With his induftrious crew to build in hell.
Mean while the winged Haralds by command
Of Sovran power, with awful Ceremony
And Trumpets found throughout the Hoft proclaim
A folemn Councel forthwith to be held
At Pandamonium, the high Capital
Of Satan and his Peers: thir fummons call'd
From every Band and squared Regiment
By place or choice the worthiest; they anon
With hunderds and with thousands trooping came
Attended: all access was throng'd, the Gates 761
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 Soldans chair
Defi'd the best of Panim chivalry
To mortal combat or carreer with Lance)
Thick fwarm'd, both on the ground and in the air,
Brusht with the hifs of rusfling wings. As Bees
In fpring time, when the Sun with Taurus rides,
Poure forth thir populous youth about the Hive
In clusters; they among fresh dews and flowers
Flie to and fro, or on the fmoothed Plank,
The fuburb of thir Straw-built Cittadel,
New rub'd with Baume, expatiate and confer
Thir State affairs. So thick the aerie crowd
Swarm'd and were ftraitn'd; till the Signal giv'n,
Behold a wonder! they but now who seemd
In bigness to surpass Earths Giant Sons
Now lefs then smallest Dwarfs, in narrow room
Throng numberless, like that Pigmean Race
Beyond the Indian Mount, or Faerie Elves,
Whose midnight Revels, by a Forrest fide
Or Fountain fome belated Peasant fees,
Or dreams he fees, while over head the Moon
Sits Arbitress, and neerer to the Earth
Wheels her pale course, they on thir mirth & dance
Intent, with jocond Mufic charm his ear;
At once with joy and fear his heart rebounds.
Thus incorporeal Spirits to smallest forms
Reduc'd thir fhapes immenfe, and were at large,
Though without number still amidst the Hall 791
Of that infernal Court. But far within
And in thir own dimensions like themselves
The great Seraphic Lords and Cherubim
In close recefs and fecret conclave fat
A thousand Demy-Gods on golden feats,
Frequent and full. After short filence then
And fummons read, the great confult began.
The End of the First Book.
IGH on a Throne of Royal State, which far
Outfhon the wealth of Ormus and of Ind, Or where the gorgeous East with richest hand Showrs on her Kings Barbaric Pearl and Gold, Satan exalted fat, by merit rais'd
To that bad eminence; and from despair
Thus high uplifted beyond hope, afpires
Beyond thus high, infatiate to pursue
Vain Warr with Heav'n, and by fuccefs untaught
His proud imaginations thus difplaid.
Powers and Dominions, Deities of Heav'n,
For fince no deep within her gulf can hold
Immortal vigor, though oppreft and fall'n,
I give not Heav'n for loft. From this descent
Celestial vertues rifing, will appear
More glorious and more dread then from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no fecond fate:
Mee though juft right, and the fixt Laws of Heav'n
Did first create your Leader, next, free choice,
With what befides, in Counsel or in Fight,
Hath bin achievd of merit, yet this loss
Thus farr at least recover'd, hath much more
Establisht in a safe unenvied Throne
Yeilded with full confent. The happier state
In Heav'n, which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy whom the highest place expofes
Formoft to stand against the Thunderers aime
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? where there is then no good 30
For which to strive, no ftrife can grow up there
From Faction; for none fure 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 then can be in Heav'n, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to profper then prosperity
Could have affur'd us; and by what beft way, 40
Whether of open Warr or covert guile,
We now debate; who can advise, may speak.
He ceas'd, and next him Moloc, Scepter'd King
Stood up, the strongest and the fierceft Spirit
That fought in Heav'n; now fiercer by despair :
His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in ftrength, and rather then be less
Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft
Went all his fear of God, or Hell, or worse
He reckd not, and these words thereafter fpake. 50
My fentence is for open Warr: Of Wiles,
More unexpert, I boast not: them let those
Contrive who need, or when they need, not now.
For while they fit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions that stand in Arms, and longing wait
The Signal to ascend, fit lingring here
Heav'ns fugitives, and for thir 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're Heav'ns high Towrs to force resistless way,
Turning our Tortures into horrid Arms
Against the Torturer; when to meet the noise
Of his Almighty Engin he shall hear
Infernal Thunder, and for Lightning fee
Black fire and horror shot with equal rage
Among his Angels; and his Throne it self
Mixt with Tartarean Sulphur, 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 fuch bethink them, if the fleepy drench
Of that forgetful Lake benumme not still,
That in our proper motion we ascend
Up to our native feat: defcent and fall
To us is adverfe. Who but felt of late
When the fierce Foe hung on our brok'n Rear
Insulting, and pursu'd us through the Deep,
With what compulfion and laborious flight
We funk thus low? Th' afcent is eafie then;
Th' event is fear'd; fhould we again provoke
Our stronger, fome worse way his wrath may
To our destruction: if there be in Hell
Fear to be worse destroy'd: what can be worse
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