Jam coluit: Tu præcipuè, qui ardore feroci In me temet amans lætis complexibus ultro Gaudebas: hinc mî intumuit gravis alvus onufque Concepit tacitum. Jam tum bella, horrida bella Æthereis fremuere plagis: hinc Omnipotenti (Quid fperandum aliud?) Victoria contigit Hosti: Sed Noftris fuga, fed clades fuper ignea cœli Littora; præcipiti ceciderunt æthere in imum Hoc barathrum, mecum acti unà: mihi tempore ab illo Hæc clavis commiffa ingens portæque potentes Servandæ; quas me invitâ vis nulla recludet. Ergo his in tenebris mœfta incomitata fedebam: Nec longum; infelix alvus jam immane gravescens Horrendum patitur motum infandosque dolores. Hæc tandem enormis, quam confpicis, hæc tua Proles Perrupit pavitanti uterum divulfaque fubtus
Viscera, terrificis imos cruciatibus artus
The most averfe; Thee chiefly, who full oft Thy felf in me thy perfect image viewing, Becam'ft inamour'd; and fuch joy thou took'st With me in fecret, that my womb.conceiv'd A growing burthen. Mean while War arofe, And fields were fought in Heav'n: wherein remain'd (For what could elfe?) to our Almighty Foe Clear Victory; to Our part lofs, and rout, Through all the Empyrean: down they fell, Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven down Into this Deep; and in the general fall
I also at which time this pow'rful Key Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep Thefe Gates for ever fhut; which none can pass Without my op'ning. Penfive here I fat Alone; but long I fat not, till my womb Pregnant by thee, and now exceffive grown, Prodigious motion felt, and rueful throes. At last this odious Offspring whom thou feeft, Thine own begotten, breaking violent way Tore through my entrails; that with fear, and pain Distorted, all my nether fhape thus grew
Deformans; deinde ingenitus celer exilit Hoftis Tela vibrans matrem contra: tremebunda receffi Exululans Haden: Gemit omnibus ampla cavernis Inferni domus, horrendumque remurmurat Haden. Ut fugi, infequitur Spectrum; (non ira, libido Accendit) victamque fugâ trepidamque Parentem Vi miferam violans fœdâ, hæc ululantia monstra Progenuit; crebris quæ me clamoribus actam (Ut tibi cernere erat) vexant, conceptaque in horas Editaque immenfos pariunt fine fine dolores: Ut libet, infanis repetunt latratibus alvum Maternam, indomito rimantes vifcera morfu: Deinde iterum erumpunt, trepidifque horroribus angor Confcia; nec requies fævo fpatiumve labori. Ante oculos coram fiftit fefe horridus Hades
Torva tuens, idemque Hoftis mihi, Natus & idem, Accenditque canum rabiem; quin me quoque Matrem Mandere avet; fed enim novit se lege teneri
Transform'd: But He my inbred Enemy Forth-iffu'd, brandishing his fatal dart Made to destroy. I fled, and cry'd out Death: Hell trembl'd at the hideous Name, and figh'd From all her caves, and back refounded, Death. I fled, but He purfu'd; (though more, it seems, Inflam'd with luft than rage) and swifter far Me overtook his Mother, all difmay'd: And in embraces forcible, and foul, Ingendring with me, of that rape begot
Thefe yelling Monsters, that with ceafelefs cry Surround me, as thou faw'ft; hourly conceiv'd, And hourly born, with forrow infinite To me: for, when they lift, into the womb That bred them they return; and howl, and gnaw My bowels, their repaft: then bursting forth, Afresh with confcious terrors vex me round, That reft or intermiffion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits
Grim Death, my Son and Foe, who fets them on,
Haud aliâ, exitiumque epulas ferale daturas.
Sed Tu, Pater, effuge telum
Horrificum; nec crede nimis radiantibus armis, Æthereo quanquam ardefcant conflata metallo. Nulli fas aciem vitare aut fiftere contra Letiferam, & folo Superûm Rectore domandam. Finierat. Satanas monitus meliora furorem Continuò pofuit, blandoque hæc reddidit ore:
Cara, Patrem quæ me jactas, natumque venustum Oftendis, noftri fuper æthera pignus amoris,
(Quondam ah dulcis amor! tædet meminiffe pigetque Præteriti; fic nos inopinâ forte laceffunt
Damna infperata, & facies patet altera rerum.) Adfum non Hoftis; fed mosti ut carceris antro Te cum prole tuâ eripiam, & quot nostra tueri Jura aufi, magnæ focios comitefque ruinæ : Hos propter munus fequor illætabile folus, Unum pro Multis caput objectare periclis
And me his Parent would full foon devour For want of other prey; but that he knows His end with mine involv'd, and knows that I Should prove a bitter morfel and his bane, Whenever that shall be: fo Fate pronounc'd. But thou O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun His deadly Arrow; neither vainly hope To be invuln'rable in those bright Arms, Though temper'd heav'nly: for that mortal dint, Save He who reigns above, none can refift.
She finish'd; and the fubtle Fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder; and thus anfwer'd fmooth: Dear Daughter, fince thou claim'ft me for thy Sire, And my fair Son here show'st me, (the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then fweet, now fad to mention, thro' dire change Befall'n us, unforeseen, unthought of) know I come no Enemy: but to fet free
From out this dark and difmal house of pain, Both Him and thee, and all the heav'nly Host
Haud veritus, quæcunque viam per inane Profundum Tentanti occurrant; fpatii dum templa peragrans Incertam quæro fedem, quam fama futuram Prædixit quondam Divis, nunc plurima figna Surrexiffe canunt, ingenti mole rotundam, Felices terras, confinia lucida cœli.
Has adeò nova fortitur de ftirpe recenti Condita Gens; ibi quos vicibus fuccedere noftris Forte DEUS ftatuit, fuperâ paulum arce remotos, Ne nimiis aucta agminibus cœleftia Regna Hinc alias agitent lites. Nunc hoccine agatur, An lateat quidquam fecretius, impiger infto Quærendi cupidus: quæfito deinde revertar, Vofque locos referam lætos, quà pace serenâ Tecum Hades tuus in longum dominabitur ævum; Quà fpatiari auris in mollibus inter odores Continget; prædæque fames faturabitur omni Luxurie, explebitque avidiffima vota Libido.
Of Spirits, that in our just pretenses arm'd, Fell with us from on high. From them I go This uncouth Errand fole; and One for All My felf expofe, with lonely steps to tread Th' unfounded Deep, and through the void Immenfe To fearch with wandring quest a place foretold Should be, and by concurring figns ere-now, Created vast and round; a place of bliss In the purlieus of Heav'n: and therein plac'd A race of upftart Creatures, to fupply
Perhaps our vacant room; though more remov'd, Left Heav'n furcharg'd with potent multitude Might hap to move new broils. Be this, or ought Than this more fecret, now defign'd; I hafte To know: and this once known, shall soon return, And bring ye to the place, where Thou, and Death, Shall dwell at eafe; and up and down unseen Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm’d With odours: there ye fhall be fed, and fill'd Immeasurably; all things fhall be your prey.
His dictis vultus incendit utrique Voluptas; Informique Hades diftorquens ora cachinno Horrendum rifit: fibi tam fpolia ampla parari Gaudet, & immani ingluvies falit improba plausu. Quin dedit haud alios Genitrix turpiffima risus Exultans, fimul ipfa fuo fic fata parenti :
Gurgitis inferni magna hæc mihi tradita Clavis Arbitrio torquenda meo: dedit omnipotens Rex Servandam, prohibetque adamantina folvere clauftra. Ante fores telo ferali fummovet Hades
Vim cunctam, & latè victor genus omne animantum Defpicit. At quid Ego imperium morer Omnipotentis ? Me fævo premit Ille odio, hæc in Tartara mifit Funefta, has tenebras; hoc munere vexat iniquo, Indigenam cœli & quondam fupera aftra colentem: En quêis tormentis terrorumque agmine quanto Circumdat, fœtufque ingrati ululatibus urget Vifcera luctifico morfu materna vorantis.
He ceas'd: for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Grinn'd horrible a ghaftly fmile, to hear [Death His famine fhould be fill'd; and bleft his maw Deftin'd to that good hour: no lefs rejoic'd His Mother bad, and thus befpake her Sire: The Key of this infernal Pit by due, And by command of Heav'n's all-pow'rful King, I keep; by him forbidden to unlock Thefe Adamantine Gates. Against all force
Death ready ftands to interpofe his dart, Fearlefs to be o'ermatch'd by living wight. But what owe I to His commands above Who hates me, and hath hither thruft me down Into this gloom of Tartarus profound, To fit in hateful Office here confin'd, Inhabitant of Heav'n, and heav'nly-born, Here in perpetual agony, and pain;
With terrors, and with clamors compafs'd round,
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