For happy though but ill, for ill not worst,
If we procure not to ourselves more woe."

Thus Belial, with words cloth'd in reason's garb
Counsell'd ignoble ease, and peaceful sloth,
Not peace and after him thus Mammon spake.
"Either to disenthrone the king of Heaven

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 strife:
The former, vain to hope, argues as vain
The latter: for what place can be for us

Within Heav'n's bound, unless Heav'n's Lord supreme
We overpow'r? Suppose he should relent,
*And publish grace to all, on promise made

Of new subjection; with what eyes could we
Stand in his presence humble, and receive
Strict laws impos'd, to celebrate his throne
With warbled hymns, and to his Godhead sing
Forc'd Hallelujahs; while he lordly sits
Our envied sov'reign, and his altar breathes
Ambrosial odours and ambrosial flowers

Our servile offerings? This must be our task
In Heav'n, this our delight; how wearisome
Eternity so spent, in worship paid

To whom we hate! Let us not then pursue
By force impossible, by leave obtain❜d

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Unacceptable, though in Heav'n, our state
Of splendid vassalage; but rather seek

Our own good from ourselves, and from our own

Live to ourselves, though in this vast recess

Free, and to none accountable, preferring

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Hard Liberty before the easy yoke

Of servile pomp. Our greatness will appear

Then most conspicuous, when great things of small,

Useful of hurtful, prosp'rous of advérse

We can create and in what place soe'er

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Thrive under evil, and work ease out of pain,

Through labour and endurance. This deep world
Of darkness do we dread? How oft amidst

Thick clouds and dark doth Heav'n's all-ruling Sire
Choose to reside, his glory unobscur'd,

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And with the majesty of darkness round

Covers his throne; from whence deep thunders roar

Must'ring their rage, and Heav'n resembles Hell?

As he our darkness, cannot we his light
Imitate when we please? This desert soil
Wants not her hidden lustre, gems and gold;

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Not want we skill or art, from whence to raise

Magnificence: and what can Heav'n show more?
Our torments also may in length of time

Become our elements; these piercing fires

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As soft as now severe, our temper chang'd
Into their temper; which must needs remove
The sensible of pain. All things invite

To peaceful counsels, and the settled state
Of order, how in safety best we may
Compose our present evils, with regard

Of what we are, and where, dismissing quite
All thoughts of war; ye have what I advise."

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He scarce had finish'd, when such murmur fill'd Th' assembly, as when hollow rocks retain

The sound of blust'ring winds, which all night long
Had rous'd the sea, now with hoarse cadence lull
Sea-faring men o'er-watch'd, whose bark by chance,-
Or pinnace, anchors in a craggy bay

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After the tempest: such applause was heard

As Mammon ended, and his sentence pleas'd,
Advising peace: for such another field

They dreaded worse than Hell: so much the fear
Of thunder and the sword of Michaël

Wrought still within them; and no less desire

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To found this nether empire, which might rise
By policy, and long procéss of time,

In emulation opposite to Heaven.

Which when Beelzebub perceiv'd, than whom,
Satan except, none higher sat, with grave
Aspéct he rose, and in his rising seemed
A pill'ar of state; deep on his front engraveu
Deliberation sat and public care;

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And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
Majestic, though in ruin: sage he stood
With Atlantean shoulders fit to bear

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The weight of mightiest monarchies; his look
Drew audience and attention still as night

Or summer's noon-tide air, while thus he spake.

"Thrones and imperial pow'rs, offspring of Heaven, 310

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,

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And know not that the King of Heav'n hath doom'd
This place our dungeon, not our safe retreat

Beyond his potent arm, to live exempt

From Heav'n's high jurisdiction, in new league
Banded against his throne, but to remain

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In strictest bondage, though thus far remov'd
Under the inevitable curb, reserv'd

His captive multitude: for he, be sure,

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 sceptre rule
Us here, as with his golden those in Heaven.
What sit we then projecting peace and war?
War hath determin'd us, and foil'd with loss

Irreparable; terins of peace yet none

Vouchsaf'd or sought; for what peace will be given

: To us enslav'd, but custody severe,

And stripes, and arbitrary punishment
Inflicted? and what peace can we return,
But to our pow'r hostility and hate,

Untam'd reluctance, and revenge though slow,
Yet ever plotting how the conqu'ror least
May reap his conquest, and may least rejoice
In doing what we most in suffering feel?

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Nor will occasion want, nor shall we need

With dang'rous expedition to invade

Heav'n, whose high walls fear no assault or siege,

Or ambush from the deep. What if we find

Some easier enterprize? There is a place

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(If ancient and prophetic fame in Heaven

Err not), another world, the happy seat

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Of some new race call'd Man, about this time

To be created like to us, though less

In pow'r and excellence, but favour'd

more

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Of him who rules above; so was his will

Pronounc'd among the Gods, and by an oath,

That shook Heav'n's whole cireumference, confirm'd.

Thither let us bend all our thoughts, to learn,

What creatures there inhabit, of what mould,

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Vez. I.

Or substance, how endued, and what their power,
And where their weakness, how attempted best,
By force or subtlety. Though Heav'n be shut,
And Heav'n's high Arbitrator sit secure

In his own strength, this place may lie expos'd,
The utmost border of his kingdom, left

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To their defence who hold it: here perhaps
Some advantageous act may be achiev'd
By sudden onset; either with Hell fire

To waste his whole creation, or possess

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All as our own, and drive, as we were driven,

The puny habitants; or, if not drive,

Seduce them to our party, that their God,

May prove their foe, and with repenting hand
Abolish his own works. This would surpass
Common revenge, and interrupt his joy
In our confusion, and our joy upraise
In his disturbance; when his darling sons,

Hurl'd headlong to partake with us, shall curse
Their frail original, and faded bliss,

Faded so soon. Advise if this be worth
Attempting, or to sit in darkness here
Hatching vain empires." Thus Beëlzebub
Pleaded his devilish counsel, first devis'd
By Satan, and in part propos'd: for whence,
But from the author of all ill, conld spring
So deep a malice, to confound the race
Of mankind in one root, and Earth with Hell
To mingle and involve, done all to spite
The great Creator? But their spite still serves
His glory to augment. The bold design
Pleas'd highly those infernal sates, and joy`

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