Huc Satanas rectà greffum imperterritus urget,
Hâc fiquem in turbâ civem nigrantis Abyssi
Viderit; ut norit, quæ proxima ducat euntem
Semita vicinas luci caliginis oras.
Ecce autem fubitò ante oculos fe regia pandit
Ampla Chaus, vaftumque fuper diffufa Profundum
Pendent terrifici tentoria nigra Tyranni.
Juxtà majeftate pari pullata refedit
Trifti Nox folio, rerum antiquiffima, magni
Alta Chaus confors: laterique hinc adftitit Orcus,
Inde Erebus, nomenque horrendum Demogorgon:
Queis fubeunt Cafus Rumorque, Tumultus, & exlex
Seditio, innumerifque fonans Difcordia linguis.
His ergo audacter Satanas: O qui ima Profundi
Imperio longè premitis latéque filentum
Cuftodes tenebrarum, ô Nox antiqua Chaofque,
Nullæ hic infidiæ; non hìc Speculator oberro,
Nec regni pacem meditor violare serenam.
With loudest vehemence. Thither he plies
Undaunted, to meet there whatever Pow'r
Or Spirit of the nethermoft Abyss,
Might in that noife refide; of whom to ask
Which way the nearest coast of darkness lies,
Bordering on light. When ftrait behold the Throne
Of Chaos, and his dark Pavilion spread
Wide on the wasteful Deep. With him inthron'd
Sat Sable-vefted Night, eldeft of things,
The Confort of his Reign: and by them stood
Orcus, and Hades, and the dreaded name
Of Demogorgon: Rumor next, and Chance,
And Tumult, and Confufion all imbroil'd,
And Discord with a thousand various mouths.
T'whom Satan turning boldly, thus: Ye Pow'rs,
And Spirits of this nethermoft Abyss,
Chaos and Antient Night! I come no Spy
With purpose to explore, or to disturb,
Haud ultro loca per deferta plagafque patentes,
(Hinc quippe ad lucem nobis via) molior atrum
Incomitatus iter: regionum ambage malignâ
Deceptus, nulloque vagans ductore requiro
Semita quæ ducat, quà fe cœleftibus oris
Umbrarum adjungunt fines. Aut fiqua Tyrannus
Ætheris à veftrâ nuper ditione revulfa
Vi loca poffideat, Sedes mihi quæritur ista
Per ferale Profundum: erranti oftendite curfum
Certiùs; hinc vobis veniet non fordida merces.
Sedem iftam manibus veftris tenebrisque vetuftis
Si reddam (quæ caufa viæ eft) NoƐtisque reponam
Vexilla antiquæ ; Vos inde abducite fructus,
Sit Vindicta Meum. Cui fic grandævus Anarcha
Vultu turbato & linguâ titubante remifit:
Advena, te memor agnofco: Tu fcilicet Ifte es
Dux Superûm impavidus, qui cœli bella Tyranno
Haudpridem intentans immanibus excidit aufis.
The secrets of your Realm; but by constraint
Wand'ring this darksome Defart, as my way
Lies through your fpacious Empire up to Light,
Alone, and without guide, half loft, I feek
What readiest path leads where your gloomy bounds
Confine with Heav'n: or if fome other place
From your Dominion won th' Ethereal King
Poffeffes lately, thither to arrive
I travel this Profound. Direct my course;
Directed, no mean recompenfe it brings
To your behoof: if I that Region lost,
All ufurpation thence expell'd, reduce
To her original darkness, and your sway,
(Which is my present journey) and once more
Erect the Standard there of Antient Night;
Yours be th' Advantage all, mine the Revenge.
Thus Satan; and him thus the Anarch old, With faultring speech, and visage incompos'd, Answer'd I know thee, Stranger, who thou art; That mighty leading Angel, who of late
Vidi Egomet fenfique fatis; nec tot legionum
Agmina per trepidum fallebant acta Profundum :
Sic Clades cladi ingeminata, Ruina ruinæ
Succeffit; fic ufque novæ formidinis alis
Præcipitata Fuga eft, Horrorique ingruit Horror:
Tanta fimul cœli portis effufa fuperbis
Vis Divûm victrix profugos undavit in Hostes.
Hìc vigil excubias extremo in limite fervo,
Has fi relliquias regni defendere possim,
Quantulacunque adeò pars fit; quam noftra refringunt
Diffidia, & Noctis fceptrum venerabile lædunt.
Primùm Orcus, tuus ifte immani gurgite Carcer,
Deinde fuperveniens Æther novus & nova Tellus,
Nefcio quæ Moles auri fufpenfa catenâ
Sedibus incubuere meis. Hac tendere curfum
Si ftatuis, non longa via eft, fed fœta periclis
Innumeris. Quin carpe gradum, & felicibus (opto)
Aufpiciis: Mihi funt Strages, funt Funera lucro.
Made head againft Heav'n's King, tho' overthrown.
I faw, and heard; for fuch a num'rous Hoft
Fled not in filence thro' the frighted Deep,
With Ruin upon ruin, Rout on rout,
Confufion worse confounded; and Heav'n-Gates
Pour'd out by millions her victorious Bands
Pursuing. I upon my Frontiers here
Keep refidence; if all I can will ferve
That little which is left so to defend,
Encroach'd on ftill through our intestine broiles,
Weak'ning the Sceptre of old Night: first Hell,
Your dungeon, ftretching far and wide beneath;
Now lately Heav'n and Earth, another World,
Hung o'er my Realm, link'd in a golden Chain
To that fide Heav'n from whence your Legions
If that way be your walk, you have not far; [fell.
So much the nearer danger: go, and speed!
Havoc, and spoil, and ruin are my gain.
Finierat. Satanas contrà nil rettulit: acer,
Impatienfque moræ, & dulci fpe littoris ardens,
Viribus inde novis, ceu Pyramis ardua flammæ,
Evolat in vastum Expanfum; feptusque Elementis
Inter fe æternum indomitâ certantibus irâ
Urget iter durum, gravium afperiore laborans
Mole periclorum, quàm cum transmitteret Argo
Bofpora per fcopulos & procurrentia Saxa :
Aut cum Ithacus dextram cautus vitare Charybdim,
Vix Scyllam effugeret. Sic nifu evaserat ægro
Vix Satanas, per mille viam difcrimina quærens ;
Vix Satanas: Sed mox Hominem fuperante Ruinâ
(Quæ quantæque Vices!) fimul Ate Hadefque fecuti
Paffibus haud ægris veftigia dira legebant:
Scilicet id cœlo vifum. Dein gurgite in alto
Æftus atrox vasti accepit miracula pontis,
Qui longe ex Erebo fragilis fpatia ultima mundi
Contigit: hinc curfu alterno facilique recursu
He ceas'd, and Satan staid not to reply,
But glad that now his Sea fhould find a fhore,
With fresh alacrity and force renew'd,
Springs upward, like a pyramid of fire,
Into the wild expanfe; and through the shock
Of fighting Elements, on all fides round
Environ'd, wins his way: harder befet,
And more endanger'd, than when Argo pafs'd
Through Bosphorus, betwixt the juftling Rocks:
Or when Ulysses on the Larboard fhun'd
Charybdis, and by th' other whirlpool fteer'd.
So He with difficulty, and labour hard
Mov'd on: with difficulty and labour He;
But He once paft, foon after, when man fell,
Strange alteration! Sin and Death amain
Following his track (fuch was the will of Heav'n!)
Pav'd after him a broad and beaten way
Over the dark Abyfs, whofe boyling Gulph
Tamely endur'd a Bridge of wondrous length,
From Hell continu'd, reaching th' utmoft Orb
Tartarei remeant populi, illecebrifque laceffunt
Mortales, nifi quos DEUS ipfe DE Ique Ministri
Tutantur, cinctofque fovent cœleftibus alis.
Jamque adeò cœli Lux fancta emittitur altis
Arcibus, inque finus Noctis jaculatur opacos
Languidius jubar & dubiæ promiffa diei.
Hic fines Natura fuos atque ultima regna
Oftendit: Chaos extremis, velut obrutus Hoftis,
Depulfus caftris abit, exuiturque furorem.
Hinc melius pergit Satanas & luminis ignes
Infequitur tremulos, pacatoque æquore portum
Pronus adit; qualis pofitis lætissima Puppis
Turbinibus, defeffa hieme, & lacerata rudentes.
Jam medium per Inane volans, velut aere fudo
Sufpenfus, late explicitis fe librat in alis,
Explorans cœli flammantia monia longo
Didita circuitu, nullifque coercita metis.
Ardua ibi vivis, quondam fua, regna tuetur
Of this frail World; by which the Spirits perverfe With tumult lefs, and with less hoftile din ;
With eafie intercourfe pafs to and fro,
To tempt or punish mortals, except whom
GOD and good Angels guard by special grace.
But now at laft the facred influence
Of Light appears, and from the walls of Heaven
Shoots far into the bofom of dim Night
A glimmering dawn: Here Nature first begins
Her fartheft verge; and Chaos to retire,
As from her outmost works a broken foe,
That Satan with lefs toil, and now with ease,
Wafts on the calmer wave by dubious light;
And like a weather-beaten veffel holds
Gladly the Port, though Shrouds and Tackle torn:
Or in the emptier waste resembling Air,
Weighs his spread wings, at leifure to behold
Far off th' Empyreal Heav'n, extended wide.
In circuit, undetermin'd fquare or round:
With Opal Tow'rs, and Battlements adorn'd
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