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 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 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?
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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