Though without number ftill, amidft the hall.
Of that infernal court. But far within,
And in their own dimenfions like themfelves,
The great Seraphic Lords, and Cherubim,
In clofe recefs, and fecret conclave fat;
A thousand Demi-Gods on golden feats,
Frequent and full! After short filence then,
And fummons read, the great confult began.
The end of the firft Book.
The confultation begun, Satan debates whe ther another battel be to be hazarded for the recovery of heaven fome advife it, others diffuade. A third propofal is prefer'd, 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 themfelves, about this time to be created their doubt who shall be fent on this difficult fearch: Satan their Chief undertakes alone the voyage; is honor'd and applauded. The council thus ended, the reft betake them feveral ways, and to Several imployments as their inclinations
lead them, to entertain the time 'till Satan return. He paffes on his journey to hell gates, finds them shut, and who fat there to guard them, by whom at length they are open'd, and difcover to him the great gulph between hell and heaven : with what difficulty he passes through directed by Chaos, the Power of that place, to the fight of this new world which he fought.
HIGH on a throne of royal ftate, which far
Outshone the wealth of Ormus, and of Ind;
Or where the gorgeous eaft with richest hand
Show'rs 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 war with heav'n; and by fuccefs untaught, His proud imaginations thus difplay'd.
Powers, and Dominions, Deities of heav'n! (For fince no Deep within her gulph can hold Immortal vigor, though opprefs'd and fall'n, I give not heav'n for loft: from this defcent Celeftial virtues rifing, will appear More glorious and more dread than from no fall, And truft themselves to fear no fecond fate.) Me though just right, and the fix'd laws of heav'n
Did first create your Leader; next, free choice;
With what befides, in council or in fight,
Hath been atchiev'd of merit : yet this lofs
Thus far at least recover'd, hath much more
Eftablish'd in a fafe unenvied throne,
Yielded 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
Foremost to ftand against the Thunderer's aim,
Your bulwark; and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain? Where there is then no good
For which to ftrive, no ftrife can grow up there
From faction: for none fute will claim in hell
Precedence; none, whofe portion is so small
Of prefent 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 juft inheritance of old,
Surer to profper than profperity
Could have affur'd us and by what best way,
Whether of open war, or covert guile,
We now debate: who can advise may peak.
He ceas'd; and next him Moloc, fceptred King,
Stood up, the ftrongest and the fiecest spirit
That fought in heav'n, now fiercer by defpair :
His truft was with th' Eternal to be deem'd
Equal in ftrength, and rather than be less,
Car'd not to be at all; with that care loft
Went all his fear of God, or hell, or worse,
He reck'd not; and these words thereafter fpake:
My fentence is for open war of wiles,
More unexpert, I boaft not them let those
Contrive who need; or when they need, not now:
For while they fit contriving, shall the reft,
Millions that ftand in arms, and longing wait
The fignal to afcend, fit 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 chufe,
Arm'd with hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er heav'n's high towers to force refiftlefs 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 itself
Mixt with Tartarean fulphur, and ftrange fire,
His own invented torments. . . . . But perhaps
The way feems difficult, and steep, to fcale
With upright wing against a higher foe.....
Let fuch bethink them, (if the fleepy drench
Of that forgetful lake benumb not ftill)
That in our proper motion we afcend
Up to our native feat: defcent and fall
To us is adverfe. Whe but felt of late,
When the fierce foe hung on our broken Rere
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