Should intermitted vengeance arm-again.
His red right hand to plague us? what if all
Her stores were open'd, and this firmament
Of Hell fhould spout her cataracts of fire,
Impendent horrors, threatning hideous fall
One day upon our heads; while we perhaps
Designing or exhorting glorious war,
Caught in a fiery tempest shall be hurl'd
Each on his rock transfix'd, the sport and prey
Of racking whirlwinds; or for ever funk
Under yon boiling ocean, wrapt in chains;
There to converse with everlafting groans,
Unrespited, unpitied, unrepriev'd,
Ages of hopeless end? this would be worse.
War therefore, open or conceal'd, alike
My voice diffuades; for what can force or guile
With him, or who deceive his mind, whose eye
Views all things at one view? He from Heav'n's height
All these our motions vain fees and derides;
Not more almighty to refift our might,
Than wife to fruftrate all our plots and wiles.
Shall we then live thus vile, the Race of Heaven
Thus trampled, thus expell'd, to suffer here
Chains and these torments? better these than worse,
By my advice; fince faté inévitable
Subdues us, and omnipotent decree,
The victor's will. To suffer as to do,
Our ftrength is equal, nor the law unjust
That fo ordains. This was at first refolv'd
If we were wife, against fo great a foe
Contending, and so doubtful what might fall.
I laugh, when those who at the spear are bold
And ventrous, if that fail them, shrink and fear 205
What yet they know muft follow, to endure
Exile, or ignominy, or bonds, or pain,
The fentence of their conqu'ror: this is now
Our doom; which if we can sustain and bear,
Our fupreme foe, in time may much remit
His anger, and perhaps thus far remov'd
Not mind us not offending, fatisfy'd
With what is punish'd; whence these raging fires
Will flaken, if his breath stir not their flames.
Our purer effence then will overcome
Their noxious vapor; or enur'd, not feel;
Or chang'd at length, and to the place conform'd
In temper and in nature, will receive
Familiar the fierce heat, and void of paino
This horror will grow mild, this darkness light: 220
Befides what hope the never-ending flight
Of future days may bring, what chance, what change
Worth waiting, fince our present lot appears
For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,
If we procure not to ourselves more woe.
Thus Belial with words cloath'd in reason's gard
Counsel'd ignoble ease, and peaceful floth
Not peace: and after him thus Mammon spake.
Either to difinthrone the king of Heav'n
We war, if war be best, or to regain
Our own right lost. Him to unthrone we then
May hope, when everlasting Fate shall yield
To fickle Chance, and Chaos judge the ftrife
The former vain to hope argues as vain
The latter: for what place can be for usim 339
Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord fupreme
We overpower? suppose he should relenti
And publish grace to all, on promise made to F
Of new fubjection: with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throned. 5
With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead fing
Forc'd hallelujahs; while he lordly fits wong li Our envy'd Sov'reign, and his altar breatheslovni od ot
Ambrofial odors, and ambrofial flowers,q
Our fervile offerings? This must be our tafk
In Heav'n, this our delight; how wearifomen
Eternity so spent in worship paida wa wako
To whom we hate! let us not then pursue
By force impoffible, by leave obtain'd
Unacceptable,though in Heav'n, our state
Of fplendid vassalage; but rather feek
Our own good from ourselves, and from our own
Live to ourselves, though in this vast recessztal
Free, and to none accountable, preferring του 1255
Hard liberty before the easyoyoker fes
Of fervile pomp. Our greatness will appear
Then most confpicuous, when great things of small,
Ufeful of hurtful, prosperous of adverse
We can create and in what place so e'er
Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain,
Through labor and indurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? how oft amidit
Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire
Choose to reside, his glory unobfcur'd,
And with the majesty of darkness round
Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar
Muft'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell?
As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? this defert foil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold:
Nor want we skill or art, from whence to raise
Magnificence; and what can Heav'n shew more?
Our torments also may in length of time
Become our elements; these piercing fires
As foft as now fevere, our temper chang'd
Into their tempers which must needs remove
The sensible of pain All things invite Luci
To peaceful counsels, and the fettled ftare iw t
Of order, how in safery best me maya80
Compose our present evils, with regards
Of what we are and where, dismissing quite
All thoughts of war. Ye have what I advise.
He scarce had finished when fuch murmur fill'd
Th' affemblygon's gwhen hollow rocks retain
The found of blustring winds, which all night long
Had rous'd the fea, now with hoarfe cadense lull
Sea-fearing men o'erwatch'd, whose bark by chance
Or pinnace anchors in a craggy bay...
Afrer the tempeft: fuch applaufe was heard
As Mammon ended, and his fentence pleas'd,
Advising peace: for fuch another field
They dreaded worse than Hell: fo much the fear
Of thunder, and the sword of Michaël
Wrought ftill within them; and no less defire
To found this nether Empire, which might rise
By policy, and long process of time,
In emulation oppofite to Heaven.
Which when Beëlzebub perceiv'd, than whom,
Satan except, none higher fat, with grave
Aspect he rose, and in his rifing seem'd
A pillar of frate; deep on his front engraven
Deliberation fat, and public care;
And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
Majestic though in ruin? sage he stood,
With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear
The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention still as night
Or fummer's noon-tide air, while thus he spake.
Thrones, and Imperial Pow'rs, Offspring of Heav'n,
Ethereal Virtues; or these titles now
Must we renounce, and changing style, be call'd
Princes of Hell? for so the popular vote
Inclines, here to continue, and build up here
A growing empire: doubtless; while we dream, 315
And know not that the king of Heav'n hath doom'd
This place our dungeon, not our fafe retreat
Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt
From Heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne, but to remain
In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd
Under th' inevitable curb, referv'd
His captive multitude: For he, be fure,
In height or depth, still first and last will reign
Sole King, and of his kingdom lose no part
By our revolt; but over Hell extend
His empire, and with iron fceptre rule
Us here, Was with his golden those in Heav'n.
What fit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with lofs
Irreparable; terms of peace yet none
Vouchsaf'd or fought: for what peace will be giv'n
To us enflav'd, but custody severe,
And stripes, and arbitrary punishment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return?
But, to our power, hoftility, and hate,
Untam'd reluctance, and revenge, though flow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqueror least
May reap his conqueft, and may leaft rejoice
In doing what we most in fuffering feel?
Nor will occafion want, nor fall we need
With dangerous expedition to invades y no p
Heav'n, whose high walls fear no affault affault or or fiege, fiege,
Or ambush from the deep: what if we find
Some cafier enterprize? there is a place,
If ancient and prophetic fame in Heav n
Err not, another world, the happy feat
Of fome new race call'd Man, about mitindon To be created like to us, though legmeigin baisol
In pow'r and excellence, but favor more
Of him who rules above: fo was H
Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an bath,
That shook Heav'n's whole circumference S
Thither let us bend all our thoughts to learn
What creatures there inhabit, of whaступона, Бать
Or substance, how endu'd, and what their eq
pow'r,
And where their weakness, how attempted best,
By force or fubtlety. Though Heaven be Thur,
And Heav'n's high arbitrator fit fecure
In his own strength, this place may lye expos'd 360
The utmost border of his kingdom, left
To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
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