FOR that warning voice, which he who faw
Th' Apocalyps, heard cry in Heaven aloud,
Then when the Dragon, put to second rout,
Came furious down to be reveng'd on men,
Wo to the inhabitants on Earth! that now,
While time was, our first Parents had bin warnd
The coming of thir secret foe, and scap'd
Haply fo fcap'd his mortal fnare; for now
Satan, now first inflam'd with rage, came down,
The Tempter ere th' Accufer of man-kind,
To wreck on innocent frail man his lofs
Of that first Battel, and his flight to Hell:
Yet not rejoycing in his speed, though bold,
Far off and fearless, nor with cause to boast,
Begins his dire attempt, which nigh the birth
Now rowling, boiles in his tumultuous breft,
And like a devillish Engine back recoiles
Upon himself; horror and doubt distract
His troubl'd thoughts, and from the bottom stirr
The Hell within him, for within him Hell
He brings, and round about him, nor from Hell
One step no more then from himself can fly
By change of place: Now confcience wakes despair
That flumberd, wakes the bitter memorie
Of what he was, what is, and what must be
Worfe; of worse deeds worse sufferings must enfue.
Sometimes towards Eden which now in his view
Lay pleasant, his grievd look he fixes fad,
Sometimes towards Heav'n and the full-blazing Sun,
Which now fat high in his Meridian Towre:
Then much revolving, thus in fighs began.
O thou that with furpaffing Glory crownd, Look'st from thy fole Dominion like the God Of this new World; at whofe fight all the Starrs Hide thir diminisht heads; to thee I call, But with no friendly voice, and add thy name O Sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams That bring to my remembrance from what ftate I fell, how glorious once above thy Spheare; 39 Till Pride and worse Ambition threw me down Warring in Heav'n against Heav'ns matchless King: Ah wherefore! he defervd no fuch return From me, whom he created what I was In that bright eminence, and with his good Upbraided none; nor was his fervice hard. What could be less then to afford him praise, The easiest recompence, and pay him thanks, How due! yet all his good prov'd ill in me, And wrought but malice; lifted up fo high I fdeind subjection, and thought one step higher Would fet me highest, and in a moment quit 51 The debt immense of endless gratitude,
So burthenfome, ftill paying, ftill to ow;
Forgetful what from him I ftill receivd,
And understood not that a grateful mind
By owing owes not, but ftill pays, at once
Indebted and dischargd; what burden then?
O had his powerful Destiny ordaind
Me fome inferiour Angel, I had stood
Then happie; no unbounded hope had rais'd 60
Ambition. Yet why not? fom other Power
As great might have aspir'd, and me though mean
Drawn to his part; but other Powers as great
Fell not, but stand unshak'n, from within
Or from without, to all temptations arm'd.
Hadft thou the fame free Will and Power to stand?
Thou hadft: whom haft thou then or what to accuse,
But Heav'ns free Love dealt equally to all?
Be then his Love accurft, fince love or hate,
To me alike, it deals eternal woe.
Nay curs'd be thou; fince against his thy will
Chose freely what it now fo juftly rues.
Me miferable! which way fhall I flie
Infinite wrauth, and infinite despaire?
Which way I flie is Hell; my felf am Hell;
And in the lowest deep a lower deep
Still threatning to devour me opens wide,
To which the Hell I fuffer feems a Heav'n.
O then at last relent: is there no place
Left for Repentance, none for Pardon left?
None left but by submission; and that word
Difdain forbids me, and my dread of fhame
Among the Spirits beneath, whom I feduc'd
With other promises and other vaunts
Then to submit, boafting I could subdue
Th' Omnipotent. Ay me, they little know
How dearly I abide that boast so vaine,
Under what torments inwardly I groane:
While they adore me on the Throne of Hell,
With Diadem and Scepter high advanc't
The lower ftill I fall, onely fupream
In miferie; fuch joy Ambition findes.
But fay I could repent and could obtaine
By Act of Grace my former state; how foon
Would highth recal high thoughts, how soon unfay
What feign'd fubmiffion swore: ease would recant
Vows made in pain, as violent and void.
For never can true reconcilement grow
Where wounds of deadly hate have peirc'd so deep :
Which would but lead me to a worse relapse,
And heavier fall: fo fhould I purchase deare
Short intermiffion bought with double smart.
This knows my punisher; therefore as farr
From granting hee, as I from begging peace:
All hope excluded thus, behold in stead
Of us out-caft, exil'd, his new delight,
Mankind created, and for him this World.
So farwel Hope, and with Hope farwel Fear,
Farwel Remorfe: all Good to me is loft;
Evil be thou my Good; by thee at least
Divided Empire with Heav'ns King I hold
By thee, and more then half perhaps will reigne;
As Man ere long, and this new World shall know.
Thus while he spake, each paffion dimm'd his face Thrice chang'd with pale, ire, envie and despair, Which marrd his borrow'd visage, and betraid Him counterfet, if any eye beheld.
For heav'nly mindes from fuch diftempers foule Are ever cleer. Whereof hee foon aware,
Each perturbation fmooth'd with outward calme,
Artificer of fraud; and was the first
That practisd falfhood under faintly fhew,
Deep malice to conceale, couch't with revenge:
Yet not anough had practifd to deceive
Uriel once warnd; whofe eye pursu'd him down
The way
he went, and on th' Affyrian mount
Saw him disfigur'd, more then could befall
Spirit of happie fort: his geftures fierce
He markd and mad demeanour, then alone,
As he fuppos'd, all unobserv'd, unseen.
So on he fares, and to the border comes
Of Eden, where delicious Paradise,
Now nearer, Crowns with her enclosure green,
As with a rural mound the champain head
Of a steep wilderness, whose hairie fides
With thicket overgrown, grottesque and wilde,
Access deni'd; and over head up grew
Infuperable highth of loftiest shade,
Cedar, and Pine, and Firr, and branching Palm,
A Silvan Scene, and as the ranks afcend
Shade above fhade, a woodie Theatre
Of statelieft view. Yet higher then thir tops
The verdurous wall of Paradife up sprung:
Which to our general Sire gave profpect large
Into his neather Empire neighbouring round.
And higher then that Wall a circling row
Of goodliest Trees loaden with fairest Fruit,
Bloffoms and Fruits at once of golden hue
Appeerd, with gay enameld colours mixt:
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