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Sev'ring each kind, and scumur'd the bullion dross:

A third as soon had form'd within the ground
A various mould, and from the boiling cells,
By strange conveyance, fill'd each hollow nook,
As in an organ from one blast of wind
To many a row of pipes the sound-board
breathes.

Anon, out of the earth a fabric huge
Rose like an exhalation, with the sound
Of dulcet symphonies and voices sweet,
Built like a temple, where pilasters round
Were set, and Doric pillars overlaid
With golden architrave; nor did they want
Cornice or frieze,with bossy sculptures graven;
The roof was fretted gold. Not Babylon,
Nor great Alcairo such magnificence
Equall'd in all their glories, to inshrine
Belus or Serapis their gods, or seat
Their kings, when Egypt with Assyria strove
In wealth and luxury. Th'ascending pile
Stood fix'd her stately height, and strait the
doors

Opening their brazen folds, discover wide-
Within her ample spaces o'er the smooth
And level pavement: from the arched roof
Pendant by subtle magic, many a row
Of starry lamps and blazing cressets, fed'
With Naptha and Asphaltus, yielding light
As from a sky. The hasty multitude

Admiring enter'd, and the work some praise
And some the architect: his hand was known
In heav'n by many a towered structure high,
Where scepter'd angels held their residence,
And sat as princes, whom the supreme King
Exalted to such power, and gave to rule,
Each in his hierarchy, the orders bright.
Nor was his name unheard or unador'd
In ancient Greece; and in Ausoniau land
Men call'd him Mulciber; and how he fell
From heav'n they fabled, thrown by angry
Jove

Sheer o'er the crystal battlements: from morn
To noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
A summer's day; and with the setting suu
Dropt form the zenith, like a falling star,
On Leninos th' Egean isle: thus they relate,
Ering; for he with his rebellious rout
Fell long before; nor ought avail'd him now.
To' have built in heav'n high tow'rs; nor did

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A solemn council forthwith to be held
At Pandemonium, the high capital
Of Satan and his peers: their summons call'd
From every band and squared regiment
By place or choice the worthiest; they anon
With hundreds and with thousands trooping

canie

Attended: all access was throng'd, the gates, And porches wide, but chief the spacious

hall

(Though like a cover'd field, where champions bold

Wont ride in arm'd, and at the Soldan's chair Defy'd the best of Panim chivalry

To mortal combat, or career with lance) Thick swarm'd, both on the ground and in the air [bees Brush'd with the hiss of rustling wings. As In spring time, when the sun with Taurus

rides,

Pour forth their populous youth about the hive In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers

Fly to and fro, or on the smoothed plank,
The suburb of their straw-built citadel,
New rubb'd with balm, expatiate and confer
Their state affairs. So thick the airy crowd
Swarm'd and were straiten'd; till the signal
given,

Behold a wonder! they but now who seem'd
In biguess to surpass Earth's giant sons,
Now less than smallest dwarfs, in narrow

room

Throng numberless, like that Pygmean race
Beyond the Indian mount, or fairy elves,
Whose midnight revels by a forest side
Or fountain some belated peasant sees,
Or dreams he sees, while over-head the Moon
Set arbitress, and ncarer to earth
Wheels her pale course, they on their mirth

and dance

Intent with jocund music charm his ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart re-

bounds.

Thus incorporated spirits to smallest forms Reduc'd their shape immense, and were at

large,

Though without number still amidst the hall
Of the infernal court. But far within,
And in their own dimensions like themselves
The great seraphic lords and cherubim
In close recess and secret conclave sat
A thousand demi-gods on golden seats,
Frequent and full. After short silence then,
And summons read, the great consult began.

THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK.

PARADISE LOST.

BOOK II.

THE ARGUMENT.

The consultation began, Satan debates whether another battle be to be hazarded for the recovery of Heaven: Some advise it, others dissuade: A third proposal is preferred, mentioned before by Satan, to search the truth of that prophecy or tradition in Heaven concerning another world, and another kind of, creature equal or not much inferior to themselves, about this time to be created: Their doubt who shall be sent on this difficult search; Satan their chief undertakes alone the voyage, is honoured and applauded. The council thus ended, the rest betake them several ways, and to several employments, as their inclinations lead them, to entertain the time till Satan returns. He passes on his journey to Hell gates, finds them shut, and who sate their to guard them, by whom at length they are opened, and discover to him the great gulf between Hell and Heaven; with what difficulty he passes through, directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the sight of this new world which he sought.

HIGH on a throne of royal state, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus and of Ind,
Or where the gorgeous east with richest hand
Show'rs on her kings barbaric pearl and gold,
Satan exalted sat, by merits rais'd

To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, aspires
Beyond thus high, insatiate to pursue

Vain war with Heav'n, and by success un

taught

His proud imaginations thus display'd.

Pow'rs and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n, For since no deep within her gulf can hold Immortal vigour, though oppress'd and fall'n, I give not Heav'n for lost. From this descent Celestial virtues rising, will appear

More glorious and more dread than from no
fall,

And trust themselves to fear no second fate.
Me, though just right, and the fix'd laws of
Heaven

Did first create your leader, next free choice,
With what besides, in council or in fight,
Hath been achiev'd of merit, yet this loss
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more
Establish'd in a safe unenvied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior: but who here
Will envy whom the highest place exposes
Foremost to stand against the Thund'rer's aim
Your bulwark, and condemus to greatest share
Of endless pain? where there is then no good
For which to strive, no strife can grow up
there

From faction; for none sure will claim in Hell
Precedence; none, whose portion is so small
Of present pain, that with ambitious mind
Will covet more. With this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heav'n, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,

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Stood up, the strongest and the fiercest spirit
That fought in Heav'n, now fiercer by despair:
His trust was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in strength, and rather than be less
Car'd not to be at all; with that care lost
Went all his fear of God, or Hell, or worse
He reck'd not, and these words thereafter
spake.

My sentence is for open war: of wiles,
More unexpert, I boast not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not

now.

For while they sit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions that stand in arms, and longing wait
The signal to asceud, sit ling'ring here
Heav'n's fugitives, and for their dwelling place
Accept this dark opprobrious den of shame,
The prison of his tyranny who reigns
By our delay? no, let us rather choose,
Arm'd with Hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heav'n's high tow'rs, to force resistless

way,

Turning our tortures into horrid arms
Against the torturer; when to meet the noise
Of his almighty engine he shall hear
Infernal thunder, and for lightning see
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
Among his Angels, and his throne itself
Mix'd with Tartarean sulphár, and strange
fire,

His own invented torments. But perhaps
The way seems difficult and steep, to scale
With upright wing against a higher foe.
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench
Of that forgetful lake benumb not still,
That in our proper motion we ascend
C

No. II.-N. S. Continued from the Poetical Part of No. I.

Up to our native seat: descent and fall
To us is adverse. Who but felt of late,
When the fierce foe hung on our broken rear
Insulting, and pursued us through the deep,
With what compulsion and laborious flight
We sunk thus low? Th' ascent is easy then ;
The event is fear'd; should we again provoke
Our stronger, some worse way his wrath may
find

To our destruction; if there be in Hell

Fear to be worse destroy'd: what can be worse Than to dwell here, driv'n out from bliss, condemin'd

In this abhorr'd deep to utter woe;
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must exercise us without hope of end
The vassals of bis anger, when the scourge
Inexorably, and the torturing hour
Calls us to penauce? More destroy'd than
thus

We should be quite abolish'd and expire.
What fear we then? what doubt we to incense
His utmost ire? which to the height enrag'd,
Will either quite consume us, and reduce
To nothing this essential, happier far
Than miserable to have eternal being:
Or if our substance be indeed divine,
And cannot cease to be, we are at worst
On this side nothing; and by proof we feel
Our power sufficient to disturb his Heaven,
And with perpetual inroads to alarm,
Though inaccessible, his fatal throne:
Which, if not victory, is yet revenge.

He ended frowning, and his look denounc'd
Desp'rate revenge, and battle dangerous
To less than Gods. On th' other side up rose
Belial, in act more graceful and humane;
A fairer person lost not Heav'n; he seem'd
For dignity compos'd and high exploit:
But all was false and hollow; though his
tongue
[pear
Dropt manna, and could make the worse ap-
The better reason, to perplex and dash
Maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low;
To vice industrious, but to nobler deeds
Timorous and slothful: yet be pleas'd the ear,
And with persuasive accent thus began.

I should be much for open war, O Peers! As not behind în bate, if what was urg'd Main reason to persuade immediate war, Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast Ominous conjecture on the whole success: When he who most excels in fact of arms, In what he counsels and in what excels Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair And utter dissolution, as the scope Of all his aim, after some dire revenge. First, what revenge? the tow'rs of Heav'n are fill'd

With armed watch, that render all access Impregnable; oft on the bord'ring deep Encamp their legions, or with obscure wing Scout far and wide into the realm of night, Scoruing surprise. Or could we break our

way

By force, and at our heels all Hell should rise
With blackest insurrection, to confound
Heav'n's purest light, yet our great enemy
All incorruptible would on his throne
Sit unpolluted, and th' ethereal mould
Incapable of stain would soon expel
Her mischief, and purge off the baser fire
Victorious. Thus repuls'd, our final hope
Is flat despair: we must exasperate
Th' Almighty Victor to spend all bis rage,
And that must end us, that must be our cure,
To be no more; sad cure; for who would
lose,

Though full of pain, this intellectual being,
Those thoughts that wander through eternity,
To perish rather, swallow'd up and lost
In the wide womb of uncreated night,
Devoid of sense and motion? and who knows,
Let this be good, whether our angry foe
Can give it, or will ever? how he can
Is doubtful; that he never will is sure.
Will he, so wise, let loose at once his ire,
Belike through impotence, or unaware,
To give his enemies their wish, and end
Them in his anger, whom his auger saves
To panish endless? Wherefore cease we then?
Say they who counsel war, we are decreed,
Reserv'd, and destin'd to eternal woe;
Whatever doing, what can we suffer more,
What can we suffer worse? Is this then worst,
Thus sitting, thus consulting, thus in arms?
What when we fled amain, pursued and struck
With Heav'n's afflicting thunder, and be
sought

The deep to shelter us? this Hell then seem'd
A refuge from those wounds or when we lay
Chain'd on the burning lake? that sure was

worse.

What if the breath that kindled those grim fires,

Awak'd should blow them into sev❜nfold rage,
And plunge us in the flames? or from above
Should intermitted vengeance arm again
His red right hand to plague us? what if all
Her stores were open'd, and this firmament
Of Hell should spout her eataracts of fire,
Impendent horrors, threat'ning hideous fall
One day upon our beads; while we perhaps
Designing or exhorting glorious war,
Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurl'd
Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and

prey

Of wracking whirlwinds, and for ever suak

Under you boiling ocean, wrapt in chains;
There to converse with everlasting groans,
Unrespited, unpitied, unrepriev❜d,
Ages of hopeless end! this would be worse.
War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike

My voice dissuades; for what can force or
guile

With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye
Views all things at one view? he from Heav'n's
height

All these our motions vaiu sees and derides;
Not more almighty to resist our might,

Than wise to frustrate all our plots and wiles.
Shall we then live thus vile, the race of Heaven
Thus trampled, thus expell'd to suffer here
Chains and these torments? better these than

worse

By my advice; since fate inevitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,
The victor's will. To suffer, as to do,
Our strength is equal, nor the law unjust
That so ordains: this was at first resolv'd,
If we were wise, against so great a foe
Contending, and so doubtful what would fall.
I laugh, when those who at the spear are bold
Aud vent'rous, if that fail them, shrink and
fear

What yet they know must follow, to endure
Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain,
The sentence of their conqu'ror: this is now
Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear,
Our supreme foe in time may much remit
His anger, and perhaps thus far remov'd
Not mind us not offending, satisfy'd
With what is punish'd; wheuce these raging
fires
[flames.
Will slacken, if his breath stir not their
Our purer essence then will overcome
Their noxious vapour, or inur'd not feel,
Or chang'd at length, and to the place con-
form'd

In temper and in nature, will receive
Familiar the tierce heat, and void of pain;
This horror will grow mild, this darkness light,||
Besides what hope the never-ending flight
Of future days may bring, what chance, what
change

Worth waiting, since our present lot appears
For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,
If we procure not to ourselves more woe.
Thus Belial with words cloth'd in reason's
garb

Counsel'd ignoble ease, and peaceful sloth,
For peace and after him thus Mainmon spake.
Either to disinthrone the King of Heaven
We war, if war be best, or to regain
Our own right lost: him to unthrone we then
May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the strife:

The former vain to hope argues as vain
The latter for what place can be for us
Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord
supreme

We overpow'r? Suppose he should relent,
And publish grace to all, on promise made
Of new subjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throne
With warbl'd hymns, and to his Godhead sing
Forc'd Hallelujahs; while he lordly sits
Our envied sov'reign, and bis altar breathes
Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers,
Our servile offerings? This must be our task,
In Heav'n, this our delight; how wearisome
Eternity so spent in worship paid
To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
By force impossible, by leave obtain’d
Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state
Of splendid vassalage; but rather seek [own
Our own good from ourselves, and from our
Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess,
Free, and to none accountable, preferring
Hard liberty before the easy yoke

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear
Then most conspicuous, when great things of
small,

Useful of hurtful, prosp'rous of adverse
We can create, and in what place soe'er
Thrive under ev'l, and work ease out of pain
Through labour and endurance. This deep
world

Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst [Sire
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling
Choose to reside, his glory unobscur'd,
And with the majesty of darkness round [roar
Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders
Must'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell?
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? This desert soil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold;
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can Heav'n show more?
Our torments also may in length of time
Become our elements, these piercing fires
As soft as now severe, our temper chang'd
Into their temper; which must uceds remove
The sensible of pain. All things invite
To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
Of order, how in safety best we may
Compose our present evils, with regard
Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
All thoughts of war: ye have what I advise.

He scarce had finish'd, when such murmur

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Sea-faring men o'er-watch'd, whose bark by Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need

chance

Or pinnace anchors in a craggy bay
After the tempest: Such applause was heard
As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleas'd,
Advising peace: for such another field

With dang'rous expedition to invade
Heav'n, whose high walls fear no assault or

siege,

Or ambush from the deep. What if we find Some easier enterprise? There is a place,

They dreaded worse than Hell: so much the (If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven

fear

Of thunder and the sword of Michaël
Wrought still within them; and no less desire
To found this nether empire, which might rise
By policy, and long process of time,
In emulation opposite to Heav'n.
Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd than whom,
Satan except, none higher sat, with grave
Aspect he rose, and in his rising seem'd
A pillar of state; deep on his front engraven
Deliberation sat and public care;
And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
Majestic though in ruin: sage he stood
With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear
The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention still as night
Or summer's 'noon-tide air, while thus he
spake.
[Heav'n,
Thrones and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of
Ethereal Virtues; or these titles now
Must we renounce, and changing style be call'd
Princes of Hell? for so the popular vote
Inclines, here to continue, and build up here
A growing empire; doubtless; while we dream,
And know not that the King of Heav'n hath
doom'd

This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat
Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt
From Heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne, but to remain
In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd
Under th' inevitable curb, reserv'd
His captive multitude: for he, be sure,

In height or depth, still first and last will reign

Sole king; and of his kingdom lose no part
By our revolt, but over Hell extend
His empire, and with iron sceptre rule
Us here, as with his golden those in Heaven.
What sit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with loss
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none

Err not) another world, the happy seat

Of some new race call'd Man, about this time
To be created like to 118, though less
In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd more
Of him who rules above; so was his will
Pronounc'd amongst the Gods, and by an oath,
That shook Heav'n's whole circumference,

confirm'd.

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best,

By force or subtlety. Though Heav'n be shut, And Heav'n's high arbitrator sit secure In his own strength, this place may lie expos'd, The utmost border of his kingdom, left To their defence who hold it: here perhaps Some advantageous act may be achiev'd By sudden onset, either with Hell fire To waste his whole creation, or possess All as our own, and drive, as we were driven, The puny habitants, or if not drive, Seduce them to our party, that their God May prove their foe, and with repenting hand Abolish his own works. This would surpass Common revenge, and interrupt his joy In our confusion, and our joy upraise In his disturbance; when his darling sons, Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall

curse

Their frail original, and faded bliss,
Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to sit in darkuess here
Hatching vain empires. Thus Beelzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence,
But from the author of all ill, could spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite

Vouchsaf'd or sought; for what peace will be The great Creator? But their spite still serves

given

To us insalv'd, but custody severe,

And stripes, and arbitrary punishment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But to our pow'r hostility and hate,
Untam'd reluctance, and revenge though slow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqu'ror least
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice
In doing what we most in suffering feel?

His glory to augment. The bold design Pleas'd highly those infernal States, and joy Sparkled in all their eyes; with full assent They vote whereat his speech he thus re

news.

Well have ye judg'd, well ended long debate, Synod of Gods, and like to what ye are, Great things resolv'd, which from the lowest deep

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