Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as Hell,

671

And shook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head
The likeness of a kingly crown had on.

Satan was now at hand, and from his feat
The monster moving onward came as fast
With horrid ftrides, Hell trembled as he strode.
Th' undaunted Fiend what this might be admir'd,
Admir'd, not fear'd; God and his Son except,
Created thing heught valu'd he nor fhunn'd;
And with disdainful look thus first began.

675

680

Whence and what art thou execrable fhape, That dar'ft, though grim and terrible, advance Thy mifcreated front athwart my way. To yonder gates? through them I mean to pass, That be affur'd, without leave afk'd of thee: 685, Retire, or tafte thy folly', and learn by proof, Hell-born, not to contend with Spi'rits of Heaven. To whom the goblin full of wrath reply'd. Art thou that traitor Angel, art thou He, Who first broke peace in Heav'n and faith, till then Unbroken, and in proud rebellious arms Drew after him the third part of Heav'n's fons Conjur'd against the Higheft, for which both thou And they, outcafe from God, are here condemn'd To waste eternal day's in woe and pain? 695 And reckon't thou thyfelf with Spirits of Heaven; Hell doom'd, and breath'ft defiance here and feorn Where I reign king, and to enrage thee more, Thy king and lord? Back to thy punishment, Falfe fugitive, and to thy speed add wings, Left with a whip of fcorpions I purfue Thy ling'ting, or with one stroke of this dart Strange horror feife thee', and pangs unfelt before. So fpake the grifly terror, and in shape,

700

So fpeaking and fo threatning, grew ten-fold 705

More dreadful and deform: on th' other fide
Incens'd with indignation Satan stood
Unterrify'd, and like a comet burn'd,
That fires the length of Ophiuchus huge
In th'artic fky, and from his horrid hair
Shakes peftilence and war. Each at the head
Level'd his deadly aim; their fatal hands
No fecond stroke intend, and fuch a frown
Each caft at th' other, as when two black clouds,
With Heav'n's artillery fraught, come rattling on
Over the Cafpian, then ftand front to front
Hovering a space, till winds the fignal blow
To join their dark encounter in mid air:
So frown'd the mighty combatants, that Hell

710

116

Grew darker at their frown, fo match'd they stood; For never but once more was either like

721

To meet fo great a foe: and now great deeds

Had been atchiev'd, whereof all Hell had rung,
Had not the fnaky forcerefs that fat

Faft by Hell gate, and kept the fatal key,

725

729

Ris'n, and with hideous outcry rush'd between.
O Father, what intends thy hand, the cry'd,
Against thy only Son? What fury, O Son,
Poffeffes thee to bend that mortal cart
Against thy Father's head? and know'ft for whom;
For him who fits above and laughs the while
At thee ordain'd his drudge, to execute
Whate'er his wrath, which he calls juftice, bids;
His wrath, which one day will destroy ye
She fpake, and at her words the hellish pest 735
Forbore, then these to her Satan return'd.
So ftrange thy outcry, and thy words so strange
Thou interpofeft, that my fudden hand
Prevented fpares to tell thee yet by deeds
What it intends; till firft I know of thee,

both.

740

What thing thou art, thus double-form'd, and why
In this infernal vale first met thou call'st
Me Father, and that phantafm call'ft my Son;
I know thee not, nor ever faw till now
Sight more detestable than him and thee.

745

T'whom thus the portrefs of Hell gate reply'd. Haft thou forgot me then, and do I feem Now in thine eye fo foul? once deem'd fo'fair In Heav'n, when at th'affembly, and in sight Of all the Seraphim with thee combin'd In bold confpiracy against Heav'n's king, All on a fudden miserable pain

750

Surpriz'd thee, dim thine eyes, and dizzy fwum
In darkness, while thy head flames thick and faft
Threw forth, till on the left fide opening wide, 755
Likeft to thee in shape and count'nance bright,
Then shining heav'nly fair, a Goddess arm'd

760

Out of thy head I sprung: amazement feis'd
All th' host 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 fuch joy thou took'ft 765
With me in fecret, that my womb conceiv'd
A growing burden. Mean while war arofe,

770

And fields were fought in Heav'n; wherein remain'd
(For what could elfe?) to our almighty foe
Clear victory, to our part lofs and rout
Through all the empyrean: 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 hands was giv'n, with charge to keep 775

780

These gates for ever fhut, 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 seest
Thine own begotten, breaking violent way
Tore through my entrails, that with fear and pain
Distorted, all my nether fhape thus grew
Transform'd: but he my inbred enemy
Forth iffued, brandishing his fatal dart
Made to destroy; 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 feems, 790
Inflam'd with luft than rage) and fwifter far,
Me overtook his mother all dismay'd,

And in embraces forcible and foul

Ingendring with me, of that rape begot

785

Thefe yelling monfters, that with ceafeless cry 795
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 intermiflion none I find.
Before mine eyes in oppofition fits

Grim Death my Son 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 fhall be; fo fate pronounc'd.
But thou, O Father, I forewarn thee, fhun

800

805

810

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 resist.

815

She finish'd, and the fubtle Fiend his lore
Soon learn'd, now milder, and thus anfwer'd fmooth.
Dear Daughter, since thou claim'it 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 fweet, now fad to mention, through dire change
Befall'n us unforeseen, unthought of; know
I come no enemy, but to fet free

821

825

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 fleps to tread
Th'unfounded deep, and through the wide immense
To fearch with wand'ring queft a place foretold 830
Should be, and, by concurring signs, 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 hafte
To know, and this once known, fhall foon return,
And bring ye to the place where Thou and Death
Shall dwell at ease, and up and down unfeen
Wing filently the buxom air, imbalm'd
With odors; there ye shall be fed and, fill'd
Immeasurably, all things fhall be your prey.

841