Nubila, fopito Borea, quum triftibus umbris
Obtexunt cœli faciem; perque horrida rura
Aut deformis hiems furit, aut glomerata ruit nix:
Sol radios fi forte refert clauditque ferenâ
Luce diem, renovantur agri, cantuque volucrum
Balatuque ovium colles vallesque resultant.
En Hominum opprobrium! Nectit pax mutua turbam
Tartaream; & gente ex omni, quêis purior auræ
Particula eft, Homines agitat Difcordia folos,
Ipfos divini sperantes munera amoris ;
Soli implacatas acuunt crudelius iras
Indicente DEO pacem; fævo undique terras
Devaftant avidi ferro, alteriufque cruorem
Quifque fitit; tanquam defit de civibus Orci
Dira manus (quod nos conjungi fœdere amico
Suaferit) humanam affiduè molita ruinam.
Jam dirimi cœtus, ferieque per atria longâ
Ire foras Stygii Proceres: fupereminet omnes
Afcending, while the North-wind fleeps, o'er-fpread
Heav'n's chearful face, the low'ring Element
Scowls o'er the darken'd landschape Snow, or fhowr:
If chance the radiant Sun with farewel fweet
Extend his ev'ning beam, the fields revive,
The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
Atteft their joy, and hill and valley rings.
O fhame to men! Devil with Devil damn'd
Firm concord holds, men only disagree
Of Creatures rational, though under hope
Of heav'nly Grace: and, GoD proclaiming peace,
Yet live in hatred, enmity and ftrife
Among themselves, and levy cruel wars,
Wafting the Earth, each other to destroy:
As if (which might induce us to accord)
Man had not hellifh foes enow befides,
That, day and night, for his deftruction wait.
The Stygian Council thus diffolv'd; and forth
Dux medius, vultufque & majeftatis honores
Divinæ affimilans; Rex formidandus Averni
Inceffu cœlique idem patet unicus Hoftis:
Ardentes claufere globo radiante Seraphes
Signis flammivomis clari atque horrentibus armis.
Exin Concilii finem eventumque tremendum
Regales cecinere tubæ; fubitóque quaterni
Quatuor ad ventos refono clangore Cherubes
Inflârunt lituos, altâ quos voce fecuti
Præcones: longe audierunt lateque cavernæ
Inferni immanes; Erebique exercitus omnis
Dant plaufum fonitu horrendo ingeminantque fragorem.
Hinc fibi fidentes melius reducifque Salutis
Spe falsâ paulum erecti, fe tota refolvunt
Heroum divifa Acies; variamque fecutus
Quifque viam tendit vagus, ut fua quemque trahit mens
Diverfum ; ancipites imo fub pectore versant
Quò fedent animorum æftus ingrataque fallant
In order came the grand infernal Peers:
'Midst came their mighty Paramount, and feem'd
Alone th' Antagonist of Heav'n, nor less
Than Hell's dread Emperor, with pomp fupreme,
And God-like imitated State. Him round
A globe of fiery Seraphim inclos'd,
With bright imblazonry, and horrent Arms.
Then, of their Seffion ended they bid cry
With Trumpets regal found the great refult:
Tow'rds the four winds four speedy Cherubim
Put to their mouths the founding Alchymy,
By Herald's Voice explain'd; the hollow Abyfs
Heard far and wide, and all the Hoft of Hell
With deaf'ning shout return'd them loud acclaim.
Thence more at cafe their minds, and somewhat
rais'd
By falfe prefumptuous hope, the ranged Pow'rs
Disband, and wand'ring, each his feveral way
Purfues, as inclination or fad choice
Leads him perplex'd, where he may likelieft find
Tem-
Tempora, dum grandi redeat Dux magnus ab auso.
Pars celeres fublime ferunt in nubila pennas,
Exercentve leves fuper arva patentia cursus
Certatim, quales Elea aut Pythia quondam
Per fpatia arrecti Juvenes; Pars effera frænis
Indignantis Equi premit ora, rotifve citatis
Vix metam fugit & rapido prælabitur axe.
Inftruxere alii bella horrida, qualia fervent
Æthere, cum populis fignum fatale fuperbis
Imminet; aerii præcurrunt agmina prima
Protentis Equites haftis, dum prœlia jungant
Ambæ acies; ferventque poli, totumque corufcans
Hinc atque hinc cœlum diro fulgore renidet.
Pars alia immani nifu rabieque Typhoá
Montes faxaque convellunt, equitantve per auras
Turbinibus; vix tantum Orcus capit ipfe fragorem.
Qualis ab Oechalid victor cum fenfit acerbæ
Alcides pallæ ftimulos, fævoque dolore
Truce to his reftlefs thoughts, and entertain
The irksome hours, till his great Chief return.
Part on the Plain, or in the Air sublime
Upon the wing, or in fwift race contend,
As at th' Olympian games, or Pythian fields:
Part curb their fiery Steeds, or fhun the goal
With rapid wheels, or fronted Brigads form.
As when, to warn proud Cities, War appears
Wag'd in the troubled sky, and armies rush
To battle in the Clouds; before each Van
Prick forth the airy Knights, and couch their spears.
Till thickest Legions close: with feats of arms
From either end of heav'n the welkin burns.
Others, with vaft Typhaan rage, more fell
Rend up both rocks and hills, and ride the air
In whirlwind: Hell fcarce holds the wild uproar.
As when Alcides, from Oechalia crown'd
With conqueft, felt th' envenom'd robe, and tore
Infrendens pinus ruit ab radicibus imis
Theffalicas, raptumque Lichan de culmine torfit
Oetao, Euboicifque immifit defuper undis.
At Queis mitius ingenium, convalle reductâ
Succedunt umbris, & fecum fila retractant
Cœleftis defueta lyræ; fua bella fuorumque
Indignam memorant cladem; numerisque queruntur
Flebilibus, fato cogente quòd ardua Virtus
Vi sævâ ruat, aut forti fuccumbat iniquæ.
Sic fua nominibus prætexunt crimina falfis ;
Sed numeri (quid enim minus immortalia gentis
Carmina fidereæ poterant?) fufpenfa tenebant
Tartara, & attonitâ denfatas aure catervas.
At procul & temerè fufi fuper avia montis
Pars læti eloquio (quod carmine dulcius ipfo
Infinuare amat in pectus) fermonibus altis
Oblectant animos, rerumque arcana requirunt ;
Quos tenuere altercantes Fatumque Voluntafque
Through pain up by the roots Theffalian Pines,
And Lichas from the top of Oeta threw
Into th' Euboic Sea. Others more mild,
Retreated in a filent valley, fing
With notes Angelical to many a harp
Their own Heroic deeds, and hapless fall
By doom of battle: and complain that Fate
Free Virtue fhould inthrall to Force or Chance.
Their Song was partial; but the Harmony
(What could it lefs when Spirits immortal fing?)
Sufpended Hell, and took with ravishment
The thronging audience. In difcourfe more sweet,
(For Eloquence the Soul, Song charms the Senfe)
Others apart fat on a Hill retir'd,
In thoughts more elevate; and reafon'd high
Of Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate;
Fix'd Fate, free Will, Foreknowledge abfolute;
And found no end, in wandring mazes lost.
Atque Dei mens alta; Futuri gnara Dei mens,
Sed Fati lex fixa, & fato avulfa Voluntas :
Frustra! perpetuis urget Nox densa tenebris
Palantes, & ludit inextricabilis Error.
Necnon multa Boni fuper explicuere Malique
Indole; quid faciat miferos, fervetque beatos;
An lentum torpere animum ftimulisne moveri
Præstet; quid fit Honos, quid demum Infamia vera :
Vana nimis fructuque carens Sapientia! falsæ
Sermonum illecebra! Sed & hæ mulsere dolorem,
Spesque aluere breves, animis mala ferre dederunt
Fortibus, ac triplici durârunt pectora ferro.
Pars alia audaci excurfu loca triftia latè
Luftrant turmatim, fi quæ plaga mitior effet
Orbe novo, miferifque magis fpirabilis æther.
Quatuor hi ripis, funefta ut littora ducunt,
Diversi rapuere vias, ubi quatuor amnes
Arva fecant Erebi, totidemque per ora voluti
Flumina dira vomunt flammanti immiffa paludi.
Of good and evil much they argu'd then,
Of happiness and final misery,
Paffion and Apathy, and Glory and Shame;
Vain wisdom all, and falfe Philofophy:
Yet, with a pleasing forcery, could charm
Pain for a while, or anguish; and excite
Fallacious hope, or arm th' obdurate breast
With stubborn patience, as with triple steel.
Another part, in Squadrons and grofs Bands,
On bold adventure to discover wide
That difmal world (if any Clime perhaps
Might yield them eafier habitation) bend.
Four ways their flying March, along the banks
Of four infernal Rivers, that difgorge
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