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Luna caput, dirifque fugit conterrita Sacris.
Altera Formarum (poterat fi Forma vocari
Umbra rudis membrisque carens) terroribus omnes
Evicit Furias, Noctemque Erebumque tenebris.
Tum jaculum lethale quatit: quà frontis imago
Cernitur, effigies celfi diadematis ardet.

Jamque propinquabat Satanas; jam sede relictâ
Adverfis latè fpatians fe paffibus effert

Monftrum ingens, immane; domus tremit omnis Averni..
Miratur vifum hoc cœli implacabilis Hoftis;

Miratur, neque enim metuit: non Ille creati

Horreret quidquam aut fugeret: Timor unicus Olli
Magnus erat Pater, & magnum Patris Incrementum.
Ipfe indignanti tandem prior ore locutus:

Unde venis, quam te memorem, Forma horrida, turpem
Aufa mihi frontem torvofque opponere vultus,

Ad portas iter hinc claudens? hâc tendere certum eft,
Nec te obteftabor: dignas dabis, improbe, pœnas,

Eclipfes at their charms. The other Shape,

(If Shape it might be call'd, that Shape had none
Distinguishable in member, joint, or limb;
Or fubftance might be call'd that shadow feem'd,
For each feem'd either:) black it stood as Night,
Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell,

With horrid ftrides: Hell trembled as he strode.
Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd
Admir'd, not fear'd. GoD and his Son except,
Created thing not valued he, nor shun'd;
And with difdainful look thus first began:
Whence, and What art thou, execrable Shape,

And shook a dreadful dart: what seem'd his Head, That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, advance

The likeness of a Kingly Crown had on.
Satan was now at hand; and from his feat
The Monster moving onward came as fast

Thy mif-created Front athwart my way
To yonder gates? Through them I mean to país,
That be affur'd, without leave ask'd of thee.

Ni fugis hinc præceps, certâ jam clade docendus,
Quàm malè cum Divis Soboles contendat Averni.

Cui Spectrum hæc, iræ impatiens: Tune ætheris ifte
Defertor, Tune ifte, fidem qui primus in oris
Æthereis nec læfa priùs fanctiffima rupit
Fœdera; quem comitata ducem pars tertia cœli
Intulit arma ferox fupremo infanda Tonanti:
Qui deinde hic tecum triftes æterna fevero
Exilio, & mæfto confumunt fæcula luctu?

Tuque inter fuperas Orco damnate Cohortes
Te numeras? Tune infanos faftufque minasque

Hic fpiras Me Rege, animumque quod acriùs urat,
Rege Tuo Dominoque? Fuge hinc, repete ociùs antrum
Tartareum; fuge, Defertor, pernicibus alis,

Ne Te viperei cunctantem verbere flagri
Infequar; aut hujus femel ictum cufpide teli
Corripiat dirus tremor, infolitique dolores.

Hæc, linguâ fimul horrendâ vultuque minatus,

Retire, or tafte thy folly, and learn by proof,
Hell-born! not to contend with Spirits of Heav'n.
To whom the Goblin full of wrath reply'd:
Art thou that Traitor-Angel, art thou He,

To wafte eternal days in woe and pain?
And reckon't Thou thy felf with Spirits of Heav'n,
Hell-doom'd? and breath'ft defiance here and scorn,
Where I reign King, and to enrage thee more,

Who firft broke peace in Heav'n, and Faith, till Thy King and Lord? Back to thy punishment,

then

Unbroken; and in proud rebellious arms
Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's Sons,
Conjur'd against the Higheft: for which both Thou
And They, outcaft from GoD, are here condemn'd

Falfe fugitive, and to thy speed add wings;
Left with a whip of Scorpions I pursue
Thy lingring; or with one ftroke of this dart
Strange horror feize thee, and pangs unfelt before.
So fpake the griefly Terror; and in shape,

Dixit; & immanem media inter dicta furorem
Concipit Os torvum & decies deformius horret.
Parte aliâ ingenti Satanas ftetit efferus irâ
Imperterritus; ac furialis more Cometa
ArƐtoo ardentis cœlo per maxima longè
Sideris anguiferi fpatia, & ferale rubenti
Cæfarie peftem fpargentis & horrida bella,
Exarfit. Capiti alterius grave vulnus Uterque
Intentat; neque enim plus fimplice deftinat ictu.
Jamque truces dat Uterque minas, velut æthere binæ
Hinc atque hinc nimbis & multo fulmine fœtæ
Fronte petunt frontem Nubes fuper æquora latè
Cafpia pendentes; dum, rauca canentibus Euris
Classica, turbato trepident concurrere cœlo.
Sic utrinque graves fe opponunt cominus Hoftes
Frontibus adverfis, tenebrafque horrentis Averni
Ingeminant; fic compofiti ftant viribus æquis:
Scilicet hofte pari neutrum certamina pofthac

So fpeaking, and fo threat'ning, grew tenfold
More dreadful and deform. On th' other fide
Incens'd with indignation Satan stood
Unterrify'd and like a Comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiucus huge
In th' Arctic Sky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes Peftilence and War. Each at the head
Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No fecond stroke intend: and fuch a frown

Each caft at th' other, as when two black Clouds
With Heav'n's Artill'ry fraught, come rattling on
Over the Cafpian; then ftand front to front,
Hov'ring a space, till Winds the fignal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air.
So frown'd the mighty Combatants, that Hell
Grew darker at their frown; fo match'd they stood:
For never but once more was either like
To meet fo great a foe. And now great deeds

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Plus femel ulla manent. Jamque afpera bella frementem
Mifcuerant Erebum; ni Saga informis, Averni

Cui data portarum & duræ cuftodia clavis,

Vipereâ sese caudâ immififfet, acerbum

Exululans: Quid dextra parat, Pater improbe, Natum

Unigenam contra? Quæ te dementia, Nate,

Arripit, in patrium caput ut tela horrida vibres ?
Quemque juvas, noftin'? Illum, qui te æthere ab alto
Præftantem pensa irridet, tibi quæ fua cunque

Ira dedit, (fas Ipfe vocat) vos Ira tremendo

Merfura exitio.

Peftis acerba manum.

His dictis pacata reduxit

Satanas dein talia contra:

Mira adeò tibi vox, adeò nova perculit aures
Attonitas, paulùm ut retrahat cunctata furorem

Dextera, dum doceas, quid fis atque unde, Biformis:
Quid me jam primò confpectam in valle falutas
Tartareâ, jactafque Tuî Spectrique parentem
Illius: Haud equidem memini, nec tristius olim

Had been atchiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung;
Had not the Snaky Sorcerefs that fat
Faft by Hell Gates, and kept the fatal Key,
Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between,
O Father, what intends thy Hand, fhe cry'd,
Against thy only Son? What Fury, O Son,
Poffeffes thee, to bend that mortal dart
Against thy Father's Head? and know'ft for whom?
For Him who fits above, and laughs the while
At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute

Whate'er his wrath, which He calls Juftice, bids;
His Wrath, which one day will deftroy ye both.
She fpake, and at her words the hellish Peft
Forbore: then these to her Satan return'd:

So ftrange thy outcry, and thy Words fo ftrange
Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand
Prevented spares to tell thee yet by deeds
What it intends; till first I know of thee,
What Thing thou art, thus double-form'd; and why,
In this infernal vale first met, thou call'st

Te

Te quidquam afpexi, nec monftrum informius Illo.
Olli deinde Erebi portarum talia Cuftos:

Siccine Tu noftrî oblitus? tamque horrida formæ
Jam tibi vifa meæ fpecies, pulcherrima vestro

Quondam vifa choro? quum magno adftante Seraphum
Concilio, in fuperum forti fimul agmine regem
Conjuratorum, extemplò tentaret amarus

Te dolor, offufique incertâ nube natarent
Languentes oculi. Capite erupere feroces
Undatim flammarum æftus: pars deinde finiftra
Vulnere diffiliens vafto patet; unde repente
Ipfa tibi vultu placidâque fimillima formâ
Et fulgore pari, Dea cincta ardentibus armis
Emicui; attonitos Superos ftupor occupat ingens;
Horrescunt, revocantque pedem trepidantiùs, Aten
Clamantes, veriti portentum immane: sed usu
Nota magis tandem placui; captufque lepore
Illecebrifque meis, quicunque refugerat olim,

Me Father, and that Phantasm call'st my Son:
I know thee not; nor ever faw till now
Sight more detestable than Him and Thee.
T'whom thus the Portress of Hell-Gate reply'd:
Haft thou forgot me then? and do I seem
Now in thine eye fo foul, once deem'd fo fair
In Heav'n? when at th' Affembly, and in fight
Of all the Seraphim, with thee combin'd
In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's King,
All on a fudden miferable pain

Surpriz'd thee: dim thine eyes, and dizzy fwum
In darkness; while thy Head flames thick and fast
Threw forth; till on the left fide op'ning wide,
Likeft to thee in shape, and count'nance bright,
Then fining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd,
Out of thy head I fprung. Amazement feiz'd
All th' Hoft of Heav'n: back they recoil'd, afraid
At first, and call'd me Sin; and for a fign
Portentous held me: but familiar grown

I pleas'd, and with attractive Graces won

Jam

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