I know thee not, nor ever faw till now
Sight more deteftable than him and thee. T'whom thus the portrefs of Hell gate reply'd. Haft thou forgot me then, and do I seem Now in thine eye fo foul? once deem'd so fair
In Heav'n, when at th' affembly, and in fight Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's king, All on a fudden miserable pain
Surpris'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy swum In darkness, while thy head flames thick and fast Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide, Likeft to thee in fhape and count'nance bright, Then fhining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd Out of thy head I sprung: amazement seis'd All th' hoft of Heav'n; back they recoil'd afraid At first, and call'd me Sin, and for a fign Portentous held me; but familiar grown, I pleas'd, and with attractive graces won The most averfe, thee chiefly, who full oft Thyself in me thy perfect image viewing Becam'ft enamour'd, and such joy thou took'st With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden. Mean while war arose, And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd (For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe
Clear victory, to our part loss and rout Through all the empyréan: down they fell Driv'n headlong from the pitch of Heaven, down Into this deep, and in the general fall
I alfo; at which time this pow'rful key Into my hand was giv'n, with charge to keep These gates for ever shut, which none can pass Without my opening. 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 feest Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain Distorted, all my nether shape thus grew Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy
Forth iffued, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to deftroy: I fled, and cry'd out Death; Hell trembled at the hideous name, and figh'd From all her caves, and back refounded Death. I fled, but he purfued, (though more, it seems, Inflam'd with luft than rage) and swifter far, Me overtook his mother all dismay'd, And in embraces forcible and foul Ingendring with me, of that rape begot These yelling monsters, that with ceaseless 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 fon and foe, who fets them on, 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’à. But thou, O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun His deadly arrow; neither vainly hope To be invulnerable in those bright arms, Though temper'd heav'nly, for that mortal dint, Save he who reigns above, none can refist.
She finifh'd, and the subtle Fiend his lore Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus answer'd fmooth. Dear Daughter, fince thou clam'st me for thy fire, And my fair fon here fhow'ft me, the dear pledge Of dalliance had with thee in Heav'n, and joys Then sweet, now fad to mention, through dire change Befall'n us unforeseen, unthought of; know
I come no enemy, but to fet free
From out this dark and difmal houfe of pain Both him and thee, and all the heav'nly hoft Of Spirits, that in our just pretences arm'd Fell with us from on high: from them I go This uncouth errand fole, and one for all Myfelf expofe, with lonely fteps to tread
Th' unfounded deep, and through the void immenfe To fearch with wand'ring quest a place foretold 830 Should be, and, by concurring figns, ere now Created vaft and round, a place of blifs
In the pourlieus of Heav'n, and therein plac'd
A race of upftart creatures, to fupply
Perhaps our vacant room, though more remov'd, 835 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 haste To know, and this once known, shall foon return, And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unseen Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd With odors; there ye shall be fed and fill'd Immeasurably, all things fhall be your prey.
He ceas'd, for both feem'd highly pleas'd, and Death Grinn'd horrible a ghafstly smile, to hear His famin fhould be fill'd, and blest his maw Deftin'd to that good hour: no lefs rejoic'd His mother bad, and thus bespake her fire. 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
These adamantin gates; against all force
Death ready ftands to interpofe his dart,
Fearless to be o'ermatch'd by living might.
But what owe I to his commands above
Who hates me, and hath hither thrust 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 Of mine own brood, that on my bowels feed?
Thou art my father, thou my author, thou My being gav'ft me; whom should I obey But thee, whom follow? thou wilt bring me foon To that new world of light and bliss, among The Gods who live at ease, where I shall reign At thy right hand voluptuous, as befeems Thy daughter and thy darling, without end. Thus faying, from her fide the fatal key,
Sad inftrument of all our woe, she took;
And tow'ards the gate rolling her bestial train,
Forthwith the huge portcullis high up drew,
Which but herself not all the Stygian Powers
Could once have mov'd; then in the key-hole turns Th' intricate wards, and every bolt and bar
Of maffy ir'on or folid rock with ease
Unfaftens on a fudden open fly
With impetuous recoil and jarring found Th' infernal doors, and on their hinges grate Harsh thunder, that the loweft bottom shook Of Erebus. She open'd, but to fhut Excell'd her pow'r; the gates wide open That with extended wings a banner'd hoft
Under spread enfigns marching might pass through With horfe and chariots rank'd in loose array;
So wide they stood, and like a furnace mouth Caft forth redounding fmoke and ruddy flame. Before their eyes in fudden view appear The fecrets of the hoary deep, a dark
Illimitable ocean, without bound,
Without dimenfion, where length, breadth, and highth,
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