict Senteries, and Stations thick

Expediet? fimul huc acies, fimul omnia tendat
Confilia: Et noftrum eft cautè perpendere, tantæ
Publica quem moli vox deftinet: omnis in Illo
Spes adeo, & magni ftabit fiducia cœpti.

Dixerat hæc, foliumque capit, fufpenfa parumper
Ora tenens, plaufufque morans; feu discrepet iftis
Fortè alius, feu tanta aliquis fe accingat ad ausa.
Sed muti federe omnes difcrimina fecum
Volventes iterum atque iterum, vultuque viciffim
Alter in alterius proprios videre timores
Attoniti. Nec quifquam aderat de flore fuperbo
Conjuratorum cœlo se opponere fratrum,
Pectore qui forti folus tentare tremendum
Aufus iter. Tandem Satanas, cui regia longè
Jam comitum audentes anteivit Gloria cœtus,
Imperii quem celfus honos & conscia Virtus
Extulit, hæc dicta intrepido dedit arduus ore:
Progenies cœli, flammantes ætheris Arces,

Of angels watching round? Here he had need
All circumfpection; and we now no less
Choice in our fuffrage: for, on whom we fend,
The weight of all, and our laft hope, relies.
This faid, he fat; and expectation held
His look fufpenfe, awaiting who appear'd
To fecond or oppofe, or undertake
The perilous attempt: but all fat mute,

Pondering the danger with deep thoughts; and each

In others count'nance read his own dismay,
Astonish'd: None, among the choice and prime
Of thofe Heav'n-warring Champions, could be found
So hardy, as to proffer, or accept

Alone, the dreadful voyage: till at laft
Satan, whom now transcendent glory rais'd
Above his fellows, with Monarchal pride
(Conscious of highest worth) unmov'd thus fpake.
O Progeny of Heav'n, Empyreal Thrones!

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Nos tanta haud temerè invafere filentia, tantæque
Impavidos utcunque mora. Via longa gravifque
Ex Erebo ad lucem; Carcerque hic firmus, edentûm
Flammarum hæc novies cohibent Convexa, fugamque
Ardentes portæ atque adamantina clauftra coercent.
Hæc quoque cum fuperet, fiquis fuperare valebit,
Illi vastum aperit Nox indigesta Profundum
Exitium ferale minans, & vortice crudo
Excipit attonitum atque horrendo involvit hiatu.
Hinc fortè elapfum quæcunque acceperit ora
Ignarum, difcrimina adhuc ignota vagantem
Expectant, atque inde fuga haud minus ardua reftat.
Sed malè me, Proceres, Solium hoc fublime deceret,
Imperii hi fafces, fplendorque infignis opesque,
Siqua ufquam fortuna, falus cum publica fuadet,
Aut mole ingenti, aut magnis me terreat aufis.
Cur fceptra hæc capiam, cur non regnare recusem,
Regnanti data fi renuam difcrimina? forti

With reafon hath deep filence and demur
Sciz'd us, tho' undifmay'd: long is the way
And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.
Our prifon ftrong; this huge convex of Fire,
Outrageous to devour, immures us round
Ninefold and gates of burning Adamant
Barr'd over us, prohibit all egrefs.
Thefe pafs'd (if any pafs) the void profound
Of uneffential Night receives him next
Wide gaping, and with utter lofs of Being

Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulph.
If thence he scape into whatever world,
Or unknown Region, what remains him less
Than unknown dangers, and as hard escape?
But I fhould ill become this Throne, O Peers!
And this Imperial Sov'reignty, adorn'd
With fplendor, arm'd with pow'r, if ought propos'd,
And judg'd of public moment, in the shape
Of difficulty, or danger, could deter
Me from attempting. Wherefore do I affume

Pectore

Pectore res dubias adeat, cui gloria cordi;
Suftineat tantò majora pericula, quantò
Ipfe alios fuperat fublimior omnibus unus.
Ergo agite, ô fceptris pollentes, clade fub ipsâ
Vel cœlo metuenda Cohors! hìc mentibus imis,
Hic verfate domi, domus hæc dum noftra manebit,
Quæ ratio infanos æftus flammantis Averni

Siftat, & afflictis folatia quærite rebus;

Quærite, fiqua ufquam medicamina, fiqua voluptas,
Quêis mala paulifper funeftæ tædia fedis

Fallere, quêis fævos liceat lenire dolores.

Vos hoftem adversùs vigilem ne parcite cautis
Excubiis: Egomet per littora cladis opaca
Ipse petam nobis longè latéque falutem

Omnibus: Haud quifquam ingenti comitabitur aufo.
Sic fatus folio exfurgit refponfa Tyrannus
Prævertens; ne quos Procerum constantia magni
Vifa ducis tandem exacuat, certofque repulfæ

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Hortetur vitata priùs fibi pofcere cœpta.

Hinc malè rivales habiti præconia vili
Obtineant, fibi quæ tantis ipfe emerat aufis.
Illi autem magnum veriti fubiiffe laborem,
Haud minus & vocem metuunt prohibentis; & unà
Surrexere repente omnes, fonitumque dedere
Surgentes, qualem rauco dat murmure fulmen
Longe exauditum. Regem Procerum omnis adorat
Circumfufa corona, nec Omnipotente minorem
Agnofcunt: Illum læti venerantur & altis
Laudibus unanimes cumulant, cui publica regni
Sic propriæ prælata Salus: Neque enim excidit omnis
Tartareo virtus populo, ne facta fuperbi
Splendida mortales jactent, fiqua improba fuadet
Gloria, & Ambitio recti mentita colores.

Sic tandem dubiis finem pofuere petitum
Confiliis, plauduntque duci exultantque frequentes.
Haud fecus aerios inter furgentia montes

And fo refus'd might in opinion ftand
His Rivals; winning cheap the high repute,
Which he through hazard huge must earn. But they
Dreaded not more th' adventure, than his voice
Forbidding; and at once with him they rofe:
Their rifing all at once was as the found

Of Thunder heard remote. Tow'rds him they bend
With awful reverence prone; and as a God
Extoll him equal to the higheft in Heav'n:

Nor fail'd they to exprefs how much they prais'd,
That for the general fafety he defpis'd
His own: (for neither do the Spirits damn'd
Lofe all their virtue; left bad men should boast
Their fpecious deeds on earth, which glory excites;
Or close ambition varnish'd o'er with zeal.)

Thus they their doubtful confultations dark
Ended, rejoicing in their matchlefs Chief:
As when from mountain-tops the dusky clouds

Nubila,

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